One lazy Sunday, that turned out to be not so lazy, my friends and I went strolling in the old city (or Veille Ville) of Geneva. Just about two miles from our apartment, the old city rises along a hill that look over Lake Geneva. It was a gorgeous day, quite hot in the sun but in the shade and with a nice breeze off the lack, perfection!

This part of town is made up of tightly packed neighborhoods with small staircases, winding cobbled streets, and ornately designed fountains that date back centuries, seriously. Most of the buildings in the lower levels of the old city have been renovated and seem to be mostly family homes, very expensive homes at that! I would say that this is the most desierable area of Geneva, with the charm of an old European town and the proximity to the financial and shopping centers makes it pretty unbeatable.

Flower boxes and large potted plants line the streets and are also situated in the centers of fountains (shown right). The care taken to upkeep the area is truly amazing! The streets are clean, nothing is falling apart as in some old cities, and its actually exceptionally beautiful. This part of town is a bit small so you could wander without a map for about an hour or so and find your way home easily. It was so relaxing to just stroll down these old, quiet streets, shaded from the hot sun.

This small tavern is situated in the center of the old city, and is quite quaint. We actually approached the tavern from the opposite side (not shown here), where they have written on the side of the building “Restaurant sansAlcool,” which means Restaurant without Alcohol. Needless to say we were all shocked! Scare bleu!!! But we figured out that the tavern was connected to the Church of the Madeleine next door. I suppose they would like their members to show up to mass sober and serving alcoholic beverages on site is not the best idea.