Bains des Pâquis

A concrete jetty extending 200 metres into the lake, a small beach, a diving board, sunbeds, a sauna open year-round, and a café. Two francs fifty to get in. There’s a reason this is the first place anyone mentions when you ask about swimming in Geneva — it works. It has the energy of a city beach without being overwhelming. Best times: 7am on a weekday, or late afternoon when the light hits the water right.