Cityscape of Geneva with Saint Pierre Cathedral in the background (dudlajzov (123RF))

There is nothing like Switzerland in the summertime. After a lackluster amount of sunny and warm days in Germany this summer (seriously it was 40 degrees in July at one point), it was nice to escape to Geneva for a four-day weekend with my spouse, where I got to rock shorts and sun dresses.

We debated between driving and taking the train for the roughly seven-hour trip from the Kaiserslautern area. We decided to drive and stop about halfway for the night in Basel, Switzerland, which just made us add Basel to our long list of places to explore more of before we leave Europe.

Toasted brie salad (Tamala Malerk)

Upon arriving in Geneva, I basked in the sunlight as it warmed my skin after walking out of the parking garage. We had skipped breakfast, so the first thing we knocked off our list was grabbing lunch at a nearby restaurant, Les Brasseurs. I had a delicious goat cheese salad and got a questioning look from the server when I ordered a cappuccino before my meal instead of as a traditional European after-meal treat.

Properly fueled and caffeinated, we spent the day exploring Geneva on foot. We walked around the lake, explored the Cathedral where we saw “Calvin’s Chair,” almost splashed in the fountains, saw Prada handing out flowers wrapped in their logoed tissue paper (we did not stand in that line), window-shopped all over the city, found the Jean-Jacque Rousseau statue and marveled at the clocked-shaped flowers (Horloge Fleurie) near the English Garden (Jardin Anglais).

Collage of items at Pages and Sips (Tamala Malerk)

However, my favorite place we stumbled upon was Pages and Sips, an English-language bookstore and café in the old town section. They served a variety of café favorites such as coffee, scones, teas, and ice cream. You can also purchase one of the new or used books on the shelf or, for a small fee, read while you relax with your drink. I had the blueberry and Gruyère ice which was an interesting blend of sweet and tart while trying not to buy everything on the shelves.

As the day wore on, my husband wanted to relax by the water on the lake. We found a spot about a twenty-minute walk down the road from the English Garden that provided free lounge chairs and a food truck that sold beer and snacks: ultimate relaxation. I snagged our chairs (lest they be taken from other passers-by) while my husband bought the beer.

Pasta dish and Tiramisu from II Valentino (Tamala Malerk)

For dinner, we found this amazing Italian restaurant, Il Valentino, that provided the best tiramisu I have ever eaten. But I am getting ahead of myself. We started off with Fantasia di Montanarine which is, essentially, fried pizza dough with a variety of toppings and sauces. My entrée was the delectable Paccheri alla Bufala, which was tube-shaped pasta with crispy speck, tomato and parmesan and then ended with the aforementioned tiramisu, which the server was proud to claim is made in-house.

Day two was a day of learning. We took the tram to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and I must admit that I only knew of its existence from watching re-runs of “The Big Bang Theory.” Much of the museum is in English and they have tours in both English and French. I had so much fun with the many interactive exhibits such as creating my own stars and chemical compounds. We continued our education at the International Reformation Museum where we nerded out with all of the John Calvin and Martin Luther art and exhibits. Our final museum was the Tavel House (Maison Tavel) which features an intriguing life-size guillotine model.

Collage of dishes from Les Armures Restaraurant: Caprese salad, sausage with rosti and mustard and apple tart (Tamala Malerk)

For our gastronomical needs on day two, we ate a late lunch at Les Armures Restaurant, which specializes in traditional Swiss fare. It was so tasty we returned for dinner on day three. On our different trips there we tried a variety of dishes that we will gladly recommend: Buffalo mozzarella from the “Graff” farm in Bernex with a trilogy of tomatoes, red basil, cucumber and green apple emulsion; Raclette (melted cheese) and potatoes; Apple tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream; and grilled Swiss sausage with local mustard served with green salad and potato rösti. If you like red wine, I can personally recommend the Gamay 2023 or Esprit de Genève 2022.

Collage of artwork from the History and Art Museum (Photos taken at Musée d’Art et d’Histoire)

Our final full day in Geneva was by far the hottest of the bunch and I almost missed the cooler temperatures of Germany. We trammed to the United Nations building, but only saw the outside because it is only open Mon-Fri. We went to one of Switzerland’s largest museums, the Museum of Art and History (Musée d’Art et d’Histoire) where, due to the lack of A/C, we only toured two floors. Nonetheless, being one of the largest museums, we were still there for quite a while and saw so much. My favorite was the paintings of flowers combined with sketched scenes.

We used the fourth day to drive back to the KMC and recommend breaking the trip into two days as we did on our way in. Geneva is filled with plenty to do and a great way to fill a long weekend.