| Geneva Genève • Genf • Geneva | ||
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Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Western Switzerland | |
| Altitude | 375 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 15.92 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 198.979 (2016 Census) | |
| Prefix tel | 41 22 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 1200–1209, 1211, 1215, 1240, 1289 | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Geneva (French: Genève, German: Genf) is a city of the Western Switzerland.
To know
Largest French-speaking city of the Switzerland and 2nd by population on a national scale, Geneva is also an important financial center and a center of international diplomacy, being the seat of the International Committee of the Red Cross and some United Nations institutions. Although the UN headquarters moved after the end of World War II a New York, the organization still retains a large presence at the Palais des Nations of Geneva.
Many visitors agree that Geneva is a very boring city. Its inhabitants have formal and even somewhat haughty ways, similar to those of the French but without the excessive irony or sarcasm of the latter towards their interlocutor who does not share their origins. This impression, however, is very attenuated for those who are lucky enough to speak a casual French and observe correct ways, not marked by familiarity.
Immigrants, mostly from countries of the South Europe to share the crumbs of this rich city, they represented 48.7% of the total population at the end of 2015. The children and grandchildren of immigrants started various underground clubs and centers of alternative culture since 1990, which seemed to disavow the reputation of a staid and haughty city that Geneva has gained internationally. The flourishing of these premises did not please the administrative authorities who, since 2005, have closed several of them under various pretexts.
The city of Geneva has only 200,000 inhabitants but 915,000 people live in its metropolitan region.
How to orient yourself
Geneva: full screen map.The Rhone river and Lake Geneva divide Geneva into two parts joined together by various bridges, the best known of which are the "Ponts de l'Ile" which cross the island of Rousseau.
On the left or southern bank is the old city divided into an upper and a lower part. La Grand 'Rue is the street where the oldest buildings face. At No. 40 is the birthplace of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
The right or north bank is home to the train station and Les Pâquis, an extended lakefront neighborhood named after US President Wilson (Quai Wilson)
Neighborhoods
- South bank (left)
- Eaux-Vives - The most touristic district of Geneva, separated from the old city by the English gardens. On the lakefront called Quai Gustave Ador, tourists gather to admire the jet of water up close.
- Cologny - Extending to the east of Eaux-Vives, Cologny is an independent municipality but in fact an upmarket residential suburb of Geneva. It is the richest municipality in the canton.
- North bank (right)
- Pregny-Chambésy
How to get
By plane
- 1 Geneva International Airport (GVA) (4km northwest of downtown.). EasyJet has the highest number of flights from Italian airports (Cagliari, Naples, Rome-Fiumicino, etc.)
- The connections are ensured by both buses and trains. The price is the same for which it is convenient to take the train if you get off at the central station.
- Buses number 5 and 10 depart every 15 minutes between 06:00 and 23:00. Both stop at the central station but follow different routes. Bus 5 passes by the United Nations building on rue de Lausanne. Both buses then continue to the south of the city.
- Both train and bus tickets can be purchased at ticket machines located at the bus stop or inside the train station.
- A free transport ticket can be obtained from a Geneva Transport (TPG) machine located in the baggage claim area. The ticket is valid for 80 minutes for both Geneva and the suburbs and allows you to use any means (train, bus and yellow boats).
On the train
- 2 (Gare de Genève-Cornavin (ZHT)). There is a direct link between Milan and Geneva, via the railway and the Simplon tunnel carried out by convoys Trenitalia is Swiss Federal Railways four times a day. Once a day this EuroCity (EC) service connects Geneva directly to Venice Street Milan.
- Direct trains to / from Neuchâtel, Biel / Bienne, Lamp, Winterthur, St. Gallen depart every hour, those for Bern is Zurich every half an hour.
- There is a high-speed service from Geneva to Paris (570 km) with a travel time of three hours and frequency seven times a day, as well as equally fast connections to Lyon (2 hours), Avignon (3 hours), Marseille (3.5 hours).
How to get around
By public transport
- Transports Publics Genevois. The company manages 4 tramways (lines 12, 14, 15,18), 6 trolleyways (lines 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 19) and 50 daytime bus lines; the night service, on the other hand, consists of 12 lines
- Visitors staying in a Geneva hotel, hostel or campsite are entitled to free use of public transport. It is generally the receptionist who delivers the Unireso card (the cantonal association of public transport) to the customer after completing the check-in formalities. The card is valid for the duration of the stay up to a maximum of 15 days.
What see
- 1 Jet d’Eau.
- 2 Palais des Nations, Avenue de la Paix 14 (Bus No 8, Appia stop), ☎ 41 22-917 48 96, @[email protected]. Built to house the League of Nations, the palace is worth a visit to admire the magnificent Assembly Hall, as well as the vast collection of public art, library and landscaped gardens. Guided tours only.
- 3 Brunswick Monument, Quai du Mont-Blanc.
Religious architectures
- 4 Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Cour de Saint-Pierre 1204, ☎ 41 22 311 75 75.
Museums and galleries
- 5 Ariana Museum, Avenue de la Paix 10, ☎ 41 22 418 54 50.
Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm. - 6 Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain, Rue des Vieux Grenadiers 10, ☎ 41 22 320 61 22. Tue-Sun 12: 00-18: 00.
- 7 Museum of art et d'histoire de Genève, Rue Charles-Galland 2, ☎ 41 22 418 26 00. Tue-Sun 11: 00-18: 00.
- 8 Musée international de la Croix-Rouge and du Croissant-Rouge, Avenue de la Paix 17, ☎ 41 22 748 95 11. Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm.
- 9 Patek Philippe Museum, rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 7, ☎ 41 22 707 30 10. Tue-Sat 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm.
- 10 Maison Tavel, rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6, ☎ 41 22 418 37 00. Tue-Sun 11: 00-18: 00. Set up in a noble house, the museum aims to illustrate with its collections the history of the city from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century and the daily life of the time.
- 11 Quartier des Bains, Rue de Bains. Association of art galleries and cultural institutions of which the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAMCO) belongs. The presentation of new artists takes place on the 3rd Thursday of the months of March, May and September. The vernissages are referred to as Nuits des Bains. The association, advertised with fanfare by newspapers and magazines around the world, is for profit and the doors are open only to potential buyers. It is however possible to visit the center, as well as on the occasion of Nuits des Bains, even privately by sending your request to the email address specified on the site.
Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm.Events and parties
- International Oriental Film Festival. 10 days in spring.
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Moderate prices
- 1 Cité Universitaire, Avenue de Miremont 46 (Bus terminal 3), ☎ 41 22 839 22 22. Slightly out of the way (10 minutes from the center by bus) but in a nice place, the university city offers various types of accommodation (single / double rooms and studios with kitchenette) to passing students and exceptionally to other types of travelers. You cannot book but only go to the place or call the number shown on the day of your arrival. It is worth a try because the offer is attractive considering the quality / price ratio. However, it is rare that they are short of rooms in the summer. The reception is open and answers calls at the times indicated on the website. The university city has various facilities and services within it (restaurant, automatic laundry, etc.)
- 2 Home Saint Pierre, Cour de Saint-Pierre 4, ☎ 41 22 310 37 07. Hostel reserved for young women attending university courses. However, it has two dormitories for passing young people, one with 6 beds for boys and another with 10 beds for girls. It has the privilege of being in the center and of having a panoramic terrace.
- 3 Central Hotel, Rue de la Rôtisserie 2, ☎ 41 22 818 81 00. If you want to stay in the center for as little money as possible, this simple 2-star hotel could be for you. However, pay attention to the prices shown on the various hotel booking sites that refer to the cheapest rooms, perhaps too spartan for the tastes of most; in practice, bunk beds even with 3 floors placed in narrow spaces and without private bathroom.
- You should visit the hotel website where room types and relative prices are clearly specified making you waste as little time as possible. Breakfast is served in the room, the internet connection via wi-fi is free and super-fast. A serious flaw for light sleepers is the soundproofing of the rooms which leaves something to be desired.
High prices
- 4 Beau Rivage, 13 Quai du Mont-Blanc, ☎ 41 22 716 66 66, fax: 41 22 716 60 60. Five-star hotel with luxurious Belle Époque interiors and impeccable service. Excellent restaurants and choice of vintage wines. The hotel is famous because the empress stayed there in September 1898 Elisabeth of Austria, stabbed by the Italian Luigi Luccheni shortly after leaving the hotel direct to the nearby pier of Mont Blanc.
- 5 Les Armures, 1 Rue du Puits St-Pierre (near the Cathedral of St Pierre), ☎ 41 22 310 91 72, fax: 41 22 310 98 46. Housed in a 17th century mansion in the old town, the Les Armures hotel features rooms furnished in a modern Scandinavian style.
- 6 Hotel President Wilson, 47 Quai Wilson (1 km north of the Mont-Blanc bridge), ☎ 41 22 906 66 66, fax: 41 22 906 66 67. Five-star hotel with luxurious rooms and lake views. Popular with UN officials and wealthy Arab families, thanks in part to its Lebanese restaurant, the best of its kind in Geneva.
- 7 Hotel Metropole Geneva, 34 Quai Général Guisan, ☎ 41 22 318 33 50, fax: 41 22 318 33 00.
From Fr. 430. Five-star hotel overlooking the Jardin Anglais and overlooking the lake and the jet d'eau. - 8 Le Richemond, Jardin Brunswick, ☎ 41 22 715 70 00. Famous for "The Royal Armleder Suite" one of the most luxurious suites in the world.
- 9 Four Seasons Hotel Des Bergues, Quai des Bergues 33 (Near the bridge du Mont-Blanc), ☎ 41 22 908 70 00, fax: 41 22 908 70 90. From Fr.500. The oldest of Geneva's luxury hotels. The Four Seasons has a wonderful central location on the right bank. A favorite of the European nobility.
- 10 Grand Hotel Kempinski, 19, Quai du Mont-Blanc, ☎ 41 22 908 9081. Modern, luxurious, 5-star hotel boasting a business clientele. It has a mini shopping center, a spa and conference rooms.
From Fr. 430. Five-star hotel overlooking the Jardin Anglais and overlooking the lake and the jet d'eau.Safety
Believing that Geneva is a super-safe place is a mistaken idea from which one must quickly redeem oneself. The muggings, of which the local press is regularly spokesperson, are on the agenda, especially in the Les Pâquis district, the area of the central station but also of the large hotels. Another danger is represented by the assaults perpetrated by drunkards against passers-by at night, after the closure of the premises.
The police and the authorities are not watching. A large number of high-definition cameras were installed in hot neighborhoods monitored 20 hours a day by police officers. In the absence of complaints, the films are deleted after one week.
