Geneva Facts

Located at the extreme south-western corner of Switzerland, Geneva is surrounded by French territory. Its location, on the banks of Lake Léman between the Alps and the Jura mountains, provides a dramatic landscape and allows easy access to ski runs, vineyards, spas, and historic towns. Geneva is compact and easily explored on foot. It is also exceptionally green, with a great number of parks and walkways in and around the city center.

Mark Twain visited Geneva so often towards the end of the 19th Century that American literary magazines began to fear he had taken up residence. The writer was certainly intrigued by the Old City's labyrinth of narrow, angular streets, finding the Reformist-named Rue d'Enfer, and Rue du Purgatoire (Hell and Purgatory streets) particularly curious.

City Center
The geographic feature dominating the city is, of course, Lake Léman. This immense body of fresh water is the largest and bluest of all the lakes in Switzerland. Locals may be tolerant if you refer to it as "Lake Geneva," but if you are planning a day trip to Lausanne or Evian, remember that Geneva is not the only city bordering the lake! The arrival of warm weather in the city heralds the opening of lakeside terraces and beaches, the most well-known being the Bains de Pâquis – which is set up for swimmers and café habitués. Viewing the cityscape by boat is highly recommended as stunning views of the Jet d'Eau and the Savoy mountains are to be beheld.

It is difficult to isolate one point as being the city center. Historically, the Place du Bourg de Four in the Old City would have been the main focus. From a practical point of view it is tempting to bestow this honor on the building on the Pont-de-la-Machine, which traverses the Rue du Rhône, between the left and right banks of the lake. Housed here is a branch of Geneva's tourist information center. Free city maps and brochures can be picked up here or in the main office, located in the Central Post Office on the Rue du Mont-Blanc.

From Cornavin towards Bel-Air, the Rive Droite has a high concentration of shops, hotels and restaurants. Always teeming with locals and tourists, the Placette is a popular supermarket and department store run by the Manor group. Placette's bakery is excellent and the shop also has a café on the top floor in addition to self-service restaurants at street level.

Old City
A meeting place since Roman times, the Bourg-de-Four is at the heart of the Old City. The square, in reality more like a multi-leveled spiral, is dominated by café terraces, one being La Clémence next to the 18th-century fountain, book and antique shops and a very low-key police station.

Among the notable sights in the area is the Cathédrale St-Pierre. More important for its role in history (Calvin preached here) than its aesthetic beauty, the Cathedral comprises a miscellany of pieces tacked on through the centuries. Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a Roman temple (350 CE) near the foundations of the Cathedral and the dig site is open to the public. For a superb view of the city, the North tower can be climbed for a small charge.

Maison Tavel, at 6 rue Puits-de-St-Pierre, is the oldest house in Geneva. Now a city-owned museum, the multi-story house exhibits objects from Geneva's past, with rooms decorated in period style. Another museum in this area, the Musée Barbier-Müller, holds a stunning collection of non-European artwork.

Although it might be impossible to park a car in the old city, there is no problem finding a seat at the Promenade de la Treille. The 126-meter (413-foot) long wooden bench located there is the longest in the world. In addition, chestnut trees blossoming in this delightful square traditionally signal the start of spring.

The tramway-lined shopping area a block from the Rue du Rhône and just below the old city is pretty much Geneva's main shopping street. Confusingly, this thoroughfare changes names every few hundred meters, from the Rue de la Confédération, near Bel-Air, to the Rue de Rive, which marks a border with the Eaux-Vives. Large department stores such as Globus are situated here, along with fashion chains such as H&M. Fast-food outlets and street-entertainment are also plentiful.

Les Pâquis
Combining exotic and erotic delights, the Pâquis Quarter is the closest Geneva has to a Bohemian neighborhood. Behind the glittering lakeside façades of the city's most resplendent right bank hotels, less alluring enterprises offer tawdry cabarets and sex products. The area was once used for grazing cows, but is now inhabited by an increasing number of boutiques selling original art, clothes and jewelry. Food-wise, the range of cafés and restaurants in the Pâquis cannot be surpassed in the city. Ethnic restaurant highlights include Jeck's Place (Singaporean/Malaysian) and Le Comptoir (Japanese/international).

Les Eaux-Vives
Across the lake from the pulsating Pâquis, the Eaux-Vives is a bubbly area that lives up to the English translation of its name. Italian restaurants (Vesuvio comes recommended) are abundant here. Small boutiques are dotted along the Rue des Eaux-Vives and side streets leading to the lake. An independent cinema, Les Scala, shows films in original versions on its three screens. The magnificent Parc des Eaux-Vives and La Grange comprises a huge expanse of green, the latter also features Roman ruins and an extensive rose-garden.

Carouge
Located a few kilometers from the center of the city, Carouge has a distinctly different atmosphere from the rest of Geneva. Perhaps because, technically, the town is outside the city's jurisdiction, although part of the same Canton. Now home to fashionable artisans, boutiques and restaurants, Carouge is remarkably well-preserved. Once owned by the King of Sardinia, this area's low-rise, graceful buildings flaunt their Mediterranean influences. A restaurant highlight includes the Café des Négociants. Le Chat Noir is a hip live music venue and late-night bar.

Cologny
Known by some as the "Beverly Hills" of Geneva, Cologny is worth visiting for spectacular views over the lake. Many large estates are situated here, the most famous of which is the Villa Diodati on the chemin de Ruth. Byron stayed here during the summer of 1816, writing and touring the lake region with Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley. The idea for the novel Frankenstein came to Mary Shelley in a dream at the villa, after an evening of violent storms on the lake.

1. Geneva is a city and a canton which was created in 1815. However, Switzerland was not a confederation until 1848.

2. The canton comprises 15,264 sq miles located on the shore of the largest lake of Europe, called Lake Geneva in the English-speaking world. This is an interesting fact because the official name of the lake is Lac Leman.

3. Visitors to Geneva are prone to ask: "Where are the Swiss?" Out of the population of about 460,000 nearly 40% are foreigners and you're more likely to hear English than the official regional language, French.

4. One reason for English usage is the proliferation of so many international organizations in Geneva such as the United Nations, The International Red Cross, The World Health Organization, The World Trade Organization, The World Economic Forum, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the World Wide Web Virtual Library.

5. Tim Berners Lee was living in Geneva working at CERN laboratories when he created the World Wide Web.

6. Just a random fact is that you can't turn right at a red light after stopping in Geneva.

7. The wristwatch was invented in Geneva by Patek Philippe in 1868.

8. Prostitution is legal in Calvinist Geneva. However, it's highly regulated.

9. A middle manager with a bachelor's degree and 10 years of experience earns about $10,460 a month in Geneva.
10. Being a landlocked country, it is a weird fact that Geneva's yacht club won the America's Cup in 2007.

11. Some fun facts concern Geneva's current celebrity residents which include Phil Collins, singer; Yoko Ono, pacifist and artist; Nana Mouskouri, singer; and Isabelle Adjani, actor.

12. Some of Geneva's former celebrity residents include Jean-Jacques Rousseau , 18th century philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, 19th century philosopher, Mary Shelley, 19th century author of 'Frankenstein', Peter Tchaikovsky, 19th century composer, Lord George Byron, early 19th century poet, William Wordsworth, early 19th century writer, and Scott Fitzgerald, 20th century writer.