Facing the crystal blue of Lake Geneva, The Woodward inhabits a post-Haussmann style building erected in 1901 by architect François Durel. Take one step inside and the hotel’s elegant, belle époque façade instantly gives way to an opulent interior completely re-imagined by architect Pierre-Yves Rochon.

Facing the crystal blue of Lake Geneva, The Woodward inhabits a post-Haussmann style building erected in 1901 by architect François Durel. Take one step inside and the hotel’s elegant, belle époque façade instantly gives way to an opulent interior completely re-imagined by architect Pierre-Yves Rochon.

You really shouldn’t leave Geneva without having spent a little time on the water – it’s good for the soul. For something traditional, the old steamboats that still ply the lake are marvellous, and serve a perfectly respectable perche à la meunière. For something more intimate, set sail aboard a private yacht. For something more active, go fishing and catch your own perch. Seriously – this is easily arranged and the lake is full of fish.

A massage. A treatment. A journey through almost 200 years of divinely scented Guerlain history. Or why not all of the above? As you prefer.

This trendy restaurant offers evolved Indian cuisine and subtly combines spices and Indian culinary traditions with local and seasonal products. The concept consists of sharing different dishes, in order to enjoy a wide range of flavors and to live a friendly and festive experience.

Start a musical evening with a cocktail at Le Verre à Monique, a 1920s-style bar where the young Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald would surely have felt right at home and promptly started a conga line. Follow that with a performance at the sumptuous Grand Théâtre de Géneve or the equally lovely Victoria Hall, just around the corner. Afterwards, a late supper at Le Lyrique, a much-loved pre- and post-show hangout on the Boulevard du Théâtre.

Two hours’ drive from Geneva is Gruyères, a pretty medieval town and a household name among lovers of Swiss cheese and chocolate. Feed your dairy addiction while deepening your knowledge with private tours and tastings at the Maison du Gruyère and the Cailler chocolate factory.

Guests at the Woodward are fortunate to have at their disposal one of the loveliest swimming pools in all Geneva, but there’s nothing quite like an al fresco dip, and the city is blessed with many pleasant places to take one. The most celebrated of these, the Bains des Pâquis, is only minutes from the hotel. Open year-round, it’s not just a place to swim but one of the essential social hubs of the city, a place where Genevese of all ages and from all walks of life mingle. There are saunas, hammams and a restaurant; paddleboards are also available for hire.

Not quite so far round the lake as Gruyères, the steeply terraced, UNESCO-listed vineyards of Lavaux, just beyond Lausanne, are a must for oenophiles, and a gorgeous spot for a picnic. Private wine tastings and cellar tours can of course be arranged.

After a bite of lunch at the venerable Café Papon, a Geneva institution since 1808, it’s a short walk to the Rue des Granges, one of the grandest streets in the Old Town. What is now the Musée Fondation Zoubov, at No. 2, was originally built in 1723 as an hôtel particulier for a rich French-Huguenot refugee. In the mid-20th century it became the home of an Argentinian heiress and her aristocratic Russian husband. Together they amassed a fabulous collection of mostly 18th-century art, furniture and objets. The collection is remarkable, but it’s the house itself, and the glimpse it provides of an otherwise invisible Geneva, that makes a visit so interesting.

The late Joël Robuchon was hailed by Gault & Millau as “the chef of the century” – master of an idiosyncratic style that combined the classic, the innovative and the eclectic. One of his most gifted protégés, Olivier Jean, spent seven years as executive chef of L’Atelier Robuchon in Taipei before he was enticed to Geneva to oversee the kitchens at the Woodward. Here, the latest outpost of L’Atelier Robuchon once again features the signature open-kitchen and wickedly glamorous red-and-black design scheme – along with what many believe are the greatest mashed potatoes of all time.

Geneva is the world capital of watches. Though you probably won’t master the art of haute horlogerie in a morning, a watchmaking masterclass is bound to increase your appreciation of these little mechanical marvels. The Woodward’s concierge team will make the necessary arrangements for you to “tick” that box, as it were.

Watches are fine and dandy. But what about time in the grander, existential, cosmic sense? To get to grips with this and other related mysteries of the universe, you might consider instead a visit to CERN, the world’s largest physics lab and site of the Large Hadron Collider. There are guided tours every day, in various languages.

Soon your watch will be telling you it’s time for lunch. The Woodward is home to Le Jardinier, situated in the light-filled conservatory overlooking the lake. The menu at Le Jardinier is as bright and fresh as the space itself, surely one of the most uplifting in Geneva, radiant with glorious sunlight that pings off the lake outside. And all ingredients are sourced within a 150KM radius for the ultimate local touch.

After lunch, it’s retail therapy o’clock on the Rue du Rhône. What makes shopping here even more delicious than on, say, Bond Street or Fifth Avenue is the profusion of master chocolatiers with boutiques alongside those of all the luxury-goods brands. Take a break between bites or impulse purchases to enjoy the hourly chiming of the Malbuisson Clock, whose mechanical figures enact a 16th-century battle between Genevese and Savoyard troops, accompanied by a cheerful tune (the Genevese won).

Discover Geneva’s vibrant street-art scene on a taxi-bike tour of the Jonction neighbourhood run by smart young locals who know the city inside out. The art itself is impressive but it’s the chat you’ll have with your guide and the expanded sense you’ll gain of Geneva as a living, breathing city that make it so worthwhile.

Finish off three perfect days in Geneva with dinner at Le Flacon, in the heart of Carouge, an artsy neighbourhood with a strong Italian heritage and the elegant architecture and relaxed atmosphere to prove it. The setting is delightful; the food impeccable; the wine list epic.

There’s no law stating that every meal in Geneva need be consumed beneath the glow of Michelin stars. One of the best-loved restaurants in the city is also one of the simplest and most charmingly unaffected: Café du Soleil. Many locals insist the fondue here is the best in all Geneva, if not all Switzerland, which takes the stress out of choosing what to order. You order the fondue.