Rising more than 1000 metres above the city, the cliffs of Mont Saleve are known as the Balcony of Geneva. You can hike across its woods, you can even hike up it, or you can just come for the stupendous views of the town, the lake, and the surrounding mountains.
We’ll spend our last day on this trip up there, but we’ll be taking the telecabina to reach the top. First there’s the bus ride into the suburbs, then the short walk through the little town and across the level crossing to the station.
, not forgetting the border crossing. It’s in France.
Up to the top we go. What follows is just a series of lovely views and landscapes, if you like that sort of thing.
The view of Geneva at the top station.
They switched off the Jet d’Eau just as I was about to line up the shot!
There are signs to indicate the walking paths, but they then disappear with a great Gallic shrug. I pottered around for a bit in the fields…
There are wonderful viewpoints of the surrounding mountains
The Mt Blanc range should be to the right of the last one but it was covered in cloud.
Beautiful area, but the locals didn’t look too impressed
Back at the station I discovered there was another route and to a better panorama on Mont Blanc. It was stony and steep in places, but at least it was signposted
even though I still couldn’t make it out.
In for a penny…the Observatoire, the very top of the hike, was just ten minutes away so on I went. Well worth it.
The paragliding station. No. I didn’t.
Back to the lower panorama.
Is that it, over there?
God knows.
All in all I had a great time up on Mont Saleve and it’s the one thing I’d definitely recommend you do if you’re visiting Geneva. Weather permitting.
Back in the town, you can also see Mt Blanc from the quayside (hence its name of Quai du Mont Blanc). But that’s if it’s clear up there. This is my best go, early evening on the last day.
And when I turned round…
The Palais Wilson, the original home of the ill-fated League of Nations.
In a way that sums up Switzerland. A small country boasting an incredible concentration of natural splendour, that’s somehow managed to punch above its weight in world affairs.
And as I check my wallet before checking out for the airport, it looks likes it’s done some punching there too. Still, it’s been fun. Hope that some of it came over to you too!
orwellianTwo 