What we love in Geneva is this urban nature. A walk along the lake, a ride on a boat and then a café on a terrace in the Old Town. The Rhône crossing the city, saying hi to the building with its crystal-clear water. Welcome to Geneva!

The symbol of the «world’s smallest metropolis» is the “Jet d’eau” – a fountain with a 140-metre-high water jet at the periphery of Lake Geneva. Most of the large hotels and many restaurants are situated on the right-hand shore of the lake. The old town, the heart of Geneva with the shopping and business quarter, holds sway over the left-hand shore. It is dominated by St. Peter’s Cathedral, however the actual centre of the old town is the Place du Bourg-de-Four, which is the oldest square in the city. Quays, lakeside promenades, countless parks, lively side streets in the old town and elegant shops invite guests to stroll. One of the best-maintained streets is the Grand-Rue, where Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born. The «mouettes», a type of water taxi, enable crossings to be made from one lakeshore to the other, while larger vessels invite visitors to enjoy cruises on Lake Geneva.  
  
Geneva is Switzerland’s most international city, as it is where the European seat of the UNO is based. Even the International Red Cross directs its humanitarian campaigns from here. Besides being a congress city, Geneva is also a centre for culture and history, for trade fairs and exhibitions. The «Horloge Fleuri», the large flower clock in the “Jardin Anglais” (English Garden), is a world-renowned symbol of the Geneva watch industry.  
  
Culturally, this city on the westernmost fringe of Switzerland has much to offer. International artists perform in the Grand Théâtre and Geneva Opera House, and an extremely diverse range of museums such as the “Musée international de l'horlogerie”, a watch museum with a collection of jewellery watches and musical clocks, and the International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which provides an insight into the work of these humanitarian organisations, invite city guests to visit them.  
  
A rewarding excursion destination is Mont Salève, which is situated in neighboring France. The cableway lifts visitors to an altitude of 1100 metres in less than five minutes, giving rise to outstanding vistas across the city of Geneva, Lake Geneva, the chain of Alps, the Jura and Montblanc. Geneva lies idyllically between Alpine peaks and vineyards by the largest lake in Western Europe.

Geneva

The Bâtiment des Forces Motrices (BFM) is a concert hall atypical to this industrial atmosphere. Situated on the Rhone, this magnificent building was first designed for industrial purposes but is now a must-visit cultural venue.

Built in 1886, the BFM is located close to the Pont de l'Ile. It was originally designed to supply the fountains, homes and factories of the city with water from the Rhone.  
Its architecture is inspired by both the classical and the industrial with the building facades of concrete and stone seeming to “swim” on the river.  
This is one of the most beautiful historical buildings in Geneva, especially in the evenings when it is illuminated.  
After being doomed to abandonment, the BFM was listed as a historical monument in 1988. It now serves as a parallel events venue for the programming of the Grand Théâtre.

Bâtiment des Forces Motrices - Geneva