By Michael Karjavine

United Nations building in Geneva. Photo credit: Michael Karjavine.

Imagine a place that doesn’t have wars, always takes the neutral side in a conflict, and people can live peacefully without getting constantly involved in politics. Well, that place actually exists: Switzerland, a nation in the middle of some of the most politically involved countries in the world, like France, Germany and Italy. Due to its geographical location, Switzerland has four official languages: French, German, Italian and Romansh.

Since I was a little kid, my family used to visit my uncle and aunt, who lived in Geneva, Switzerland. It’s a beautiful city located on the border with France, and it sits on Lac Léman. Multiple skiing resorts are just two hours away. Skiing lovers might know the Swiss Alps as an awesome place to ski. The views are truly astonishing and breathtaking. The weather is usually good for skiing, and there is snow for around half a year.

The city of Geneva is located in the French-speaking part of the country and has a population of around 630,000. It was only once involved in a war. The holiday dedicated to this event, L’Escalade, is celebrated on December 12, or the closest weekend to that day. Geneva’s official site says, “L’Escalade commemorates the successful defense of Genève against a Savoyan attack in 1602.” As a tradition, Genevese people break open chocolate marmites to honor La Mère Royaume, a mother of 14 who threw her bowl of soup out of the window onto Savoyard troops. During this holiday, you get to see a parade of warriors march through the city streets, and everyone eats and drinks traditional Swiss food.

Gruyère Castle. Photo credit: Giles Laurent via Wikimedia Commons.

Traditional Swiss food includes dishes made mainly out of cheese, like fondue, tarts and quiches, and raclette. Switzerland is also famous for their chocolate. Some adults might know Switzerland for their exclusive wines. They produce around 80,000 liters per year. Most of the wine is not exported, however, because the Swiss like to drink it themselves. They are the fourth in the world for consumption of wine per capita. 

Switzerland is also famous for their elite watches and the Swiss army knife. They produce more watches than any other country in the world. And they produce over 45,000 pocket knives per day.

As for tourist attractions, Switzerland has many medieval castles, a handful of which are located near Geneva. As a kid, I enjoyed visiting those castles, and although I have already forgotten most of the historical facts, I will never forget the memories I got from visiting them. One of the world-famous cheeses from Switzerland is named after a castle: Gruyère. The castle was built back in the 13th century and was owned by the Gruyères until the late 16th century.

Freddie Mercury monument in Montreux. Photo credit: Michael Karjavine.

One of the oldest and most visited castles is Chateau de Chillon. It is located on the east part of Lac Léman, or Lake Geneva, the large lake that stretches northeast from the city. The castle is mostly surrounded by water, making it more difficult to attack. It was built by the Savoyards supposedly in the 10th century, because the first ever written mention of the castle was dated to the year 1005. Montreux, a beautiful city, is near the castle as well. Famous singer Freddie Mercury lived in Montreux and even recorded six albums with his band Queen there.

Rhône. Photo credit: Michael Karjavine

Even though there are multiple stunning places around Geneva, you should definitely walk around the city itself as well. As my aunt said, “I like the architecture of the city, which combines historical and modern buildings.” Geneva is not only full of buildings, it is also one of the greenest cities of Europe. My aunt commented on the ecological aspect of the city, “The Lake (Lac Léman) and the river (Rhône) going through the city, a lot of trees and flowers. Parks in every quarter.”

Jet d’Eau. Photo credit: Michael Karjavine.

My aunt, who has lived in Geneva for more than 15 years, recommends that you “visit the old part of the city, the Reformation Wall, the botanical garden and international centers.” Personally, I enjoyed the Broken Chair, a monument of a ten-meter tall chair with one broken leg, and Jet d’Eau, a fountain that shoots water 140 meters up.

It’s truly a beautiful city that is a hub for many of the world’s leading organizations and companies. As my aunt said, “this city is a convenient, clean international center for many companies and organizations.”

Featured image credit: Michael Karjavine.