Circling Lake Geneva

“I love Geneva,” observed a friend, a world-traveled financial analyst in from Singapore, “but what do you do there?”

The short answer is: quite a bit. The trick is to take in not just the city but the entire Lake Geneva region as an elegant ensemble—an amazing array of exquisitely situated towns and villages, each with its own distinct atmosphere and proudly independent view of life, all of it anchored by what has been called the world’s smallest metropolis.

The immense lake, which the French call Lac Léman, after the original Roman name, Lacus Lemanus, is shaped like a slender croissant, 45 miles long and, at its center, nearly 9 miles wide. Roughly 60% of the lakefront—the northern shore and both corners—is Swiss, and the remaining 40 % belongs to the French département of Haute-Savoie. The Rhône River, flowing down from the Alps, enters the lake at its eastern end and exits from the western tip, where it bisects Geneva on its way.

Wrapping around the western tip, Geneva ranks as world’s sixth most important financial center—ahead of Chicago, Frankfurt and Tokyo. It also enjoys a standard of living second only to Zurich, according to a respected quality-of-life rating done for major international corporations, yet it has a population of only 186,000 people.

The city combines the easy lifestyle of a pleasantly manageable town with a good bus and tram system with the sophistication and resources of a major international hub.

It offers a dazzling waterfront skyline along with superb hotels and some of the world’s most expensive and exclusive shopping. Not surprisingly, the city is obsessed with watches, and there’s even a museum dedicated to Patek Philippe, a manufacturer whose timepieces range from $20,000 to $40,000 or more.

Geneva’s most famous landmark is the harbor with its Jet d’Eau, a fountain shooting a feathery white column of water nearly 500 feet into the air. On the north bank, palatial hotels including the Grand Hotel Kempinsky and the famous Beau Rivage line the busy Quai du Mont Blanc, so named for its superb view across the water to snow-capped alpine peaks.

In spring and summer, much of the lakefront adopts a genteel carnival atmosphere, with impromptu outdoor cafés along the pleasant, animated promenade. The city provides free bicycles to anyone interested—bike routes in town are getting better and safer, but still leave much to be desired. There are several beaches on the lake, and a number of yacht basins.

The medieval Vieille Ville sits on a small hill above the south bank of the lake and the Rhône, clustered around the 13th-century Cathédrale Saint Pierre, a Protestant church since the 16th-century Reformation. Although Geneva was deeply influenced by John Calvin and offered refuge to beleaguered French Huguenots, the city now counts nearly twice as many Catholics as Protestants; church and state were formally separated in 1907 and the city has been resolutely secular ever since.

Facing the church, the ornate Maison Tavel is the oldest house in town, now housing a museum of the city’s history, and a few steps away the Barbier-Mueller Museum is renowned for one of Europe’s finest collections of African, Asian and Oceanic art. The medieval and Renaissance Hôtel de Ville is where the Geneva Convention, the first international treaty of humanitarian law, was signed in 1864, officially establishing the Red Cross.

The newest cultural district is the Quartier des Bains, with a flowering of hip new galleries focusing on contemporary art. Several times a year the galleries hold a joint open house entitled the Nuits des Bains. Among the more interesting spots is Pieceunic, a small experimental gallery run by Rosa Turetsky, which spotlights a single piece commissioned with the express purpose of enabling a young artist to expand beyond his usual work.

On the north side of the city, the headquarters of the UN—which constitutes one of the city’s major industries—is in the Palais des Nations, built in the early 1930s for the original League of Nations. Since the Geneva Convention, the city remains a center for the world’s humanitarian operations. More than a dozen other major international agencies ranging from the World Trade Organization to the International Labor Organization are headquartered here, and so are the European operations of many major international corporations including Hewlett Packard, Caterpillar, Procter & Gamble and Dupont.

Thus an astonishing percentage of Geneva’s population is made up of international businessmen, diplomats and civil servants, as at home in the world’s major capitals, financial centers and trouble spots as they are in the city’s more discreet surroundings. The extraordinarily high level of education and experience makes for a demanding public, and quality of life is the operating standard—which may account for the city’s extreme civility. Cars actually stop at crosswalks for pedestrians. Most people are simply, but elegantly, well dressed. Courtesy is expected as a matter of course. After a while, even former New Yorkers begin to appreciate the calm.  As a friend puts it, “In Geneva I discovered my inner bourgeois”.

Although Geneva proper is tiny in terms of population, the greater Geneva area has been expanding rapidly and now encompasses a population of more than 800,000, with nearly 300,000 living on French territory—for if Geneva wraps around the end of the lake, France wraps around the greater Geneva area, surrounding it on three sides.

The Geneva government and many Swiss citizens have not yet acknowledged that they are no longer dealing with a sort of city-state, but rather a wider region incorporating both the Swiss and French sides of the border. But the authorities of France’s Rhône-Alpes region—and many expatriate residents—consider Geneva a de facto part of France.

The official border here is so erratic that residents are likely to cross from one country to the other several times a day. Under the Schengen agreements border barriers and markings have almost completely disappeared, and in general Swiss francs and euros are equally good tender on both sides.

It is the lake, above all, that unites the whole region, offering a diversity of experience unusual even for Europe—including a microclimate on the eastern end. More than that, it’s possible to go from total immersion in nature to maximum urbanity in a matter of minutes.

One delightful must is a day-ticket on one of the big white paddlewheel steamer ferries that ply the lake. The immaculately restored steamers, most of which date to the turn of the last century, stop in lakeshore villages between Geneva and Montreux; some also make regular stops on the French side, notably at the medieval town of Yvoire, and there’s a luncheon cruise from Lausanne across to Evian-les-Bains.

From Geneva along the Swiss side of the lake, the road leads through Coppet, a tiny town of arcaded houses whose beautifully appointed château, once home to Madame de Staël, is open to visitors. Nyon, founded by Julius Caesar, is currently restoring its ancient Roman amphitheater. It was also one of the rare places where Belgian illustrator Hergé did original on-scene research for his Tintin comic books. The town has preserved some of the original buildings and equipment, including a fire truck that Hergé drew for Tintin’s Calculus Affair. The Paléo Festival here (July 19-24 in 2011) is one of Europe’s great rock and pop events.

Villages and vineyards line the road to Lausanne, with castles and museums to visit at Vufflens-le-Château and Morges. One of the world’s most expensive and exclusive private schools, Le Rosey, holds its winter sessions in Gstaad and its spring and summer sessions in a manor estate in Rolle, where Yahoo recently transferred its European headquarters staff from London.

Lausanne, whose ultra-modern technical university has been compared favorably to Boston’s MIT, is perched on a promontory above the lake and is linked by funicular to its charming waterfront district, called Ouchy. In the Old Town, the 12th/13th-century cathedral is reputedly the most beautiful Gothic edifice in Switzerland, and the fascinating Olympic Museum is Ouchy’s claim to international fame. The nearby Musée de l’Elysée is an excellent photography museum.

Beyond Lausanne, there’s a choice between the low road, with dozens of beaches, and the Route des Vins, along winding roads that weave their way through the region’s noble vineyards and the villages of Cully, Lavaux and Grandvaux. High above the shore, the corniche road offers some of the most spectacular views to be found in Europe, with the lake framed dramatically by the craggy peaks that line the upper part of the Rhône Valley.

The corniche comes down to the shore at Vevey, the headquarters of the mighty Nestlé company and the former home of Charlie Chaplin, whose bronze statue graces the lakeshore. Farther along, Montreux is a graceful city built on a steep slope, with a delightful waterfront promenade. Sheltered from chilly winds, the city basks in an almost tropical microclimate, complete with magnificent palm trees. The Montreux Jazz Festival is one of the top musical events in Europe, with the 45th edition scheduled for July 1-16, 2011.

Above Montreux, you can drive or take a small mountain railway to Caux, a tiny town with several romantic hotels and one of Switzerland’s largest hotel schools. The train continues to the 6,700-foot-high Rochers de Naye, where the panoramic view of the lake and the Alps is magnificent—the adventurous can rent a Mongolian yurt here to spend the night. Hemingway used to ski down to the lake from here or from nearby Les Avants in the bygone days when it actually snowed here.

On the return to Montreux, you might note a small island with a single tree at the end of the lake. Modern legend has it that the city gave the island and the tree to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift, but that the queen returned it when the city sent her a bill for the island’s taxes.

Set on a rocky islet just outside of town, the imposing 13th-century Château de Chillon, a fortress-castle that was the stronghold of the dukes of Savoy, was made famous by Lord Byron’s 1816 poem The Prisoner of Chillon. Its splendid painted walls and vaulted ceilings are well worth a visit, and Byron’s name is carved on the wall in the dungeon cell where the real prisoner who inspired the poem was once chained.

After Chillon, don’t miss a side trip to Martigny, a small Swiss town at the crossroads leading to the Grand Saint Bernard, Simplon and Forclaz passes through the Alps, where traces of Celtic tribes, the Romans and Napoleon’s troops have all been found. There’s a medieval castle with enormous siege engines in its courtyard, but Martigny’s major attraction is the Pierre Giannada Foundation, a big modern structure that looks somewhat like a concrete Mayan temple, but which offers world-class temporary art exhibits along with a small but excellent permanent Gallo-Roman collection, a fascinating collection of wooden models based on the designs of Leonardo da Vinci, an antique car museum and a delightful sculpture garden with works by Miró, Chagall and others. The current exhibit, Dec 10, 2010 to June 13, 2011, is De Renoir à Sam Szafran.

Back on the lake, the small town of Saint-Gingolph straddles the Franco-Swiss border, which is marked by a mountain stream called the Marge. The French side of the lake is cut off from the sun by the mountains looming above it. As a result, this part of the lake is the least developed, and in places seems caught in a time warp. The villages, their walls painted with fading signs advertising long defunct products, seem rooted in the 1940s. Inland along some of the valleys leading from the lake, however, are spectacular landscapes and areas renowned for hiking, canoeing, and canyoning. The Abondance Valley deep in the Alps, with major ski resorts just beyond, is worth a day trip or even a few days camping and hiking, or overnighting at various auberges along the way.

In comparison to the dynamism on the Swiss side, the French shoreline seems dormant until Evian-les-Bains, a 19th-century resort town renowned for its mineral water, its casino and its luxury spa hotels the Royal Evian and the Hermitage, both perched on the hillside looking across the lake toward Lausanne. The medical virtues of Evian’s waters were not discovered until 1789; visitors today can sip from the original Sainte Catherine fountain, covered by an Art Nouveau pavilion called the Buvette Cachat.

Parts of the road from Evian to Thonon-les-Bains have been swallowed up by a low-priced urban sprawl that stretches intermittently almost to the outskirts of Geneva. Just before Thonon, hidden behind its vineyards, the Domaine de Ripaille incorporates the remains of a medieval château-monastery with four circular towers built by Amadeus VIII of Savoie, who was later elected pope. Privately owned, it’s open for visits, and produces a reputable white wine.

The center of Thonon, with grand views of the lake from the gardens of its former château, is reached by a short funicular from the port and the beach at Rives. But the most important last stop on the lake tour is Yvoire, a beautifully preserved, flowering medieval village with a tiny port, vine-covered stone houses and a 14th-century church whose belltower is capped with an oddly charming 19th-century onion dome. The château, owned by the same family since the 17th century, is not open to the public, but visitors can stroll through the Jardin des Sens, a fascinating walled herb and vegetable garden planted as it might have been in the Middle Ages. The gold leaf on the belfry comes from nearby Excenevex, known for its fine sand beach and its single industry: the battage d’or, hammering out gold leaf that has served for the renovation of Versailles, the dome of the Invalides in Paris, the reproduction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London and the flame of New York’s Statue of Liberty.

GENEVA NOTEBOOK

The country code for Switzerland is 41; the city code for Geneva is (0)22.

Geneva is not renowned for its cuisine—it’s easy to wind up paying a lot for a mediocre meal in a reputedly chic restaurant—but there are decent places with good food and, by Swiss standards, reasonable prices. One favorite is Le Café Lyrique, near the opera (12 blvd du Théâtre, 328.00.95, www.cafe-lyrique.ch).

If you are in the mood, however, you can easily drop several hundred euros on a jet-set night out with the happy few in the second-floor lounge of the glittering Grand Hotel Kempinsky (19 quai du Mont-Blanc, 908.90.81, www.kempinski-geneva.com), or enjoy a glass of wine from your balcony at the Hôtel Beau Rivage (13 quai du Mont-Blanc, 716.66.66, www.beau-rivage.ch).

Hôtel La Réserve (301 route de Lausanne, Bellevue, 959.59.59, www.lareserve.ch), just outside the city, is a favored stop for heads of state, but the prices are high and the food borders on average. La Perle du Lac (128 rue de Lausanne, 909.10.20, www.laperledulac.ch) is an exquisite restaurant in a lakeside park, although the decor is not always matched by the service or cuisine. For the truly romantic, it’s hard to beat the Creux de Genthod (29 route du Creux de Genthod, 774.10.06, www.creuxdegenthod.com).

For a more rustic experience, stroll out on the Quai Mont Blanc jetty to the small lighthouse, and check out the famous, decidedly unpretentious Buvette des Bains des Pâquis (30 quai du Mont-Blanc, 738.16.16, www.buvettedesbains.ch) where the glowing embers of an iron stove provide a warm refuge from the frosty night air, and a fondue with a bottle of local white wine is likely to cost less than €20. In fair weather the terrace offers a glorious view of the lake and the pleasure of watching various species of waterfowl compete for space on the crystal water.

The United Nations-NGO crowd prefers the unassuming Le Soleil (6 pl du Petit Saconnex, 733.34.17, www.cafedusoleil.ch) one of the oldest cafés in town, not far from UN headquarters. Enjoy a simple, fairly inexpensive steak or fondue surrounded by the cream of the not-for-profit world.

Maison Tavel: 6 rue du Puits-St-Pierre. website

Barbier-Mueller Museum: 10 rue Jean Calvin. website

United Nations Headquarters: Palais des Nations, 14 ave de la Paix. Information on guided tours: website

 

OTHER LAKE GENEVA SITES:

Paléo Festival Nyon: July 19-24, 2011. website

Montreux Jazz Festival: July 1-16, 2011. website

Fondation Gianadda: website

Originally published in the March 2009 issue of France Today; updated in March 2011