Sightseeing
Geneva is a town and culture, and is home to numerous museums, libraries and international organisations.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started on your tour once you arrive. Click here to check out the tourism site!
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Jet D'Eau and Flower Clock
The Jet d'Eau is one of the crowning symbols of Geneva, a fountain of water pumped 140 meters into the air. The spectacular plume was once an occasional pressure release for hydropower generation on the Rhône River, but people liked it so much that in 1891 the city created a permanent pumped fountain.
Dominating the eastern bank, the giant Flower Clock in the English Garden is a tribute to Geneva’s watch industry, harmonizing Swiss ingenuity with the floral bounties of nature. The dial is composed of some 6,500 flowers and is updated with new arrangements several times per year.
Palais Des Nations/ United Nations
Location: Avenue de la Paix (number 8 bus or F bus, stop Appia)
Hours: 10:00 - 12:00, 14:00 - 16:00 Daily (Monday to Friday, from September to March). From April to August, it is opened from Monday to Saturday.
Admission: 12 CHF (10 CHF for students). Passport is required. It is free for interns but only two interns are allowed per tour, otherwise, if groups of interns want to go together, they will have to pay.
No trip to Geneva is complete without a visit to the European Headquarters of the United Nations. The sprawling complex is accessible only via guided tour, offering unique insight into the inner workings of the world's most important international body. Highlights include the 2,000 seats Assembly Hall and the Council Chamber decorated with gold murals depicting the human struggle for peace.
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Museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross
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Location: 17, avenue de la Paix (number 8 bus or F bus, stop Appia).
Hours: Open everyday from 10:00 to 18:00 (April to October) and from 10:00 to 17:00 (November to March), except Mondays.
Admissions: 15 CHF (7 CHF until 22 years old). Free entrance the first Saturday of the month.
The Museum of the ICRC is considered one of the best in Europe, providing detailed photographic and other physical evidence of the ICRC's service to humanity during countless wars and natural disasters.The displays are striking and affecting, yet somehow manage to avoid taking sides.
The Old Town
Geneva' sancient Old Town is a maze of sloping cobblestone streets and alleyways filled with cafes, boutiques and historical landmarks at every turn. A former Roman marketplace, the Bourg-de-Four is the oldest public sqaure in Geneva and remains a hub of activity surrounded by bistros, terraces, bars and other popular meeting spots. The 15th Century Hotel De Ville located along Rue de l'Hotel-de-Ville still serves as the seat of governement in Geneva and is the site of many political milestones including the first convening of the Geneva Convention in 1864 and the founding of the League of Nations in 1920. Across the street, the Old Arsenal is a former battery, now home to a 1949 mosiac by Alexendre Cingria depicting Caesar's arrival in the city 58 BC.Finally, the Treille Promenade on the southside of the Old Town was once an artillery post and today offers beautiful views of the city from the towns last remaining rampart wall.
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Cathedrale St-Pierre
Location: Place St-Pierre (in the Old Town).
Admission: Adults: 5CHF, Children (6-16): 2 CHF
Check hours online before you head over.
Built in a number of architectural styles over the course of 72 years, this cathedral once serves as the guiding centre of Protestantism. The site has been occupied since the 4th Century, and perharps earlier.Visitors a can see this for themselves when touring the archeolgical site underneath.
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Reformation Wall
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Located in beautiful Bastions Park, this monument commemorates the major events and figures of the Protestant Reformation. Larger than life statues of Guillaume Farel, Jean Calvin, Théodore de Bèze and John Knox dominate the central part of the 100 meter wall, eternally guarding over their “City of Refuge.”
GENEVA PASS
The GENEVA PASS, valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours is a great option if you want to explore Geneva. It offers free entrance or reduced fares to many museums and other attractions. It also allows you to travel for free by public transports to get to the places you want to visit.
Click here to visit the website.
