Legends of Lake Geneva

You simply can’t talk about Geneva without mentioning its legendary lake—Lake Geneva itself. It’s one of the main reasons the city is considered among the most beautiful in the region. Shaped like a crescent, it’s the largest alpine lake in Europe. And while science traces its origins back to ancient glaciers, its story is also woven with charming legends. One of the most popular stories features Gargantua, the giant who inspired François Rabelais’s famous literary character. As the tale goes, Gargantua was crossing the region when he was struck by an overwhelming thirst. The Rhône River was far too small for someone his size, so he began to dig—until he created a lake big enough to drink from. Another version says he wasn’t thirsty at all—just looking to take a bath. As he dug, he tossed the extra earth aside, and the growing mound caught the attention of the locals, who supposedly cried out, ‘Ça lève!’—’It’s rising!’ And from that, the Salève mountain was born. Believable? Maybe not. But fun? Definitely! There’s also a gentler version, said to date back to the age of mammoths. In this one, a cherub—one of the angelic guardians of the region—was heartbroken when he learned he had to leave. He cried so much that his tears formed Lake Geneva. Sweet, isn’t it? However the lake came to be, one thing’s for sure: it continues to bring joy to the people who live here, and to everyone who strolls along its shores, relaxes by its banks, or takes a refreshing dip on warm summer days.