Geneva is officially a French-speaking city, although with the large international presence English takes a close second. Spanish, Russian, Portuguese and Arabic speakers abound, and of course you will also occasionally hear Swiss German, and Italian.
Understand
In 1536 a young man named Jean Calvin, fleeing Catholic persecution in France, spent a night in Geneva- the city he ended up spending his life in. After being expelled from Geneva for nearly three years, Calvin returned triumphantly in 1541 to help elevate the city to the rank of a «Protestant Rome ». The intellectual influence of the Reformation extended to all realms of Genevan life: politics, economy and administration.
Geneva was an independent republic from at least the 16th century until it became a Swiss Canton on 31 December, 1813. This is a point of some pride to the Genevois, who still refer to their Canton as the République et Canton de Genève. A favorite festival is the yearly celebration of the Escalade, which commemorates a failed attempt in 1602 by the forces of the Dukes of Savoy to invade the city by climbing and otherwise breaching the city walls. Having turned aside this invasion attempt at the cost of only 16 lives, Geneva had secured its liberty, since the House of Savoy was never again strong enough on this side of the Alps to attempt such an invasion.
Geneva is still a very proud city. Some find it downright stuffy although there is quite a bit more life to be found if you look under the surface, especially if you speak some French.
Get in
Due as much to its location as its international status, Geneva serves as a transportation hub for most of French speaking Switzerland, and for access to the Swiss Alps from points west.
By plane
Geneva airport is served by almost all European carriers, and by two daily trans-atlantic flights, one from New York, JFK on Swiss and one from Newark on Continental, otherwise when flying from the U.S. you will have to change planes at your airline's hub airport.
Within the last few years Geneva itself has become a hub for the low-cost carrier Easy Jet serving a number of destinations in Europe including Great Britain.
The airport itself has a UBS bank with ATMs and exchange machines in the arrival area. There is an American Express office just besides passport control in the departure lounge. There are several cafes and duty free shopping as well, open 8am-11pm.
To get into town from the airport, taxis cost approx. 30 CHF; the number 10 bus leaves every 15 minutes from 6am-11pm, get off at the 22-Cantons stop for train station; all trains leaving Geneva airport train station stop at the main train/bus station. Train/bus tickets are around 3CHF (valid for one hour) and can be purchased at machines at the bus stop and in the station. There is a change machine next to the UBS ATM and at the bus stop.
By train
The Swiss Federal Railway serves Geneva's Gare de Cornavin with trains to most destinations in Switzerland at least once per hour, as well as to Paris via the SNCF's TGV or "High Speed Train," or Milan and Venice by the Swiss-Italian Cisalpino (CHEEZ-al-PEEN-o). The French SNCF also has a station in Eaux Vives which can be reached from Cornavin via the number 16 tram (Amandolier/SNCF stop). This station serves points south such as Annemasse, and Chamonix - Mt. Blanc.
For more information:
All trains arriving in the Gare de Cornavin will usually have the Geneva airport as their final destination, which means you don't have to use the TPG tram or bus to get there. This is fortunate, because all bus/shuttle transfers to Chamonix leave at the airport arrivals.
By car
The motorway network brings you right into Geneva : only 40 km from Annecy and 80 km from Chamonix with customs at Bardonnex - Saint-Julien; you need the compulsory motorway sticker (single annual 40 CHF fee) to come through this customs office. Purchase of the motorway tax sticker at one of the customs is obligatory in order to drive on Swiss motorways.
By bus
Geneva is served by a number of regular international bus routes (Bus station : tel. +41(0)22 732 02 30). Additionally, the TPG (Geneva Public Transport) provide regular services from the neighboring French towns of Saint-Julien, Archamps, Thoiry, Ferney-Voltaire, Moillesulaz (tel. +41(0)22 308 34 34). See the TPG (Transport Public de Geneve) website for bus timetables.
By boat
Regular boat service is provided, mainly in turn of the last century steamboats from ports all around Lake Geneva by - Compagnie Générale de Navigation. All boats arrive at the Paquis port after docking briefly at Parc des Eaux Vives, and the Jardin Anglais.
Private boat tours and transfers from Geneva to any port on the lake by LĂ©man Transfers. Groups of up to 6 passengers can be privately chauffeured around the lake. - LĂ©man Transfers.
Get around
Geneva, like most cities in Switzerland is a marvel of public transportation efficiency. Transports Publics Genevois provides frequent bus, tram, 'mouette' (boat) and suburban train service to within a block or two of most locations in the city and canton. There is also an expanding network of super frequent trams. Many lines have their hub at the Cornavin train station, a few others at Place Bel-Air on the old-town side of the river. Tickets which cover both trams and buses must be bought from ticket machines (located at every stop) before boarding the transport.
Geneva is also a great town to get around in by bicycle. Except for the old-town, the city is fairly flat, and though there are some streets that are dangerous to ride, there is almost always a safe, fast route to your destination. If you want to know the best routes you should get a copy of the beautifully designed VELO-LOVE plan de ville which is available at all bike shops in Geneva, or by writing to: or calling (+41) 22 418 42 00.
A social organization called Genève Roule lends bicycles free of charge for the day, from 30 April through 30 October. A passport or identity card must be shown and a refundable deposit of 50 Swiss francs is required. Four kiosks, staffed by asylum seekers, are located along the lake, behind the railway station and in the plaine de Plainpalais.
If you want to explore the mountainous countryside, or go skiing in one of the ski resorts in the Alps, getting a car is a better option. Numerous local and international car rental service providers operate from the airport. They provide customized traveling services to the needs of tourists visiting Geneva. You can find public parking in Place de Cornavin, at the southern end of the Mt. Blanc bridge, and under the Plaine de Plainpalais. It's much easier to get a space at one of these large underground lots than on the street, and they are all convenient to most of the attractions listed on this page.
See
Please notice that contrary to popular belief the swiss are anything but punctual when it comes to closing hours so if a museum is supposed to close at 5pm be sure that at 4:45 pm you will be asked to leave and if you point that closing hours are still 15 minutes away you might get expelled. If you arrive after 4:30pm you'll more than likely be denied entrance. The same applies to shops and pretty much every public activity with a schedule.
Landmarks
Museums and Galleries
Do
Events
Parks
It's worth taking at least a day to explore the green places of Geneva, of which there are quite a few, not the least because some of the more interesting parts of town are between those green places. There are a number of suggested promenades for which there are maps available at the tourist office on the Ile de la Machine.
List of parks on Geneva's official tourism website.
Learn
Language
French language lessons are available, both through formal courses and informal arrangements, but in both cases they can be more expensive than other French-speaking countries.
Migros (the local supermarket) offers relatively affordable French classes. Geneva University also offers quite cheap classes, and there are a number of the big language schools, including Berlitz and Inlingua.
One well known by international visitors is The Ecole Du Monde located near the train station and near the lake of Geneva.
Higher Education
There are several English language universities in Geneva, mostly focusing on international business and relations.
The world-famous European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) is in Meyrin, just outside of Geneva. Currently under construction is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which, at 27 kilometers in circumference, already holds the title of "world's largest machine," when finished, will hopefully answer many fundamental questions in particle physics, and open a host of new ones. CERN has a famous summer student program that accepts something like 150 European students, 20 American students, and a handful from other countries. If you are interested in this program, you might want to read the Camp CERN Manifesto. CERN also features an exhibition open to the public, and tours can be arranged in advance.
Work
Most non-Swiss professionals working in Geneva are employed by one of the United Nations agencies or international banks. UN employees do not need a visa to live and work in Switzerland, but the jobs can be hard to find unless you are already in Geneva.
For more information on working for the UN:
UN-Employment: How to find a job with the UN. A list of current opportunities with Geneva-based international organizations can be found on the UNjobs web site.
It is also possible to find work as an au pair, a housekeeper, or at one of the many bars. You really do need to be in town to set this sort of thing up. If you want to do household work you will probably want to advertise on the bulletin boards which can be found at the entrances of most grocery stores, and at the English and American churches, and at the American Women's Club. For a bar tending job you do what you would do to get a similar job anywhere else, go talk to the manager (you should know enough French to serve drinks, obviously).
Buy
Chocolate can be bought at any number of specialty stores, but the stuff at the grocery is just as good for a fraction of the price (1-3 CHF a bar). Meanwhile, if you have a place to prepare meals the grocery stores in Switzerland offer the best possible dining deal for your money. For many fresh foods you'll pay a lot more than you are accustomed to paying in the U.S. or Britain.
Wine and spirits cost much less than in Anglophone countries, and the local stuff is particularly cheap, and not just drinkable but quite good. Some say that the only reason Swiss wines are not well known internationally is that the Swiss drink all of it.
Shopping for clothing and accessories can be disappointing in Geneva. Most offerings are usually expensive and uninteresting, unless you're really after that floor-length purple fur coat with the rhinestone trim. Geneva is home to several watch manufacturers, and there are many jewelers and horologers with a great selection.
If you are interested in taking or sending home some outwardly Swiss souvenirs you can certainly find them in Geneva, mainly along the main streets leading down to the lake from Gare Cornavin. There are also a couple of good spots on the other side of the lake near the end of the Mont Blanc bridge. You should be able to easily find at reasonable prices:
Want more? La Rue du Marché, a 5 minute walk southwards from the train station, has just about everything. From the traditional to the modern, from souvenirs to household appliances to libraries to prescription glasses. This is one of Geneva's busiest streets, and is kept clean and appealing. Prices are fair for the most part, but checking several stores before buying, or asking a friendly-looking passer-by for shopping tips can't hurt.
Eat
Geneva has a huge number of restaurants for a city its size, and the international community means there's more variety than you'll find in most Swiss cities. On the downside, Geneva is possibly the most expensive city in an expensive country.
In addition to the listings below you might try Resto-ranG or RestauGuide. For info for Vegetarians check out RegVeg Geneva.
Budget
There are many budget spots located around the train station and in the nearby Paquis district, or near rue de l'Ecole de MĂ©decine off of Plaine de Plainpalais.
Mid-range
Splurges
Drink
Plaine de Plainpalais
Around a dozen of the best bars in town are located around this diamond shaped parade and circus ground in the area southwest of the old town. This shouldn't be surprising since the many buildings of the Université de Genève are arraigned around it as well.
Dance
Sleep
There are a lot of hotels in Geneva, but very few of them are actually in anything like the budget range. Hundreds, many right around the central Cornavin train station offer a pretty standard rate of 135 Chf per night for a single. If you arrive late and are willing to spend that it makes sense to look at the automated hotel board in the train station to find the nearest vacancy.
It's hardest to find lodging during large international conferences, and trade shows. The latter, of which the prime example is the Salon d'Auto are usually held at Palexpo. It's worthwhile to do a bit of research to see if your arrival is likely to coincide with one of these events.
For lower hotel prices, try the outlying French cities of Annemasse or Gaillard which are conveniently accessible via public transit from Gare Cornavin.
Budget
Mid-range
There are hundreds of quality mid-range hotels in Geneva. Here are a couple of representative examples.
Splurge
It's almost as hard to pick from the huge selection of luxury hotels in Geneva as it is with the mid-range.. that said there are a couple that stand out for their historical importance or excellent locations.
Contact
Phone
Local cellphone service is mainly provided by Swisscom, Orange, and Sunrise. In the second half of 2005, Yallo, Migros and Coop have started their own mobile offers. Don't be surprised if you find your phone using a cell in neighboring France however. If you buy one in Switzerland you will have to either just accept the occasional roaming fee, or be prepared to set the phone manually.
If you are staying for a while you should consider getting a SIM card/and or a phone since it's much cheaper and easier than dealing with payphones. The best deal is with Sunrise SIM cards. These days you do have to register your name and an address to get a SIM card, as Swiss anonymous phone cards have been found on apprehended terror suspects who have never even been to Switzerland!
Payphones are still fairly common here, but very few of them accept coins, so be prepared to buy a prepaid card or to use a credit card (no surcharge).
Swisscom has borrowed one neat idea from the French which you might find very useful: the minitel. Every phonebooth is equipped with one of these electronic directory devices. You just need to know the name (in French) of the type of business you are looking for to get a list, with the closest examples highlighted. A fee is charged for using this system.
Internet Cafés
Internet cafés have just begun to really take off in Geneva, and there are now several that stay open fairly late.
Wireless Hotspots
For more hotspots, this site might help: http://www.freespots.ch/
Stay safe
Geneva is by and large a very safe place. Violent crime is almost unheard of, although it's important to keep an eye on your belongings in public, as petty theft is a fairly common occurrence. Do report any such activity to the police, you will probably find them much more interested and helpful than police in many other western cities, especially if you speak a little French.
Get out
Most of what you need to know about traveling from Geneva is covered above under Get In. Swiss destinations are almost all served by the CFF from the central train station (Gare Cornavin) while ski resorts in the French alps and the Jura can be reached by bus from the central bus station off of Rue de Mont Blanc or from SNCF's Gare des Eaux Vives. The price of the bus ticket often covers ski lift tickets as well, be sure to ask.
Here are just a few places which make a good day trip from Geneva:
By hitchhiking
To hitchhike to the direction of Lausanne (North) take bus number 9 towards Gare Zimeysa/Cern and step out at stop Blandonnet. Walk back 200 m Route de Meyrin towards the center, across the bridge over the highway and you´ll find an on-ramp to highway towards Lausanne. Walk down 100 m along the on-ramp and hitchhike before the speed gets high. The position is very good, speed of the cars low, visibility good and there´s plenty of space for cars to stop. You should accept a ride at least to Nyon, where you can continue hitchhiking on the on-ramp. (Hitchhiking on the on-ramp is illegal. Your best bet is usually to try and get a ride at one of the gas station/restaurants on the autoroute itself.)
To hitchhike to the direction of Chamonix and Turin (South-East) take bus 27 towards Thônex-Vallard-Douane and go to the end of the line. Walk through customs to France and stand at the end of the customs just before the cars speed up for the highway. Be sure to have your passport with you when crossing the border. The position is very good, the customs officers are nice, speed is low, there´s space for cars to stop, all the traffic is passing through.
To hitchhike to the direction of Lyon and Paris (South-West, West, North-West) take the bus 9 to stop Blandonnet. Walk about 600m to the next on-ramp in direction of South, the one leading to the highway in the direction of South from Route de Vernier. The position is not very good because the cars speed up and visibility is not really good but there´s place for cars to stop. Take a ride at least 10 km South to the Swiss-French border, where there´s a decent spot to continue. Walk through the customs and hitchhike - preferably with a sign - before the cars speed up. There´s not much space for cars to stop but they can, speed is low and all the traffic is passing through the customs.
Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German: //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). It is situated where Lake Geneva (French Lac Léman) flows into the Rhône River, and is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva. In 2004-2005, the population of the canton was 441,000, that of the "commune" within the traditional city limits 185,526, and that of the metropolitan area — which extends into neighboring France and Swiss Canton of Vaud — about 960,000. Geneva is widely regarded as a global city, mainly due to the presence of numerous international organizations, including the headquarters of many of the agencies of the United Nations. A 2006 survey found Geneva to have the second highest quality of living in the world (after Zürich).
See Names of European cities in different languages for a list of the name of this city in other languages.
History
:For the Catholic ecclesiastical history, see Lausanne and Geneva bishopric(s)
Geneva was the name of a settlement of the Celtic people of the Allobroges. The name of Genava (or Genua) in Latin appeared for the first time in the writings of Julius Caesar in De Bello Gallico, his comments on the Gallic Wars. Its name may be identical in origin to the name of the Ligurian city of Genua (modern Genoa), meaning "knee", that is, "angle", referring to its geographical position; though more likely is based on the root gen- 'birth' (Genawa is at the birth of the river from the womb of the lake; perhaps the name in full means 'birth-water'). After the Roman conquest it became part of the Provincia Romana (Gallia Narbonensis). In 58 BC, at Geneva, Caesar hemmed in the Helvetii on their westward march. In the 9th century it became the capital of Burgundy. Though Geneva was contested among Burgundians and Franks and the Holy Roman Emperors, in practice it was ruled by its Prince-bishops, until the Reformation, when Geneva became a republic.
Due to the work of reformers such as John Calvin, Geneva was sometimes dubbed the Protestant Rome. In the 16th century Geneva was the center of Calvinism; the St. Pierre Cathedral in what is now called the Old Town was John Calvin's own church. During the time when England was ruled by the Catholic Queen Mary I Tudor, who persecuted Protestants, a number of Protestant scholars fled to Geneva. Among these scholars was William Whittingham who supervised the translation of the Geneva Bible in collaboration with Miles Coverdale, Christopher Goodman, Anthony Gilby, Thomas Sampson and William Cole. In addition, the social philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born and raised in Geneva's Old Town.
One of the most important events in Geneva's history is l'Escalade (literally: "the scaling of the wall"). For the people of Geneva, l'Escalade is the symbol of their independence. It marked the final attempt in a series of assaults mounted throughout the 16th century by Savoy, which wanted to annex Geneva as its capital north of the Alps. This last assault happened on the night of 11-12 December 1602 and is celebrated yearly in the Old Town with numerous demonstrations and a parade of horses, cannons and armed men in period costumes.
Geneva, or officially the Canton & Republic of Geneva, became a canton of Switzerland in 1815.
The first of the Geneva Conventions was signed in 1864, to protect the sick and wounded in war time.
Geography
Geneva is located at 46°12 North, 6°09' East, at the south-western end of Lake Geneva, where the lake flows into the Rhône River. It is surrounded by two mountain chains, the Alps and the Jura.
The city of Geneva has an area of 15.86 km², while the area of the Canton of Geneva is 282 km², including the two small enclaves of Céligny in Vaud. The part of the lake that is attached to Geneva has an area of 38 km² and is sometimes referred to as Petit lac (small lake). The Canton has only a 4.5 km border with the rest of Switzerland; out of a total of 107.5 km of borders, the remaining 103 are shared with France, with the Départment de l'Ain to the North and the Département de la Haute-Savoie to the South.
The altitude of Geneva is 373.6 m, and corresponds to the altitude of the largest of the Pierres du Niton, two large rocks emerging from the lake which date from the last ice age. This rock was chosen by General Guillaume Henri Dufour as the reference point for all surveying in Switzerland.
The second main river of Geneva is the Arve River which flows into the RhĂ´ne River just west of the city centre.
Demographic
As of 2005, the population of the Commune (city) of Geneva was 185,028, while 441,000 people lived in the Canton of Geneva; around 960,000 people live in the Geneva urban community, which extends into Vaud Canton and neighboring France.
The population of the Canton is split between 148,500 people originally from Geneva (33.7%), 122,400 Swiss from other cantons (27.6%) and 170,500 foreigners (38.7%), from 180 different countries. Including people holding multiple citizenship, 54.4% of people living in Geneva hold a foreign passport.
While Geneva is usually considered as a Protestant city, there are now more Roman Catholics (39.5%) than Protestants (17.4%) living in the Canton. 22% of the inhabitants indicate that they are not part of any religion, the rest being shared between Islam (4.4%), Judaism (1.1%), other religions and people who did not respond.
International organizations
Geneva is the seat of the European headquarters of the United Nations and of many other inter-governmental organizations, including:
Geneva was the seat of the League of Nations between 1919 and the league's dissolution in 1946. It was first housed in the Palais Wilson, and then in the Palais des Nations, which now hosts the United Nations. Numerous international non-governmental organizations have elected Geneva as their headquarters, including:
The Geneva Environment Network (GEN) publishes the Geneva Green Guide, and extensive listing of Geneva-based global organizations working on environment and sustainable development. Partnerships for the Planet - Stories from Geneva (by the Swiss Government, WBCSD, UNEP and IUCN) includes stories about how NGOs, business, government and the UN cooperate. By doing so, it attemps to explain why Geneva has been picked by so many NGOs and UN as their headquarter location.
Economy
Geneva's economy is mainly services oriented. The city has an important and old finance sector, which is specialized in private banking (managing assets of about 1 trillion USD) and financing of international trade. It is also an important centre of commodity trade.
Geneva hosts the international headquarters of companies like JT International (JTI), Mediterranean Shipping Company, Serono, SITA, Société Générale de Surveillance and STMicroelectronics. Many other multinational companies like DuPont, Electronic Arts, Hewlett-Packard, INVISTA, Procter & Gamble and Sun Microsystems have their European headquarters in the city too.
There is a long tradition of watchmaking (Baume et Mercier, Chopard, Franck Muller, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Raymond Weil, Omega, etc.). Two major international producers of flavours and fragrances, Firmenich and Givaudan, have their headquarters and main production facilities in Geneva.
Many people also work in the numerous offices of international organizations located in Geneva (about 24,000 in 2001).
Geneva Motor Show one of the most important international auto-shows. The show is held at Palexpo, a giant convention center located next to the International Airport
Infrastructure
Transport
The city is served by the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. It is connected to both the Swiss railway network SBB-CFF-FFS, and the French SNCF network, including direct connections to Paris, Marseille and Montpellier by TGV. Geneva is also connected to the motorway systems of both Switzerland (A1 motorway) and France.
Public transport by bus, trolleybus or tram is provided by Transports Publics Genevois (TPG). In addition to an extensive coverage of the city centre, the network covers most of the municipalities of the Canton, with a few lines extending into France. Public transport by boat is provided by the Mouettes Genevoises, which link the two banks of the lake within the city, and by the Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman (CGN) which serves more distant destinations such as Nyon, Yvoire, Thonon, Evian, Lausanne and Montreux using both modern diesel vessels and vintage paddle steamers.
Trains operated by SBB-CFF-FFS connect the airport to the main station of Cornavin in a mere six minutes, and carry on to towns such as Nyon, Lausanne, Fribourg, Montreux, Neuchâtel, Berne, Sion, Sierre, etc. Regional train services are being increasingly developed, towards Coppet and Bellegarde. At the city limits, two new stations have been created since 2002: Genève-Sécheron (close to the UN and the Botanical Gardens) and Lancy-Pont-Rouge.
In 2005, work started on the CEVA (Cornavin - Eaux-Vives - Annemasse) project, first planned in 1884, which will connect Cornavin with the Cantonal hospital, the Eaux-Vives station and Annemasse, in France. The link between the main station and the classification yard of La Praille already exists; from there, the line will go mostly underground to the Hospital and the Eaux-Vives, where it will link up to the existing line to France. Support for this project was obtained from all parties in the local parliament.
Utilities
Water, natural gas and electricity are provided to the municipalities of the Canton of Geneva by the state-owned Services Industriels de Genève (or SIG). Most of the drinkable water (80%) is extracted from the lake; the remaining 20% is provided by groundwater originally formed by infiltration from the Arve River. 30% of the Canton's needs in electricity are locally produced, mainly by three hydroelectric dams on the Rhone River (Seujet, Verbois and Chancy-Pougny). In addition, 13% of the electricity produced in the Canton is made from the heat induced by the burning of waste at the waste incineration facility of Les Cheneviers. The remaining needs (57%) are covered by imports from other cantons in Switzerland or other European countries; SIG buys only electricity produced by renewable methods, and in particular does not use electricity produced using nuclear reactors or fossil fuels.
Natural gas is available in the City of Geneva, as well as in about two-thirds of the municipalities of the canton, and is imported from western Europe by the Swiss company Gaznat. SIG also provides telecommunication facilities to carriers, service providers and large enterprises. From 2003 to 2005 "Voisin, voisine" a Fibre to the Home pilot project with a Triple play offering was launched to test the end-user market in the Charmilles district.
Education
Geneva is home to the University of Geneva, founded by John Calvin in 1559. Also, the oldest international school in the world is located in Geneva, the International School of Geneva, founded in 1924 along with the League of Nations.
Webster university an accredited American university has a campus in Geneva. It is considered the most prestigious school that has classes in English in Switzerland.
The city is also home to one of the most prestigious graduate schools of international relations, the Graduate Institute of International Studies.
Other international schools include Geneva English School and Institut International de Lancy (founded in 1903).
The Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations is a private university located on the grounds of the Château de Penthes, an old manor with a park and view of Lac Leman.
The Canton of Geneva's public school system has "écoles primaires" (4-12), "cycles d'orientation" (12-15), and the post-obligatory "collèges" (15-19), the oldest of which is the Collège Calvin. It is housed in the ancient buildings of the University of Geneva, and could be considered one of the oldest public schools in the world.
Geneva also has a wide choice of reputed private schools. (see Geneva Association of Private Schools)
Culture
Landmarks and sights
Notable sights in Geneva include the Reformation Wall, the Flower Clock, the Jet d'Eau and the Palais des Nations, which serves as the European headquarters of the United Nations.
One of the city's most visited monuments is the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, located at Cour Saint-Pierre, a noteworthy space of unique spiritual and cultural importance. The Cathedral explores the origins of Christianity in its archaeological site, is now complemented by the International Museum of the Reformation, on the ground floor of the Maison Mallet. An underground passage, reopened when the Museum was created, connects the two buildings and a pass is now available for visitors to enjoy all three areas.
Another popular area for visitors is the old town (vielle ville) of Geneva. This refined part of town (an apartment there can cost more than the equivalent of a million American dollars) preserves the environment of a typical European town in the 18th century. Many notable people have resided in this part of Geneva in the past, such as Franz Liszt.
The city's most noted landmark is a fountain: the Jet d'Eau (water-jet), situated in Lake Geneva. Its 140-metre-high water column is visible from many parts of the city.
In 2000, Geneva was awarded the Wakker Prize for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage.
Image:Grass Clock - Geneva - Switzerland - 2005.jpg|The Flower Clock
Image:Ginebra-Suiza-NieveDeEnero-02.jpg|Old Town in winter
Museums and cultural life
The city of Geneva hosts many museums, most of them offering free entrance. Geneva spends close to 20% of its annual budget through its cultural department, an unmatched percentage in Europe.
Media
The city's main newspaper is the Tribune de Genève, a daily newspaper founded on 1 February 1879 by James T. Bates, with a readership of about 187,000.
Le Courrier, founded in 1868, was originally supported by the Roman Catholic Church, but has been completely independent since 1996. Mainly focused on Geneva, Le Courrier is trying to expand into other cantons in Romandy. Both Le Temps (headquartered in Geneva) and Le Matin are widely read in Geneva, but both journals actually cover the whole of Romandy.
Geneva is covered by the various French language radio networks of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, in particular the Radio Suisse Romande. While these networks cover the whole of Romandy, special programs related to Geneva are sometimes broadcast on some of the local frequencies in the case of special events such as elections. Other local station broadcast from the city, including RadioLac (FM 91.8 MHz), Radio Cité (Non-commercial radio, FM 92.2 MHz), OneFM (FM 107.0 MHz, also broadcast in Vaud), and World Radio Geneva (FM 88.4 MHz), Switzerland's only English-language radio station.
The main television channel covering Geneva is the Télévision Suisse Romande; while its headquarters are located in Geneva, the programs cover the whole of Romandy and are not specific to Geneva. Léman Bleu is a local TV channel, founded in 1996 and distributed by cable.
Theatre
Within this multicultural society, English theatre flourishes, the key groups include Geneva English Drama Society (GEDS), Geneva Amateur Operatic Society (GAOS), Howard Productions and Simply Theatre.
Sport
The main sport team in Geneva is Servette FC, a football club founded in 1890 and named after a borough on the right bank of the Rhône River. Servette was the only club to have remained in the top league in Switzerland since its creation in the 1930s; however, in 2005, management problems caused the bankruptcy of the club's parent company, causing the club to be demoted two divisions lower. Geneva is also home of the Genève-Servette Hockey Club, who play in the Swiss Nationalliga A.
Traditions and customs
Since 1818, a particular chestnut tree is used as the official "herald of the spring" in Geneva. The sautier (secretary of the Parliament of the Canton of Geneva) observes the tree and notes the day of arrival of the first bud. While this event has no practical impact, the sautier issues a formal press release and the local newspaper will usually mention the news.
In 2007, the first bud appeared on 2 March.
Geneva celebrates Jeune genevois on the first Thursday following a Sunday in September. By local tradition, this commemorates when the news of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of Huguenots reached Geneva. The Genevois joke that the federal equivalent holiday, Jeune fédéral, is celebrated two weeks later on account of the rest of the country being a bit slow on the uptake.
Communities
As the Geneva authorities say, the history of the city is closely related to that of the foreign communities. Ever since the migration of foreigners to Geneva, these communities have found refuge, bringing their know-how, their customs and hope of a new life. They have widely participated in the international influence of Geneva, to its economic prosperity, and also to the spreading of views and of science.
Religious communities
There are quite many communities in Geneva. Religious communities are very diverse. Even if Geneva is supposed to be the Protestant Rome, many religions meet in Geneva. The Plymouth Brethren have a thriving assembly there, established since the days of John Nelson Darby. Beside the Protestants, the Catholics have been more and more numerous thanks to immigration from Latin countries. The Jewish community is one of the oldest of Switzerland, and the more recent Muslim community is emerging in this city which respects all communities.
Foreign communities
Even though Geneva is not a very large metropolis on the world scale, foreign communities are extremely diverse and numerous due to the fact that Geneva has throughout history welcomed immigrants from the rest of Europe (mainly France, Italy, Spain, Portugal), and that many UN agencies and NGOs are based in Geneva. Basically every nationality is represented in Geneva. Expatriates, including short-term ones, play an important part in the city's social life.
LGBT community
Many other communities or minorities are also very well represented in Geneva, including sexual minorities, with no less than three organizations: Dialogai, a gay organization; Lestime, a lesbian organization; and association 360, an LGBT organization. The Gay International Group (Geneva, Switzerland) is a good resource for gay foreigners, tourists or expatriates. Also, a new LGBT group has debuted within the University of Geneva itself, called "Think Out". This group addresses students and Professers linked directly or indirectly with the matter of sexual diversity.
Famous literature involving Geneva
;Comic books
;Film and television
See also
References
External links
;Official
;Tourism
;Maps
;Organisations
;Study
