Switzerland's second city and main French-speaking metropolis, this proud "Protestant Rome" was once John Calvin's capital, but is now famous as the eminently livable "Capital of Peace." A cosmopolitan center of global diplomacy from the Red Cross to much of the UN, Geneva is the scenic spot where the Rhone leaves Lake Geneva. The watchmaker's Mecca, Geneva offers impressive shopping and fine dining, but one of the best activities is free: walking through the Old Town and by the lake. Most of the city is reminiscent of France (which nearly surrounds it) although the more bohemian Carouge district draws plenty of locals thanks to its Mediterranean atmosphere. An hour's drive away, Mont Blanc (the Alps' highest peak) is easy to spot. CERN's Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest machine, is harder to find as it's entirely underground, but the massive sphere of the visitor's center is much easier to pick out. Another sight that's hard to miss is the 40-foot "Broken Chair," a symbol of the ongoing fight against land mines and cluster bombs, which sits across from the UN's Palace of Nations.