Laila Rodriguez
The free guided walks of Geneva
GENEVA, Switzerland – Get moving on Sundays thanks to GenèveRando, which with the financial support of the city of Geneva, organizes 2-3 hour walks to discover the city.
Fourteen guided walks are offered every third Sunday of the month, free of charge from April to October 2012.
This Sunday 20 May there are two great walks:
Architecture and Urbanism in Geneva during Rousseau’s era. A time when the city was experiencing an architectural revival of great public buildings and patrician houses. It starts at 10:00. Head to the Molard Tower and meet the group there. The walk ends at around noon at the Promenade Saint-Antoine.
From Parks to Gardens. The tour departs at 14:30 from the parking lot of the magnificent Penthes Castle (Ch. de l’Impératrice 18) and ends at 17:00 in Petit-Saconnex.
For more information contact: dimancheapied@geneverando.ch, visit the Dimanche a pied website, or call +41 (0)76 224 8407. The next tour is in June.
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Laila Rodriguez
Geneva Marathon map (click to enlarge)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Attention runners, registration for the Geneva Marathon and half-marathon are now open.
Organizers have announced that the eighth edition of the Geneva Marathon for Unicef will also include five races for “the whole family”.
First off is a 5k race for women only, La Genevoise, open to female runners aged 14 and up.
In addition, four races, 1k-3k will be open for kids 6 to 13. These races, and the women’s race, will take place on Saturday 5 May. 100% of the kids’ races registration fees will be donated to Unicef.
Laila Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Rain, wind and snow in Switzerland are, unfortunately, the perfect ingredients for avalanches.
Before leaving home for the slopes make sure to check-out the weather and avalanche conditions. Here are a few resources:
- Hazardous conditions, updated maps provided by MeteoSwiss
- Updated weather bulletins, provided by MeteoSwiss in French, German and Italian only
- Updated maps showing dangerous avalanche and snow conditions across the country, provided by the SLF
- Swiss snow reports: Ski, cross-country, sledding, snow-shoeing and weather info, provided by the Swiss tourism office.
Stay safe and dry while enjoying the outdoors!
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Laila Rodriguez
The aim is to finish with a smile (and make others smile too). Here an apprentice reporter was teaching tricks to the bride-to-be.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Say you forgot to dress up during Halloween and still, however, want to play dress-up. Here comes the Escalade run, well known for its fun, festive atmosphere. (See GL photo album)
If you have never been to one, here’s what you can expect. It takes place the first Saturday of December.
A serious athletes’ race around Geneva’s Old Town takes place in the morning, followed by kids’ races, and adult 3k and 8k races as well as Nordic walking competitions.
Then there are several activities at Bastions Park.
Laila Rodriguez
Watch out for ticks in Switzerland - Photo source www.zecken.ch
- SWITZERLAND – Early heat in the season (June) and a heat wave in late August means one thing in Switzerland: ticks abound.
The seasonal crawlers are well known around the country as potential carriers of the bacterial Lyme disease, reports Dr Eric Masserey, canton Vaud’s public health officer in an interview in Migros Magazine.
He notes that during the past seven or eight years, ticks have also transmitted viral diseases such as encephalitis, especially in the Three-Lakes Region, and in central Valais.
A study published by the University of Neuchatel in April says changing climate conditions are making diseases carried by ticks more aggressive and resistant: “Ticks infected with bacterial pathogens survive better in hot, dry periods.”
Laila Rodriguez
Swimming instructor at the Bains de Paquis
Geneva, Switzerland – It is hot! Perfect time to swim outdoors, but, where? Well, when it comes to finding a “beach” in Geneva, Paquis seems to come first to mind, but of course there are plenty more options.
In fact, there are officially 14 public beaches in Canton Geneva, several with picnic areas and a few with camping areas, and 116 beaches around the Lake including France.
How to find them?
Here’s our list which includes points of access for boats to the Lake.
Laila Rodriguez
Geneva, Switzerland - Get to know canton Geneva and stay fit while doing so the first weekend of the month from April to September: bike on Saturdays, or walk on Sundays.
This year bike to some of the hidden mansions in Champel or discover the lost trees of the quartier de St. Jean.
On Sundays discover the quartier des artistes, hidden gardens in Geneva and more.
There is no fee but it is recommended to sign up to reserve a spot.
There are usually English speakers in the group. Most of the bike rides are open for those 14 and up.
Saturdays by bike, Sundays by foot.
Links to: Samedies du vélo, and Dimanches au pied.
Don’t forget the sunscreen and a raincoat!
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Laila Rodriguez
New route to include small comunes in canton Geneva - click to enlarge
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Prepare to run for a cause! The Geneva Marathon for Unicef, which until now has been staged around the city, has been re-routed to include ten communes in canton Geneva.
In 2010, Benjamin Chandelier, director of the Geneva marathon, said to GenevaLunch that the Organizing Committee wanted to introduce “a single 42km-loop for marathon runners” to attract international marathoners and make it one of the top-15 European marathons by 2015.
Marathon organizers have successfully taken the first step towards that goal and the 2011 race, taking place on 14 and 15 May proves so. The race will begin in Chene-Bourg and will then travel through the surrounding towns of Thonex, Choulex, Puplinge, Presinge, Jussy, Gy, Meinier, Collonge-Bellerive and Cologny before returning to the city and convening near the Palais Wilson.
Laila Rodriguez
Cross-country skiing with the family
Geneva, Switzerland – Dear readers I know I sound like I am always looking to save a penny. Well, that is because… I am. Especially, when it comes to skiing with kids and teenagers in tow.
Here’s a resource for those looking to have a fun day in the snow for not-so-much.
The Switzerland tourism department has compiled a list of small and medium-sized family-oriented ski resorts across the country, that offer day family passes (up to two adults and two kids) for CHF120 or less.
For example the Attinghausen resort offers a day pass for two adults and two kids for a total of CHF79; in Aeschi when two adults pay a full fee of CHF33, each child pays only CHF10, and in Mürren all children in the family are free with one paying adult. Now, that’s a deal!
Follow the link to the Family day passes and family-friendly ski pass website and enjoy!
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Laila Rodriguez
Find the snow and go sledding this weekend
Geneva, Switzerland – Tired of the rain and looking for the snow? Here’s a resource that could help you find the powder, pronto.
I am talking about a one-stop website featuring information on every ski station in the country, with up-to-date info on snow fall, accumulation, number of trails and lifts open and entry fees for children and adults.
Best of all, it also features free options, where available, in each of the regions.
The site is easy to navigate. Follow our link, pick a region and then click on the resort name.
All the information at your fingertips!
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