Geneva, the capital of the big watch brands and international banking and business firms, is also one of the destinations with the greatest cultural and leisure offer on the Old Continent. Here the standard of living is very high (so are salaries), so it is convenient to be aware of the leisure and cultural offers that can be enjoyed for free or very cheaply. These are some plans to avoid burning your wallet.
Exhibition of the Red Cross Museum.
Visit the Red Cross Museum
To what extent does humanitarian action concern us all, here and now? To reflect on this theme, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum (IRCM) invites artists and numerous collaborators to question the problems and values ​​of humanitarian action. The IRCM is a place of memory, creation and debate, located in the heart of international Geneva, which seeks to promote the understanding of history, current affairs and the challenges of humanitarian action. The adult ticket costs 15 euros , that of young people between 12 and 22 years old, ten euros, and children under 12 have free admission.
Attend the Opera for 17 euros
The Grand Theater of Geneva is the largest artistic structure in Roman Switzerland. The stage of this building located on Place de Neuve hosts lyrical and choreographic productions following the stagione (season) model instead of the repertoire model. Its general director, Aviel Cahn, wants to turn the Geneva institution into a contemporary creative platform for opera and dance, a meeting place for all kinds of arts and artists, within the framework of a program with a sharp repertoire, marked by a compromised selection. An institution where opera is a total art, aimed at everyone since the institution always reserves a hundred tickets that can be purchased for 17 euros.
Geneva Botanical Garden.
Stroll and eat in the great Botanical Garden
Two landmarks define this spectacular complex located very close to the United Nations complex. The first, the fact that it is the largest botanical garden in the country. Second, they are recognized by the Botanic Gardens Conservation International as experts in conservation and outreach, a title awarded to the highest level of conservation expertise in the world. Certified 100% organic, the largest botanical garden in Switzerland is home to two invaluable collections: its herbarium with more than six million samples and its extremely comprehensive library. The visit is free to enjoy this lung of fresh air with views of Lake Leman. You can have lunch in the garden or even have a picnic among herons and squirrels.
Disruptive work of the Antigel Festival.
He is the vanguard of the Antigel Festival
Created in 2011, the Antigel Festival is a festive, creative and nonconformist cultural event that brings together nearly 60,000 spectators every year in February around a multidisciplinary program that includes new musical and cultural trends. The Festival runs through different stages in the 45 municipalities of the Canton with unusual artistic proposals (in which both artists and civil society actors participate) in unconventional places and with free access. Your mission? Explore Geneva, create new art forms, bring disciplines and audiences together, support Swiss artists, create social benefit and raise awareness of global issues.
Boat trip on Lake Leman.
Wines and boats
If you can spend a little more, a recommended experience is to hire a wine cruise on Lake Geneva in a small solar-powered boat. The company Léman Dégustation (lemandegustation.ch), winner of several awards for its sustainable wine tourism offer, offers a complete experience that starts with the transfer to the dock in a cycle vehicle and the tasting on board of a selection of wines from the country given by a winemaker while enjoying an aperitif and sailing through one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe. The price is around one hundred euros per person and the experience lasts almost four hours.
