Hey guys,
the SteemSTEM meetup is coming up and the last time I presented some attractions outside of the scientific domain to discover in the vicinity of lake Geneva. Now let's see which characteristic sights the city Geneva itself has to offer:
Aerial view of Geneva
1. Jet d'Eau
Presumably the most iconic of Geneva's landmarks, the Jet d'Eau (water jet) is situated in the bay around which the city stretches. With a maximum altitude of about 140 meters, it qualifies as the tallest water fountain on earth and surpasses Geneva's skyline by far. Despite its aethetic appeal, the Jet d'Eau was not intentionally decorative but rather functional at the time of its contruction in 1886, serving as a safety valve for Geneva's state-of-the-art hydraulic power grid (that is a network transporting mechanical energy via fluid pressure, an early predecessor of the electrical power network).
When active, the jet is visible from large parts of the city and of course from the shoreline or on a boat ride. Be mindful though that a strong wind in combination with the fountain's height might result in a rather moist experience if you get too close.
Jet d'Eau in front of the moonlit Alps
lilo9948 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
2. Palais des Nations (United Nations)
Located in a lush park in the north of the city you will find the United Nations' second largest office after New York. The Palace of Nations actually predates the United Nations since it was being contructed for the predecessor organization, the League of Nations, until 1938 and expanded after the war.
In its administrative function it hosts more institutions than I can possibly name here and being committed to be as open to the public as possible the Palace of Nations offers enough guided tours and contemporary peculiarities from its past to keep you occupied for a long time.
Palais des Nations
Moumou82 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
3. Old Town
Originally a gallic celtic village, Geneva grew to a city under Roman occupation. But of course the preserved structures are predominantly of medieval or younger origin. Typical sights in the old town include:
- St. Peter's Cathedral, the home church of Protestant reformer John Calvin
- The Chapel of the Maccabees in one of the cathedral's wings with splendid stained glass windows
- Place du Bourg-de-Four, the main market square since Roman times
- The old arsenal featuring various historic cannons and beautiful mosaic walls
Maccabee Chapel
BriYYZ from Toronto, Canada - Cathedral St. Pierre, Geneva, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
4. Swiss watchmaking
Geneva probably has to be considered the capital of fine watchmaking in both Switzerland and the world, for instance hosting the headquarters of Patek Phillipe, Chopard and Rolex and several shops for you to discover.
Coincidentally, it was the Calvinistic branch of Protestant faith, that gave rise to this tradition: Disapproval of public display of wealth was what encouraged the local goldsmiths to direct their efforts elsewhere - and the manufacturing of timepieces was born.
You don't have to spend your hard earned Steem Dollars on a new watch however, there is at least one museum dedicated to this craftsmanship, the Patek Phillipe museum, which documents the history of this iconic Swiss industry from its inception in the 16th century.
5. Other stuff
There are other places to pay a visit to which are too numerous for me to go through:
The Russian Orthodox church, several Roman/Celtic archeological sites, the historic spot where Empress Elisabeth ("Sissi") of Austria was assassinated, Rousseau island in the Rhône river and many more.
And of course you can always attend your favourite SteemSTEM meetup at CERN when it happens to be in town ;)
Do you have any other good suggestions? Let me know what you think and have a nice day everyone!