PAGE TWO
The next day I finished a bit early and caught the train the other way along Lake Geneva to have a quick look around the City of Geneva itself (Fr: Genève, De: Genf, Romansh: Genevra). The City is situated where the Rhône empties into the Lake and sits in a semi-circle around the very eastern end of the Lake. This gives it a long foreshore area which is mostly laid out with pedestrian walkways and is a great place to spend a sunny summers afternoon.
First View of the Jet
d'Eau, Geneva
From the Railway Station I walked down through what turned out to be the Red Light District to the shore of the Lake. I emerged more or less opposite one of my main objectives – the Jet D’Eau.
Andrew in Geneva
The Jet d'Eau, Geneva
This is the tallest fountain in Europe (and fifth tallest in the world), being around 459 feet tall. It pumps out 132 gallons of water per second – at any given moment around 1849 gallons of water are airborne – and has become the symbol of Geneva, and in many ways of Switzerland.
The top of the Jet d'Eau, Geneva
Getting Wet in Geneva
All of which is surprising when you realise that it was purely an accident of topology. The Rhône is one of Europe’s fastest flowing rivers and flooding in Geneva was common place, in order to alleviate this the water pressure in the Lake was relieved by constructing this massive fountain. Once purely functional, over the years it has become a little more ornate and a big stone jetty has been built to allow visitors to get close to it.
I had arrived on the opposite bank to the Jet D’Eau and so I got on one of the little foot ferries across the Lake and then walked along to the stone jetty. When you get closer to the Fountain you begin to see the power of the thing. The water blasting up into the air makes a roaring sound and when you see the scale of it with people moving around near its base you start to appreciate what you are seeing.
Swiss Swans, Geneva
A short distance along the jetty you begin to get wet. By the time you have passed the jet of water, you are very wet indeed. You are also standing right out in the middle of the Lake and the only way back is to get very wet again. Fortunately it was a lovely hot day and the soaking was quite welcome.
Geneva Old Town
Cathedral Tower, Geneva
Having dried out, I then headed into the Old Town of Geneva. This is bunched up in a tight coil of small roads around the hill on which stands Geneva Cathedral. It is surprisingly difficult to find your way up to the Cathedral, I eventually found a route via a little stone archway between shops which led me up to a small park with a great view across the rooftops to the Jet D’Eau in the distance.
Rooftops plus the Jet d'Eau, Geneva
Alley in Geneva
The Cathedral of Geneva is another superb medieval church. Perhaps less engaging than the one in Lausanne it is nevertheless a sizeable and grand building and one which I enjoyed wandering around both inside and outside.
Geneva Cathedral
Close to here is the Headquarters of the Red Cross – the second of the great Swiss institutions (along with the Olympic movement) which have helped solidify the position of Switzerland as a world centre for charitable and humanitarian organisations. The United Nations also has a base in Geneva.
Another view of Geneva Cathedral
I had my best meal in Switzerland in an open air pasta restaurant in the shadow of the Cathedral and then made my way down from the old town into the new part of the city which ranges along the banks of the Rhône.
Back down to the Lake, Geneva
Crossing the Rhône I went back along the bank of Lake Geneva to more or less where I had started. The shifting sun now produced rainbows in the spray of the Jet D’Eau and this was one of my last images of a great City.
Back to the Jet D'Eau, Geneva
I left Switzerland the following day having been very impressed with the place and its people. It seemed to me to represent the best of the French and German ways of life; the efficiency and friendliness of the Germans coupled with the style and flair of the French. No wonder the Swiss aren’t bothered about joining the EU – they’ve had their own EU for centuries and are managing very well on their own thank you very much.
Rainbow in the Jet d'Eau
Europe's Tallest Fountain you know! Geneva
I am certainly keen to see more of Switzerland which is a place that more than lived up to its reputation as one of the great countries of the world.
A Last Look at the Jet d'Eau before heading away from Geneva
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