Upon looking at the calendar and realizing there are only three weeks left in my fall semester studying abroad, I decided to use my few remaining weekends to explore the hidden corners of Geneva instead of cavorting about the rest of Europe. My friends and I decided to branch out from our favorite hang-out spots and discover new experiences inside the little city we’ve come to love. After searching around and getting suggestions from our local friends, we came up with a solid weekend plan.

Our first stop was the Bains des Pâquis, or, in English, the Turkish baths of Geneva. Turkish baths are a traditional European experience, where people go to spend the day in relaxation and rejuvenate their bodies after a long week of work. Before going, I imagined something similar to an American day spa, but I soon realized I was in for a completely foreign experience.

When my friends and I walked in, we mentioned it was our first time, and one of the assistants showed us around. The baths have several precise stages. First, after showering, we went into the sauna, where you’re supposed to relax and sweat out all your impurities. Everybody in the sauna could tell we were first-timers, partly from our slight bewilderment, but mainly from the fact that we were modestly wearing swimsuits, while literally everyone else was au naturel. We had several elderly men come up to us and inform us in French that, “the next time we come, it is necessary that we should be unclothed.” We politely declined.

In the next stage, we went into the hammam, a really steamy dark room with a fountain in the middle, where you scrub yourself with “savon noir” or “black soap” that exfoliates your whole body.

As relaxing as this was, my personal favorite was the final stage, when we jumped into Lake Geneva. Although Geneva never really falls below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of the lake in November is still far from warm. When we saw a group of Europeans leisurely swimming around, we figured that it couldn’t be that bad. The three of us jumped in and consequently ran out screaming, cementing our positions at the baths as “those American girls.”

We then warmed up in the Turkish bath, a hot room where the air is so steamy and mentholated that it feels like you are breathing in liquid cough drops. After regaining our body heat, we left the Bains des Paquis feeling refreshed, reinvigorated and somewhat amused with our interesting experience.

The baths were a tough act to follow, but we decided to continue our quest to discover Geneva’s hidden secrets. Our local friend recommended exploring the outskirts of the city where there is less industrialization and more Swiss farm land. After doing some research, we booked a wine tasting at the farm of the Swiss family Desbaillet at the Domaine des Molards.

The Desbaillet family has been farming the same vineyards for more than 650 years, a fact that becomes obvious as soon as you try their wines. Madame Desbaillet coordinated the wine tasting and talked us through the various tastes. Middle-aged, blonde and clearly proud of her family’s work, she was the quintessential modern-day version of a Swiss farmer’s wife. Madame Desbaillet taught us the proper way to smell and sample wine to best release its flavors. With every wine that we tried, she gave us a different home-prepared “goûter” or “snack,” such as roasted duck, ham croissants, shrimp pastry or Gruyère cheese, that was designed to complement the unique taste of the wine. The Domaine des Molards farm also is known for its fantastic jams and fruit juices, which we had the opportunity to try as well.

After sampling everything, Madame Desbaillet led us into a separate room where she showed us a massive genealogy chart and explained some of the history of the generations of Debaillets who have tended the vineyards. She also spoke about the difficulties Swiss farmers currently face as middleman companies, such as grocery stores, attempt to drive down the costs for raw products, forcing farmers to lower prices. These lower prices mean farmers make less money. To supplement their incomes, many farms like the Domaine des Molards have resorted to selling products at farmers’ markets and making additional items, including juice, jam and syrup. These changes reflect the uncertain circumstances Swiss farms find themselves in as they hold on to their pasts while pushing their way forward into the future.

Between the Turkish baths and the local wine tasting, I realized that it’s always possible to discover new experiences, even when you have lived in the same place for months or even years. No matter where you are — Geneva or Charlottesville — every city has its secrets waiting to be found.

Chelsea’s column runs biweekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at c.kelly@cavalierdaily.com.