8 must-see places in Geneva: Getting to know the best cultural center of Switzerland

8 must-see places in Geneva: Getting to know the best cultural center of Switzerland

Geneva is one of the most important events taking place on the southwestern picturesque Lake Leman.

Geneva is one of the most important events taking place on the southwestern picturesque Lake Leman. Often it is called the subject of the world: after all, the headquarters of international organizations such as the UN and the Red Cross are concentrated here. Geneva, with attractions that are quite diverse in terms of observation and culture, is a very small city. Therefore, even staying here for one day, you can see quite remarkable objects. And in order to make it easier for you to select the most interesting places to visit, Jintravel has found a selection.

1. Jet d'Eau fountain

Geneva attracts not least with its unusual sights and interesting places. One of them is the famous Jet d'Eau fountain. And who would have thought that he served only to maintain the city's hydraulic system? Today, crowds of tourists come to the center of Geneva on the Gustave-Ador embankment to admire the 140-meter jets of the fountain, which, by the way, take on different shapes. And in the evening in the water, the giant is illuminated by the texture.

2. St. Peter's Basilica

Probably the most popular religious attraction in Geneva, St. Peter's Cathedral is primarily due to how organically combined in German architectural different eras. Baroque, Romanesque, classicism - a real encyclopedia of architecture in stone, and this does not spoil, but also the adoption of the cathedral's unique, austere grandeur.

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3. Wall of the Reformers

This attraction is a must-see! In the middle of the park of Bastions stands a monument in the form of statues and the main figures of the Reformation: John Calvin, Guillaume Farel, Theodore de Bez and John Knox. The motto of Geneva is engraved on the wall: Post Tenebras Lux (which in Latin means "After the darkness of the light"). The monument, created between 1909 and 1917, commemorates the main events and persons who in the 16th and 17th centuries contributed to the spread of the ideas of the Calvinist Reformation in Geneva and around the world. At that time, Geneva was the meeting place for all the exporters of the Reformation.

4. Geneva Museum of Art and History

The Geneva Museum of Art and History is the largest and most famous in the city. Its construction began in 1903, and the opening took place seven years later. The Geneva Museum of Art and History presents exhibits reflecting different world eras - prehistoric relics, Greek and Etruscan ceramics, medieval stained-glass windows and weapons, furniture, a collection of Egyptian art. Here you can see paintings by Rodin, Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Chagall, Cezanne, Modigliani.

5. Botanical Garden of Geneva

The Botanical Garden of Geneva was founded in 1817 on the territory of the Bastions Park. In 1904, he changed location and was located near the Palace of Nations. Currently, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la ville de Genève has a collection of 12 thousand plants, divided into several sections - a botanicum, an arboretum, a bank of protected plants, a rock garden, medicinal and greenhouse flora, a garden of smells and touches. There is also a small zoo where flamingos, birds and deer live.

6. English garden

The English garden is located in the floodplain of the river Rhone. This is the most popular urban park in Geneva, founded in 1855 on the site of the old port. Festivals, celebrations and musicians often perform here. The symbol of Jardin Anglais and another attraction of the city can definitely be called the Flower Clock. This is a composition of fresh flowers, planted so that they bloom alternately, changing the color of the installation depending on the season. All elements of L'horloge fleurie, with the exception of the arrows, are made of plants. In addition to the Flower Clock in the English Garden, it is worth looking at the National Monument, erected in honor of the accession of Geneva to the Swiss Confederation.

7. Grand Theater of Geneva

In the center of the city is the solemn building of the Grand Theater of Geneva. Its official opening took place in 1879. During this event, Gioacchino Rossini's opera "William Tell" was shown on stage. In 1954, the building of the Grand Théâtre de Genève was badly damaged by a fire that did not spare the original interiors and equipment. After reconstruction, the theater opened in 1962 with a French-language version of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Don Carlos. Every year, about eight operas and two ballets are staged on its stage.

8. Place Bourg-de-Four

Bourg-de-Four is the central square that you should definitely visit in Geneva. It has the shape of an hourglass. According to the study, even in the times of the Roman Empire, city meetings were held here, in the Middle Ages, cattle were sold at this place. Now tourists and locals come to the Place du Bourg-de-Four to have a cup of coffee at one of the many restaurants in summer. The most interesting buildings and objects of Bourg-de-Four are the Palace of Justice, an exquisite fountain, a Lutheran church and a statue of ‎Clementine‎‎.