Geneva offers Swiss bliss

Lake Geneva is the heart of the city with its waterfront parks, and Switzerland's best shopping is never far away. Photos by Mike Peters/China Daily and Provided to China Daily

Geneva is known as a business hub, but Mike Peters seeks out its fun side.

Museums. Shopping. Boats. "The Lake." Chocolate.

There are lots of reasons to love Geneva.

"We're listed first among Swiss cities in Lonely Planet," says one of our guides during a quick city tour, "and that's not just the luck of the alphabet."

This charming cosmopolitan center boasts nearly 150 resident nationalities, he adds, but in Geneva you are most aware of the French. It's all about geography: France surrounds the city on almost every side, and while Switzerland's other three official languages (German, Italian, Romansch) are certainly audible in the streets, Geneva is the heart of French Switzerland. It's not the capital－and it's only the third-largest city－but it hums with an energy and self-awareness that make it larger than life.

"The Lake" gives Geneva a lot of its presence: The city is strung out along the western tip of Europe's largest lake, where banks, luxury watchmakers and chocolatiers, gelaterias and grand hotels jostle for their toeholds on the waterfront.

This business city can be one of Europe's most expensive, but a stroll along the shore brings out its simple pleasures. Takeaway kiosks offer pretzels filled with all kinds of savory goodness for a few Swiss francs. And petite parks are everywhere with views ranging from Mount Blanc (on a sunny day), the Cathedral St. Pierre or the peacocks that strut in the Parc de l'Ariana that sweeps along the United Nations and the botanical garden.

Our two nights at the Swissotel gave us a front-row seat of the lakeside, with easy access to the beach for a morning swim. And a more commanding view on the roof, where a lively cocktail bar features absinthe, savory local beers and the option to dine with a sunset view of the Jet d'Eau. Visitors see this huge plume of water from the air as they land: A "pencil fountain" that shoots as much as 7 tons of water sky-high at any given moment.