In 1891, it was transferred to the "Rade", to become a major tourist attraction. However, it was not until 1951 that it was provided with an autonomous pumping station, propelling 500 litres of water per second to a height of 140 metres at a speed of 200 km per hour (124 miles/h).
Eight 9,000-watt projectors light the fountain’s majestic column in the evening as it soars skywards.
Location: Quai du Général-Guisan
A symbol of the Geneva watch industry of world renown, the famous flower clock, located at the edge of the Jardin Anglais (English Garden) since 1955, is a masterpiece of technology and floral art.
Formerly only decorative with its sole dial comprising over 6,500 flowers, the new millennium provided it with decisive artistic dimensions thanks to the ingenuity of the gardeners of the Service of Green Spaces and the Environment.
It is now composed of eight concentric circles, the colours of which vary with the seasons and the plants which make up the display.
Did you know that the seconds hand of Geneva's Flower Clock is the largest in the world (it is more than 2.5 meters long)!
Location: Quai du Général-Guisan (Jardin Anglais)
Saint Peter's Cathedral
One hundred fifty seven steps lead to the summit of the cathedral’s north tower and to a fabulous panorama overlooking the city and the lake.
You will also be charmed by the Clémence, the queen of the bells, weighing over 6 tons and hoisted to this very tower in 1407.
The first phase of the cathedral’s construction dates back to the year 1160 and lasted nearly a century. Many events, including a series of fires, led to restorations and reconstructions, modifying its original design.
Then, in the middle of the 16th century, the advent of the Reformation, with its philosophy of austerity, upset the entire interior of the building.
All ornaments were removed and the coloured decors whitewashed. Only the stained glass windows were spared.
Its current neo-classic facade dates from the middle of the 18th century, having replaced the former Gothic one.
Location: Cour Saint-Pierre
Reformation Wall
The construction of the Reformation Wall in the Bastions Park began in 1909, the year which marked the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean Calvin and the 350th of the foundation of the Academy of Geneva.
The monument is backed against part of the ancient defensive walls that surrounded the city until the middle of the 19th century.
At the centre of the wall, five meters high, are the four great figures of the movement: Guillaume Farel (1489-1565), one of the first to preach the Reformation in Geneva, Jean Calvin (1509-1564) the
"pope" of the reformers, Théodore de Bèze (1513-1605), first rector of the Academy and John Knox (1513-1572), founder of Presbyterianism in Scotland.
Behind these statues stands the motto of the Reformation and of Geneva: "Post Tenebras Lux.
On either side, statues and bas-reliefs represent the great Protestant figures of the different Calvinist countries and the crucial moments in the development of the movement.
Stroll along 100 meters of wall and cover 450 years in the history of Protestantism.
Location: Parc des Bastions
United Nations Building
Constructed between 1929 and 1936 to house the League of Nations, the Palais des Nations became the headquarters of the United Nations in 1946 when the former organisation was dissolved. The vast wooded park overlooking the lake, where it is located, was donated by the City of Geneva.
Today, and after the completion of a new wing in 1973, it is the second most important centre of the United Nations after New York.
Its surface is that of the Palais de Versailles and its Assembly Room, seating 2,000, is as large as the Paris Opera House.
Over 25,000 delegates meet here annually to negotiate for world peace.
Many works of art and gifts are displayed.
Location: Avenue de la Paix
Carouge, a small suburb of Geneva, was only to develop after 1754, when it was granted to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
A city plan then was designed by Turinese architects with a checkerboard arrangement around an axis planted with trees (the Place du Marché) and low houses with galleries in the rear opening on gardens.
To this day, the city of Carouge has retained its Mediterranean-like atmosphere. Its bustling streets and many shaded squares invite one to stroll.
Trendy boutiques, antiques and curios dealers, restaurants and bistrots ensure a very warm and congenial ambience.