Situated at the western tip of Lake Geneva and very near the French border lies the unique city of Geneva. Considered by some to be the land of precision watches, and by others as a leading centre of diplomacy – the seat of the UNO is located here – Geneva has a number of surprises in store which make an escape there worthwhile. Here, then, is a selection of not-to-be-missed venues on your visit to the “capital of peace”.

1. An Enormous Water Jet As a Symbol
The “Jet d’eau” (Jet of Water) is the symbol of Geneva par excellence. It spurts 140 metres into the air and is located at the point where Lake Geneva empties into the river Rhone. You cannot possibly leave the city without having at least caught a glimpse of what is one of the largest fountains in the world.

2.City of Peace
Geneva is known as the “city of peace” as it was there that the League of Nations was founded in 1920. Be sure to go inside the premises of what is the second most important headquarters of the UNO (the main one is in New York), as you will be amazed by the artworks and the history contained within its walls. Just opposite stands a building which houses another important institution also founded here – the Red Cross. Inside you will live out a unique experience as far as humanitarian activity is concerned.

3. Land of Master Watchmakers
Any clock buff knows that Geneva is a major centre of luxury watch production and it is extremely easy to find places associated with watchmaking in the city. First, there are all the shops selling the big brands. Then, there are the clocks in the guise of landmarks around town, notably the “Horloge Fleurie” (Flower Clock), sited in the Englischer Garten (English Garden), which reveals the passage of time through its floral adornment. Also worth seeing is the Passage Malbuisson Clock where figures come out and parade to the sound of music when the clock strikes the hour. Lastly, you can visit the Patek Philippe Museum which showcases the brand’s finest creations.

One option that features most of these elements is the Geneva Watch Tour, a different way of sightseeing the city. The tour highlights the link between watchmaking and the history of Geneva.

4. Calvin’s City
An alternative way of exploring Geneva’s huge historic city is by tracing the footsteps of one of the most illustrious figures of Protestantism, Calvin, who managed to transform the city into a “Protestant Rome” in his time. This exciting journey through history includes a visit to the Calvin Auditorium, St Pierre Cathedral and the Reformation Wall.

5. Lake Geneva – the Paramount Leisure Area
Like any lakeside city, this is one of Geneva’s main leisure precincts, particularly with the arrival of the good weather. You can have a pleasant e-bike ride along the lake shores or take a fun pedalo ride with family or friends on the lake itself. Other options on the lake waters include windsurfing, stand up paddle boarding or hanging out at les Bains des Pâquis, Geneva’s “city beach”, a meeting point in both summer and winter. Whatever you decide on, you’re sure to have fun!

6. A Stiff Shot of Culture
The Quartier des Bains, site of MAMCO (Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain), the Centre d’Art Contemporain and numerous art galleries is a must-visit spot for art lovers. The area also boasts a lively night-life for those seeking to round off their great day of sightseeing in the city.

7. Carouge – Bohemian Geneva
Located just a few kilometres from Geneva and separated from it by the river Arve, Carouge is a small city whose streets are uniquely evocative of the Mediterranean. Its singular appearance was provided by the Dukes of Savoy, who commissioned Italian architects to build the city. In addition to its remarkable architecture, Carouge is renowned for its numerous antique and craft shops and its charming café terraces, and all this just a tram ride from downtown Geneva!

8. Cocktails With a View
A great way to wrap up a long sightseeing day in Geneva is by dropping in on the city’s trendy locales, where the view plays an important role, as do their cocktails and culinary offerings. You could head for the Rooftop 42 terrace, with its highly sophisticated atmosphere, or La Potinière, located in the heart of the English Garden.

Text by Tourism Geneva

It is the coastal and tourist resort par excellence. Eilat is the southernmost city in Israel and lies on the border of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. From this bustling city straddling the sea and the desert you can see the mountains of Jordan and Saudi Arabia on the horizon. Four countries come into view with but a single glance – a unique setting.

Once you’ve got your bearings, it’s time to soak up this torrid resort where the thermometer rarely drops below 20 degrees. Indeed, it stays above 30 degrees most of the year around – well, even a bit higher in summer. Oddly enough, it can even happen that, while it is snowing in Jerusalem (quite a common occurrence in winter), you can be roasting in the sun in Eilat, just a four-hour drive away (or one hour, by plane, from Tel Aviv).

Apart from being spoilt by the warmest temperatures, what draws most visitors to Eilat is the Red Sea. Being able to swim in clear, warm, sky-blue, richly-coloured waters is a luxury in a country covered for the most part by such deserts as the Negev, Arava or Judea.

The city’s infrastructure is also a boon. It is designed for the holiday-maker’s benefit, with all the ingredients that a tourist thirsting for leisure, sun and sea could wish for. It boasts a seaside promenade lined with shopping centres and stores brimming with special offers for all kinds of tax-free souvenirs (Eilat is a free port). There are restaurants everywhere, a variety of attractions, particularly for children and families, and a throbbing nightlife with entertainment for those seeking all-nighters. And, most importantly, a lavish supply of holiday hotels of all categories with swimming pools, spas, beach access and all the comforts visitors could need to switch off for a few days.

But, I should emphasise – what visitors to Eilat enjoy most is the coastline studded with marine life. The Red Sea is an underwater paradise for lovers of all types of diving, from the pros to the amateurs.

Even children can take the plunge and dive with dolphins, which is perhaps the activity that both children and adults request most during their stay in Eilat. The experience is well worth trying at the dolphin-reef. It’s easy – all you have to do is put on a tight-fitting wetsuit, adjust your oxygen bottle properly and take everything you need to breathe freely under the water. And, pay attention to the instructor who is going to escort you on your underwater adventure… and let yourself go!

You’ll be taking in the colourful marine wildlife and coral reefs as a plus to the experience of diving down to conquer the seabed with the odd dolphin as your host, who is more than likely to perform a few pirouettes for its prized visitors – a fascinating experience!

Wait! There’s still more – instead of diving with dolphins, if you’d prefer to have your picture taken with sharks, all you have to do is head for the Underwater Observatory Marine Park, an interactive aquarium, most of which is in the open air, which boasts Shark World, the largest shark pool in the Middle East, covering a surface area of 1,000 cubic metres. What visitors enjoy most is when the staff come to feed the sharks. This is undoubtedly the best time to come face to face with these huge, dangerous marine animals. Apart from the shark pool, the aquarium also features a children’s adventure park where infants can stroke and feed various kinds of fish and be treated to futuristic screenings such as “A Journey into the World of Sharks”.

But the sea is not the only attraction in Eilat – the sky is also captivating. It is right now, in spring, that millions of birds fly over that area. In fact, according to the experts, up to 500 million of them! They fly in a south–north direction, the opposite of the tourists, as part of the spectacular spring migration, an essential event for all ornithologists.

Eilat also stands out for its cultural offerings – could it be otherwise? These include such celebrated events as the Chamber Music Festival, an international classic held each year in February. Also in the vicinity is the nearby Timna Park, an exotic attraction where all kinds of adventure sports can be done in the middle of the desert while viewing landscapes worthy of Mars.

What more could you ask for? Check out our flights here.

Text and images by Nani Arenas

Minorca is one of the most fascinating islands in the Mediterranean. Its peculiar geological structure makes it an exceptional enclave. It also supports numerous endemic species; that is, species exclusive to the island, or else shared only by neighbouring islands such as Majorca, Corsica or Sardinia. The blend of both common and differentiating traits endows this land with an especially attractive natural heritage, which saw intense human development as far back as 4,000 years ago. Indeed, it was the first of the Balearic islands to be inhabited. Its earliest settlers came not from the Iberian peninsula but from other parts of the Mediterranean, including Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians and, later, Turks.

When it comes to slow tourism, three distinct parts of the island can be identified – the east, west and south. As the possibilities are endless, we are going to focus on the south and, in particular, the south-west of the island, centred around Cala Galdana as the main hub.

Beaches to Levitate on

Cala Galdana is also known as Cala Santa Galdana or Cala Santagaldana. It lies seven kilometres from Ferreries, between Morro de Ponent and Penyal Vermell, and alongside the development of the same name, flanked by the vantage points of des Riu and sa Punta which afford excellent panoramas. The place-name derives from the Arabic Guad al-Ana. This beach is one of the best known and most popular destinations in Minorca, as well as one of the most beautiful. It constitutes an isolated tourist resort surrounded by large swathes of practically virgin natural terrain. It is sited at a point on the coastline where two streams, the Algendar and the Algendaret, meet the sea where the latter forms an inlet, giving rise to a wetland, fitted with a jetty, featuring a wealth of animal and birdlife, notably peregrine falcons, frogs, toads, shrews and bats.

Cala Galdana offers countless options for relaxing, geared to all types of visitors. Minorca is well-known for being an ideal destination for vacationing families, as well as for those seeking solitude on a tranquil island, and children do not always fit the ambience of peace and quiet. Hence the existence of “adult hotels”, like the Hotel Audax. We tried it out and were treated to an experience of total relaxation, spa and library included. The hotel also offers wholesome food in its restaurants: Oliva, a gastronomic space with live cooking, a fusion of the best of Italian pasta dishes with Minorcan cuisine, and Galdana – slow cooking. In addition, there they manage all kinds of activities for you through Sports & Nature. Mateo, who is in charge of these services, is an enthusiast of nature activities and knows the island like the back of his hand.

Western Beaches

If we opt to do the western beaches, just a half-an-hour’s walk from there takes us to Cala Macarelleta. It is advisable to go there off season, which peaks from 15 June to 15 September, as it can be jam-packed during the high season. Spring is the best time to enjoy it. It breathes a special atmosphere, especially when fairly deserted. The route to this cove runs along the Camí de Cavalls, which skirts the whole island perimeter and is 184 km long. In bygone times, its function was to connect the island’s various defence towers. The Macarelleta cove is accessed via a timber staircase with 216 steps, spanning a drop of 150 metres. The walk is well worth doing as this is certainly the island’s most widely photographed cove. Its waters combine shades of blue, green and turquoise, while on land the chromatic scale ranges from greens to browns. If you head about two and a half kilometres further afield you come to Cala en Turqueta, a cove set in a stunning landscape. And, if you want to continue enjoying this pleasant walk along the Camí de Cavalls, you will reach Cala des Talaier (some 7 km from Cala Galdana) and Son Saura (at the 10-km mark). In addition to this coastal path, there are also trails winding their way inland along the island’s various gullies. Minorca has three rivers and their gulleys stay green all year around. If you can, it is worth going on a hike to d’Algendar to visit its caves.

Sea and Tranquility

Another way of finding peace and quiet is to enjoy the toing-and-froing of the waves on a boat. You can hire one, which is a good way of interacting with the island’s inhabitants, or take a ride on a pleasure boat. One of the best experiences, however, is to go kayaking, which you can do alone or with a guide. We recommend the latter option, as it has the advantage that you also get descriptions and recommendations. One of the most popular pursuits here is to witness the sun setting in the open sea. This is always best done in summer, although in winter it is also feasible, as long as you don a wetsuit.

Minorca offers a good variety of options for enjoying a holiday at a slow pace. Check out our flights here.

Text and images by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

By Iñaki Makazaga from Piedra de Toque

The most visited figure in Denmark and the main tourist attraction in the city of Copenhagen sits totally oblivious to the world at the end of a pier in the port (Langelinie). The Little Mermaid avoids all eye contact as she looks out to sea, almost with her back turned to her visitors. Perhaps this is because only she knows the true price of her fame (decapitated twice, mutilated three times and thrown out to sea several times) and the real story behind her own history. We decided to get on our bikes in search of answers and found the true face of Copenhagen: a city with a barbaric past that has now become a haven for peace.

We began our journey on the banks of the Sankt Jorgens Canal overlooked by the mansions reflected in its waters as we ventured out among the families, people enjoying sport and ducks picking at the grass. We pedalled along on the bicycles we rented from one of the 110 locations dotted around the city – one of the measures aimed at obtaining the title of ‘capital city with the best environmental quality’ in 2015. Every turn of our wheels left behind yet another tree as we travelled along the green corridor created by the canal. We took in the sights and decided to turn right at the third bridge to eventually arrive at the Botanical Garden and Museum (Botanisk Have) at 128 Gothesgade.

More than 20,000 different species of plant life now thrive in the grounds of these old city fortifications. The walls contain spacious gardens and the moat is full of aquatic and wetland plants, each with its own little information sign stuck in the ground nearby. We parked up the bikes at the entrance and walked in. It was March and there was a hint of change about everything as the snowy season began to loosen its grip. The earth was all churned up, the trees were leafless and the sky was grey. An enormous three-story greenhouse with four glass pavilions appeared in the distance where 1,000 varieties of cactus, coffee plants, pineapples and even palm trees are incubated and studied. We were overcome by temptation and bought two bags of seeds from the shop on the way out: one of Asian bonsais and another of red orchids. Maybe we thought we could take away our own part of the peace that reigns in this park and whose roots still soak up the blood of the people who fought to defend the city from enemy invasion.

We returned to our trail. We left behind the garden and the botanical museum to pedal our way through the areas surrounding Roseborg Slot, the royal palace built by Christian IV in 1606 as a summer residence that now also serves as a large museum. It houses thousands of objects related to the oldest monarchy in Europe and is full of paintings, furniture, weapons and jewels. The traffic light turned from amber to green and so we pedalled on.

The peace of the botanical gardens now changes to the hustle and bustle of central Copenhagen. The cars give way to cyclists between the buildings from which emerge the strong>spires of the Marmorkirken, a church inspired by Saint Paul’s in Rome and which was originally planned to be built using Norwegian marble. They soon realised there was a far simpler way to celebrate the 300-year reign of the family of Frederik V and the Norwegian marble was switched for Danish marble a century later in order to get the place finished. However, no expense was spared on the steps: 260 to reach the bell tower. The views of the city make the exhausting climb well worth it. We took the opportunity to check our map. We felt the call of the thriving city centre, with the pedestrianised Strøget street full of shops and terraces filling the cobbled medieval squares of Kongens Nytorv and Radhuspladsen. We left those for nightfall and continued towards the port where the Little Mermaid sat waiting for our visit.

We dismounted and walked the bikes for a while. We were in Nyhavn, the New Port, which was opened by soldiers between 1671 and 1673 so that ships could unload their goods in the city centre. It became the darkest part of Copenhagen for years, inhabited by sailors and ladies of ill repute. Cheap rooms, dark taverns, tattoo parlours and brothels. Nyhavn has emerged from its murky past and now offers one of the most attractive faces of the capital along the 300-metre stretch of port-front properties with narrow, colourful houses and pavements full of terraces. No matter how cold the weather is, a blanket, a heater and a candle embrace all visitors. Around the edge of the port can be found evidence of that era in the form of wooden ships such as the 19th Century lighthouse ship that has been converted into a restaurant. An anchor that belonged to a Danish frigate also recalls the maritime past and pays tribute to all those who lost their lives during World War II. We took photos of the brightly-coloured houses. Maybe Hans Christian Andersen himself looked out from one of them to look at the sky while penning his tales. The truth is that even the walls whisper their stories in this part of town.

Now back on our bikes we pedalled along the canal towards the sea with the humid wind blowing in our faces. The tide greeted us at the shore, together with a number of new pavilions. We entered the Citadel (Kastellet), another great fortification to protect against attack from the Swedes. The five-pointed star-shaped fort has also witnessed great swathes of history in this country. Used by Nazi troops as a main headquarters during World War II, it now belongs to the Danish army although the gardens and walls are open to the public. In the 19th Century, it was also used as a prison and small sculptures now speak of the horrors of war. A museum depicts the activity and names of the people who led the resistance against the Nazis. And the Little Mermaid, nowhere to be seen.

We kept on pedalling. It started to snow and a hoard of tourists announced we had reached another point of interest. At the end of the pier, resting on a rock and with her back to the tourists we finally met the star of one of the most famous stories written by Hans Christian Andersen. The very one who fell in love with a prince and who now waits for him to return looking out to sea. The snow continued to fall. The grey sky opened as if in slow motion: rain, snow, more rain.

Walt Disney tells us of a happy mermaid surrounded by seafaring friends who struggles to make her dreams come true. The reality proved to be much different. The colour of copper, alone, her nakedness constantly illuminated by camera flashes from the tourists. Yet she doesn’t smile. The thing is, Hans Christian Andersen wrote a different ending. The prince she gave up being a mermaid for ended up marrying another. The Little Mermaid died alone, without breaking the spell that would let her return to the sea without killing the prince. She preferred to wait, convinced that another ending would find her sooner or later. Like the Little Mermaid, Copenhagen has preferred to keep every palace, every fortification that speaks of its Viking and Barbarian past in order to convert them into gardens and museums that grow a new history of peace and tolerance. We joined the Little Mermaid and gazed out at the horizon in silence.

COPENHAGEN BY BIKE:

Time: 2 hours

Route: Sankt Jorgens Canal in Norrebro, Botanical Museum, Roseborg Slot, Marmorkirken, Nyhavn, Kastellet, The Little Mermaid.

Recommendations:

- Visit the museums mentioned: open from 10:00 to 16:00.
- Get a Copenhagen Card.
- Explore the city by bike and have lunch in the New Port after finishing the tour.

By Iñaki Makazaga from Piedra de Toque

Picture by Henrik Jessen

Why not take a trip to Copenhague? Have a look at our flights here!