As Talleyrand, the famous French diplomat put it: "There are five parts of the world: Europe, America, Asia, Africa and ... Geneva!" He was right in a way (even if he was geographically illiterate or just being mean to Australia) for Geneva is very much an international city. But even if it weren’t a city in which the world’s diplomats meet, it would be a beautiful city.
At almost every point, you see the glint of Lake Geneva and the fountain that is known as the Jet d’Eau, thousands of tonnes of water and rainbow. There are some spectacular shops, some brilliant restaurants (including Indian and vegetarian ones) and a dizzying selection of museums. If you’re lucky, you might even get to watch a Japanese couple get married here. Driven out of Japan by the custom of buying expensive presents for all and sundry, many young Japanese couples prefer to plight their troth in Geneva, by the side of an Alpine lake with a huge symbolic fountain as a backdrop.

Population: 180,000 inhabitants
Official language: French
Other languages spoken: English, German
Altitude: 375 m (1227 ft) above sea level
Average temperatures: Winter 10°C; summer 23°C

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