A world in one city

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PICTURE PERFECT: St. Saphorin, Lake Geneva, Switzerland.

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PICTURE PERFECT: The St. Peter's Cathedral.

Geneva is famed for its international approach, playing host to over 200 global organisations, including the United Nations and the Red Cross. As Sara Hamdan discovers, this small European city boasts a big personality all of its own.

Nestled at the base of the Swiss Alps on the tip of Lac Leman, Geneva has long stood as a symbol of class and untouched natural beauty. Unlike the sprawling, neighbouring cities of Paris, Milan and London, Geneva is an altogether more intimate metropolis.

As the plane swoops gently into the airport, it doesn't take long to realise that this is a city that quietly accommodates both Swiss traditions and strong international influences.

Neat arrays of advertisements are the first to greet passengers in the plane terminals; promoting a whirlwind of Swiss private banks, expensive watches, chocolates and cheeses. Yet it is the melting pot of cultures that floods the true veins of Geneva.

As travellers chat away in a medley of languages on their cell phones while crowding around the baggage claim area, it is impossible to discern a Genevois from a visitor.

Businessmen, students, wealthy summer vacationers, UN delegates, sports enthusiasts, scientists, refugees and artists are all here, in the hope of claiming a corner of the city their own.

It is no coincidence that so many international organisations have chosen this eclectic city to establish their office headquarters, most notably the United Nations building marked by a giant three-legged chair at the wide entrance surrounded by hundreds of waving flags.

Understated yet overwhelming, Geneva is a city of sharp contrasts between the old and the new, the modern and the traditional, where each street has a story to tell.

Stepping off the religiously punctual train at Gare de Cornavin, Geneva's central train station, the nearby music filled streets of the Paquis area beckon travellers into the heart of the city's red light district.

The infamous Rue de Berne and surrounding streets are home to the most cosmopolitan scene in town. Though French is the official language of Geneva, it is common to find two people arguing with each other in four different languages in the Paquis district.

A haphazard mix of Tanzanian bars, Irish pubs, kebab shops, cabarets and hookah lounges can all be found crammed on one street in this area where churches and 'parlours' find harmony in close quarters.

The risqué side of Geneva is tucked behind the Rolex stores and chic outdoor cafes that pave the way from the train station towards the centre of town, where the city throws its arms open to the lake.

Lac Leman, the Genevois term for Lake Geneva, is hugged by a number of restaurants, hotels and businesses along its rim.

The sidewalks are usually full of couples, tourists, bikers and rollerbladers feeding the poised swans and taking in the scenic view of the lake against a backdrop of mountain peaks.

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