Fairmont Grand Hotel Geneva

Just a stone's throw from the city centre, Carouge is the Greenwich Village of Geneva. Its architecture is reminiscent of its Sardinian roots and will transport you to Southern Europe. While away many pleasant hours perusing the shops, shady terraces, crafts and antique dealers in Carouge's alleys and passageways. When night falls, experience the area's unique ambiance thanks to its many trendy bars that are known all over the city.

The first Jet d'Eau was installed in 1886 at the Usine de la Coulouvrenière, a little further downstream from its present location. It was used as a safety valve for a hydraulic power network and could reach a height of about 30 metres (98 ft). In 1891, its aesthetic value was recognised and it was moved to its present location to celebrate the Federal Gymnastics Festival and the 600th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation, when it was operated for the first time. Its maximum height was about 90 metres (295 feet). The present Jet d'Eau was installed in 1951 in a partially submerged pumping station to pump lake water instead of city water with an altitude an altitude of 140 metres. Since 2003, the fountain has operated during the day all year round, except in case of frost or particularly strong wind.[4][6] It also operates in the evenings between spring and autumn, when it is lit by a set of 21 lights totaling 9 kW.[5] On 25 August 2016, the fountain celebrated its 125th anniversary at its present location.

On a straight left coming from the Pont du Mont-Blanc is the English Garden, spread over more than 25,000 square meters, this plot of land was built in 1854 following the model of English landscape gardens. Home to several busts, the Monument National and the world-famous Flower Clock, the English Garden is an absolute must see for tourists who happen to take a stroll down the famous left bank boardwalk of Quai Gustave Ador. Flower clock Geneva is recognised all around the world for it's watch making tradition, being the mother of high-end watchmaking. To pay tribute to this honour, Geneva created the biggest clock in the world, made from flowers. Geneva Flower Clock, named L'horloge fleurie in French, created in 1955, soon became world famous, one of the main attraction of the city. Interestingly, the clock always look different as it is made of various flowers which bloom in different times in the year. Busts and statues You will find three busts in the Garden, celebrating the great Swiss painters Alexandre Calame and François Diday as well as sculptor Auguste Rodo de Niederhausen; more importantly, the Monument National, inaugurated on September 7th 1869 to commemorate the incorporation of Geneva into the Swiss Confederation. The bronze “fontaine des Quatre-Saisons” (Four Seasons Fountain), sculpted by Alexis Andre, is yet another landmark of the English Gardens.

EXPERIENCE A JOURNEY THROUGH FIVE CENTURIES OF WATCHMAKING. The Patek Philippe Museum is located in the heart of the Plainpalais district. Founded in 2001, it showcases the most prestigious creations of the brand’s master watchmakers. Visitors can also admire an extraordinary collection of watches, musical automata and enamel miniatures from the 16th to the 19th centuries, created in Geneva, Switzerland and Europe. The museum also houses a library entirely dedicated to horology and its related subjects.

The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) is the second-largest of the four major office sites of the United Nations (second to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City). It is located in the Palais des Nations building constructed for the League of Nations between 1929 and 1938 at Geneva in Switzerland, and expanded in the early 1950s and late 1960s. Besides United Nations administration, it also hosts the offices for a number of programmes and funds such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). The United Nations and its specialized agencies, programmes and funds may have other offices or functions hosted outside the Palais des Nations, normally in office spaces provided by the Swiss Government. UN specialized agencies and other UN entities with offices in Geneva hold bi-weekly briefings at the Palais des Nations, organized by the United Nations Information Service at Geneva.

AT THE HEART OF HUMANITARIAN ACTION Founded in Geneva in 1863 by Henry Dunant and other Genevan citizens, the International Committee of the Red Cross is at the origin of the most important humanitarian movement in the world. This fascinating history comes alive in the International Red Cross and red Crescent Museum. You also learn more about the National Societes among which the Spanish Red Cross is a distinguished member.

Only one street away (Rue de Hotel de Ville) from Place du Bourg-de-Four is another little square with many important points of interest: - Maison Tavel, the museum of history of Geneva - The world famous luxurious Hotel de Ville, where many historical milestones occurred - Old Arsenal - a series of canons decorated by mosaics portraying Caesar’s arrival in the city in 58 B.C - A state archive, not necessarily interesting for tourists, as for historians - Restaurant & Cafe de Ville - The Saint Peter's Cathedral stands tall in the Old Town of Geneva on the site of an ancient Roman Temple from the 4th century. Work began on this spectacular cathedral under Arducius de Faucigny, the prince-bishop of the Dioceses of Geneva in the 12th century. It was from this cathedral that John Calvin preached Protestantism in the 16th century. Saint Peter's Cathedral or Saint Pierre Cathedral was originally built in a Romanesque style with some Gothic influence, but today the cathedral displays a fusion of different styles. With a Neoclassical facade, this cathedral has played an important role in the history of Geneva and it continues to charm visitors with its austere interior. - Hidden passage at Rue du Perron: Passage De Monetier, which is opened only 2 days a year, during the festival l'Escalade. Old town is host for many galleries, such as Gallery Jacques de la Béraudière and Insolite.

In March 1989, Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at CERN, the European Nuclear Research Organization in Geneva, made a proposal to his boss. He proposed a revolutionary idea: to develop a radical method for linking and sharing information via the Internet. At the time, Mr Berners-Lee needed time to implement the idea, and yet, you know what? This is how the World Wide Web was born and the development of websites began, allowing you to post your most stunning photos of Geneva on Instagram today!