Palais des Mascottes?

What is this place?

all i know is.... Palais Mascotte

must sees and visits:

- salève mountain
- reformation wall
- shakers :)
- café de lys
- cheval blanc
- qu'importe
- elvis billards/lasphère
- all genevan parcs
- cern

zonker do you want more? guess you have something to do now ;)))
have fun!

Go see the Cathedral - the view is amazing in good weather!

@Summermind: thanks for the list, but why is La Sphère a must-see? It's just a billiards hall. Or have I missed something more there? And what's up with "all genevan parks?" What is so "must-see" about them?

you are right. my initial list was almost like my personal favourite places list.
let me give you more sophisticated ones:

- the russian church
- the minaret (one of the 4 minarets in switzerland)
- the carouge gardens
- the ING bank building in eaux-vives, built by the famous mario botta
- the botanic gardens and the flamingos

@summermind: thanks for additional items. Where is the minaret? Is it at the mosque in Petit Saconnex?

Yes Zonker, that's right, it is at the mosque in Petit Saconnex.

@summermind: it's embarrassing to say, but I live across the street and haven't noticed the minaret, yet. I am looking outside my balcony and I don't.....wait, I understand. there is a pine tree that is EXACTLY in my line of sight.

@kparker: name lights - you mean the different languages saying things like Bonjour! Good-bye! and so on? Yeah, those ARE cool. Where is the OUI/NON sculpture? I want to see that!

@everyone: thanks so much for your contributions thus far! I've definitely got some sights to see!

No one has mentioned Bain Des Paquis!  I think it's the place I'd send anybody who had only 2 hours to spend in Geneva and could only see one thing.

...then the old town, then Parc Des Bastions and if it's spring time I'd send them to have a look at the Mandrils grooming in the enclosure in Parc Alfred Bertrand... but that's it!!

@moonfleet and why is this "must see?" what's interesting or unique about it?

Hi David, u havent yet been to Palais des Mascottes, its quite an experience.. the jet d'eau and the old town are the most visited, but i guess the parcs are pretty amazing and u shud for those walks along the rhone.. cool stuff.. and if u get the time.. do goto le phare.. the 3 rd point is true.. altho u will get a few dude couples making out as well.. :-)

hi, what happened to all the posts to this thread?? I am sure I remember reading them....

k, not sure what happened here as I can now see the thread... great.

Dont know why, but is seems like a lot of people who live in Geneva have never been to the UN headquarters.

While you're here, you should really take the guided tour once just to see how this place runs.

And I agree with Caroline, you should climb up the turrets at the Cathedral in the old town. Beautiful view of the city.

I've been walking around GVA for the past few weeks, just walking by foot all over the place, walking into streets and alleys as I see fit, almost getting arrested at the US embassy for walking too close to the fences and probably looking for too long at the MPs outside, and generally getting lost in the city and loving it.

I know a lot of people who live here for a long time never took a day or two to just wander around the city or sit with a book at the Eaux-Vives park. You should try it... 

Hi David

Yaron has a great point about the UN ... and CERN has been mentioned. Both are vastly different and yet they are both monumental tributes to human ingenuity and collaboration.

They both remind me of that wonderful phrase:

"Yes we can"

All the suggestions above are excellent, you have to be in good shape to climb the stairs to the top of the Cathedral tower though, and it's only worth it if there's a really clear sky. Don't forget your camera!

Those I  haven't visited yet are:

The guided tour of the UN headquarters, the Cern exhibition and guided tour (I went to their open day in September 2008, which was pretty amazing.

And last but not least the Palais Mascotte. Maybe we could get together a group of glocals and go there, it seems like fun.

If I may add  a  couple of suggestions, the Red Cross Museum is an amazing place, very beautiful, thought provoking with well laid out, enlightening and moving exhibitions telling the history of their organization and about their amazing contribution in very different areas. I know it doesn't sound very exciting you just have to take my word for it, it's not to be missed. Explanations in English as well as French.

On a summer day get the little boat that crosses the lake from Paquis to Eaux Vives  (you can pay for it the same way you would for any bus or tram) Then walk along the lake towards Baby Plage where there are trees with  swings made of old tyres and ropes with pullers and levers that's totally bonkers and provided my kids with many hours of fun and gave me sore arms (the little ones need help). Just next to it there is the sandy/grassy beach and lots of sunbathers and swimmers, nice place for a picknic too.

On the way back you can stop at  Arlequin, on Rue 31 decembre, a block away from the lake for a gorgeous italian icecream (as delicious as theGelato Mania, promise!).

La boheme, grifins, coupole, cotton pub, java, moulin rouge and velvet are places to go for a good laugh! just observing the people is a funny experience. 

Then u get the local pubs which are great places to drink and socialize!

Then u get the rest...which i cant really put on here...as its forbidden to go too graphic!

Enjoy the day folks... 

oh and u got starbucks and its always spring in there no matter what season u have outside!!! 

"La boheme, grifins, coupole, cotton pub, java, moulin rouge and velvet are places to go for a good laugh! "

Hi Tony this places are cabarets, right?

I have no interest in the shows and the atmosphere in the places you mentioned.

Is Palais Mascotte the same kind of enternainement?

That's not the impression I got from their website.

As for Starbucks, for someone called Toni Montana you have an unusual taste in coffee.

Anyone with a drop of italian blood in their veins wouldn't touch their coffee with a barge pole!

@yaren you mean the UN tour whose entrance is basically across the street from the Red Cross, or is there another one?

Ok, so, as a reminder, I started this thread for the Must See Places in Geneva. I hardly think that Starbucks qualifies or most of the bars, cafés, etc. Unless someone can tell me something truly unique about them that you wouldn't find in a similar bar/cafe in New York, Berlin, Rio, etc.

So, here's the list so far, subjectively applying my "Must See" filter:

Clubs

Palais des Mascottes

Café / Food

Gelatio Mania (by the way, it's open again!)

Nature

Salève

All Parks in Geneva

Sights / Activities

Botanical Garden / flamingos

Bains des Pâquis

Flower Clock @ Jardin Anglais

Lights in the pavement, Place de Mollard

OUI / NON sign sculpture near Place de Mollard

Jet d'Eau

Old Town

UN tour

Red Cross Museum

Reformation Wall

CERNView from Cathedral

Russian Orthodox Church

Minaret at Mosque in Petit Saconnex

Carouge Gardens

ING Bank Building

Mandrils @ Parc Alfred Bertrand

zonker, alias "the collector" :)) hehe

@summermind: careful, I might collect your soul. ;)

"The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cos he was way behind: he was willin' to make a deal...."

there is a really really really but really good all you can eat shrimp/canvas place in rue de lyon near planete charmilles!!!!

I love going there with my partner

Hi Andy

Care to share the name of this place with us?

Cheers!

Robi, I have zero Italian blood in me, and I still dare not touch starbucks. Even a simple Espresso tastes disgusting there.

And ya Zonker, I mean the one starting from the gate infront of the Red Cross Museum.

Also, I head the Patek Philipe museum is nice, if you like these sort of things.

And I think one of the Geneva's most famous restaurants is Les Armour or however you write it, where they took Bill Clinton to eat Fondu when he came here for a visit.

ah Robi with pleasure I will give you the name, I just forgot it but later when I go to pick up my friend I'll look at the name and post it with the exact address!!

About Starbucks coffee!!!

starbucks is coffee for those who know nothing about coffee....... Starbucks is so disgusting it shouldn't even be called COFFEE

my mom is Colombian, you know the country that happens to produce the best coffee on the planet and when I went there every one thought starbucks was DISGUSTING!!!

They told me to them Starbucks equals one of those industrially produced coffees that come in liquid and then you add a bunch of starches and stuff on it to make it sweet!!!!

in Colombia people grown their own coffee in their backyards and grind it and to be honest I have yet to taste a better coffee than the one I tasted there!!!! after that I never touched a cup of coffee from starbucks!

I HATE STARBUCKS HAHAHA

thanks you guys.

@ Zonker - thanks for the consolidation. You plan to order it by area of town ;)

Robi I got the name for you....

Restaurant Le Furet, avenue d'Aïre 44, 1203 Genève

They have very good garlic and parsley flavored shrimp hhhmmmm all you can eat, very cozy and friendly place with a good white wine, every one there is very friendly, not these type of expensive fancy locations..... just like a good relaxing friendly neighborhood restaurant!!!

Tel: 022 345 39 20,  on the weekend you need to make a reservation because it becomes very crowded as it's good.

Muchas gracias Andy

You are a star!

The food there sounds delicious. I'm looking forward to taste it.

Have a great weekend

Robi

You mean les Armures... not the best in town, full of tourists and expensive.

I'd add the Collège Calvin in the Old Town.

Also, la Place des Nations with the broken chair sculpture, especially in summer when the fountains are on.

Hermance in the countryside and, generally speaking, the Geneva countryside.

The best bit of geneva is the bit where the dirty water meets the clean water

Hi Andy,

I completely agree with you. Starbucks is like the most horrible coffe and the even dare to charge u so much for that!!! They are just exploiters, nothing more!!!

Iveta and don't forget the ridiculous names they put on these coffees......

sometimes u just want a cup of coffee, not one of these extra-machiatto a la late di calmecchiattos hehehehe you know, one of those ridiculous names

and the muffins they have are pricey and mediocre tasting.... haaa I can make better muffins than the ones they sell, my banana muffins are historical among my friends hahahaha

one of these days I'll be glad to share them with you all.

Looks impressive... but that's only because the Rhône has been "rinced" by going through the Lac Léman, while the Arve has not had such a rince and carries earth and mud.

No. It's cos Switzerland is clean and France is dirty. Everyone knows that.

I have seen this from the bridge in the photo, it's really cool! 

Today I went to Annecy France.... only 36 kms by car but worth the visit.... it's a beautiful place with fantastic brocantes and street markets!

Yeah Andy, I can only agree with you ;)

Btw, can u suggest any good coffee (not in Columbia), somewhere...lets say....in Geneva :D :)

are there any other challengers for best coffee other than Cafe Deko?

good question :)

Since I am new here I would like to know the answer as well ;)

Hi there, concerning nice coffe, apart from starbucks there is a good coffee shop in stand called "cafe boreal" it"s just infront of stand bus stop, in the direction going to bel-air cite.

coffe is great ,you can customize your own coffee and cheese cake was good. hope you like it.