Bern or Geneva?

Neither city has a beach, and swimming is about equally good in both. What differs is the water. In Bern you walk upstream from the Marzili and let the fast, cold Aare carry you back past the Federal Palace, which is a thrill for strong swimmers but not for small children.

Geneva's swimming is calmer lake bathing. People dive off the jetty at the Bains des Pâquis or spread out on the lawns and pebbles of Genève-Plage, and the water gets a little warmer by August.

Geneva eats better. Its cooking leans French, the canton's own vineyards fill the wine lists, and the international crowd supports a wider range of cuisines and serious fine dining in Carouge and the Old Town.

Bern's table is heartier and narrower. Think Berner Platte, rösti and fondue in guildhall dining rooms and arcade cellars, with Emmental cheese from the markets. It is satisfying food, but there is less variety for a stay of more than a few days.

Bern's old town gives it the edge. The whole loop of the Aare is a UNESCO site of sandstone arcades, painted fountains, the Zytglogge and the Minster, and the Zentrum Paul Klee and the Einstein flat give it more depth than its size suggests.

Geneva's sights tell the story of Calvin and the Reformation and of world diplomacy. The main stops are St Pierre Cathedral, the Palais des Nations, the Red Cross Museum and CERN. They are interesting, but they are more spread out and less of a single picture than Bern's old town.

Both cities go quiet early on weeknights, and neither has a big club scene. Bern's evenings happen in vaulted cellar bars under the arcades, with the Reitschule for late, rough-edged parties. Geneva's late bars are in the Pâquis, with wine terraces in Carouge and a small electronic scene in Plainpalais and Jonction.

Both are excellent bases for the outdoors, but the mountains are different. From Bern, the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau are about an hour away by train, and Lake Thun, the Emmental and the Gurten are closer for gentler days.

Geneva looks up at the Salève, where you can paraglide and walk the cliffs, and at the Jura ridge. It has sailing and paddleboarding on the lake, and Chamonix and Mont Blanc are about an hour away by road rather than rail.

Bern wins on easy outings because it sits at the hub of the Swiss railways. Lucerne, Basel and Zurich are each about an hour away, and Fribourg, Murten, Thun, Solothurn and Neuchâtel are closer still, so you could see a new town every day without planning.

Geneva's list is more varied but more one-directional. It runs along the lake to Nyon, Lausanne, Lavaux and Chillon, and across the border to Yvoire and Annecy. The rest of Switzerland is further away.

Bern gives children more to do. The bear park below the old town, the Dählhölzli zoo along the river and the funicular to the Gurten playground add up to several good days. The only real caution is the fast Aare.

Geneva is just as safe and easy with pushchairs, but its draws for children are fewer: the Natural History Museum, small animal enclosures at the Bois de la Bâtie and rides on the yellow harbour boats. Families tend to run out of ideas sooner.

Both are compact, punctual and easy without a car. Bern's centre is a single twenty-minute walk under the arcades, with funiculars and a lift down to the riverside and some steep climbs up from the Aare.

Geneva spreads across the water. Its yellow boats are part of the tram and bus network, it is flat apart from the Old Town hill, and the airport is a few minutes from the main station by train.

Geneva is a world destination for watches and jewellery. The Rue du Rhône is lined with flagship boutiques of the great Swiss houses, Carouge has craft workshops, and the Plainpalais flea market sells antiques.

Bern is pleasant to browse rather than a place to shop seriously. It has chains and chocolate shops under the arcades, antiques and design in the cellar shops of Gerechtigkeitsgasse, and onion braids at the Zibelemärit, but little fashion or luxury.

Both are very expensive, and the difference between them hardly matters for a budget. In both cities, hotels usually include local transport and many of the best things are free. In Bern that means the bear park, the river paths and tours of the Federal Palace. In Geneva it means many city museums and cheap lake lidos, and the French border is close enough to sleep or eat for less.

Geneva has the stronger stage. The Grand Théâtre runs a full opera and ballet season, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande plays in the gilded Victoria Hall, and French-language theatre fills the Comédie.

Bern offers opera and drama in German at the Stadttheater and the Bern Symphony Orchestra at the Casino, with contemporary dance at the Dampfzentrale. Its high points come from two festivals: jazz in spring and the Gurtenfestival in July.

Geneva has the more distinctive way to unwind. In winter the Bains des Pâquis becomes a sauna and hammam with plunges into the cold lake, the lakefront hotels have serious spas, and Évian and Divonne are just across the border.

Bern relies on a thermal complex on its western edge and a few hotel spas. Its real calm comes from slow Sundays and long lunches by the Aare, and for serious spa time people head up to the Bernese Oberland.