Correction Appended

The United Nations office at the Palais des Nations. Credit Christophe Margot for The New York Times



4:30 p.m.


8 p.m.


10 p.m.



10 a.m.


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1:30 p.m.

The airy Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (2, Charle-Galland; 41-22-418-2600; features an admirable cross-section of art history, including exceptional works by Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cézanne and Picasso. For a real treat, head to the second-floor galleries and get lost in the Genevoise landscapes of the Swiss painters François Diday and his student Alexandre Calame.

3 p.m.

Anyone who says there's no money in philosophy should visit Voltaire's former home, now the Institut et Musée Voltaire (25, rue des Délices; 41-22-344-7133; Voltaire was a shrewd businessman, and his writings on liberty and sharp wit won him rich and powerful patrons, including Catherine the Great and Frederick the Great. From his Palladian villa set in an immaculate garden Voltaire in the 18th century set forth the ideas that would help spark the French Revolution. You can read them, along with his personal letters and manuscripts, in the philosopher's sumptuous salons.

5 p.m.


8 p.m.

Geneva has a growing Middle Eastern community, as evidenced by the Arabic script on storefronts, banks and offices all over. For a cultural taste, follow your nose to Rue de Berne, where Libyan bakeries, small teahouses and Middle Eastern restaurants stand side-by-side with the city's small, tidy red-light district. La Caravane Passe (11, rue du Dr. Alfred-Vincent; 41-22-731-3431) is a casual family-run restaurant popular with immigrants and students. Order a steaming plate of traditional lamb couscous (15 Swiss francs) and wash it down with pots of foaming mint tea (3.50 Swiss francs).

11 p.m.

Geneva tends to shut down early, but there are a few spots where you can party with the city's moneyed class. If the high cocktail prices (25 Swiss francs) don't faze you, head to the Platinum Glam Club (18, quai du Seujet; 41-78-726-6941; White sofas and V.I.P. lounges surround a pulsating dance floor, where the city's well-dressed 20-to-40-somethings gyrate under strobe lights and smoke machines. The music ranges from thumping techno to Middle Eastern dance music, and notable D.J.'s have included the likes of Busta Rhymes and DMX. Admission is 25 Swiss francs for men, free for women.


11 a.m.

Who says the Swiss are humorless? Certainly not the cheery waiters at Faim (5, rue Châtelain;; 41-22-340-2575), a Scandinavian-sleek cafe on the Right Bank. The funky décor, tasty eats and rotating photo exhibits draw the city's bright young things every Sunday morning. A brunch plate, including delicious restaurant-baked bread and jams, is 28 Swiss francs.

1 p.m.

When you hear news reports of “negotiations taking place in Geneva,” it invariably refers to the Palais des Nations (14, avenue de la Paix; 41-22-917-4896;, home to the second-largest United Nations office, after New York. Sprawled along Geneva's Right Bank, this complex of grand offices was built from 1929 to 1936 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations. When it was reconstituted as the United Nations after World War II, this became the U.N.'s European headquarters, housing an alphabet soup of organizations like Unicef and WHO. The hourlong tours — in any of the organization's 15 official languages — take you through the enormous Assembly Hall and the commemorative galleries (10 Swiss francs; passport required). Later, stroll the surrounding 87.5-acre Parc de L'Ariana. Avoid being nipped by the peacocks that roam wild. In a city as safe as Geneva, this might be the greatest danger you'll face.


Continental, Swiss International Air and United fly from Newark or Kennedy airports. Fares this month start around $657 on Swiss. A taxi from Cointrin International Airport to the city center is about 30 Swiss francs, about $24 at 1.21 Swiss francs to the dollar. It's often easier and cheaper (5 Swiss francs) to take the six-minute train ( to the central station, Gare de Cornavin; trains depart several times an hour.

Hôtel de La Cigone (17, place Longemalle; 41-22-818-4040;, on a quiet square between the lake and Old Town, is elegant; rates start at 480 Swiss francs for a double.

Hôtel les Armures (1, rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre; 41-22-310-91-72; offers medieval-themed luxury in Old Town. The French actor Jean Marais and Jimmy Carter have been guests. Rooms start at 570 Swiss francs for a double.

Hotel Admiral (8, rue Pellegrino Rossi; 41-22-906-9700;, near the central train station, has simple and comfortable rooms starting at 129 Swiss francs for a double.

Correction: September 30, 2007

Because of an editing error, the 36 Hours column on Sept. 16, about Geneva, misstated the importance of the city as a transportation hub. It is one transportation hub of Europe, not the continent’s main hub. In addition, the column referred imprecisely to the Palais des Nations complex. While it became the United Nation’s European headquarters housing organizations like Unicef and WHO after World War II, Unicef and WHO are no longer based there.

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