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Symbol of the city, the Jet d'eau raises its immaculate plume up to 140 meters high.
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Jean-Claude Urbain
One might think that a prosperous society, favored by abundant resources and a cozy living environment, should hardly be concerned with the well-being of Humanity or the future of the planet.
Mistake !
A visit to Geneva is enough to realize that a city famous for its banking establishments and its luxury watchmaking can also be a model of openness to the world and ecological efficiency.
At the mouth of Lake Geneva, Geneva and its Seujet dam have the delicate mission of controlling the level of the lake and guaranteeing the flow of the Rhône.
- Jean-Claude Urbain
Coveted since Antiquity for its strategic position in the heart of Europe and at the mouth of Lake Geneva, the ancient Swiss city has always been able to resist invaders.
The Escalade festival, which animates the old town every December 12, recalls the glorious episode of 1602 which allowed the Genevans, entrenched behind their ramparts, to repel an assault meticulously prepared by their powerful Savoyard neighbors.
Endowed with an astonishing instinct for conservation, this population has nevertheless become one of the most welcoming in Europe.
With numerous conference rooms, the United Nations Palace is one of the largest buildings in Europe.
- Jean-Claude Urbain
With 40% of foreigners representing 184 nationalities, Geneva is a model of diversity and tolerance.
This quality finds its roots in the Calvinist Reformation which made the Geneva Republic a land of exile for European Protestants.
The fairs of the Middle Ages then stimulated its economy, but also its international dimension.
As for his pacifist vocation, it was confirmed when the businessman Henry Dunant, outraged by the fate of the war wounded, created the Red Cross.
A commitment hailed in 1901 by the very first Nobel Peace Prize winner and extended since by the Geneva Conventions which govern international humanitarian law.
It is therefore logical that the city was chosen, in 1920, to house the seat of the League of Nations.
Today, it has around 750 NGOs and 84 UN agencies, including the High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization and Unicef.
In praise of the promenade
Geneva's international activity is concentrated in a perimeter where architectural projects compete in ingenuity to optimize their efficiency.
Geneva also encourages all renovation projects to reduce polluting emissions from buildings by 50%.
This measure is part of an energy transition policy called “100% renewable in 2050”.
An objective almost achieved since, since 2017, the electricity used by the city is exclusively of hydraulic origin.
The junction between the opaque waters of the Arve and the translucent waters of the Rhône, at the gates of the city.
- Jean-Claude Urbain
Of course, ecology is not only of interest to public authorities.
The Genevans have also taken up the subject by drawing inspiration from the “squats” movement of the 1980s. This alternative way of life which advocated the recycling of equipment and their pooling is currently found in “housing cooperatives” where citizen experiments.
The Beaulieu collective thus brings together vegetable gardens, an apiary, a henhouse, a kindergarten and many other initiatives in the heart of the Grottes district.
For visitors, innovative transport solutions already exist, such as the electric tuk-tuk.
But Geneva can very well be explored on foot.
The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the most illustrious of Geneva walkers.
His “Rêveries” invite you to take advantage of the city's green spaces.
Surrounded by 1,400 hectares of vineyards, it has 50 parks, grouping together nearly 40,000 trees.
The electric tuk-tuk is an ecological formula to discover the Geneva vineyards.
- Jean-Claude Urbain
Protestant tradition, the "city of Calvin" is not ostentatious.
It does not have a real city center, but juxtaposes districts with distinct characters.
Carouge is surely the most typical of them.
Adjoining Geneva, it is in fact a full municipality created late by the House of Savoy in the Turin style.
From its Latin origins, the village has retained a bohemian spirit and colorful alleys, where it is good to stroll from café terraces to artisan workshops.
From Carouge, the bucolic walk can continue along the Arve, until its spectacular junction with the Rhône.
It ends on the green shores of Lake Geneva, where the Botanical Garden is probably Geneva's finest homage to nature.
Developed since the 19th century, its herbarium of 6 million samples has few equivalents in the world.
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Good plan
Offering free public transport in the city, the Geneva Transport Card is issued by all hotel establishments to their residents for the duration of their stay.
Valid for up to three days, the Geneva City Pass gives access to around fifty sites and attractions.
What to compensate for a high cost of living for foreign visitors.
To have
Every winter, ArtGenève celebrates contemporary creation by bringing together international galleries and institutions at the Palexpo.
A summer echo of this cultural event, the Biennale initiated by Thomas Hug, the director of ArtGenève, offers to discover the city by following a route of sculptures.
Around thirty works were thus progressively displayed from June to September 2020. Most of them created for the event, they could be admired free of charge in three sumptuous public spaces: the Eaux-Vives park, the La Grange park and the Gustave quay. -Love.
Restore
Gastronomy is a good pretext for exploring the different districts of Geneva.
In lush greenery, in the shadow of the Brunswick monument, the Cottage Café is a central, but discreet, first address for a gourmet break facing the famous Jet d'eau.
La Perle du Lac and the restaurant at Parc des Eaux-Vives are also appreciated for their breathtaking view of Lake Geneva, but especially known for the refinement of their menu.
The Café du Marché, the Café des Banques and the Hôtel-de-Ville restaurant are, for their part, pillars of gastronomy in their respective districts, Carouge, Plainpalais and the old town.
More convivial and directly located in the harbor, the Bateau Genève combines a refreshment bar and a restaurant area.
A remarkable place, very involved in helping the most disadvantaged.
Unmissable, finally, the Bains des Pâquis are also famous for bringing together all the strata of Geneva society around delicious fondues.
Housing
From youth hostels to camping grounds, including upscale establishments, Geneva has a plethora of hotels.
Located a few steps from Lake Geneva and the Brunswick monument, the Swiss Luxury Apartments offer, for example, suites equipped with a kitchen and countless accessories to make you feel at home.
Energetic transition
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