Geneva
By Day
Walks Around Geneva
The tourist office offers an audio-guided tour of the city for 18 CHF. The do-it-yourself option is Geneva on Foot (www.ville-ge.ch/plan-pietons), a series of eight maps produced by the Planning Office of the City of Geneva that provides walking routes with detailed information about the many colourful neighbourhoods that make up the city (including key landmarks and estimated travel times).
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Parks
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Main attractive parks include:
• Parc des Bastions: A beautiful and very quiet park with permanent activities such as several giant chess games. Take trams 12, 18 or Buses 5, 3 or 36 (stop Place Neuve).
• Parc des Eaux-Vives/Parc de la Grange Huge park with a marvelous view on the lake. You can get there by boat from the Quai du Mont Blanc, or take buses 6, 2, G and E.
• Jardin Anglais: You can sit down on a bench and just have a look at the marvelous view on the lake, boats and the Jet d’eau. Take tram 12 to Molard, Rive, or Bel-air and then you walk toward the lake.
For more information, visit http://www.geneva.info/parks/
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On the Lake
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You can discover the lake of Geneva with cruise between 40 minutes to 2h45. For further information about the departure place, price and opening hours, go to: www.mouettesgenevoises.ch/pw/en
The do-it-yourself version: Small boats called “mouettes” go across the lake and they are considered a part of the public transport system (so bus tickets and monthly passes give you access to them)
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Bains des Paquis
Right by the lake, there is a small restaurant/bar that serves breakfast, sandwiches and delicious chocolate cake. There is also a swimming area with an outdoor cafeteria/restaurant, but you have to pay for admission (2CHF). In the winter, you can go for a sauna. www.bains-des-paquis.ch
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Swimming
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Vernet: several open air swimming pools, several small parks where you can suntan, and a small cafeteria. CHF 6. Get there with bus 11 (stop: Vernet or Queue d’Arve)
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Varembé: Indoor and open air swimming pools and free “transat.” 6CHF. Take buses 8, 22, or 11 (stop: Motta)
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Geneva Plage: Geneva Plage on the eastern bank is a water park with a view. An Olympic sized pool, a waterslide, water ski launch, wading pool and a beach are just a few of the goodies that visitors enjoy during the spring and summer months. Of course the most popular area is the open lawn in the center of the park where sunbathers check each other out from behind the safety of their sunglasses. Admission is 7CHF for adults and 3.50CHF for children.
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Conservatoire et Jardin Botanique
Very nice place to visit, especially during the summer. During the winter you can also visit the Wildlife Park and greenhouses with very diverse and exotic plants. It is located near Place des Nations. Take bus 11 or 28.
There are tree gateways: Av de la Paix, Chemin de l’Impératrice and Place Albert Thomas. (1 Ch de l’Impératrice Chambésy/ Geneve)
Further information available at http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb/
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Musee D'Art Moderne et Contemporain
Location: 10, rue des Vieux-Grenadiers (number 1 bus to Ecole des Médecins). www.mamco.ch
Late modern, post-modern, and contemporary works by internationally known artists, as well as a special collection of Swiss conceptual work.
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If you still have time, here are some websites that list more ideas for things to do around Geneva
By Night
There are a number of good spots in the city where you can meet up with friends at the end of a busy week. The people from Geneva love to meet in Carouge, the city's "Greenwich Village". One of its quaint streets, rue Vautier, is particularly renowned for an impressive number or bars. Inside, and outside during the summer, people gather casually, drink in hand, listening to the sounds of jazz. When it comes to going out, there are a number of options to explore, whether in Carouge or closer to the city centre.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
ALHAMBAR
10, rue de la Rôtisserie (enter around back, off Parc Pélisserie), 022 312 1313.
A favourite amongst interns within the UN system, Alhambar offers funky, arty and friendly space above the Alhambra Theatre, avoiding the pretensions or astronomical drink prices of some other Geneva nightspots. Arrive before 22.00 if you want to have a chance of finding a nice, phat leather couch to call home base for the evening. Small tapas menu early in the evening, and a nice brunch on weekends until 14.00. Check out their web site at www.alhambar.com for a listing of musical acts and invited DJs.
CAFE ART'S
17, rue des Pâquis, 022 738 0797.
Weekdays from 17.00 until 2.00, weekends from 11.00 until 2.00. A good place to gather for an end-of-the week drink and maybe even a bite to eat... that is, if you can find a seat amongst all the staffers from the High Commission for Human Rights.
LA CLEMENCE
Place Bourg-de-Four.
Open 11.00 to midnight, every day. A cosy bar on the central square of Geneva's old town, La Clémence more than quintuples in size from April to October when it carves out a large swath of the Place and calls it its own. It is packed when the weather is good, which is more than understandable. (Check out their photo gallery on-line at www.laclemence.ch to see what we mean.) A lovely spot to watch Geneva walk by, a table is worth the wait. In the winter, they have the best vin chaud in town.
CAFE DE LA GARE
2, rue de Montbrillant (directly outside the TGV arrival area of Gare Cornavin).
Open until 23.00 daily. Of the two restaurants attached to the Hôtel Montbrillant, this is the pick. Beautifully decorated yet surprisingly laid-back, Café de la Gare captures the feel of some of the better sidewalk cafés in Paris.
PICKWICKS
80, rue de Lausanne, 022 731 6796.
Wednesday to Saturday until 2.00, Sunday to Tuesday until midnight. One of the half-dozen British pubs in town, Pickwicks is typically full of football-watching ex-pats eating fish and chips while putting back a pint. (A living caricature, you say? Yes, perhaps, but enjoyable all the same.) A little bit of London in Geneva, show up more than once and Pickwicks' friendly staff will probably treat you like a long-lost friend (note: with the sheer volume of turnover in Geneva's international community, it's easy to become a "regular" somewhere). If you take the number 13 tram to the office, peer out the window near the stop "Butini" and read on the Pickwicks' chalkboard what matches will be broadcast and what bands will be playing that evening. Saturday nights feature low-key dancing in the basement with a mix of cheesy disco and 90s pop. Sometimes that's exactly what makes for a good time out.
LES BRASSEURS
20, Place de Cornavin, 022 731 0206.
Tuesday to Saturday until 2.00, Sunday and Monday until midnight. Les Brass can be a bit "over the top". While having the distinction of being one of the few brew pubs in town, lose any preconceived notions of this being a quaint and cosy meeting spot. (The ability to order beer in a giant, three to five litre plastic tube should say it all.) If you're trying to round up a big group of interns, though, Les Brass makes a good meeting spot... if for no other reason than the fact that it's big and easy to find. And perhaps it's true what they say: the people make the place
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Bars
Some of the best bars and clubs in town are located around Plaine de Plainpalais, which is perhaps not surprising given the proximity to the Université de Genève.
REMOR
1, Place de Cirque, 022 328 1270
Considered by some to be the best Parisien-style grande café in Geneva. Artwork by university students and the proprietor often hangs on the wall. Rémor offers a couple of salads during the day and a range of ice-cream treats.
L'ETHNO
1, rue Bovy-Lysberg, 022 310 2521
A comfy nightspot across the street from the northern tip of the Plain, l'Ethno is equally popular with students as it is with the folks working in the private banks in the surrounding neighbourhood.
MOLOKO BAR
Place des Volontiers (upstairs from the main entrance of l'Usine).
Tired of spending so much time with "international civil service" types, or bankers and diplomats for that matter? The smoky interior of l'Usine offers a change of pace, with interesting people-watching and cheap drinks as well. L'Usine also has two large dance/concert halls - one downstairs with an entrance by the river, and another upstairs, featuring everything from punk, to rasta, to dance and electronica.
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LE FERBLANTERIE
8, rue de l'Ecole-de-Médecine
Very much a student haunt, "the Tinsmith" is grungy in the right ways. You can't judge a book by its cover, and you wouldn't judge a person by their friends... but you can judge a bar by its music. What do you find sitting on the rack above the CD player? Paulo Conté, Tom Waits, Fugayi, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Charles Mingus... just to give you a sampling.
L'ETABLI
5, rue de l'Ecole-de-Médecine
L'Etabli is a great place to go when the Ferblanterie is packed... or is it the other way around? This super-friendly little café/bar/wine bar is a great place to meet a grad student who wants to help you with your French, or some- one with whom you can argue politics or whatever.
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Dancing/ Clubs
Too much time at your desk leaving you feeling like you need to get out there and move a bit? Here are a couple of suggestions:
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WEETAMIX
37, chemin Jacques Philbert.
Although not the easiest place to get to, Weetamix is able to attract a good, local
MORE LINKS FOR EVENTS AND CON- crowd by consistently booking some of the best talent in electronic music from
CERTS France, Britain and the US. Check out their website at www.weetamix.com
BOUT DU MONDE
6 rte du bout-du-monde
10CHF cover, open late, good mix of music (r&b/latin/etc night themes), many students, http://www.boutdumonde.ch/
L’USINE
4 place des Volontaires
http://www.usine.ch/ - concerts downstairs, upstairs to the right is an electronic club, upstairs to the left is a bar and cinema
LE BAROQUE
Place de la Fusterie, off rue du Marché by the church
Bar upstairs and club downstairs, probably the poshest club in Geneva – beware of very expensive drinks!.