Nature and city activities in Geneva

Nature activities in Geneva

Lake Leman - also known as Lake Geneva - is a haven for water sports. In summer, you will see people sailing, water-skiing and kayaking on the lake. The city of Geneva has recently launched sailing courses for adults at a reasonable cost. Alternatively, members of the Geneva Boat Club based in the port at Eaux-Vives can rent boats throughout the year.

You will also see many people swimming in the lake throughout the year - even in winter!

The lake is surrounded by breathtaking mountain ranges, the Jura and the Alps, which are easily accessible by car or public transport. Here you can enjoy a range of sports activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing and even paragliding in the summer. During the winter, the mountains turn into a skiing and snowboarding paradise. Many families and colleagues will go out on day or weekend trips to enjoy the slopes and some apres-skiing.

Urban activities in Geneva

In the city, you will find a wide range of sports activities that you can participate in, from soccer to volleyball. The city of Geneva also offers discounted gym classes for adults for a variety of activities such as dancing, swimming, lady boxing at very competitive and affordable prices.

Running is a very popular activity in the city. Many people take advantage of the breathtaking scenery and go for a run along the lake. The city also hosts an annual Harmony Geneva Marathon for UNICEF which attracts over 9,000 participants in May. But the most popular sporting event in Geneva is the Escalade run which takes place on the cobbled streets of the historic old town every year on the first Saturday in December, to coincide with the Escalade festival. For the truly adventurous, you can do the Ultra Montée du Salève - a six-hour race up and down the Salève!

Another way to explore the city while getting some exercise is cycling, you can rent bikes at 11 locations around the city with Genèveroule. Prices start at just CHF8 for half a day or CHF12 for a full day, but in summer, you can rent and ride a bike for free for four hours! Cyclists not familiar with the city must be careful of the tramlines because bike tyres can get stuck, so wearing a helmet is highly recommended.

If you are a good cyclist, you can take the challenge and cycle around the whole lake in a day!

If you prefer indoor fitness, there are a lot of sports clubs that you can join, and some health insurance companies contribute to the membership costs of the gym!

The city also hosts a lot of sporting events that you can watch as a spectator: there is an annual beach volleyball tournament on the waterfront in Paquis, or you can support the Genève-Servette ice hockey team while drinking a warming mulled wine.