Home to the UN since 1966, the Palais des Nations was built between 1929 and 1936 to house the now-defunct League of Nations. Visits are by guided tour (bring photo ID; no reservation required for groups of less than 15 people) and include a one-hour tour of the building and entry to the surrounding 46-hectare park, generously peppered with century-old trees and peacocks. Spot the grey monument coated with heat-resistant titanium, donated by the USSR to commemorate the conquest of space.
Getty Images/AWL Images RM
Palais des Nations
Geneva
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.52 MILES
When landing by plane, this lakeside fountain is your first dramatic glimpse of Geneva. The 140m-tall structure shoots up water with incredible force –…
4.1 MILES
Founded in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 8km west of Geneva, is a laboratory for research into particle physics. It…
-
25.27 MILES
Twenty-three generations of the De Menthon family have lived within 1000-year-old Château de Menthon-St-Bernard. The birthplace of St Bernard in 1008 –…
-
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques
0.34 MILES
Geneva's premier botanical park – renowned for its Botanical Conservatory – boasts over 12,000 species of plants from around the world, meticulously…
-
Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève
1.99 MILES
Admission is free to the permanent collection of this excellent hands-on museum, which examines the similarities and differences of our planet's myriad of…
13.33 MILES
Slumbering in the shadow of a 14th-century castle and enclosed by walls, the Jardin des Cinq Sens is designed to be experienced through sight, touch,…
22.6 MILES
It’s a pleasure simply to wander aimlessly around Annecy’s medieval Old Town, where emerald-green canals flow beneath stone bridges and pastel-painted…
-
1.89 MILES
A stroll around Geneva's beautiful Old Town is a must. Its main street, the Grand-Rue, shelters the Maison de Rousseau et de la Literature at No 40, where…
Nearby Geneva attractions
1. Musée International de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge
0.16 MILES
Compelling multimedia exhibits at Geneva's fascinating International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum trawl through atrocities perpetuated by humanity…
2. Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques
0.34 MILES
Geneva's premier botanical park – renowned for its Botanical Conservatory – boasts over 12,000 species of plants from around the world, meticulously…
0.78 MILES
Flowers, statues, outdoor art exhibitions and views of Mont Blanc (on clear days only) abound on this picturesque northern lakeshore promenade, which…
1.49 MILES
This 19th-century industrial building straddling Lake Geneva was constructed in the 1840s to provide the city's public fountains with water. Today it…
1.52 MILES
When landing by plane, this lakeside fountain is your first dramatic glimpse of Geneva. The 140m-tall structure shoots up water with incredible force –…
1.63 MILES
In the Jardin Anglais you'll find Geneva’s most photographed clock, crafted from 6500 living flowers. It's been ticking since 1955 and boasts the world’s…
1.67 MILES
Before finding your way into the Vieille Ville, join the crowds taking selfies in front of the Horloge Fleurie, the pièce de résistance of this, Geneva's…
1.72 MILES
A new (and free) public beach at Eaux-Vives was in the pipeline for Geneva at the time of research. Scheduled to open in summer 2019, the long sandy beach…