It’s 7.49am and I feel like I’m on an episode of Race Across The World.
We are run-walking from our hotel to Geneva’s bus station, slightly bleary-eyed from the night before, the sky – like me – not quite wide awake yet. As we navigate the language barrier and sort out our tickets, we wait to hear if the weather is calm enough for us to visit Glacier 3000 – a Swiss mountain excursion where a white Christmas is guaranteed.
Luck is on our side as we get the thumbs up from Babis, our driver and guide, and we all scramble onto his bus to head for the hills.
It’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive from central Geneva, where I’ve landed for a long weekend Christmas city break. Switzerland’s second biggest city lies at the southern tip of Lake Geneva and is surrounded by the snow-capped Jura Mountains, Mont Blanc and the Alps – picture-postcard perfect, especially at this time of year.
"It’s like a Christmas fairy-tale all year round," says Babis.
We climb higher in the mountains, past Christmas-card scenes of snowy mountain drops and Swiss chalets so remote, it’s hard to imagine how you get to and from them. Snow sits on branches like royal icing on a gingerbread house, as my eyes feast on a forest of fir trees in every direction.
Once we arrive, we take the cable car to an altitude of 3,000m, and the foot of the world’s only suspension bridge connecting two giant peaks. I can see far too much daylight between me and the ground and when the wind gets up – just as I’ve gone too far to turn back – it really starts to wobble.
It’s minus 12 degrees, my hands are frozen numb – even in gloves – gripping on to the sides. It’s petrifying and exhilarating, as I take baby steps across the 107m-long bridge. Around me, the sun is shining on snowy peaks, snowflakes landing in my eyelashes as I look up to cement the view to my memory. At the end of the Peak Walk, we take photos of ourselves amid views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, and then head back for a hot chocolate in the cafe.
I deliberate for what seems like an eternity over getting the chair lift down to the glacier. (I’ve had a lifelong fear of heights). I needn’t have worried, the steep mountain view down is hairy but the speed of travel is so slow, it’s calming. It’s only when we stop and dangle that my heart rate speeds up.
The glacier is a further walk down and - to be honest - barely visible in this weather. But there is another way to get there – via toboggan.
It takes me far too long to work out which way to sit on it, but once you hit the sweet spot, flying downhill no longer becomes a choice. I race faster and faster down the drop as panic starts to descend and for some reason, I decide to lay back in an attempt to slow down. Obviously, the opposite happens, and I squeal louder, before having to enforce a full commando roll to fall off.
But it is so funny. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much – or went on a toboggan. It fills my tummy with butterflies and my heart full of joy. This is where all adults become children again.
Back in the city, where the temperature is just hitting the minus numbers, the sky is blue when we set off for a walk around Lake Geneva. An 8K loop, runners are out in force, dodging swathes of water being swept up and spat over the wall by the weather. What sounds like cow bells turns out to be boats moored by the jetty, the wind whistling through their poles and chains, like some kind of percussion orchestra.
Art is everywhere in Geneva, from bronze horses and broken chairs to hugging bodies and the Alley of Flags stretching up to the United Nations building. The city is very walkable, and independent too, with very few well-known brands adorning the streets.
The 18th and 19th-century architecture is beautiful and you can eat almost every type of cuisine imaginable, though I’m really only here for Switzerland’s two most sought-after treats.
Swiss chocolate is, of course, utterly delicious. And as much as I’m mesmerised by Lindt’s 12 billion pick and mix varieties, the oldest brand in Geneva is Favarger. There are more than 20 chocolate shops in the city, from Laderach to Canonica, but my favourite has to be Sweetzerland, where they have just one single shop selling organic Swiss chocolate, made from a recipe created by women. Four bite-sized treats will set you back 12chf (€12.79), so do bring your credit card – Geneva does not claim to be cheap.
But after all that walking, the real reward has to be a cheese fondue. Switzerland's national dish does not disappoint at Auberge de Saviese – a two-minute walk from the lake – where the thick scent of fromage wafts up your nose the second you walk in the door.
Wooden tables and chairs are jammed in to accommodate as many hungry visitors as possible, amid the Swiss flag bunting, lights made of barrels and wooden cuckoo clocks, chirping on the hour.
Claiming to serve ‘the best fondue (and raclette) in Geneva’, the most popular half and half option (£29chf/roughly €30 per person) arrives in a lit copper pot, bubbling, burping and begging to be eaten. The table is covered in baskets of bread, boiled potatoes, a fruit plate, fries and giant forks, and we’re shown how to load up, dip and swirl. It’s utterly unctuous and completely addictive.
My festive escape isn’t complete without a trip to Geneva’s Christmas market, though, where Noel au Quai transforms the lakeside into a winter wonderland full of wooden chalets, twinkling fairy lights, mugs of mulled wine, more fondue, artsy stands, a Christmas pub and an old-fashioned carousel.
Meandering the walkways, taking in the sights, sounds and smells makes my heart feel full once more. I am officially ready for the festive season.
How to plan your trip
Aer Lingus offers direct flights from Dublin to Geneva, with prices starting at €283 in January.
