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Aerial view of Geneva city in Switzerland during a sunny day
Feb 3, 2023

A Different side to Geneva

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Did you know that Geneva has an ice-skating rink inside a castle? Or that there's a park with a mini red train running through it? Or that the world's biggest carousel is right here in our backyard? Or that there's an indoor bobsled run where you can ride on real bobsleds? We have barely scratched the surface of Geneva's attractions. This blog will teach you about quirky and unusual places, hidden gems, and insider tips.

Bistrot du Fromager

A bistro is a beautiful place to relax at any time of the day, and Bistrot du Fromager is one such place. We start with the “fromager” – in this case, a cheese shop and cafe in one. The cheese selection here is worth visiting; they also serve light meals, desserts, and wine. Their terrace is a great place to sit on a warm day, with a glass of wine and a few of their delicious cheeses. They are also very family-friendly; there are highchairs, kids' menus, and crayons for drawing. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and the food is excellent for all ages.

The Coffee Library

Next up is the Coffee Library. This place offers the best experience for coffee lovers. Are you a coffee connoisseur? Do you like to try new beans from around the world? Then you're in luck because this place is for you! You can select beans from a wall of over 100 types of coffee from around the world, grind them for your espresso machine, pour a cup, and enjoy. You can even sample different types simultaneously to find your favorite. If you are a coffee novice and want to learn more, they have a selection of books explaining everything from picking beans to brewing techniques.

Cafe Noir

A few miles away, you’ll find a very different place. Cafe Noir is a hidden gem in Geneva, close to the United Nations that offers an amazing cup of coffee and live jazz music while you're there. This is a relaxed place with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, with interesting artwork on the walls. Café Noir is a great place to sit, converse with friends, or even read a book. The coffee is great, with a selection of different flavors and a good variety of teas. It is also very reasonably priced for Geneva and comes with the added bonus of an excellent selection of sweet treats.

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Geneve Rouger - A rotating restaurant on top of a castle!

The Geneve Rouger is a rotating restaurant on top of the Heidhaus castle. This is a nice spot for dinner, giving you a beautiful panorama of the area. The restaurant looks like a ship; the captain's table is a round rotating table that rotates 360 degrees as you dine. The servers are friendly, and the menu is à la carte. The Geneve Rouger is open for dinner from April to October. You can make a reservation online.

Flyboard & Jetpack Experience in Geneva!

Ever wanted to fly like Superman Flyboard is a water jetpack experience, one of the best things to do in Geneva. Flyboard is one of the most extreme sports in the world, where you are standing on a water ski and flying up to 12 meters high. After a quick training session, you can jump into the lake and try out this new sport. Water is pumped from the lake shore by a jetpack. The Jetpack sprays water through special nozzles at the back of your feet. This creates a vacuum that sucks you up into the air. You can use the jetpack as a water ski or let it go and fly around. The session will end with a video clip of you flying around and hopefully landing safely.

Miniature Train Park in Geneva

The Miniature Train Park in Geneva is the world's largest miniature park and the only miniature park in Switzerland. The park has more than 100 miniature trains, seven big train landscapes, 1,500 figurines, and many playhouses and buildings. You can stroll through the park, see the different trains, and visit the playhouses and buildings. The park is open from April to October and admission is free for under 2-year-olds with an adult ticket priced at 20 CHF. You can also get a family pass for two adults and two children for 60 CHF. The miniature train park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can reach the miniature train park by taking bus lines 8 or 9 and alighting at “Miniature Train Park.”

Ice Skating in Geneva

Geneva has a great outdoor ice-skating rink right at the Rhone river. The Rhone Glaciers are the world's largest outdoor ice-skating rink, and skate rentals are 10 CHF. There are also smaller indoor ice-skating rinks where you can skate year-round. During winter, you can also take a guided ice-skating tour of the Rhone glaciers.

Young girls ice skating indoors

Swiss Games Museum in Geneva

The Swiss Games Museum in Geneva is the world's first and only museum of games and play. The museum has a game-and-play collection of more than 12,000 items, which is constantly growing. Visiting this museum can be great when you want to spend time with children or if you plan on celebrating a gaming-related event on your anniversary. On weekdays, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and public holidays. The best part? Entrance is free. You can reach the museum by taking bus lines 1 or 10 and alighting at “Musée des Jeux.”

Mero Run – Indoor bobsled experience nearby!

Bobsled-fans will love the indoor bobsled experience near Geneva at Mero Run. Mero Run is an indoor ice-bobsled run converted to allow people to ride in virtual sleds. Here, you can ride on real bobsleds used in the Winter Olympics. You can choose the length of your run and the speed. The indoor bobsled run is near the Geneve Rouger restaurant on Castle Hill. To get there, take Rhone Street that leads to Castle Hill and walk up the stairs. The indoor bobsled is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The adult price is 32 CHF and 28 CHF for children.

Conclusion

Geneva is one of Switzerland's most important cities; it's a long-standing political, economic, and religious center. Lakes encircle the city. The surrounding area is dry, and the temperature here is more moderate than in the peaks. In addition to its natural beauty and cleanliness, Geneva is known for its good education, high standards of living, and high quality of life. All these things make Geneva a great place to live and visit.

There are a lot of hidden and not-so-hidden gems you can discover and enjoy in Geneva. You'll find your new favorite places when you keep your eyes open. This blog is dedicated to getting you started and finding those gems. Enjoy Geneva!

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