Geneva, Switzerland - City of Peace and Freedom

In co-operation with Switzerland Tourism

We have now visited Geneva in Switzerland, the city that can be called the City of Peace and Freedom. Here we have checked out the Red Cross Museum and strolled around the Old Town. We also hung out at a really cosy campsite right next to Lake Geneva. Here are our top tips for those planning to visit Geneva.

Table of contents

From France to Geneva, Switzerland

Then it was time for us to leave France and beautiful Ardeche, to continue the motorhome journey into Switzerland. The journey took around four hours and we arrived late in the evening at the campsite in Geneva. The next day we took the bus into town to look around!

Geneva - City of Peace and Freedom

Geneva is located in south-west Switzerland, spreading around the southern part of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). The city is the second largest in the country, after the capital Zurich, and French is spoken here. The lake is home to the Jet d'eau fountain, which is 140 metres high and one of the city's most important landmarks.

When we went to the tourist information centre in the city, the enthusiastic girl behind the counter told us that the city is sometimes called "City of peace and freedom", and of course we wanted to know more about that. We like freedom!

Genève i Schweiz — It was raining when we first arrived in Geneva, Switzerland.

Place des Nations in Geneva

That the city is called the City of Peace and Freedom is clear when you reach the Place des Nations square. Here you will find the Palace of Nations (Palais des Nations), which is used by the United Nations Office.

In front of the building is a huge broken chair, missing a leg, to remind people who have fallen victim to mines. The area is also home to many other international humanitarian organisations such as UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO and the Red Cross.

Place des Nations — Many international organisations are based in *Geneva* in Switzerland

Red Cross Museum

We visited the Red Cross Museum, which turned out to be a very nice and modern museum that brings the work of the Red Cross to life through different types of moving animations and testimonies.

Röda korset museum — Red Cross founder Henry Dunant

Röda korset museet — The museum invites to take a selfie at the statues "The Petrified" by Carl Bucher

We were most excited by "The Hurricane Game". Along with a bunch of other museum visitors, we stood around a big table and tried to save as many lives as possible by pressing the right rescue buttons, while listening to the hurricane getting closer and closer ...

Museum röda korset — Peter is concentrated while playing "The Hurricane game"

The old town of Geneva

The old town in Geneva felt a bit different from many other old neighbourhoods we have seen in other cities. There are lots of nice old houses and churches, but not so many narrow alleys. It is rather a bit grand! One of the churches you can see here is St Pierre Cathedral, which was built as a Roman Catholic cathedral, and then became a Protestant church during the Reformation, led by Jean Calvin.

The Old Town is also home to many restaurants, and in summer there are plenty of nice outdoor cafes to choose from.

More to see and do in Geneva

We didn't get to see everything during our visit to Geneva in Switzerland, but if you have more time, you can also take the opportunity to visit the Plaine de Plainpalais park. Here, various events are organised, such as markets and circuses, and there are also restaurants and bars.

On beautiful summer days, it's great to hang out at Lake Geneva. You can sunbathe, swim, dive, go on a boat trip or even try your hand at fishing. By the lake you will also find the Bains des Pâquis, where even on chilly days you can enjoy, for example, a hot sauna.

Geneva sjö — When we left the city, the sun was shining

Geneva Pass

If you want to see and experience a lot during your visit, it might be worth buying a Geneva Pass (you choose between 24, 48 or 72 hours). Using the card gives you free entry to a wide range of attractions and activities, and discounts on some others.

Camping in Geneva

Last but not least, we'll tell you about the campsite! We stayed at a campsite called TCS Camping Geneva Vésenaz. This is a really nice and green campsite located with its own beach right on the lake, in an area called Vésenaz on the outskirts of Geneva.

It has everything you need, including WiFi, washing machines, fresh breakfast bread and a restaurant. Just outside the campsite, buses run regularly into town. Convenient!

See more in Switzerland

Switzerland has a lot to offer in terms of nature, charming cities and good food. If you're travelling around by car or motorhome, or if you have time for some longer excursions, we can recommend the following destinations. Geneva can also be a starting point for getting to Mont Blanc in France. You can also read more about Switzerland here:

Lavaux wine region is located on Lake Geneva, about an hour by car from Geneva. Here you can sample Swiss wine at the vineyards or perhaps visit Chaplin's World.
Gruyère cheese is about 1 hour and 40 minutes away by car and is ideal for cheese lovers. Unexpectedly, this quaint little village is also home to an Alien Museum.
Interlaken is a beautiful location on two lakes, about 2.5 hours away. Here you can experience nature by hiking, or perhaps engage in more daring activities such as hang gliding.
The capital city of Bern is about two hours away and is an exceptionally charming capital city. The city is filled with fountains and crossed by a wide river where Bernese people like to swim.
Lucerne is almost three hours away by car, and is an extremely beautiful city with its old wooden bridges. The city is surrounded by both lakes and mountains, and you can take a train up the dramatic Mount Pilatus.

Facts about Geneva in Switzerland

What country? Switzerland
Language? French (many also speak German and/or English)
Residents? 200 000 in Geneva (2017)
Currency? Swiss franc (CHF)
Price point? Expensive (more expensive than Sweden)
Time difference? None
Emergency number? 112
El? Like Sweden
Water? Drinkable
Religion? Christianity (mainly Catholicism)

Journey to Geneva, Switzerland

Flight: Several airlines and travel agencies are organising trips to
Geneva, Switzerland. Direct flights from Stockholm Arlanda take about 2 hours 45 minutes. Companies that fly directly include SAS and EasyJet. You can also fly with, for example, Swiss Air and stop over in Zurich.
Car: Driving from Stockholm to Geneva takes about 23 hours if you count pure driving time. The distance is 203 kilometres.
Ferry: Travelling Gothenburg-Kiel with Stena Line takes 14 h 30 min.

Getting around Geneva

Public transport are available to get around everywhere in the city. You can choose between bus, tram and train, and there are also boat services on the lake.
Geneva Transport Card allows you to use public transport free of charge. You get the card if you stay in a hotel, hostel or campsite.

Accommodation in Geneva

Hotel: There are plenty of hotels, in different price ranges. Check out Hotel N'vY, for example, or search for hotels on Booking.com.
Camping: TCS Camping Geneva Vésenaz is located on Chemin de la Bise in Vésenaz just outside of town. This is a nice campsite by a lake, and buses to the city run just outside.

Helena

11 August 2018 6:00

Switzerland

city guide Europe, cityguide world, Motorhome holiday Switzerland, campervan trip2018, museum, metropolis

Helena

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30 Comments

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Fantasy Dining says:

Oh what fun! I am so keen on Switzerland?

11 August 2018 - 7:04

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Switzerland is amazingly beautiful! And there are many exciting things to do here, we'll be back! 🙂
  
  11 August 2018 - 9:05
  
  Reply
Liniz Travel says:

Oh what fun. I am SO keen on Switzerland. Want to ski more. Have a nice weekend hugs

11 August 2018 - 8:03

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We have only been to Switzerland in the summer, but it is certainly super nice here in the winter too! 🙂
  
  11 August 2018 - 9:06
  
  Reply
Across the board says:

Geneva is a wonderful city. Our daughter has lived there. If you get the chance, look for Yvoire, a fantastic medieval town, a few miles north, on the east side of Lake Geneva. There you should eat the local fish speciality, fried fish with a divine lemon sauce!

11 August 2018 - 8:17

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Oh, thanks for the tip! I looked at the map and we were not so far from there, but now we have rolled on, so unfortunately we missed it. Hard to get everything! 😉
  
  11 August 2018 - 9:08
  
  Reply
Ama de casa says:

The perfect campsite for sure! And with nice wooden tents there too 🙂

Switzerland is nice - but a bit hard to spell 😀.

11 August 2018 - 8:39

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  The cottages were cute 🙂 And yes, various spellings of this country have been seen 😉.
  
  11 August 2018 - 9:09
  
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Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

It will be interesting to see what you will show in Switzerland. Write about payment on the way! Nice campsite you found

11 August 2018 - 9:20

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Definitely! We will write about some more practical things in the future, when we have more experience. Already now I can say that we bought a vignette for the motorway, which cost 35 CHF (about 350 SEK) and is valid for the whole year. This works for cars up to 3.5 tonnes, otherwise more expensive I think.
  
  11 August 2018 - 10:11
  
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Mr Steve says:

FREEDOM in Geneva, like a glove. Just the selfie where you bring "The Petrified" to life.
I travelled to Europe for the first time in 1970 with the
3 mates in my WW bus converted to a camper. We visited Switzerland and camped at Lake Geneva.

11 August 2018 - 10:36

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  But how fun that you camped right here at the lake! And I didn't know that you travelled with a minicamper 😉 VW buses are so nice 🙂.
  
  11 August 2018 - 12:27
  
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Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Switzerland is another white spot on our travel map!
It will be fun to see what you will experience in your week there, so maybe it will be another destination on our "bucket list".

11 August 2018 - 11:11

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We have a lot of exciting plans, so it will be on the blog in the future! 🙂
  
  11 August 2018 - 12:27
  
  Reply
Travel Linda says:

I have so far been to Lake Geneva in Geneva and Lausanne and it is very nice there. You will surely have some wonderful days in Switzerland.

11 August 2018 - 13:32

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Can only agree that it is fantastically beautiful! We had rain and overcast when we came, but there will be more pictures soon, with sun 🙂 .
  
  11 August 2018 - 18:38
  
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Maria / Magnolia Magis says:

Of course we'll join you! Geneva is for me a beautiful city, Swiss army knife, mum and dad's home for a few years and where I got engaged to the children's father in the early 90s at a restaurant with cheese fondue (good). Crazy nice pumps I also bought there... I still have the shoes, although they do not fit anymore, but the engagement has long since ended...;D
So, let's see what else you come up with now!!! 🙂

11 August 2018 - 16:11

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- Maria / Magnolia Magis says:
  
  By the way, were you in the Smurf village? The blue neighbourhood? Crazy houses? Maybe it doesn't exist anymore...
  
  11 August 2018 - 16:13
  
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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  What special memories you have from Geneva! 🙂 Glad you're sharing! Smurf village? I've heard of a smurf village in Spain, but is there one in Switzerland too...?
  
  11 August 2018 - 18:40
  
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  - Maria / Magnolia Magis says:
    
    Yep. Or it was called that in the vernacular... Will check with mum. Could be a tip next time...;D
    
    11 August 2018 - 19:08
    
    Reply
    - Maria / Magnolia Magis says:
      
      My mistake...it wasn't that blue, not anymore anyway... I thought there were more colours back in the 90's. and no I hadn't smoked pot...! https://www.newlyswissed.com/geneva-smurf-enclave/
      
      11 August 2018 - 19:15
      
      Reply
      - Comment by post author
        
        Helena says:
        
        Not so blue maybe, but colourful and smurfy 🙂 This area we missed ...
        
        11 August 2018 - 22:01
Anders L says:

Hello 🙂
Thank you for the nice company and the information on what Bacalau contains at Tranöy lighthouse. After our conversation there we started a process that resulted in buying our first car!

Next year it will be eastern Poland.

The "nice Swedish couple" Anders and Malin.

11 August 2018 - 21:15

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Hi!!! But what fun to hear from you! And what fun to hear that it has become a motorhome !!!! You will certainly have many nice experiences with it! Also fun to hear that it is heading for eastern Poland! We wish you many nice trips and excursions!!!
  
  11 August 2018 - 22:03
  
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BP says:

Geneva and Lausanne are the most beautiful cities in Switzerland. Have visited both during the summer - business trips. Otherwise, I have only skied in the country in a lot of nice places actually. Switzerland is a beautiful country both in summer and winter. Then I can actually recommend eating the "national dish" - Raclette in the Swiss way;-)
The campsite by the lake is absolutely fantastic:-)

11 August 2018 - 22:27

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Switzerland is a beautiful country! Raclette is an experience! We ate it twice, last time we were in Switzerland (Zermatt and Nendaz). This time it will be cheese fondue instead 😉.
  
  12 August 2018 - 9:04
  
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Ditte says:

What adventures you have ahead of you. Exciting! I spent a lot of time in Switzerland during my youth. Was in Lausanne and Geneva and studied French and alternated with France. Travelled around a lot and would love to do it again but think it is now too expensive with Switzerland. Unfortunately. May live on old memories. The skiing is also fantastic, in my opinion.
I'm glad you found such a good campsite with a good location and it doesn't feel too crowded either.
Keep up the good work.

11 August 2018 - 23:12

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad you have been here so much! You have really travelled a lot in your life!!! Switzerland is expensive, but not everything is very expensive. We will return a little more about prices later.
  
  12 August 2018 - 9:22
  
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Lena in Wales says:

I recognise some parts of Geneva, but a lot has changed. Great to see it again!

12 August 2018 - 21:49

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- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad we could showcase some of Geneva from today! 🙂
  
  31 August 2018 - 14:47
  
  Reply

Geneva, Switzerland - City of Peace and Freedom

In co-operation with Switzerland Tourism

From France to Geneva, Switzerland

Geneva - City of Peace and Freedom

Place des Nations in Geneva

Red Cross Museum

The old town of Geneva

More to see and do in Geneva

Geneva Pass

Camping in Geneva

See more in Switzerland

Facts about Geneva in Switzerland

Journey to Geneva, Switzerland

Getting around Geneva

Accommodation in Geneva

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30 Comments

Fantasy Dining says:

Helena says:

Liniz Travel says:

Helena says:

Across the board says:

Helena says:

Ama de casa says:

Helena says:

Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Helena says:

Mr Steve says:

Helena says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Helena says:

Travel Linda says:

Helena says:

Maria / Magnolia Magis says:

Maria / Magnolia Magis says:

Helena says:

Maria / Magnolia Magis says:

Maria / Magnolia Magis says:

Helena says:

Anders L says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Ditte says:

Helena says:

Lena in Wales says:

Helena says:

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