| For an unforgettable European break this winter, visit | | | | Visitors with a taste for chocolate will lavish the |
| Geneva on the weekend of 11 to 13 December and | | | | Escalade celebrations, where chocolate cauldrons are |
| experience the unique Escalade Festival, the | | | | sold as a festive delicacy, as widely available as |
| magnificent annual celebration of Geneva's | | | | Easter eggs are in the Spring. As well as savouring |
| independent spirit that catches the city as its best. | | | | these chocolate delights, festival attendees are also |
| Geneva is renowned as a global centre for diplomacy, | | | | treated to mulled wine and soup, with more sweets |
| earning the moniker of the Peace Capital of the | | | | and marzipan offerings than children could dream of. |
| World, and the Escalade Festival celebrates a defining | | | | Traditional songs are sung in memory of the fallen |
| event in the city's history when, in the early hours of | | | | soldiers, and families with children visiting Geneva can |
| 12 December 1602, the Genevan army successfully | | | | take part in a range of celebrations, as the communal |
| repelled an attack by the invading French. Dressed in | | | | spirit flows throughout the city. |
| period costumes, modern-day residents | | | | Geneva's winter celebrations are not restricted to the |
| enthusiastically celebrate this landmark event 400 | | | | Escalade weekend however, as the city has much to |
| years later with a weekend-long calendar of events | | | | offer travellers who visit throughout the season, |
| steeped in fascinating traditions and rituals, | | | | taking in the Christmas atmosphere as the city is |
| guaranteed to enthral visitors to Switzerland. | | | | transformed with lights and decorations. The Escalade |
| The Escalade celebrations are a chance for tourists | | | | marathon also takes place on the weekend prior to |
| to see historic Geneva's unique culture and traditions | | | | the festival, attracting more participants each year in |
| proudly on display, with the city's colours of red and | | | | a race around the Old City that has fast become |
| gold emblazoned across all aspects of the festivities. | | | | Switzerland's most prestigious sporting event, |
| The crowning event is the three-hour torch parade | | | | offering a stunning spectacle for visitors. |
| through Geneva's Old Town, commemorating the | | | | Geneva's distinctive cultural history and traditions can |
| company of 1602 who fought off the invaders. | | | | be experienced to the full in the city's many |
| Legend has it that these soldiers' valiant efforts were | | | | museums open throughout the year, making Geneva |
| aided by a matron who poured boiling vegetable soup | | | | flights the ideal option for an edifying cultural break in |
| over the city walls onto the heads of the invaders, | | | | a city with a unique global focus and exceptional |
| and this event has inspired a range of traditions with | | | | quality of life. |
| cauldrons at their symbolic centre. | | | | |