Téléphérique du Salève
salã¨ve cable car (http://www.telepheriquedu...), veyrier, france number 8 bus to either veyrier douane or veyrier tournettes. or line 41 to veyrier-ãcole. just over the french border, this high alpine ridge has a stunning view of mt. blanc and the lake geneva area and miles of walking trails. a cute little corner shop in pas de l'ãchelle village france sells about 100 varieties of french cheeses and is open on sundays. don't forget your passport. the association genevoise des amis du salã¨ve agas, tel: 022 796 41 33 or (http://www.rando-saleve.net) organizes free hikes around geneva every sunday. start at 10am sharp at terminus end station of bus number 8 at veyrier-douane.
Many foreign professionals working in Geneva are employed by one of the United Nations agencies or international banks. Non-Swiss UN employees get a special visa to live and work in Switzerland, but the jobs can be hard to find unless you are already in Geneva. Of course if you speak French and are a EU citizen, you can accept a job offer by any other employer since the bileteral agreements between Switzerland and the EU allow you to work here as anywhere else on the continent - whether you are a blue or white collar worker. Since the beginning of 2009 unemployment is on the rise though and it is proving more and more difficult to find a post in all fields regardless of the work permit issue.
If you are not very proficient in French, it is also possible to find work as an au pair, a housekeeper, or at one of the many bars. You really do need to be in town to set this sort of thing up. If you want to do household work, you will probably want to advertise on the bulletin boards which can be found at the entrances of most grocery stores, at the English and American churches, and at the American Women's Club. For a bar tending job, you do what you would do to get a similar job anywhere else, go talk to the manager you should know enough French to serve drinks, obviously.
parks
It's worth taking at least a day to explore the green places of Geneva, of which there are quite a few, not the least because some of the more interesting parts of town are between those green places. There are a number of suggested promenades for which there are maps available at the tourist office on the Ile de la Machine.
higher education
There are several English language universities in Geneva, mostly focusing on international business and relations.
events
March: Motor Show.
May: Caves Ouvertes (http://www.opage.ch/lesvi...) â Free annual event. Sample wine at Geneva's wineries while exploring the canton's rural side.
June: Bol D'Or Yacht Race biggest in Europe.Fête de la Musique, +41 22 418 65 32, Free, . For three days in June, the whole City of Geneva is a stage. Actually, there are on the order of 40 of them. The musical offerings include children's choirs, punk rock, chamber orchestras, jam bands, avant-guard jazz, klezmer, and drum and bass DJs. The venues are as diverse as the music, with stages inside and out of l'Usine, Parc des Bastions, and even Cathédral St. Pierre. There is also a wide assortment of international food and drink for sale, which can be a bit pricey, but highly worth it. The easiest way to get information is to just head to one of the parks listed above and find one of the free newspaper-style festival guides. It includes time-tables and maps. Additionally, be sure to wander around, as the festival is full of many excellent unofficial performances, including drums, juggling, and dance.
Bol D'Or Yacht Race biggest in Europe.
Fête de la Musique, +41 22 418 65 32, Free, (http://www.fetedelamusique.ch). For three days in June, the whole City of Geneva is a stage. Actually, there are on the order of 40 of them. The musical offerings include children's choirs, punk rock, chamber orchestras, jam bands, avant-guard jazz, klezmer, and drum and bass DJs. The venues are as diverse as the music, with stages inside and out of l'Usine, Parc des Bastions, and even Cathédral St. Pierre. There is also a wide assortment of international food and drink for sale, which can be a bit pricey, but highly worth it. The easiest way to get information is to just head to one of the parks listed above and find one of the free newspaper-style festival guides. It includes time-tables and maps. Additionally, be sure to wander around, as the festival is full of many excellent unofficial performances, including drums, juggling, and dance.
August: Fete de Geneve â Week long party, including best fireworks display in Europe.
December: L'Escalade.
French language lessons
Are available, both through formal courses and informal arrangements, but in both cases they can be more expensive than other french-speaking countries.
research
The world-famous European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN (http://www.cern.ch) is in Meyrin, just outside of Geneva. From April 2011, the new tram line 14 runs to the CERN campus from Cornavin station in downtown. It is hosting the Large Hadron Collider LHC which, at 27km in circumference, holds the title of "world's largest machine". It will hopefully answer many fundamental questions in particle physics and open a host of new ones. CERN has a famous summer student program that accepts 150 European students, 20 American students, and a handful from other countries. CERN also features an exhibition open to the public and tours can be arranged in advance (http://public.web.cern.ch...).