If you are passing through Geneva, do not miss visiting the following places. I made a random selection of places you must have seen during your visit. There are way too many touristical attractions to mention. My selection is not more than a rough guideline. For complete and most detailled information, you should contact:
Geneva Tourism & Convention Bureau
Rue du Mont-Blanc 18
CH - 1211 Geneva
Tel. +41 (0)22 909 70 00
Geneva’s lakefront is one of the city’s greatest assets. The familiar Jet d’eau spouts a column of lake water as high as 450 feet in the air, and on a clear day you can see the Mont-Blanc. As you stroll down the lakeside quays you’ll pass by beautiful flowerbeds and other exotic flora as well as elegant old residences. As for what’s on the water - swans, ducks and diving birds cohabit with a multitude of brightly colored sailing boats just waiting for a regatta.
On the right bank, take a look at the Brunswick Monument which contains the tomb of Charles II, Duke of Brunswick. Charles left his fortune to the city of Geneva, with the condition that the city place him in a replica of Verona’s Scaligeri Mausoleum. Further along the quay is the Pâquis Jetty with its lighthouse and the public baths. Crossing the Mont-Blanc bridge towards the left bank, don’t miss the Jardin anglais (English Garden). Here you’ll find the famous flower clock, a reflection of Geneva’s preoccupation with watchmaking, and the National Monument which commemorates Geneva’s joining the rest of Switzerland in 1815.
Jet d'eau (water foutain)
Originally a simple security valve at the Coulouvrenière hydraulic factory, this water fountain has, over the years, grown to be the symbol of Geneva.
In 1891, it was transferred to the "Rade", to become a major tourist attraction. However, it was not until 1951 that it was provided with an autonomous pumping station, propelling 500 litres of water per second to a height of 140 metres at a speed of 200 km per hour (124 miles/h). Eight 9,000-watt projectors light the fountain’s majestic column in the evening as it soars skywards.
Treille Promenade
This romantic promenade dates back to the 16th century. At first an observation and artillery post for the defence of the city, it became green and peaceful in the beginning of the 18th century. Two rows of chestnut trees shade the walk and shelter what is said to be the world’s longest wooden bench (120 meters).
Reaching the top of the promenade, there is more to admire: the statue of the diplomat Pictet de Rochemont and Geneva’s "official" chestnut tree. According to a tradition upheld to this day, the blossoming of its first bud marks the arrival of spring.
Place du Bourg-de-Four
In the very heart of the Old Town, the Place du Bourg-de-Four has always been a meeting place. Still today, hosts of Genevans gather around its lovely 18th century flowered fountain or on the terrace of a picturesque bistrot. Since Roman times, it was a centre for commerce. In the middle of the 16th century, the houses were raised in order to accommodate exiled Protestants. Today, one may admire magnificent specimens of 16th century architecture, as well as handsome constructions of the 17th and 18th.
Flower Clock and Solar/Laser Clock
A symbol of the Geneva watch industry of world renown, the famous flower clock, located at the edge of the Jardin Anglais (English Garden) since 1955, is a masterpiece of technology and floral art.
Formerly only decorative with its sole dial comprising over 6,500 flowers, the new millennium provided it with decisive artistic dimensions thanks to the ingenuity of the gardeners of the Service of Green Spaces and the Environment. It is now composed of eight concentric circles, the colours of which vary with the seasons and the plants which make up the display.
If the left bank has its flower clock, the right bank, since 1997, boasts a "monumental solar and laser clock" on the Quai Wilson, near the Perle du Lac.
Work of the Hungarian artist Klara Kuchta, the clock, of remarkable aesthetic quality, has a face of 6.40 meters in diameter. Of stainless steel and laminated glass, it lets 198 stars show through, while a beam of optical fibres makes them shine on a celestial map.
