Travel
28 October 2009
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| Watch the wealthy stroll by in Cafe du Centre. |
THERE can't be many European cities which can top Geneva for its international links and cosmopolitan flavour.
There are 200 international organisations based here, including the World Health Organisation, the Red Cross and United Nations, and 130 multinationals, thanks to the tax system.
Forty per cent of the population are foreigners, mostly working with the international organisations, and the airport actually straddles France.
During my weekend visit, I met people from Afghanistan, Canada and Saudi Arabia. But, strangely, it seems harder to connect with the Swiss, who are known to keep themselves to themselves, according to friends of mine living in Switzerland.
Eighty per cent of visitors to the lakeside city are business tourists, but the tourism office is trying to change this, encouraging leisure travellers to take advantage of the relaxed yet chic destination.
The recession doesn't really seem to exist here - the Swiss are apparently still spending like mad and prices are high, but one organisation keeps the credit crunch in mind. Geneve Roule is run by asylum seekers and every day a number of bikes are available to hire for free. It is a good way to see the various districts of the city including Carouge, a bohemian village with well-hidden, more avant-garde nightlife and some cute artisan shops and unusual boutiques.
The old town is rather steep, making it hard when you're on a bike, but it is worth a visit for some eclectic restaurants and casual bars. Nightlife is not obvious here and you need to actively seek it out.
You can be out of the city in minutes, and a fun way to explore the surrounding countryside on wheels is on a wine tour. Very few people know about Swiss wine as they export as little as one per cent of total production, but they are up there with the French at drinking the stuff.
At www.campagnon.ch you can view all the vineyards and farms in and around Geneva and cycle between them, trying the local vines. It is also a good way to see the fantastic scenery including Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe.
Once back in Geneva itself, take a stroll around the lake or have a lunch at Cafe du Centre, an ideal location to ogle the well-dressed, wealthy crowds. While the tax laws are going through changes here, it seems like there will always be ways around the system, just like the UK banking regulations.
If you want to find out more about Geneva's longstanding association with the world's aid organisations, a visit to the Red Cross Museum in the international area is essential. The city has housed various refugees through the centuries and the Red Cross was founded in 1863. In 1919 after World War One, when the League of Nations was created, the Palais des Nations was constructed; now home to the United Nations and 25,000 delegates visit each year to discuss world peace. All the international organisations are located in the same district and it is easy to wander between the various buildings.
Another big cultural association for the city is literature. Frankenstein was conceived by Mary Shelley during her stay with Lord Byron in a quiet village overlooking the lake known as Beverly Hills. On the day we visited, the setting was idyllic but apparently it was during a terrible storm that her most terrifying story was written.
Geneva is an interesting place with some hidden cultural layers waiting to be explored if you take the time to delve in deeper.
Marina Thomas