The most interesting places in Geneva

There are several shops in Geneva with gourmet confectionery, which are a must-see for those with a sweet tooth. Chocolateria is famous for the best chocolate-covered almonds in the city, as well as glazed Geneva bars prepared in the traditional way, Philippe Pascoët - unique pink chocolate, Stettler - truffles cut into cubes and sprinkled with cocoa powder, Favarger - a variety of sweets. These are far from all the boutiques worthy of attention; there are only about three dozen in Geneva.

The Museum of Natural History of Geneva is a large natural history museum established for scientific research, the preservation of natural and historical heritage and the dissemination of knowledge. The museum was founded in 1966 and is located in the Perle du Lac park. Its permanent exhibition galleries cover an area of ​​8500 square meters and show four departments: regional fauna, wildlife from the rest of the world, earth sciences and human history. Since 1997, the unique living two-headed Janus tortoise, which has become a symbol of the Geneva Museum of Natural History, has been on display. In the most visited exposition in the canton, you can see the natural figures of animals - tigers, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, sharks. In addition, there are dinosaur and mammoth skeletons.

On the shores of Lake Geneva there is a small city park, La Grange. Here is a wonderful English garden with a rose garden and numerous flower beds. The main gate is decorated with sculptures of lions, leading to the park from the Gustave-Adore embankment. In addition, fragments of an ancient road and buildings were discovered on its territory during archaeological excavations. On the site of the current park, the lakeside estate of La Grange was built in 1660. In 1821, a large library was founded in the villa, containing about 15,000 books. Initially, the estate served as a residential building, and in 1917 it passed into the possession of the city and began to be used as a library and a meeting place for high-ranking officials.

The Museum of Ceramics and Glass in Geneva is one of the oldest museums, having opened its doors in 1884, it covers a period of 1,200 years. It received its poetic name in honor of the mother of Gustave Revillo, the founder of the institution. The museum was built in neoclassical and neobaroque style to house its stunning collection of glass and ceramics. In total, the museum presents about 20 thousand exhibits of different eras from Switzerland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, France, England and so on. On the windows of the museum you can see decor items, accessories, stained-glass windows, intricate crockery and much more.

In the center of Geneva there is a beautiful recreation area - Bastion Park. It is located on the site where the botanical garden used to be, so a large number of green spaces have been preserved here. In the park, you can play giant chess, look at the building of the University of Geneva with a library, and you can also see the Einar Palace, where the city hall is located. The main attraction of the park is the Reformation Wall - a monument consisting of bas-reliefs and sculptures. Four five-meter statues are considered the central element.

The Ethnographic Museum is included in the lists of the best attractions in Geneva. The architectural appearance is striking in its appearance, it is difficult to confuse it with other buildings of the city - it resembles a dwelling in Southeast Asia. The museum was opened in 2014, it stores more than 80 thousand exhibits and 300 thousand documents. Inside the underground level, all displays are perfectly designed with spectacular lighting fixtures. At the same time, the structure of the hall has the ability to change depending on the exhibition. The museum consists of 7 parts - historical, 5 continental and ethno-musical. In addition, there is a library and a cafe overlooking the courtyard.

On the shores of Lake Geneva lies the Perl du Lac park, lush with greenery. Florence Francis May Crotty, the wife of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, gave the place its name. Translated from French, it means "pearl of the lake." The park delights the inhabitants of the city and its guests with its abundance of lush trees and colorful landscapes. This is a great place to go cycling, jogging or just relax in the fresh air. In the park you can see a fountain and a large meadow planted with beautiful flowers, and you can also visit the Museum of Natural History.

The Clock Museum is one of the newest museums in Geneva, which opened its doors in 2001. It is dedicated to the products of the Swiss watch manufacturer Patek Philippe, which are among the most expensive in the world. The museum presents the most exclusive creations of the watchmakers of the famous brand. The exhibition includes collections of watches, precious items, mechanisms and portrait miniatures on enamel from the period of the 16th-19th centuries, created in Geneva, Switzerland and Europe. In addition, visitors can watch the creation of masterpieces of watchmaking art. The museum also has a library, which contains books on watchmaking and similar topics.

On the north bank of the Rhone is located a wonderful residential area Les Grottes. Its current image was designed by the architects Berthou, Frey and Hunziker, who thus saved the site from destruction. They built unusual buildings, reminiscent of the creations of the Austrian Hundertwasser and the Spaniard Gaudí. These buildings feature curved walls, colorful façades, eccentric mosaics, twisted columns and unusual balconies. In addition to the buildings themselves, tourists will be pleased with numerous shops, cafes and souvenir shops.

The broken chair is a monumental sculpture in Geneva, it is located on the Place des Nations in front of the entrance to the Palais des Nations. It is a large wooden chair with one broken leg, 12 meters high. 5.5 tons of wood were used to make the sculpture. The creator of the work is the sculptor Daniel Berset. The sculpture was installed in August 1997, it was expected that it would stand for only three months - before the signing of the convention banning anti-personnel mines and cluster bombs. Due to the fact that the signing of this document was delayed, the sculpture remained in this place until 2005, then it was dismantled in connection with the reconstruction of Nations Square and in 2007 returned to its original place.

The Grand Theater of Geneva is an opera house, located in the building in the city center. It was founded in 1879. After the opening of the theater, Gioacchino Rossini's opera "William Tell" was shown on the stage. In 1954, the building was badly damaged by a fire that did not spare the interiors and equipment. As a result, after the fire, the theater was restored, and the capacity of the auditorium increased to 1488 people. This made it one of the largest in Switzerland. After reconstruction, the theater opened in 1962 and a French-language version of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Don Carlos was staged. Approximately eight operas and two ballets are staged here annually.

The English garden is located near the river Rhone. This is the most popular city park in Geneva, founded in 1855 on the site where the port used to be. There is a wonderful Flower Clock here, they are considered a symbol of the city. All elements, with the exception of the arrows, are made of plants. Flowers are planted so that they bloom alternately, changing their color depending on the season. In the English Garden there is a National Monument, erected in honor of the accession of Geneva to the Swiss Confederation, and in the center of the park there is a huge bronze fountain. Festivals, solemn events and musicians often perform here.

The Geneva Museum of Art and History is the largest and most famous museum in Geneva. Construction began in 1903 and was completed in 1910. The museum has many exhibits from different world eras - prehistoric relics, medieval stained glass windows, Greek ceramics, furniture and even a collection of Egyptian art. Also here are the works of the XIX and XX centuries: Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cezanne, Auguste Renoir, Amodeo Modigliani, Giovanni Giacometti, Felix Vallotton, Antoine Bourdelle, Pablo Picasso and others.

Lake Geneva is the largest lake in the Alps and is also the second largest in Central Europe. It is located on the territory of two countries - Switzerland and France. The lake is located in the floodplain of the Rhone River and has the shape of a crescent, the bend thus divides it into the Big and Small lakes. In December 1971, the Deep Purple group recorded the song "Smoke on the Water" under the impression of the events that happened then in the town of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. Now there are pleasure boats plying along the coast. On the Swiss Riviera, you can see Chillon Castle, glorified by Lord Byron in the poem of the same name.

The Jet d'Eau fountain is an important attraction in Geneva and is one of the largest fountains in the world. It was first installed in 1886, not far from the current location. Then its maximum height was 90 m. At the current location, the fountain was installed in 1951 at the pumping station. At present, its height reaches 147 m. The Jet d'Eau fountain can be seen from almost any part of the city. At night, it is illuminated by bright spotlights. The fountain works every day, it is turned off only in bad weather - in frost or strong winds.