Showing posts with label geneva. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geneva. Show all posts

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Geneva, Geneve.. Genf

The German name for Geneva sort of conveys my impression of Geneva... Genf. It's not that there's anything wrong with Geneva in particular; in fact, it looks like a regular modern European city (think Munich). It's just that it doesn't match the expectations I had for it.


Since Geneva is home to the UN as well as dozens upon dozens of international organizations, I was expecting the city center to be abuzz with diplomats and embassies. However, it turns out the United Nations buildings are actually located a good bus ride away from the city center, and as the complex was closed to tourists on a Sunday, all I could see was a row of flags and a nice mural on its external wall.

Downtown Geneva has a few nice attractions, including the Jet d'Eau water fountain, some sort of inflatable Kraken coming out of a nearby fountain, and a flower clock.

And of course, like any good European city, it has a renowned cathedral: in this case, the Sainte Pierre, located in the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town).
The Saint Pierre is a fairly standard European cathedral, the main attraction being its colorful attached Chapel of the Macabees. Despite its somewhat stark appearance, the main hall did have a unique, funky-looking W-shaped set of organ pipes.
And also a pretty great dragon duck statue.