Lake Geneva
- Visit: more than 3 hours
Sign up free — See who's going and message them.
Is this your place? Get the badge for your websiteAbout
More photos 10
1 / 10
Why go
- Follow the Rhône-fed lake from Villeneuve and Le Bouveret toward Geneva.
Opening hours
Today06:15 – 18:45Show all
Don't miss
- Lavaux vineyardsHilly vineyards line the shore between Lausanne and Vevey.Between Lausanne and Vevey
- Steam paddlewheel boatsTravel between the main lakeside towns on boats that have connected them since the 19th century.Lake Geneva
- Lake activitiesSailing, windsurfing, boating, rowing, diving and bathing are among the lake’s established leisure activities.Lake Geneva
Shorts
-
Rte de Lausanne: Architectural estate with views of Lake Geneva | Bou…Boulevard
-
Scenic Lake Geneva Switzerland Paddle Steamboat Cruise 2019 4K UHDThe 4K Travel Channel
-
An Art of Living: Elegant Lake Geneva Estate Tour | Switzerland Sothe…Sotheby's International Realty
-
Inside a $100,000,000 USD LAKE GENEVA MEGA MANSION With Views!Richest Billionaires Homes
-
Discover Prestige Living on the Shores of Lake Geneva | Switzerland S…Sotheby's International Realty
-
11 Interesting Facts About Lake Geneva - SwitzerlandInspirich
-
LAKE GENEVA IN 4K (ULTRA-HD) DRONE !!CH Drone
-
Lake Geneva's plastic pollution as high as world's oceansReuters
Interesting facts4
-
310 metres
The lake reaches a depth of 310 metres between Évian-les-Bains and Lausanne.
Lake Geneva - Wikipedia -
10.4 years
Water takes an average of 10.4 years to pass through the lake.
Genfersee - Wikipedia -
The Rhône supplies about 75% of the lake’s inflow.
Léman - Wikipedia -
2006
A 2006 study found that only 3% of the lake’s shoreline remained wild.
Léman - Wikipedia
History
The lake formed as the Rhône Glacier retreated, with tectonic folding also contributing. Its name changed over time: ancient writers used lacus Lemanus, Léman returned in the 16th century, and Lake Geneva became common in foreign languages from the 18th century. The lake has also been shaped by natural disasters, scientific research and pollution.
- About 16,000 years agoRetreat of the Rhône Glacier helped form the lake; tectonic folding also contributed.
- 563A tsunami destroyed the fort of Tauredunum and other settlements, and caused deaths in Geneva.
- AntiquityAncient writers, including Caesar, used the name lacus Lemanus.
- 1823The first steamship on the lake, Guglielmo Tell, entered service.
- 1827Jacques Charles François Sturm and Daniel Collodon measured the speed of sound in fresh water using two moored boats.
Show all
- 16th centuryHumanists and cartographers revived the name Léman. Lac de Genève also appeared and coexisted with earlier names.
- 18th centuryLake Geneva became common in foreign languages and early travel guides. Mary and Percy Shelley and Lord Byron holidayed by the lake and wrote ghost stories; one inspired Frankenstein.
- 19th century–1970sScientists debated whether tectonics, glaciation or both formed the lake. Seismic imaging in the 1980s supported glacial carving of its basin.
- Late 1960s–1980sPollution made swimming dangerous at some beaches in the late 1960s and nearly wiped out the lake’s fish by the 1980s.
- 1884Artificial regulation of the lake’s water level began.
- September 1898Empress Elisabeth of Austria was stabbed to death on Geneva’s quayside.
- 1978–2005The research submarine F.-A. Forel was used mainly for scientific work. In 2011, two Mir submersibles carried out ten weeks of research in the lake.
Tips for your visit
- Swimming is again considered safe after pollution levels fell.
Best time to visit
- In some winter conditions, warm moisture from the lake can create thick fog that lasts two or three weeks.
Sources: Lake Geneva - Wikipedia · Genfersee - Wikipedia · Léman - Wikipedia · Lago Lemano - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
Nearby places
Plan from here: Evening walk →
Eat and drink nearby
Where to stay nearby
Questions and answers
Is Lake Geneva safe for swimming?
Pollution levels have fallen, and the lake is again considered safe for swimming.
What fish live in Lake Geneva, and what is happening to its ecosystem?
About 30 fish species live in the lake, including char, perch, pike, whitefish and trout. Invasive quagga mussels arrived in 2016; they now coat the lake floor and disrupt its native food chain.
What sporting events take place on the lake?
The Bol d’or yacht race runs from Geneva to the far end of the lake and back. The Tour du Lac is a 160-kilometre non-stop rowing regatta, described as the world’s longest. The Signature is an annual 70 km swim from Chillon Castle to Geneva.
How does the lake affect local weather?
The lake softens mountain winters and cools nearby areas in summer. Under certain winter conditions, warm moisture from its waters can form thick fog that lasts two or three weeks.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
- Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
- Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.