Geneva Race-cation: Top Things to See & Do

Aside from the running what else did we get up to?

I'd never been to Geneva before, and was really impressed with how easy it was to navigate on foot. It's reasonably small with most things within walking distance, and the airport was a short (not even 10minute) train ride away from our hotel. Most hotels seem to give visitors free transport cards, which allow you to board trains, trams, buses and ferries for free during your stay which was great!

Top Things to See/Do:
1. Chocolate!
You can't visit Geneva without sampling some Swiss chocolate, and although we didn't have time for an out of town tour, there are plenty of chocolate shops and tea rooms where you can drool over, taste and purchase the amazing creations on display πŸ™‚

2. Pretzels
Another food related item, these pretzels were from a stall on the main street in the centre of Geneva. The cosmopolitan nature of the city, with influences from France, Germany and Italy mean there is a wide variety of food options! 

3. Fondue
I didn't actually manage to eat any fondue in Geneva, as I was a little wary of consuming large amounts of melted cheese before running a race! However, several TNR members did fit in a fondue, and it's definitely on my list of things to do next time πŸ™‚
Photo courtesy of Kiera (and Sian)

4. Old Town incl. St Pierre Cathedral
The Old Town area of Geneva has some beautiful architecture.

You can pay 5CHF to climb to the top of the cathedral tower (100 steps in a spiral staircase) and enjoy some spectacular views across Geneva. 

5. Water Fountain (Jet d'Eau)
The water fountain in Lake Geneva is a must see attraction. It was actually turned off for the race weekend, possibly to avoid the spray soaking the runners as it was very windy! But we managed to enjoy the spectacle on the Friday and Monday- the jet reaches 140m into the sky at a speed of 124mph!
6. Jardin Anglais & Flower Clock
The "English Garden" was where the race village was held, and where the races finished. We also enjoyed our pretzels here in the sunshine! The Flower Clock became our meeting point post-race, because it was so easy to find! It tells the time with Swiss precision as it's actually transmitted via satellite. 

7. Ferry ride
We made use of our free transport cards to hop on a ferry (Mouette Waterbus) from one side of Lake Geneva to the other and get a different view of the city!

Source

We used Line M2, which was only a short trip of a few minutes, but there are other route options that would take you to different areas to explore. 

8. Beach area
On the western side of the lake is Bains des Paquis, a beach area with a sauna and restaurant. You can also swim in the lake if it's warm enough (or you're brave enough!).  

Also, although we didn't make it over, apparently there is Geneve-Plage (Geneva Beach) on the other side of the lake, complete with water slides, beach volleyball and Aqua Zumba! 
9. Chess set and Reformation Wall in Parc de Bastions

Parc de Bastions is a lovely green area in the city centre, the site of Geneva's first Botanical Garden.

It also plays host to giant chess sets, and the Reformation Wall which is built along the old rampart wall of the Old Town and pays tribute to the founders of the Reformation.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of everything there is to do in Geneva! Merely some of the sights (and tastes) we managed to pack in our our racecation πŸ™‚

If you have any reccomendations, please add them to the comments below!

Beki x

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