Lac Léman - Lake Geneva, Geneva

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Geneve lives around the lake, and its beauty is enhanced with gardens and parks all around.

Travelling with kids, we had to skip the centre of town, but they appreciated the freedom by the water, and the great views.

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Lake Geneva or Lake Léman (French: Lac Léman, Léman and German: Genfersee) is a lake-border between Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe.
The average surface elevation of 372 m (1,220 ft) above sea level is controlled by the Seujet Dam in Geneva.

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We took a tram out to Palais des Nations, the headquarters of the United Nations, mainly to take the "been there" photo. The highlight of the excursion, however, was walking back into town through all the parks along the edge of the lake. It's really easy to navigate - just follow the edge of the lake - and it takes maybe 90 minutes walking leisurely. The parks are immaculately kept, of course, and there are the odd sights to see along the way: an antique carousel, modern art statues, and a small beach.

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Photos:
1. Looking out over Lake Geneva from the Promenade du lac
2. Cyclists on the Promenade du lac on the shore Lake Geneva
3. Lake Geneva on a summer day
4. Boats moored by the lake
5. A dock on the lake shore

Geneva is located at the place where water from Lac Leman, known in English as Lake Geneva, leaves the lake and starts flowing down the Rhône River for 354 miles (570 Kilometers), mainly through France, before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.

Much of Geneva's attractiveness as a city has to do with its setting on the right and left banks of the lake as it narrows down to enter the river.

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This was an incredible experience - it's an amazing dancing experience! It takes place every July on a Saturday. The meeting point is usually Parc Mon Repos around 2:30 p.m. It is here that thousands of people meet up to follow the Love Mobiles - big buses playing loud techno music with people dancing on them. Many people get dressed in various costumes, some very interesting choices too...! The tour usually takes off around 4 p.m. and travels along the Geneva water front.

This year the festival is set for July 12 and there will be 15 Love Mobiles. There is no entry fee.

This a wonderful excuse to enjoy the Geneva water front on a beauful summer day! And why not get your rhythm on!? It was grand!

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There are options for lake cruises all over Switzerland and from every port on Lake Geneva. I thought this was the highlight of our visit to Lake Geneva but had we decided not to visit Geneva we could have easily done a similar cruise from Lausanne or Montreux or really any of the cities along Lake Geneva. You get an idea of just how big Lake Geneva is when you realize how little distance you cover!

We wanted something a little longer than the hour cruise so we opted for the lunch cruise which left at 12:20 and arrived back at 14:00. The cruise is currently 22CHF ($18US) per person not including lunch which was 65CHF ($54US) for a 3 course meal. We opted to skip the meal and brought our lunch on from the local grocery store.

They tell you when you buy your ticket what time they start boarding at, be sure to be there a bit before it sails so you can get a nice spot. I got one of the deck chairs at the railing which was a lovely spot.

The boat stops at several ports enroute and turns around at Hermance, the end of the Swiss coast of Lake Geneva. You can see the French flag as you are turning around.

You can bring along your own snacks and beverages, be sure to bring along sunscreen and a hat if you burn easily. In the cooler months you might also bring along a light sweater or jacket as it tends to be cooler on the water.

Lake Geneva , a croissant-shaped lake of Switzerland is ringed with villages, castles and gorgeous walks that need attention. So enjoy those wonderful views of the Swiss mountains and vineyards or just stroll along the lakeside.

Walking by the lakefront you will see some of the best views of the old town and also of the lake of course.The best hotels are located on the lakeside and also some of other interesting buildings to see and of course lots of nice Swiss Banks!!.

I haven't a picture of it but next to all these nice hotels along the lake there is a small park that I don't remember the name,well on this park there is a sculpture of Elizabeth Empress of Austria (Sissi) and also next to the park is where you can buy your tickets for the ships and small cruises on the lake.

You should definately go and see Geneva's huge lake. It's gorgous by day and stunning by night with a massive fountain you can walk up to.If you are travelling in August be sure not to miss the 'Fete Du Geneve' which is basically a huge fun fair around the lake, and on the last night a breath-taking firework display over the lake itself. There is a HUGE variety of different cusine's to try every night. You can pre-book seats for a garunteed good view of the fireworks (although i've never done this before).

The Compagnie Générale de Navigation ("CGN") operates a several "belle époche" paddle steamers built early in the 20th century. Some are steam driven, others are diesel electric. You can find out more at their web site. The lake steamers offer a pleasant way to spend time on Lake Geneva, known locally as Lac Léman.

This picture, taken in May, shows the steamer "La Suisse" at the Quai du Mont-Blanc in Geneva.