Things to Do in Palais des Nations

Guided tour inside the Palais des Nations

You'll shuffle through the Assembly Hall where the famous ceiling by Spanish artist Miquel Barceló drips with 140 tonnes of painted plaster that looks like lunar stalactites. The air smells faintly of old wood and diplomatic paper. From the Council Chamber, the gilded murals of mankind's progress shimmer under dim lights while your guide explains why that one empty seat always stays draped in UN blue.

Walk the Ariana Park peacock grounds

Outside the gates, the park smells of cut grass and cedar. Albino peacocks shriek overhead as you follow the path to the 19th-century Ariana villa that now hosts the Swiss Museum of Ceramics. Locals jog past with dogs, and you can peek back through the fence at the Palais's rear terrace where delegates sip espresso between meetings.

Broken Chair photo stop and NGO quarter wander

Across the street, the 12-metre wooden chair with a snapped leg looms over the Place des Nations. Its rough-hewn surface feels splintery if you brush against it while framing photos. Surrounding cafés echo with NGO workers debating in six languages over espresso that smells thick and bitter. Posters for missing activists flutter in the breeze against stone walls.

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum

Ten minutes downhill, interactive exhibits walk you through disaster-relief tents that smell of canvas and dust, while survivor voices play from tinny speakers overhead. You'll exit past a gift shop stocked with foldable water filters and first-aid kits that clink like camping crockery - oddly practical souvenirs from Geneva's humanitarian quarter.

Lake Geneva paddle-steamer cruise from nearby Jardin Anglais

After the formalities, the lake breeze tastes metallic and cool; century-old paddles thud rhythmically as you glide past the Palais from the water, flags now tiny rectangles against the green hill. Alps hover snow-capped on the horizon while the guide points out which villa belongs to which embassy, giving you a spy's-eye view of diplomatic Geneva.

Petit-Saconnex: tree-lined streets behind the Palais, popular with interns for its short walk to security gates

Paquis-Secheron: gritty-global mix of Ethiopian restaurants and late-night bars, ten minutes on foot

Champel: villa quarter south of the park, quiet and residential but handy for bus 8

Old Town (Hôtel-de-Ville): tourist central, 20 min by tram yet close to Sunday markets

E-Champel student district: budget-friendly hostels near the hospital, straight shot on tram 15

Cologny hillside: upscale, diplomatic pensions with lake views if you fancy pretending you're an envoy