Geneva - 55 Attractions You Must Visit

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About Geneva

The canton of Geneva is located in the southwestern corner of Switzerland and is considered one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the country. The city of Geneva dominates the economy of the canton. It is a center of commerce, trade, and finance.

Types of Attractions in Geneva

Activities Around

List of Attractions in Geneva

Bains des Pâquis

Bains des Pâquis

Man-made Structures- Other

The Bains des Pâquis are a public bathhouse located on the pier on the right bank of Lake Geneva and protecting the harbor of Geneva, at the level of the Pâquis district. They house the headquarters of the Association of Users of Bains des Pâquis and Sauvetage de Genève. They are open all year round. It an artificial peninsula surrounded by a lively beach that jets into the lake near Pâquis district. Its scenery is unmistakable due to the lighthouse at the end.

Basilica Notre-Dame

The Basilica of Notre-Dame, built between 1852 and 1857. It is the main place of worship for Geneva's Catholic community. Located near the Cornavin railway station, pilgrims stop there on their way to Santiago de Compostela. In June 1875, after the anticlerical government came to power, the Basilica was occupied, then closed. In 1911, the Catholic Church was able to buy it back. Made of sandstone, its architecture was inspired by the 13th-century Gothic style.

Broken Chair

Broken Chair

Man-made Structures- Other

Broken Chair is the work of sculptor Daniel Berset. It was made in 1997 for the NGO Handicap International. Made out of 5.5 tonnes of wood and standing at a height of 12 meters, this impressive work of art has been dominating the Place des Nations since 1997. Its message is simple: remember the victims of landmines, urge your government to promote a ban on landmines. It is one of the famous attractions in this area.

Brunswick Monument

The Brunswick Monument is a mausoleum built-in 1879 in the Jardin des Alpes in Geneva, Switzerland to commemorate the life of Charles II, Duke of Brunswick. He bequeathed his fortune to the city of Geneva in exchange for a monument to be built in his name, specifying that it be a replica of the Scaliger Tombs in Verona, Italy. The Grand Théâtre de Genève, opened in 1879, was built with the legacy. It was one of the ancient attractions in this area and also a nice tourist attraction.

Calvin Auditorium

Calvin Auditorium

Iconic Buildings

The Calvin Auditorium or Calvin Auditory, originally the Notre-Dame-la-Neuve Chapel, is a chapel in Geneva, Switzerland, which played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. It is associated with John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. The auditorium lies directly adjacent to St. Pierre Cathedral in the Place de la Taconnerie. The austere Gothic-style building was constructed in the 15th century, on the site of earlier 5th-century religious buildings, and was originally dedicated t

Cemetery of Kings (Plainpalais Cemetery)

The Cimetière des Rois is a cemetery in Geneva, Switzerland, where John Calvin (the Protestant reformer), Jorge Luis Borges (the Argentine author), Sérgio Vieira de Mello (the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights), Ernest Ansermet (renowned Swiss conductor), and Jean Piaget[1] (the noted developmental psychologist and epistemologist) are buried. There are also so many famous persons are buried here.

Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève

The Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève is a contemporary art exhibition centre in Geneva, Switzerland, founded by Adelina von Fürstenberg in 1974. The Centre was the first contemporary art institution in Suisse Romande. As a Kunsthalle, it does not have a collection but organizes temporary exhibitions and projects with regional and international artists.

CERN

CERN

Iconic Buildings

CERN is a research institute near Geneva, Switzerland. The full name is Organisation Européene pour la Recherche Nucléaire. The letters "CERN" are leftover from the older Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire. CERN was founded in 1954. Today 22 nations are members of the organization. It is the world's biggest laboratory for particle physics. About 2600 people work there full-time, and over 7800 scientists from about 500 universities and research institutes work there in total.

Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève

The Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques is a Museum of the City of Geneva. As the name suggests, it has a Garden and a Conservatory with an Herbarium and a Library. Conserve, explore, search, share and pass are the 5 main tasks of the institution. The Garden with its 29 ha houses big collections of living plants, about 8400 plant species of all over the world. They are spread amongst groups by themes: the tropical and temperate greenhouses, the rock gardens with mountain plants, the terraces of m

Geneva Islamic Center

Geneva Islamic Center

Religious- Other

The Islamic Cultural Center of Geneva was created to provide a prayer hall and social and cultural gathering place for Muslims of diverse origins residing in Geneva. The architectural objectives were to provide traditional Islamic spaces while at the same time respecting local architectural forms. It was one of the famous Islamic pilgrimage centers in this area.

Globe of Science and Innovation

Globe of Science and Innovation

Man-made Structures- Other

Museums

Located at the famous CERN nuclear research center near Geneva, the Globe of Science and Innovation is a very peculiar science museum. The Globe is aimed to be “a gateway between science, culture, education, and society, promoting the dissemination of scientific information among all types of the audience”.

Île Rousseau

A lovely little island park nestled right at the center of the river Rhone. Linked by a bridge called Post des Bergues. Rousseau Island is a quiet tranquil place to have a break in the mids of sightseeing. It is one of the beautiful places to spend time with your family.

Institut et Musée des Suisses dans le monde

The Museum of the Swiss in the World, previously called the Museum of the Swiss Abroad is a Swiss museum located on the territory of the Geneva municipality of Pregny-Chambésy. It is in the castle of Penthes. The museum's permanent exhibition traces the history of relations between Switzerland and the rest of the world from the Middle Ages to the present day.

International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

The Museum of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent is one of the top museums to see in Genève, Switzerland. The Humanitarian Adventure is the exhibition theme. The museum’s permanent collection “The Humanitarian Adventure” is currently divided into three exhibitions: defending human dignity, restoring family links, and reducing natural risks. It is best to think of the museum in terms of these three very modern exhibitions rather than a traditional museum with clear information on the hi

Jardin Anglais

Jardin Anglais

Botanical Gardens

Spanning over about 25,000 sqft., Jardin Anglais also called the English Garden is home to the monumental L’Horloge Fleurie. Designed to mimic a quintessential English Landscape Garden, the garden also houses beautiful floral arrangements that change every season! Switzerland is heralded for its extraordinary watch industry, and the Flower Clock built inside the garden pays a symbolic tribute to the same.

L'horloge fleurie

L'horloge fleurie

Parks

Botanical Gardens

The Horloge Fleurie is a truly unique clock, which is made of flowers and changes its colors according to the season. The Flower Clock is situated in the English Garden, one of the greenest parks in the city of Geneva. The acclaimed clock has been in service since 1951, over which period it has never stopped, nor been out of order. One of the beautiful attractions in this area which attracts a lot of tourists.

L'Usine

L'Usine

Iconic Buildings

L'Usine is an alternative and self-managed cultural center located in Geneva. It is also a structure bringing together 18 collectives and associations which has established its headquarters in the former Geneva gold roughing factory. The most visible aspect of the Factory is the programming of shows, events, parties, concerts, and exhibitions in the different places that compose it: concert halls, nightclubs, art galleries, theater, cinema, and various branches dedicated to the development of c

La Rade

La Rade

Lake/ River/ Ponds

A beautiful lake located in the heart of |Geneva and It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest in the course of the Rhône. The lake lies in the course of the Rhône. The river has its source at the Rhône Glacier near the Grimsel Pass to the east of the lake and flows down through the canton of Valais, entering the lake between Villeneuve and Le Bouveret, before flowing slowly towards its egress at Geneva.

MAMCO Genève

Mamco is the largest, youngest, and most contemporary art museum in Switzerland. It enjoys international fame and is recognized as a benchmark institution in the contemporary scene. He bases his work on a collection of 4,000 works, a third of which belong to him. Since it opened in 1994, the museum has presented more than 450 exhibitions, reflecting the diversity and dynamism of the Swiss and international art scene.

Martin Bodmer Foundation

Martin Bodmer Foundation

Iconic Buildings

The Bodmer Foundation is a library and museum specialized in manuscripts and precious editions. It is located in Cologny, Switzerland just outside Geneva. Also known as Bibliotheca Bodmeriana, it is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The library was established by Martin Bodmer and is famous as the home of the Bodmer Papyri. Some of these papyri are among the oldest remaining copies of the New Testament.

Map of attractions in Geneva

Comments

For more information about Geneva, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canton_of_Geneva