Geneva

Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, on the western shore of the eponymous lake, Geneva is best known as the birthplace of the United Nations and a stalwart of diplomacy, yet it is so much more - it is one of the most expensive, compact and livable cities in the world. Often mistaken to be the capital of Switzerland, Geneva hosts the headquarters of several of the UN's agencies as well as the Red Cross, alongside over 200 international agencies, more than any other in the world; a worldwide center for diplomacy as well as a global city and financial hub. Housing the Large Hadron Collider, the city is home to nuclear research's pinnacle institute of CERN. Across the city lie luxury hotels, world-class restaurants, revered chocolatiers and thriving cultural centers that draw on the city's global ethos. Its counter-culture, on the other hand, can be found in the cafes and bars of Les Grottes and Quartier des Pâquis. Of it many attractions, the most popular are the lakefront with the astonishing Jet d'Eau, the Flower Clock, the Cathedrale de St-Pierre and the Reformation Wall. There are numerous fine museums as well that cover a whole host of topics from archaeology to diplomacy. The jewel of Lake Geneva, Switzerland's second most populous city is a culture-rich metropolis and the 'Peace Capital' of the world.