5 DAY TRIPS FROM GENEVA YOU’LL LOVE!
by Laura from Lets Explore
If you have decided to stick around in Geneva this summer, you may want to escape Geneva for a day all the same every once in a while. For a change of scenery, or just to discover more of the country you live in. Here are 5 perfect day trip suggestions from Geneva for you, all tested and approved by us!
1. LAC DE JOUX, ANOTHER LAKE, ANOTHER STYLE
Lac de Joux is a beautiful big lake in the Swiss Jura. It is quite different from our own ‘Lac Léman’ as its setting is a bit more adventurous. A footpath through a forest takes you to many spots and beaches, and it felt less busy than on the lakeside in Geneva. There are lots of spots in the shade, and there are public grills. Don’t worry if they are already occupied, as many people just grill on an open fire right by the water.
The Lac de Joux is in the Canton Vaud, and it will take you about 1 hour and 15 minutes by car to get there from Geneva.
See the video of Lac de Joux from above – taken by my husband’s drone.
To find out more about Lac de Joux, check out our full article here: letsexplore.ch
2. LAC DE TANEY, A STEEP HIKE WORTH YOUR WHILE!
Beautiful Swiss alpine scenery, and a turquoise mountain lake for you to cool off in! The Lac de Taney is in the Valais region and it is a popular hike, so make sure you plan to arrive early to secure a parking spot. The hike towards the lake will take you about 1 hour and 20 minutes and you will have 2 different paths to choose from, the one on a small road (steep), or the one through the forest (steeper). In case anyone is not able to do the hike, there is a 4-wheel drive taxi service you can call on site.
If you’re there and keen to stay longer – check out more details on restaurants or mountain refuges in this article on letsexplore.ch
Distance from Geneva by car: 1 hour and 30 minutes, of which the last 15 minutes are on a narrow winding road.
3. A DAY IN BERN, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE AND FLOATING RUBBER BOATS
Have you been to Bern? The Capital of Switzerland is very much worth a day trip and its old town is a UNESCO world heritage site! Bern has a small and walkable old town centre, and a lot of culture and history! So venture to the other side of Switzerland’s ‘Röstigraben’ (the sort of border between the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland is called this way because Rösti is more often eaten in the Swiss German part). Decide whether you just want to walk around under the beautiful arcades, visit one of the many museums, or float down the Aare river on any kind of inflatable – a very popular activity in Bern in summer!
Our full article on Bern can be found here: letsexplore.ch
Driving time from Geneva: about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
4. MURTEN AND AVENCHES, 2 OF SWITZERLAND’S MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWNS
We recently took a day trip to two of the most beautiful villages of Switzerland. Murten, or Morat in French, and Avenches. Since they are only about 10 minutes by car apart, it was easy to combine the two in one day!
Murten is a beautiful small town with cute streets with arcades, a castle, a museum and long medieval city walls. You can walk on these walls to enjoy the view over the rooftops, or over the beautiful Murtensee lake. Murten has beaches and a swimming pool with both pool and lake access.
Avenches is also a small town, but with very impressive Roman ruins. The amphitheater of the town formerly called ‘Aventicum’ is very well preserved and known in Switzerland for the music concerts which are normally held in summer. There are many more remainders of Roman times in Avenches, such as the theatre, the baths, and former city walls. They are located a bit further outside of the town centre. Highly recommended for history lovers!
Full article on this day trip with more photos and about what to eat in Murten: letsexplore.ch
Driving time to Murten from Geneva: about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
5. NYON, A NEARBY TOWN WITH A COOL SUMMER VIBE
Did you know Tintin went to Geneva and Nyon? Lovers of the famous comic book character will probably know this! Nyon is very close by and is a small town with a nice summer atmosphere. The lake side, terraces, gelateria, and boat trips across the lake towards Yvoire in France, are some of the many things we like about Nyon. What do you like about Nyon? We also love the dreamy view from the castle terrace, Nyon’s public beach, and its museums, particularly the museum about the lake, Musée du Léman. We love the small alleys to walk up in towards the castle, and we definitely have that holiday feeling after a day out in Nyon!
To see all we like in Nyon: letsexplore.ch
WHO IS LAURA?
Laura is our travel content writer and she also writes her own blog – Let’s Explore, where she shares her tips and ideas for travelling with children, and hiking and skiing around Geneva. Originally from the Netherlands, she now lives in Switzerland with her French-Swiss husband and two boys. Passionate about cultures – whether they be far away or closer to home, she sees moving around as a ‘school of life’. When she is not moving around, she still discovers cultures by cooking recipes with locals from multiple countries! If you would like to find out more about Let’s Explore’s travel tips or recipes, you can visit her blog, or follow her Facebook or Instagram Pages.
