What are Geneva’s specialties?
There’s plenty of choice for your taste buds in Geneva! Our team highly recommends perch fillets at the Café Restaurant du Quai in the village of Hermance. Calvinus beer, named after the Protestant reformer, is another typical local product. A beer brewed in Geneva! And if you could only try one thing during your stay, the unanimous choice is Geneva’s famous Longeole sausage. The ‘longeole’, made with pork meat and fennel, is traditionally eaten with a cardoon gratin. A pure delicacy! This traditional dish is notably served at the café in Bastions park, right next to the Reformation Wall, which is joined to a part of the old city walls built in the 16th century.
In your view, what is the best souvenir to bring home from Geneva?
Avelines chocolate, for sure! Created in 1922, the Avelines chocolate recipe is one of Geneva’s yummiest and best-kept secrets. Aveline chocolate is an exquisite blend of chocolate and hazelnut, from which the name is derived.
What is Geneva’s hidden treasure?
For our team, it’s the city’s Old Arsenal, located in the old part of town, right near city hall. Its cannons recall the belligerent past of Geneva. Today the building is used for a more peaceful purpose - housing the State archives.
What languages are spoken in Geneva?
The most commonly spoken language in Geneva is French. But English is frequently spoken as well. After all, Geneva hosts more international organizations than any other city in the world.
What’s your favorite building in Geneva?
Saint Pierre Cathedral, in the center of the old town. Built in 1535, it is a European heritage building. It is also the most visited monument in Geneva, with over 400,000 visitors every year. From the top of its towers, the cathedral offers exceptional views.
The most famous local resident?
Jean Calvin, the 16th century pastor, theologian and reformer. He was an emblematic figure of the Protestant reformation.
A not-to-be missed annual event?
The International Car Show, definitely. The first edition was held in 1905, but it only became an annual event in 1923. It is now held in the city’s Palais des Expositions et des Congrès, or conference centre, more commonly known as the ‘Palexpo’. One of a kind in Europe, the annual show welcomes on average 700,000 visitors.
What’s the most incredible thing you’ve seen in Geneva?
The “Chaise Cassée”, or Broken Chair. It’s a monumental sculpture in wood by Swiss artist Daniel Berset, constructed by carpenter Louis Genève. This work of art, on display on the Place des Nations, represents a giant chair with a broken leg. It symbolizes a refusal of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.
What are some typical expressions from Geneva?
People often say “ça va le chalet ou bien?” To ask how things are going. And in the countryside surrounding Geneva, people commonly say ‘adieu’ instead of ‘au revoir’ when saying goodbye.
