Right in the heart of Europe lies Geneva, a beautiful city on the Rhone River on the edge of the Swiss Alps. It is a center for international relations and has had an outsized influence on history. During the Reformation, it was a center of religious thought and study and a refuge for victims of religious wars and persecution. Because of this reputation and the lovely sound of the name, I christened my third daughter Geneva. In April, Geneva and I visited her city.
Here I want to share with you five recommendations for visiting this city that will help you think through how to best experience this marvelous city.
First, every trip to Europe should start in Geneva. Why is this?
Everything is expensive there. Switzerland in general is expensive, and Geneva is particularly expensive. A cheeseburger and fries supper was more than $30, and this was the common price for restaurants. Once you have visited Geneva, everything else in Europe will seem cheaper. That’s why it’s good to start there. You will love the prices in the rest of Europe! After Geneva, we went to Padua, Italy. We got a calzone for about $5. “What an amazing price!” We thought.
Second, buy your food at a grocery store.
This is something you can do anywhere in Europe to save money. However, in Geneva, it is all the more imperative because the margins are much greater. For the four of us who were visiting Geneva to eat supper, a cheap meal would have been more than $150. At the grocery store, we got a ton of food for only $30. It’s almost hard to believe how cheap the bread is and yet how good it is. You can get a good baguette for a euro (about a dollar) or less.
Third, go to the top of Saint Peter’s Cathedral to see Geneva. As I will explain below, you should certainly visit Saint Peter’s Cathedral for its religious history and connection with the Reformation. However, there is another reason. For a few euros, you can get an amazing 360 degree view of Geneva. You can see Lake Geneva and the lakefront to the northeast and the mountains to the southeast and south. It also fun to climb up the winding stairway to the top. It feels like an adventure. Besides that, you will get a great view of the architecture of this amazing cathedral.
Fourth, enjoy the water. The most unique part of Geneva’s landscape is the jet d’eau. It is a jet of water that shoots water about 140 feet into the air. It makes Lake Geneva look like a giant fountain. It was made in 1886 to regulate the city’s water supply, but it became so popular that it was eventually used simply as a tourist attraction.
Even without the jet d’eau, the water is one of the most important factors in making Geneva the beautiful city that it is. Geneva is a classic European city. It has cobblestone streets and plenty of medieval structures. It also has plenty of 19th century buildings like those in Paris that give Europe its unique feel. In the middle of it is the Rhone River that begins in Switzerland and empties out into the Mediterranean Sea. The Rhone empties into Lake Geneva. Lake Geneva has a beautiful lakefront that is wonderful in the day and beautifully illuminated at night. You can also take a boat ride in the river and enjoy a good view of the town and the mountains from there.
Fifth, explore the Reformation history. I was somewhat surprised at how prominent the history of the Reformation was. Geneva was important for spreading the Reformation into France and also into Scotland. John Knox went there as a refugee and preached in Geneva and then returned to Scotland to found the Presbyterian Church there. The wall of the Reformers celebrates the lives of four of the most important Reformers, including Knox and John Calvin.
We toured Geneva after visiting Italy. Whatever your perspective, there are few better visual explanations of the Reformation than Saint Peter’s Cathedral. After visiting the incredibly ornate churches of Europe, it’s a shock to the system to see Saint Peter’s. It is completely empty of the types of statues and art that fill the churches of Italy. All that you see is the Bible and the sacraments. The Reformation insisted that we go back to these simple things.
What would you recommend for visiting Geneva, Switzerland? This is just a short introduction. I have written it to help you as you think about traveling there; to enable you to enjoy it, even if you can’t go there; and to relive my memories of this wonderful place. Thank you for taking the time to read it. If you like it, subscribe below and/or share it on your social media. I hope to see you here again.
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