The region surrounding l'Hotel d'Aidan is rich in culture and natural beauty. Many visitors enjoy the local cuisine, which includes a fine variety of wines, fondue as well as traditional French foods. Good wine, bread, cheese and crêpes are cheap and plentiful, while the local markets in Ferney Voltaire and Gex provide fresh fruit, vegetables, spices, and seafood.
Saint Genis
Saint Genis is rather small town, boasting some good bars (including Charly's pub) and restaurants (including le Coq Rouge.) The town is served by many small local business, with a cheap Celtic crêperie, a Carrefour, and the whimsical milk dispensary.
Jura
To the West of the Hotel stand the Jura, a long moutain range which dominates the horizon. There are many hiking trails, cable cars and even ski slopes along this mountain range, making it an ideal destination for day trips. The views across the Geneva valley are well worth the journey.
CERN
The highlight of most visitor's stay is the behind the scenes tour of CERN. In addition to the Universe of Particles exhibit and Microcosm exhibit, the Hotel staff will take you into CERN itself. This gives a unique opportunity to see the relics of decades old experimental apparatus, a glimpse into the labrynthine basements, a stop at the cafeteria for some of the area's finest coffee, and a detailed explanation of how physics analysis takes place.
Geneva
No visit to the Hotel would be complete without a trip to Geneva, which enjoys warm summers and a pristine, scenic backdrop. The city is a shopper's paradise, boasting several stores selling Swatch watchs, top notch chocolate and Swiss Army knives. When the summer sun is shining the Genevoise like to indulge in ice cream, followed by swimming in the lake (which is refreshingly clear) and sun-bathing on its shore. When night falls there are plenty of bars and restaurants selling fondue at reasonable prices. The focal point of Geneva is Jet d'Eau, a huge fountain at the South end of the lake. On a sunny day, you can see a rainbow in the body of water.
Further afield
As we spend more time exploring the area we hope to add more information about interesting sights. In the meantime we suggest the following destinations:
- Mont Blanc, and the Alps, a popular destination for skiers.
- Interlaken, one of the most scenic towns in Switzerland.
- Lyon, a centre of culture in Southeast France.
- Fondation Pierre Gianadda Da Vinci exhibit, Martigny.
Google maps
Some points of interest have been collected and listed on the l'Hotel d'Aidan Google map
View L'Hotel d'Aidan in a larger map