Lake Geneva travel tips

When I first arrived to the Gstaad, Switzerland train station, it was late at night. I couldn’t see much, and I was so tired that I quickly made my way to my hotel and went to bed.

Whenever you're dreaming of cosmopolitan cities, glistening lakes, and verdant mountain vales—that's the best time to visit Switzerland. If the mood strikes you to dip into Lake Geneva in the summertime, or cozy up in the winter for a dinner of raclette-covered everything, you need to go to Switzerland as soon as you can. As for the actual logistics of how to time your visit to this landlocked European country of centuries-old culture and commerce, it all depends on what you want to get out of your trip.

Southeastern France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is famous for some big things, from Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and the rolling landscapes that unfurl below it to the millennia-spanning architecture that defines the region’s capital city, Lyon, and beyond. Ironically, one of the best ways to experience all that grandeur is to think small — that is, to visit the small towns that reflect the best of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’ endless outdoor possibilities, robust agriculture and gastronomy, and long history and cultural heritage.

When recording his ninth solo album, Flow Critical Lucidity, Thurston Moore stayed local, holing up in a London studio near his home in Stoke Newington to lay down tracks. Yet while that process played out within walls thrumming with the sound of reggae, jazz, funk, and soul from neighboring musicians, the writing process took place further afield on Lake Geneva, where the Sonic Youth frontman reflected on the places that shaped him, like New York City during his No Wave days, as well as locations that serve as a call to action in protecting the planet, such as the rich nature of the Galápagos islands. Condé Nast Traveler caught up with Moore in the East Village earlier this summer to learn how nature informed much of the making of the album—and what life in 1980s downtown New York City, as captured in his recent memoir Sonic Life, was really like.

Holding meetings and events at posh hotels isn't a new concept; some of the toniest hotels in the world have served as backdrops to some of the most important gatherings in history. Whether it's for negotiating peace, creating bodies of diplomacy or hosting heads of state — or certain A-list pop music chanteuses — these are some of our favorite hotels in the world with an important claim to history-making meetings.

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Every year is an Olympics year in Lausanne, Switzerland, a city of stone buildings, tile roofs and historic church squares perched on a hillside overlooking Lake Geneva. As home to the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum, the city is involved year-round in championing the Games, long before and long after the official ceremonies take place. (This year, the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, mostly in and around Paris, run from July 26 to Sept. 8.)

Spend any length of time in Switzerland and you’ll come to realise just how distinct the seasons are here and how well the country wears them.

Thinking about travel to Europe this summer? I’ll whisper this two-word, game-changing suggestion in your ear: Swiss Bliss. Switzerland is a spectacular vacation escape, promising plentiful pampering, playful diversions, culture (music festivals, art experiences, unique museums—from sports to science, film to food) and stellar gastronomy. Taste Chasselas wine; its white grapes are grown in the terraced Lavaux vineyards along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva, where vintners produce artisanal batches that are rarely exported, so 98 percent of their singular sips can only be savored within the country. Discover abundant natural beauty and peaceful hideaways. Hike Alpine mountains. Swim in glistening lakes. Picnic amid wildflower meadows. For high-speed outings, ample opportunities abound: boating, road cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, skydiving and white-water rafting. Transportation within this tidy nation, especially via its SBB trains, is smooth and swift, accessing scores of destinations. (For itinerary details and surprising delights: My Switzerland Tourism.) Internationally renowned for training extraordinary hoteliers, hospitality is a revered profession, which adds smiles to your stay. Choose from a wide variety of accommodations—campgrounds to chalets to castles. If your vacay preference tends toward one-of-a-kind, five-star hotels, this article shines on three favorites, which are among French entrepreneur and winemaker Michel Reybier’s impressive collection of wellness-promoting properties.

As Mother’s Day approaches, consider giving the gift of quality time paired with a unique culinary experience. These nine restaurants, set in picturesque locales across Europe, offer more than just exceptional food—they promise unforgettable getaways where culinary art, sustainability and ambiance blend perfectly to celebrate this special occasion.

With its evian SPA, the Hôtel Royal adds a new attribute to the subtle art de vivre it has been relaying for over a century. 

It was a handpainted sign on a wooden barn that piqued my interest in Gruyères. I was travelling from Emmental to Montreux last year, following the wonderful Golden Pass rail route. Our train paused at Montbovon, the start of a steep climb up to the line’s final dramatic mountain pass. There was the prospect of stunning views of Lake Geneva ahead. To the right of the railway, I spotted the bold sign: “La Gruyère vous salue” (the region, like the cheese, lacks the village’s final “s”).

Wellness tourism has seen a 36% annual growth since 2020 and is expected to increase another 13.3% through to 2027, according to research by leading global research and wellness industry nonprofit the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). Lausanne, located on the shores of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, has long been leading the trend. It is home to the International Olympic Committee and over 25 sporting federations, so visitors can benefit from myriad sporting activities. When paired with its many opportunities for relaxation and recalibration, it’s the ideal destination for tourists looking for a holistic approach to wellness while on their travels.

Switzerland is one powerful place. While Zurich is arguably where the money of the world is kept, Geneva is where the peace of the world is kept. As the European headquarters of the United Nations, Geneva is home to 175 representations along with 250 international non-governmental organizations, the host city of more than 173,000 diplomats, delegates, and world thinkers every year. That’s nearly more people than the city of Geneva counts as residents.

No country has it all, but the Swiss are justified in feeling pretty smug about their lot.

New branded spa to open on February 1, 2024

Nestled in the southeast corner of France near the Swiss border, the Savoy region has a cuisine that befits its alpine location. Visitors should expect hearty dishes, such as its famous tartiflette, a creamy baked gratin of potatoes, onions, lardons and reblochon cheese; and farcement, a sweet and savoury potato cake that contains both bacon rashers and fruit such a prunes or pears. 

One of the best things about the Swiss city of Lausanne is its brilliant location. Located in the heart of Europe, on the shore of beautiful Lake Geneva, and within spitting distance of both the Alps and the Jura, it’s the ideal base for numerous day trips, whether cultural, physical or simply peaceful.

Summers in my hometown of Geneva, Switzerland used to bring sunny spells, but also long, rainy periods during which one wondered whether July had suddenly morphed into November. No longer. Climate change and its resulting heat waves have transformed the aquatic landscape, and more importantly the relationship between people and Lake Geneva (also known as Lake Léman). Along the quays, outdoor bars and cafes have sprung up, and on the water, sail boats, yachts, but also kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and even floating mattresses lend a new Mediterranean feel to this Alpine scenery.

Jumeirah Group said on Monday it had bought the Le Richemond, a five-star hotel on Lake Geneva. The move signaled that the luxury hospitality company based in the United Arab Emirates is focused on growing worldwide in key gateway cities.

Jumeirah Hotels is keen to invest in more properties in Europe. Having recently acquired Le Richemond in Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, Jumeirah with a 26-property portfolio now has five hotels in Europe.