48 Hours in Geneva Switzerland

June 2025

It was a beautiful week in June and Mike had a 2-day meeting in Geneva, Switzerland – so I decided to tag along on this quick trip and play tourist while he was in meetings.

About Geneva

Geneva, Switzerland, is a global city known for its international influence, particularly in diplomacy and finance. It’s situated at the southwestern tip of Lake Geneva, where the Rhône River exits, and is the second most populous city in Switzerland. Geneva serves as a hub for numerous international organizations, including the United Nations and the Red Cross, and is a major center for private banking. The city also boasts a vibrant culture, beautiful scenery, and a blend of historical charm and modern sophistication. 

Geneva offers stunning views of the lake and the surrounding Alps and Jura mountains. The city’s Old Town (Vieille Ville) provides a glimpse into its historical past with cobblestone streets, old buildings, and charming squares. 

Time to head south

We packed a couple of bags and made the 5.5 hour drive from our home in Frankfurt, Germany to Geneva, Switzerland on a sunny, warm Wednesday afternoon. The drive was quite hazy as smoke from the wildfires in Canada was hanging over parts of Germany, France and Switzerland – so we did not get any great views of the Alps on this trip.

Arrival

Upon arrival in Geneva, we checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Movenpick Hotel Geneva, near the airport as it was close to Mike’s office / meetings (more about the hotel below).

Our first order of business… We were in Switzerland so we wanted to get some FONDUE!

We dropped our bags off in the room and took an Uber to town for dinner. Based on internet reviews, we chose Restaurant Auberge de Saviese – and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is centrally located near the main train station and the lake, the staff was incredibly friendly and kind, and the fondue was superb!

It is a very cute, very Swiss looking restaurant with red checkered tablecloths and adorable swiss themed plates. We sat outside and enjoyed the lovely evening, the wonderful company, and a fantastic meal.

We ordered the traditional Fondue Moitie-Moitie, which is half Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP cheese and half Gruyère AOP cheese, melted together. We got the traditional bread for dipping in the fondue, plus an order of potatoes (I prefer my fondue with potatoes vs bread) and some fruit (grapes and apple slices). We also ordered a local white wine to accompany our fondue. It was delightful!!

And for dessert, Mike ordered vanilla ice cream with whiskey and I ordered cherries in cherry liqueur with vanilla ice cream.

The food was wonderful and the waiters were kind and attentive. They even offered us free limoncello on our way out. We highly recommend this restaurant!

After dinner, we wandered down toward the lake to take some photos and stumbled across a really cool bar – The Leopard Bar in the Hotel d’Angleterre. We entered thru a side door and the bar is located underneath the hotel. It has a really cool vibe with a great library-esque look, leopard print and motif throughout, a long list of creative cocktails and fine wines, live jazz music, etc. Some people were ordering food (from the restaurant upstairs) and it looked really good. But we’d just eaten so we only had drinks.

From there, we crossed the street to see the lake at night (which was beautiful), then headed back to the hotel.

Day 1

The following morning, Mike went to work and I grabbed an Uber into town. I try to find purposeful ways to wander around a city looking for specific destinations while taking in the sights – and I found a great one in Geneva!

Do you know that the Swiss eat more chocolate per capita than any other country?? The chocolate makers have perfected their craft and there are many, many highly skilled chocolate artisans to choose from.

That morning, I’d discovered the Geneva Choco Pass online and that became my guide to lead me around the city.

First stop – The Tourist Information Center at the main train station to purchase my pass.

The Choco Pass is a pass you purchase for just 30 CHF (Swiss Francs) that gets you access to treats from up to 10 local chocolatiers. You have 24 hours from the time you scan your pass at the first chocolate shop until it expires. This gave me specific destinations to find, while discovering Geneva while walking between them.

It was like an adult Halloween excursion! And for someone born on Halloween who loves sweets, it was the perfect way to explore Geneva. The first day I stopped at 9 of the 10 shops. Each shop told me a little about their history and provided me with a sample of 5-7 chocolates and/or truffles. I felt like it was a great value for the price I paid for the pass! And 1 CHF from your Choco Pass will be donated to MyClimate “Cause We Care” for climate protection and sustainable tourism in Switzerland.

You also get 10% off with your Choco Pass at the stores you visit (for up to 24 hours). I did buy chocolate at almost every one of the stores to support their businesses.

Since I was there on a weekday, all the shops were open so I had no issues there. But if you are there on a weekend (especially Sunday) or a holiday, make sure you check the shop hours to ensure they are open.

Below are the 9 stores I visited on day 1, with a little information about each as well as some photos:

Sweetzerland Chocolatier Geneve – Rue du Mont-Blanc 5, 1201 Geneve – Their organic certified artisanal chocolate is delicious and I loved the “sweet hearts” so bought a couple of those, as well as an assorted truffle box.

Canonica Artisan Chocolatier Geneve – Rue Rousseau 9, 1201 Geneve – They have been making hand made chocolates in Geneva since 1968 and had a beautiful variety of “domes” (truffles – so picked up a few extra of these).

Guillaume Bichet Artisan Chocolatier & Patissier – Rue du Rhone 17, 1204 Geneve – This is a beautiful chocolate and pastry shop and their Emerald (lemon caramel) truffle is to die for!

Martel L’Atelier Chocolat – Rue de la Croix-d’Or 4, 1201 Geneve – Founded in 1818, this chocolate shop and tea house offered both chocolates and the ability to sit down and eat lunch. They were extremely busy when I was there so I grabbed my chocolate treat bag and went on my way.

Zeller Chocolaterie – 1 Place Longemalle – This store opened in 1959 and will create custom chocolates for parties, work events, etc. Their chocolate dipped candied orange was an amazing treat! Since I already had a ton of chocolate, I picked up a bag of their homemade caramels.

Favarger Geneve – Rue du Rive 11, 1204 Geneve – This is a chocolatier that has been in business since 1826! They sold chocolate fondue and, while it looked interesting and I debated bringing some home, I didn’t get any. Mike is into dark chocolate right now so I took my samples and bought a couple of dark chocolate bars for him.

Du Rhone Haute Chocolaterie Geneve – Rue du Rhone 118, 1204 Geneve – They have been producing chocolate since 1875 and had some interesting and beautiful chocolate products. I purchased a Noble du Rhone (which has a wavy appearance). It was so pretty and tasted amazing! There were 3 flavors (hazelnut, pistachio, nougat). I got the nougat one. And I also picked up the yummiest smoky darky chocolate treats – and the smoky flavor is not added, it comes from the chocolate they use.

Renou Geneve – Rue des Eaux Vives 2 – I found this one particularly interesting as I got to choose 2 chocolate samples and 2 chocolate covered macaroons – and I do love a macaroon!! The apricot vanilla one was especially good 😊

La BonBonniere Chocolaterie – Rue du Stand 62 – This shop has been open since 1921 and hosts chocolate classes and events. I took my goodie bag and also purchased some of their chocolates filled with cherry and raspberry liqueur!

I ate very few of the chocolates that were included in my gift bags on the day I got them – as it was just too much chocolate for one day! But we’ve been enjoying them ever since and they are all wonderful! The quality of the chocolate is top notch and the people working in the stores could not have been more friendly!

It was a full and busy day! Wandering through Geneva collecting chocolate samples is a great way to experience the city.

Before, during and after my Choco Pass escapade, I also visited…

On my way to the first chocolate store, I checked out the Basilique Notre-Dame of Geneva, a beautiful old church consecrated in 1859.

I walked along Lake Geneva more than once as I traveled between chocolate shops. I enjoyed the views of the Jet D’Eau, the water fountain in Lake Geneva that shoots 42 stories into the air! Lake Geneva is so beautiful. It’s snow melt run off from the Alps and is crystal clear. There are also great park areas and restaurants / bars along the lake where you can enjoy the views.

Also along the road that runs around the lake is the Brunswick Monument, a neo-gothic style monument built for Charles d’Este Guelph, Duke of Brunswick. The German Duke was born in 1804 and made a fortune in Paris, after which he moved to Geneva. He died in 1873, leaving his enormous estate to the city with the provision that it would stage a grand funeral and build a monument in his name.

And I stumbled upon a Laduree store – one of my very favorites! So had to go in and get a raspberry macaroon!

Before heading back to the hotel, I stopped at the restaurant at the same hotel as The Leopard Bar we’d been to the night before – Windows Restaurant in the Hotel d’Angleterre. It is a beautiful little restaurant right across the road from the lake. It has big windows (hence the name) with a view of the lake and the Jet D’Eau. It was relatively early for dinner so I was one of the only people in the restaurant. And the service and food were superb!

They started by bringing me 3 types of bread with some butter and olive oil.

For my main course I ordered Stroganoff de Gambas (shrimp stroganoff) with basmati rice – so yummy! And they brought me a couple of pieces of locally made chocolate to enjoy after dinner (as if I hadn’t had enough already!).

From there, I Uber’ed back to the hotel for the night and had to capture a photo of my chocolate collection…

Day 2

The following day, Mike had meetings again so I Uber’ed back to town to hit the last chocolate shop on the Choco Pass and see some more sights.

I started my day at Carrack Chocolat – Route de Chêne 21, 1207 Geneve – It was early so I took my goody bag, bought some chocolate bars, and headed out to see more of Geneva. But was proud of myself for getting to all 10 of the chocolate shops on the Choco Pass list!

As I walked around Geneva, I passed the Jet D’Eau and lake again. It was still hazy so I still couldn’t see the beautiful Alps.

I wanted to check out the Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock). This clock, situated at a corner of the Jardin Anglais, was created for the first time in 1955 and contains about 12,000 flowers and plants. The floral arrangements change according to the season. Right now it’s celebrating women’s soccer. The flower clock is not only pretty, it also tells the time with Swiss precision – the time you see is transmitted by satellite. Another important detail – the seconds-hand is 2.5 metres long, the world’s longest!

Then I hiked up the hill to see the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre – At the highest point of the Old Town, St Peter’s Cathedral was built in the 12th century and underwent important transformations in the 16th century. It is a beautiful old church and has a separate chapel that was a sight to be seen with its colorful gothic style.

Reformation Wall – The Reformation Wall, in the Parc des Bastions, shows huge statues of the major figures of the Reformation. At the center are John Calvin, William Farel, Théodore de Bèze and John Knox. At the sides are those who spread the Reformation throughout Europe. The motto of Geneva “Post Tenebras Lux” (After darkness, light), a core phrase of Calvinist philosophy, is engraved in the wall.

From there, I walked back up the hill to Old Town to get one more fondue meal at a restaurant I’d read about online.

I enjoyed lunch outside at Restaurant Les Armures in the Hotel Les Armures. It has an impressive history all its own… It is the oldest café in Geneva. The dungeons were used as cellars by Bishop Guillaume de Marcossay. The water-painted scrolls on the ceiling of the Hall of the Knights date back to the 17th Century, as do the wrought-iron gates.

I started with a green salad and had the Fondue moitié-moitié avec une pointe de Bleuchâtel (Fondue Moitie-Moitie with a touch of blue cheese from Neuchatel). Again, the fondue came with bread and I ordered the potatoes. It was so yummy!

On the wall near the door was a plaque that was a thank you note from Bill Clinton.

If you’re in Geneva, I recommend having a meal here. Resevations are highly recommended! I did make them for lunch so got a table, but saw them turn away several guests who did not have reservations.

Right next to the restaurant was the Old Arsenal, with a collection of five period cannons, similar to those used to defend ramparts of the city, plus three colorful, battle-themed mosaics depicting key periods in the local history.

I then went back to the hotel, packed up our stuff, picked Mike up at his office, and we drove back home to Heidelberg. There was a TON of traffic so it took us way longer than anticipated. It was a lovely evening when we got back so we wandered the main street in Altstadt and had pizza at our favorite pizza place – Restaurant Papi.

It was a great 2 days and I look forward to going to Geneva again when the smoke has lifted and the Alps are out in their full glory! (I’ve been there several times before and it’s just beautiful when you can see them)

Plus there is so much more to do in Geneva. While we were only there for (almost) 48 hours, if there longer, visitors can also explore more in the historic Old Town, enjoy a cruise on Lake Geneva, visit the United Nations headquarters, or simply relax in one of the city’s many parks. There are also opportunities for outdoor activities like swimming, cycling, and hiking in the surrounding areas. 

Where we stayed

We stayed at the Movenpick Hotel near the airport, as it was close to the location where Mike had meetings. While it’s a 25-30 minute drive to the touristy part of Geneva (mostly due to Geneva traffic and not distance), it was a perfectly fine place to stay.

Transportation to Geneva by the lake and Old Town – We Uber’ed every time we went to town. You could also walk (about an hour to get there). Or the hotel provided a free public transportation pass so we could have taken the tram.

Rooms – The rooms were fine. Plenty big for European standards with a decent size bathroom/shower. They were clean, modern, and comfortable.

The hotel had at least 2 restaurants and a bar. But we did not eat there.

The location is convenient to the airport and not too far from the Geneva attractions.