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One hundred thousand clocks, a thousand NGOs, 100 Benneton ads, one convention.
Nope, Geneva is not Switzerland's capital, despite what many think. This chic, sleek, cosmopolitan lakeside city is, in fact, only Switzerland's third-largest city and has an overwhelmingly international feel: 43.4% of the population is from elsewhere.
'In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock!' - Harry Lime (played by Orson Welles) in The Third Man.
The city is crowded with museums, has many excellent cultural events and is ideally placed for quick hops to the Swiss and French Alps. Basking in the sunshine of its peaceful setting on Lake Geneva's banks, this acclaimed neutral territory displays an obvious self-confidence. It is in pristine condition, clean, efficient and safe, yet spirited in its style and love of adventure.
Geneva is tucked away in the southwestern corner of the almost-French Swiss Alps. Its city centre hugs the shore of Lake Geneva and is split down the middle by the westward-flowing Rhône River. The main train station is conveniently located in the centre of town on the northern side of the river, as are most international organisations. Geneva's most visible landmark, the Jet d'Eau giant fountain, is on the southern shore. The south bank is also home to most of the city's museums and the vieille ville, the old part of town, with the pedestrian-only Grand-Rue running through it. To the east of the Old Town is Gare des Eaux-Vives, where you can catch trains running southeast into France.
