Flights from Podgorica to Geneva: A City of Contradictions

GENEVA, A CITY OF CONTRADICTIONS

FLIGHTS PODGORICA – GENEVA

A global hub for the elite, yet also a cozy little Alpine town. A city where you’ll find a beach as if you were on the Mediterranean, even though it’s almost 400 km from the sea and sits 375 m above sea level… Geneva lies in the Alps, but it isn’t a typical mountain town, since 90% of its area is completely flat. Geneva sits on the shore of a lake that is home to a world-class research institute, and also to the casino immortalized by the famous hippie-era band Deep Purple (“Smoke on the Water”)…

TRAVEL TO GENEVA

There are several ways to get to Geneva… By car via Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, it’s about 1300 km away. There are also regular bus lines from Montenegro’s larger cities. The train would be comfortable too, although there is no direct connection from Podgorica. Still, a Podgorica – Geneva flight is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to travel. Plan your trip to Geneva for any time of year you like, because it’s beautiful in every season… I recommend booking your Podgorica – Geneva flight first, because the earlier you book, the better the price…

If we look far back into history, we can see that Geneva was originally the name of a Celtic settlement. However, the name is of Latin origin and means knee, or bend, which tells us something about the position of the city and of Lake Geneva, which is crescent-shaped. In the 9th century Geneva became the capital of Burgundy. Over the centuries the city was ruled by the Burgundians, the Franks and the Holy Roman Emperors, and right up to the 17th century the House of Savoy tried to conquer it. But this city, which, just like Salzburg, had been ruled by bishops since time immemorial (until Calvin’s work during the Reformation), finally won its independence in 1602…

Geneva is a city of opposites: at first glance a small town, but take a closer look and you’ll find it is home to some very important and influential institutions, such as the UNHCR (the UN’s European headquarters), the World Health Organization, CERN (the European research institute), the International Labour Organization, the World Trade Organization, the World Economic Forum and, most important of all for the world, the headquarters of the Red Cross… And just when you think this is a serious city where global politics is made and decisions affecting everyone on the planet are taken, you discover that Geneva is also the “mother” of horror stories… Here’s how it happened. Mary and Percy Shelley were spending the summer on Lake Geneva with Lord Byron, and one stormy June night in 1816 the idle friends decided to compete at telling stories of ghosts and the supernatural. The winner was Mary Shelley (an English novelist and philosopher, and wife of the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Shelley). That night saw the birth of science fiction and of the novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”.

Geneva prides itself on its university, founded in 1559, as well as on its many discos and clubs…

Geneva has an exceptionally high standard of living and is very expensive, full of exclusive boutiques and, of course, shops where you can buy the world’s most expensive watches… And when I say expensive, I mean prices of a million dollars or more, like Patek Philippe watches… Yet it is also full of immigrants, living in separate neighborhoods, almost like ghettos, where the Swiss rarely set foot.

Geneva has a very low crime rate and is very calm and safe, yet it was the scene of one of the most absurd assassinations in history! Here, on the shore of Lake Geneva, Empress Elisabeth of Austria lost her life, utterly senselessly… The assassin was the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni, who had come to Geneva to kill a French heir to the throne. But when that nobleman slipped away by unexpectedly leaving early for France, Lucheni decided to kill Sisi instead, simply because she was an aristocrat and not for any political reason. He stabbed her in the heart with a file, and the unfortunate empress died the same day… After a dramatic life, she passed to the “other side” through a dramatic death…

If you’re ready to spend a sizeable amount of money in Geneva, since it’s one of the most expensive cities around, book your Podgorica – Geneva flight, pack your bags and enjoy!

FLIGHTS PODGORICA – GENEVA

Podgorica – Geneva flights start from around 170 euros. There is no direct (non-stop) Podgorica – Geneva flight, although Swiss offers this type of ticket at certain times of the year. Podgorica – Geneva flights are available seven days a week, most often with a connection in Vienna or Munich on Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa. If you’re searching for deals yourself, the airport code is GVA, and Geneva is written as: Geneve (not Genova, or you’ll end up enjoying the Ligurian Riviera in Genoa instead of the Alps).

Geneva International Airport is the second-busiest airport in Switzerland by passenger numbers. It is located 4 km from the city center and is very well connected by bus and rail. The airport has the longest runway in Switzerland (3900 m). Its northern boundary runs along the Swiss-French border, and you can exit the airport into either country. Interestingly, it is one of the oldest airports, opened in 1919. The first airlines to use the airport were Lufthansa and Swiss.

Have a great trip to Switzerland! Don’t worry about the coffee prices mentioned above: the city center has plenty of lovely cafés where a coffee will cost you a “mere” five euros…