Geneva: 12 stunning pictures of Europe’s most underrated city
It’s known as the city of peace — the United Nations and the Red Cross have their headquarters here, after all — and is probably most famous for being a centre for diplomacy. With this serious reputation, Geneva might not be the first city break destination that springs to mind… But maybe it’s time to think outside the standard European box a little bit.
Paris, Rome, Barcelona — whilst lovely, they’re overdone, not to mention stuffed to the brim with tourists taking identical photographs day after day. If you’ve never considered Geneva as a top destination for your weekend break, we have some pictures (and a few facts) to give you a snippet of what Switzerland’s second city is really like.
Did you know for example, that Geneva:
- was the birthplace of the World Wide Web?
- has more than 30 museums and galleries and a whopping 13 Michelin-starred restaurants?
- has the opportunity for outdoor excursions such as mountain biking, rock climbing, horseriding and kayaking?
- is home to the picturesque Billionaires district, where you can glimpse Villa Diodati, the house where authors Mary Shelley and Lord Byron challenged each other to a writing competition, the end resulting in the classic novel Frankenstein?
- there are over 10,000 fragrant roses at the rose garden in the Parc de la Grange, on the south side of Lake Geneva?
- the oldest monument in Geneva is St. Peter’s Cathedral, which was built between 1160 and 1289?
- one of the oldest pieces of history in Geneva is the Old Arsenal, which is a series of canons decorated by mosaic, portraying Caesar’s arrival in the city during 58 B.C?
- the most secret passage in Geneva is opened only one day a year, during the Escalade, and is situated near St. Peter’s Cathedral?
- the best and cheapest flea market in Geneva is Plainpalais, where you can pick up antiques, records and vintage clothes while mingling with locals?
- the most bohemian areas are Paquisand Les Grottes, which are full of ethnic restaurants and abundant street shops?
If Geneva is sounding quite tempting right now, here are some pictures that might just persuade you to book a flight…
Images courtesy of the InterContinental Genève.
Originally published at https://www.thenationalstudent.com.
