My top tips and sights for 48 hours in Geneva
International flair paired with a portion of French-speaking Swiss “savoir vivre” make the “smallest metropolis in the world” an attractive destination for a city trip. Especially in the summer months, when life around Lake Geneva comes to life. On our last trip to Geneva, it was still a bit too fresh to go on a water tour with the Stand Up Paddle Board, but we made a detour to Carouge and “forced” Geneva’s local mountain. In this article, I’ll show you which other attractions you shouldn’t miss during a detour to the westernmost tip of Switzerland.
3:00 pm: Check in at the legendary Hôtel des Bergues
Since 1834, the Hôtel des Bergues has been the top dog on the “Quai des Bergues” of the same name, located directly on Lake Geneva. Built in neoclassical style, the hotel is one of the oldest luxury hotels in Switzerland and is also one of the best addresses in the city, both in terms of location and service. From here, both Geneva’s city beaches and the old town are within walking distance.
After an extensive renovation, the international luxury hotel chain “Four Seasons” took over the operation of the Hôtel des Bergues in 2005. This makes it the first and so far only Four Seasons in Switzerland. The interior design bears the signature of the Frenchman Pierre-Yves Rochon, who was involved in the renovation. At the same time, the interior contains numerous historical elements from the beginning of the 20th century – including the magnificent staircase and the imposing Salle des Nations.
Anyone who, like me, has read Joël Dicker’s latest novel “The Secret of Room 622”, can’t help but check in at the Hôtel des Bergues. The majority of the rooms and suites are designed in a classic grand hotel style and impress with a spacious floor plan. And if you, like us, get a room on the south side, you will benefit from a magnificent view over the old town to Mont Salève.
4:00 pm: Walk through Switzerland’s largest old town
And since the old town is really only a stone’s throw away, we set off on an exploration tour as soon as we arrive. To do this, we cross the Pont des Bergues and then follow the narrow streets of the old town up towards St. Peter’s Cathedral. Directly behind it is the Place du Bourg-de-Four, which is considered the oldest square in the city and forms the actual center of the old town. For 7 CHF you can climb the 157 steps (yep, you can feel that in your thighs) to the towers of the cathedral and let your gaze wander over the city from above. Definitely a “must” for anyone visiting Geneva for the first time.
7:00 pm: Dinner & Sunset at the summer hotspot Izumi
During a leisurely stroll through the alleys of Geneva’s old town, time passes faster than you think. By sunset at the latest, it’s worth returning to the Hôtel des Bergues. If you walk through the magnificent lobby and then climb the sweeping stairs to the top floor, you will reach the trendy Izumi restaurant.
This is located on the top floor of the hotel and impressed me with its casual room concept. As soon as the temperatures and the weather allow, the Izumi shifts to the roof terrace of the house. The best Nikkei cuisine paired with a phenomenal view and fantastic drinks – it’s no wonder that the roof terrace of the Hôtel des Bergues is one of Geneva’s top spots par excellence. By the way, the Izumi team will be happy to help you choose the signature dishes. My favorite: the Tartare de Thon with Gochujang sur riz croustillant.
09:00 a.m.: Start of the day with fluffy french toasts
We start the next day just as enjoyable as the previous one ended: with another signature dish of the house – the French toasts. These can be found on the breakfast menu of the Bergues bar on the ground floor. By the way, on nice days you can also sit out here and welcome passers-by.
10:00 a.m.: Detour to the trendy Carouge district
Fortified with coffee and the sinfully sweet French toasts, we then make our way to Carouge. Carouge is an independent commune and suburb of Geneva located southwest of the Arve – but in terms of perception, Geneva merges smoothly into Carouge. From the Quai des Bergues it is about 3 kilometres (about 30 to 45 minutes walk) to the centre of Carouge. We completed the route on foot and can highly recommend this little “city hike”. On the way, you will pass one or the other sight and at the same time discover the lesser-known corners of Geneva “en passant”,
It’s no coincidence that you think you’re in Italy right in the heart of Carouge – around the Place du Marché and the Place du Temple. Carouge was rebuilt from scratch by the Sardinian monarchy in the last quarter of the 18th century to compete with Geneva. Today, Carouge invites you to a cosy “Lädälä” (it has some nice little boutiques), a cosy coffee around the market square and a stroll. If you are out and about in Carouge around lunchtime, I can recommend a stopover at the long-established Bistrot Lion d’or. Here you will find a small menu of fresh seasonal dishes and a selection of Geneva wines by the glass.
2:00 pm: Architectural tour of Geneva’s city centre
Afterwards we go on an architectural stalk. There is a lot of exciting things to discover, from the avant-garde listed Corbusier work “La Clarté” to the eye-catching “La Tulipe” by Jack Vicajee Bertoli (a rare example of Brutalism in Switzerland, by the way) to the modern extension of the Musée d’Ethnographie (Graber Pulver Architekten) or the Pont Hans-Wilsdorf, which opened in 2012. Another Geneva example, which has divided opinions for decades, is the striking solid concrete building of the University of Dufour (designed between 1968 and 1975 by the architects Werner Francesco, Gilbert Paux and Jacques Vicari).
We picked out a selection of interesting buildings in advance, marked them on Google Maps and aligned our footpath between the city center and Carouge on the way there and back so that we would pass the corresponding buildings. The generously designed Plaine de Plainpalais is also worth seeing – one of the largest flea markets in Switzerland takes place here on Wednesdays, Saturdays and the first Sunday of every month.
5:00 pm: Relax at the Four Seasons Spa
We easily covered 20,000 steps during our exploration tour of Geneva. It’s high time to give your feet and legs some relaxation. To do this, we go back to the top floor of the Hôtel des Bergues. Here, with a view over the rooftops of Geneva, is not only the Izumi, but also the Mont Blanc Spa. Special moments of relaxation are offered by the various spa treatments. My tense neck was neatly kneaded and loosened as part of a 50-minute massage.
8:00 pm: Drinks in the best hotel bar in town
In 2019, the Bar des Bergues made it into Forbes Magazine’s illustrious circle of “the world’s 44 best hotel bars”. The cocktails here are a blast and should not be missed during a visit to Geneva. But the Bar des Bergues is also worth a detour or dinner.
The menu is co-created by chef Massimiliano Sena, whose fine dining restaurant il Lago (the third restaurant at the Four Seasons) has been awarded a Michelin star. Unfortunately, il Lago was still closed during our visit, but it turned out that the Bar des Bergues can in no way be labeled as a “second choice”. On the contrary, we were thrilled! Artichoke carpaccio, homemade tagliolini with truffle and il Lago tiramiso – what a treat for the palate!
10:00 a.m.: Detour to Geneva’s local mountain, Mont Salève
The best view of Geneva is either from the tower of the cathedral or from Mont Salève. The special feature of Geneva’s local mountain is that it is located on the border in France. If you are travelling by public transport like us, you can go to the bus stop “Mont Blanc” (right next to the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues) and take bus no. 8 to Veyrier, douane (journey time about 15 minutes).
In Veyrier, cross the border on foot and follow the signposted path to the valley station of the Salève cable car (walking time from customs to the valley station, also about 15 minutes). Although the cable car station is located in France, GA/Half-Fare travelcards are kindly valid here and the price for the ascent and descent is accordingly inexpensive (we paid 7 CHF per person for a return trip with GA). Unfortunately, the weather was not so kind to us on the panoramic mountain – but despite the cloudy sky, the great panorama can be guessed. When visibility is good, it’s also worth taking a short walk to the signposted “Mont Blanc Panorama”.
1:00 pm: Stroll along Geneva’s waterfront
For me, a visit to Geneva simply includes a walk along the waterfront, through the Jardin Anglais to the Jet d’eau. Between the Jardin Anglais and the landmark of Geneva, you will also find nice, simple pubs on the quay, where you can have a drink or eat with a snack. You can find more summer impressions of Geneva’s waterfront and even more tips about Geneva in our article from 2015: a summer weekend in Geneva
Practical tips for your city trip to Geneva
- Prices at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues start at around 600 CHF per night in a double room (standard) for 2 people.
- The Four Seasons’ rooftop restaurant, Izumi, is one of the city’s top spots in the summer, so it’s worth reserving a table early (it’s open at noon from 12:00 to 14:00 and in the evening from 19:00 (with two seatings).
- The Bar des Bergues has a beautiful sun terrace directly on the Quai des Bergues, where outdoor seating is offered all day long when the weather is nice.
- Stand-up paddling, visiting Geneva’s historic lido “Bains des Pâquis”, exploring the Geneva countryside (including the vineyards) by bike or sailing – there is definitely no shortage of diverse summer activities in Geneva.
Please note: this stay was supported by the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. All impressions and opinions are, as always, ours.
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