Geneva is a cosmopolitan French-speaking city at the southwestern tip of Lake Geneva, framed by the Alps and the Jura. Known for the Jet d'Eau, a compact medieval Old Town, Calvin's Reformation, the Red Cross and the United Nations, it is also a world capital of watchmaking, banking and science with CERN on its doorstep. Despite its high prices, Geneva rewards visitors with lake swimming, museums, fondue and easy day trips to France and the Alps.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Geneva.
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1
Roman Genava
Rome conquers the Allobroges in 121 BC and Genava becomes a frontier town on the Rhône; in 58 BC Julius Caesar has the bridge destroyed to block the Helvetii migration, as recounted in his Gallic War
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2
Burgundian Settlement
The Burgundians settle the Geneva region and make the city a royal seat, and it becomes the seat of a bishopric in the 5th century
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3
Holy Roman Empire
Geneva passes to the Holy Roman Empire after the death of the last Burgundian king, and the bishops of Geneva rule the city as imperial princes
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4
Franchises of Adhémar Fabri
Bishop Adhémar Fabri grants the city a charter of liberties, the foundation of Geneva's communal self-government and civic autonomy
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5
The Reformation
Geneva adopts the Reformation under pressure from Bern and expels the bishop; William Farel arrives and persuades John Calvin to stay
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6
Calvin's Academy
John Calvin founds the Academy, the ancestor of the University of Geneva, drawing students from across Protestant Europe
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7
The Escalade
On the night of 11-12 December, Savoyard troops try to scale Geneva's walls and are repelled; the Escalade is still celebrated every December
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8
Huguenot Refugees
After Louis XIV revokes the Edict of Nantes, thousands of French Protestants settle in Geneva, building its watchmaking and banking trades
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9
Birth of Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau is born in Geneva on 28 June; his Social Contract becomes one of the key texts of modern political thought
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10
French Annexation
France annexes the Republic of Geneva and makes it the capital of the Département du Léman
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11
Joining Switzerland
Geneva becomes the 22nd canton of the Swiss Confederation on 19 May 1815 after the Congress of Vienna
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12
Founding of the Red Cross
Henry Dunant and four Genevans found the International Committee of the Red Cross; the first Geneva Convention follows in 1864
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13
League of Nations
The League of Nations opens its first Assembly in Geneva on 15 November 1920, beginning the city's role as a diplomatic capital
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14
European UN Headquarters
After the League of Nations is dissolved, the Palais des Nations becomes the European seat of the United Nations
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15
CERN Founded
CERN is founded on 29 September 1954 on the Franco-Swiss border at Meyrin, becoming one of the world's largest particle physics laboratories
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16
Reagan-Gorbachev Summit
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Geneva in November 1985, the first US-Soviet summit in six years
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17
Biden-Putin Summit
US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet at Villa La Grange on 16 June 2021
Historical sites
Places where Geneva's past comes alive.
Cathédrale Saint-Pierre
Calvin preached here from 1536, making it the mother church of Reformed Protestantism; its chair is still preserved inside.
Where: Old Town, Geneva
Admission: Cathedral free; towers CHF 6 (~$7.50); archaeological site CHF 8 (~$10)
Mur des Réformateurs
Carved statues of Farel, Calvin, Beza and Knox honour the leaders of the Reformation and mark 350 years of Calvin's Geneva.
Where: Parc des Bastions, Geneva
Admission: Free
Maison Tavel
Geneva's oldest surviving private house, rebuilt after the fire of 1334 and now a museum of everyday urban life.
Where: Old Town, Geneva
Admission: Free
Hôtel de Ville and Salle de l'Alabama
The first Geneva Convention was signed in the Alabama Room in 1864, and the 1872 Alabama Claims arbitration was held here.
Where: Old Town, Geneva
Admission: Free for courtyard; interior on open days
Palais des Nations
Built for the League of Nations and now the European headquarters of the UN, it hosted the 1954 Indochina conference and countless treaty negotiations.
Where: Quartier des Nations, Geneva
Admission: Guided tour about CHF 15 (~$19)
Archaeological Site of Saint-Pierre
A walkable underground excavation beneath the cathedral revealing a 4th-century baptistery, Roman mosaics and early church foundations.
Where: Old Town, Geneva
Admission: CHF 8 (~$10)
Place du Bourg-de-Four
The city's oldest square occupies the site of the Roman market and later the medieval fairs, ringed by 17th-18th century houses.
Where: Old Town, Geneva
Admission: Free
Cimetière des Rois
Geneva's historic cemetery since the 15th century, with the simple grave of John Calvin (marked only JC), plus Borges and Piaget.
Where: Plainpalais, Geneva
Admission: Free
Maison de Rousseau et de la Littérature
Rousseau's birthplace, now a house devoted to his life, work and the literary heritage of Geneva.
Where: Old Town, Geneva
Admission: CHF 5 (~$6)
Villa La Grange
The neoclassical villa on the lakeshore hosted the 16 June 2021 Biden-Putin summit and is a symbol of Geneva's role in global diplomacy.
Where: Eaux-Vives, Geneva
Admission: Park free; villa interior closed to the public
Promenade de la Treille and Old Arsenal
The promenade has hosted public life since the 16th century; the Old Arsenal beside the Hôtel de Ville holds cannons and mural tiles of Geneva's history.
Where: Old Town, Geneva
Admission: Free
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum
The museum records the story of the Red Cross movement, founded in Geneva in 1863 by Henry Dunant, and the Geneva Conventions.
Where: Quartier des Nations, Geneva
Admission: CHF 15 (~$19)