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Geneva- General Information

Jet D'Eau: Photo by Igorlero

Geneva’s strongly internationalist reputation as home to organisations such as the United Nations, the Red Cross – and even Eurovision – belies its compact size and modest, friendly atmosphere. Jutting westward into France, connected to the rest of Switzerland only by a narrow corridor of land, it is located in the Rhône Valley at the southwestern corner of Lake Geneva. It is flanked on one side by the Jura ridges and on the other by the first peaks of the Savoy Alps. Many holidaymakers only pass through it briefly, paying it little regard as they head for chic skiing resorts.

Yet it’s the perfect city for a weekend break: easily walkable and crammed with enticing shops, while also being saturated with history and often very beautiful. Most of all, it somehow manages to blend a pleasingly energetic bustle with a prevailing sense of calm and order. It's also one of the healthiest cities in the world, thanks to prevailing north winds that blow away all air pollution.

Celtic tribes lived in primitive dwellings along the shore of Lake Geneva as far back as 3000BC, but it was not until about 50BC that the burgeoning settlement was absorbed into the Roman Empire, with Julius Caesar referring to it in his memoirs. It continued to thrive, but its position in Central Europe meant that it passed frequently between the hands of the Burgundians, Franks, Merovingians and Carolingians over succeeding centuries. In the 9th century it became the capital of Burgundy. After that it continued to be contested by the Franks, the Burgundians and the Holy Roman Emperors, but was, in effect, ruled by its bishops until the Protestant Reformation of 1535.

In spite of continued assaults by the Dukes of Savoy, Geneva became a haven for persecuted refugees from all over Europe and a beacon of academic excellence – not to mention a centre of commerce, banking and watch making. In 1792 it declared itself a republic with political equality for all. After the final indignity of being annexed by France in 1798, it became part of the Swiss confederation in 1815. Nearly 50 years later the first Geneva Convention – establishing rules for the treatment of battlefield casualties – was signed. Subsequent Conventions consolidated Geneva’s reputation as a centre of humanitarianism.

Unsurprisingly, given that it is surround by France on three sides, the Geneva of today displays an overwhelming Gallic influence in its mansard roofs, iron balconies, sidewalk cafes, and signposts. Some 30000 French frontaliers commute daily from dormitory towns just over the border to their workplaces in Geneva – benefiting from a high Swiss salary and relatively low French living expenses – while equally large numbers of Genevois save money by going over to France to doing their weekly shopping.

Finding your way around Geneva city centre is pretty easy if you orient yourself around the River Rhône, which flows west into France from Lake Geneva. South of the river (the Rive Gauche) there’s a grid of waterfront streets which comprise the main shopping district (les Rues-Basses) and, slightly further back on higher ground, the atmospheric but austere Old Town, with its shuttered, grey-stone houses and cobbled streets. North of the river (the Rive Droite) there are the grandest lakeside hotels, the main railway station and the international area, where you’ll find the headquarters of many famous organisations – in particular the United Nations. Six bridges, including the main Pont du Mont-Blanc, link the Rive Gauche to the Rive Droite, so you never have to walk too far to cross between the two.

The waterfront of the Rive Gauche belies the variety that lies behind it, being lined with the tall, blank façades of dozens of banks. The Rue de Rhône runs parallel to them for about a kilometre, crammed with jewellers, department stores and designer boutiques of all kinds. At its eastern end lies the charming lakeside Jardin Anglais with its famous flower clock. And a little further on along the lakeside there’s the stunning Jet d’Eau, spouting water high into the air.

Lake Leman: Photo by Erik Charlton

At the opposite end of the Rue de Rhône there’s the bustling Place Bel-Air, which is criss-crossed by a web of tramlines and bus-wires. Turn south here, along the grandiose Rue de la Corraterie and you’ll find yourself eventually in the Parc des Bastions, a tranquil patch of green below the Old Town ramparts. The Old Town itself is crammed with Neoclassical architecture, historic landmarks and fascinating museums. In the Place Neuve, just off the Parc des Bastions, there’s the Musée Rath, Geneva’s first art museum and the Grand-Théâtre, Geneva’s opera house and principal theatre stage. On the other side of the Parc, the Rue St-Léger takes you to the Place de la Taconnerie. Here you’ll find the imposing Cathédrale St-Pierre and the Auditoire de Calvin – given over by John Calvin for post-Reformation refugees to worship in their own languages (there’s still a Church of Scotland ceremony every Sunday.) If you find yourself flagging by this point, a short walk from the Place de la Taconnerie will take you to the elevated Promenade de la Treille. Here you can plant yourself on the longest bench in the world (126 metres), and enjoy a beautiful view over the city framed by chestnut trees.

An alternative walk on the Rive Gauche – one less devoted to historical monuments – takes you due west along the Rue de la Coulonvrenière and through one of Geneva’s funkiest and most engaging young neighbourhoods to the trendy bars and cafés of the Place des Volontaires. Bohemianism isn’t the thing most people would immediately associate with Geneva, but here you’ll find L’Usine squat: the city’s biggest alternative arts venue, with galleries, a theatre space, a concert hall and various lofts devoted to cutting edge artistic creation. Just a stone’s throw from L’Usine, on the riverfront, there’s also the Bâtiments des Forces Motrices, once a hydroelectric plant and now converted into a massive space for opera and drama.

There are fewer delights to sample north of the river – it tends to be more commercial and bureaucratic. Having said that, the Rive Doite does contain Geneva’s landmark street, Rue du Mont Blanc: a broad boulevard lined with airline offices and souvenir shops that slopes up the hill towards the train station and stands at the heart of the commercial shopping district. Roughly north of here, the area of Les Paquis can sometimes be a little too lively for comfort at night, with its thriving red light district. But if you continue further north you’ll find yourself in the wide plazas of the international area – in particular the impressive Palce des Nations, bedecked with the flags of many nations. And if you head east you’ll be able to enjoy many pleasant tree-shaded strolls along lakeside parks like the Parc Mon-Repos, not to mention the pretty marina and the fine Bains des Paquis artificial beach.