EURO'08 Excursion Tips Geneva

Embedded between nearby Alpine peaks and the hilly terrain of the Jura, the French-speaking city of Geneva lies in the bay where the Rhone leaves Lake Geneva.

Five hundred and seven steps lead you to the top of the north tower of the cathedral, where you can enjoy a fantastic view over the town and the lake. Then there is la Clémence, which, at a weight of six tonnes, is the cathedral's largest bell and was hoisted up into this same tower in 1407.

The "Mouettes", a kind of water taxi, make it possible to quickly cross from shore to shore.

A visit to the Palais allows you to see certain conference rooms, notably the Counsel Room, which is decorated with superb frescoes, and the Assembly Room, which is even more vast than the Paris Opera!

Forces Motrices, the imposing cultural center, “swims” in the middle of the Rhone River. Located in the former water works it is today a renovated oasis with theater and opera performances as well as exhibition halls with a capacity of 950 persons.

Photographs and documentary films, objects and documents are exhibited in relation to each other in audiovisual sequences and on computer screens.

Over three floors there are over 2,000 objects exhibitited, dating from 1839 to 1980. The owner and president of the company, Philippe Stern, owns 1,000 of them.

It has been 130 years since the Belle Epoque lake steamers ply the waters of Central Europe's largest lake, criss-crossing the lake to connect Swiss villages and towns to French destinations, such as Geneva to Montreux via Lausanne and Evian.

A rewarding excursion destination is Mont Salève, which is situated in neighbouring France.

A unique, lively and interactive exhibition, the Olympic Museum is the world's largest information centre relating to the Olympic Games.