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.
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 Médecine off of Plaine de Plainpalais.
