5 Best Sights in Geneva, Switzerland

These 69 peaceful acres of winding paths and streams bear witness to Geneva's early-19th-century fascination with botany. They also include tropical greenhouses, beds of irises and roses, rock gardens, an aviary, a deer park, a garden of scent and touch, a living catalog of economically useful and medicinal plants, a seed bank, and a formidable research institute. Several of the trees predate 1700. The main entrance is opposite the World Trade Organization.

The city's landmark fountain, which shoots 132 gallons of water—the equivalent of four standard bathtubs—459 feet into the air every second at 125 mph, can be seen throughout downtown. The parks and promenades around the lake offer the opportunity to see it from almost 360 degrees, and a wooden walkway on the pier at dock Gustave-Ador makes it easier to view up close.

Archaeologists found multiple layers of history underneath the Cathédrale St-Pierre when its foundations began to falter in 1976. Excavations have so far yielded remnants of two 4th-century Christian sanctuaries, mosaic floors from the late Roman Empire, three early churches, and an 11th-century crypt. The first Romanesque cathedral on the site was built in 1000. Audio guides in English and careful lighting help navigate the (reinforced) underground maze that remains.

Large, evocative wildlife dioramas complete with sound effects cover most major animal types at this spacious museum. Large quantities of fossils, gigantic crystals, precious stones, and a case full of polyhedrons ensure that the place is always swarming with local school groups. Swiss geology, the history of the solar system, and thematic temporary exhibits round out the collection; most labels are in French. The museum is a short walk away on the outskirts of the Vieille Ville.

The remnants of a 1st-century Roman villa crown the hillside in this gracious, sun-dappled park, once the private grounds of an 18th-century villa overlooking the lake. William Favre's bequest of his family's domain to the city in 1917 stipulated that the park be made available to the public during the day and closed at night. It is still the only green space in Geneva to be locked when the sun goes down. The Orangerie and the Théâtre de Verdure stage performances and open-air concerts through the summer months.