Voyages & Images: Geneva

Geneva is the second largest city of Switzerland and is among the cities with the best quality of life of the world. Situated on the borders of Lake Léman (also known as Lake Geneva), this pleasant and cosmopolitan French speaking city is surrounded by French territory and is connected to Switzerland by the lake and by a narrow corridor of land.

Geneva was the eighth and last city of an itinerary made by train in Austria and Switzerland in May 2007. The Old City and the quays along Lake Léman must be explored on foot.

A stroll in the narrow streets of the Old City will take us to St. Pierre Cathedral which was adopted as home church by John Calvin in the protestant reform in the 16th century.

Still in the Old City we can find the Place Bourg-de-Four, with cafés and restaurants, and streets with sophisticated stores.

The Jet d'Eau in the Gustave-Ador quay is the symbol of Geneva. The spring throws water 138m into the air above the lake. The arch formed by the falling water follows the direction of the wind and is illuminated differently during the day.

Along the borders of Lake Léman we can appreciate ancient constructions e historical sites as the Genève Paquis quay, where the Archduchess of Austria, Elisabeth of Bavária (the Sissi) was murdered in 1899.

Several boats link Geneva to cities and villages of Switzerland and France along the borders of Lake Léman, in a region of exuberant natural environment.