set geneva.fun = true

June 22, 2006 8:20 AM

Is there anything fun to do in or near Geneva? Cafe or restaurant recommendations are welcome too.

I go to geneva fairly often on business and it seems to casual observation the most boring city in Europe. Any recomendations would be great. I have a very inclusive definition of fun and could jump on the train to a nearby town in persuit of said happiness (or fun).

Even if I could get a good brassarie, that would be great.

posted by shothotbot to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

Annecy, across the French border, is about 30 miles from Geneva. It's a beautiful lakeside town, definitely worth a visit.
posted by essexjan at 8:26 AM on June 22, 2006

Lausanne is a short train ride away. It's a really nice town with (I think) more old-Europey ambience than Geneva, and the waterfront is really cool.
posted by borkingchikapa at 9:24 AM on June 22, 2006

I keep hearing this charge of Geneva being extremely dull. Is there really nothing to do there? Churches, art museums, etc? Even the dullest of towns here in the United Kingdom at least have some trashy sights to check out.
posted by wackybrit at 9:31 AM on June 22, 2006

Take the UN tour
Go Shopping downtown
Visit Vieux-ville (old town)
Rent a car and check out Mont Blanc
Take a tour at CERN
Checkout the St. Peter's Cathedral and climb to the top
Art and History Museum, there's lots of neat stuff there.
Red Cross/Crescent Museum
posted by blue_beetle at 9:37 AM on June 22, 2006

I accompanied my father on business trips there a couple times when I was kid and was let loose to wander around.

I enjoyed:
The Natural History Museum, walking by the lake, eating delicious food (in restaurants surely gone by now), and the subterranean part of St. Peter's Cathedral.

For futher info, this list of ca. 40 museums in Geneva may be more helpful.
posted by jann at 1:34 PM on June 22, 2006

Take a boat on the lake.
Go to the ultra-touristy but still good fondue restaurant Matterhorn
Hop on a train to Neuchatel or Lausanne
posted by Nelson at 2:39 PM on June 22, 2006

I lived in Geneva for a while, and thought it was boring at first- but look around and there are things to do. The Swiss are pretty reserved, but there is a large foreign community there and it's easy to meet people.
Depends when you are there- in the summer the bathing platform is nice, go on a Monday night for Champagne fondue. Better than the tourisity resturants. For bars and cafe's try-
-Coolheure- 1-3 rue Chantepoulet
-Cafe Alhambra, next to Theater Alhambra, just off Rue Commercial
-Les Noir Chat- I think it's in Carouge
-Also try the cafes and bars round the cathedral

Also check out Carouge, hop on the tram and go there, it's a portuguese style area with interesting shops and buildings. The area to the north of the station is also quite interesting

If you are there at the time of Montreux Jazz festival definitely go, and there is a weekend bus (in the winter at least) to Chamonix and the French alps for skiing, and possibly in the summer for walking/biking as well.
posted by MrC at 10:13 PM on June 22, 2006

Can't find it online, but there was a pretty funny article on visiting Geneva in the pilot issue of Men's Vogue.
posted by j.s.f. at 8:12 AM on June 23, 2006