Walks in Geneva

6. Walks in Geneva

Discover Geneva, the world's most international city, with a licensed guide. There is much more to see than the "Jet d'Eau" and the flower clock ! Stroll with us, back through history, in the Old Town; admire our lakeside parks and elegant villas; discover our museums; learn about Geneva's unique role in diplomacy and peace making in the international sector.

- Walks with Geneva Tourism's Official Guides

- Audioguided Visit of the Old Town

- Geneva, the pleasure of water

- Escalade: walking tour through the Old Town New

7. Excursions

City tours

Our experienced official guides are at your disposal regardless of the object of your stay in Geneva. It is possible to take a guided tour of the town on foot from most of the hotels or other excursions a coach will pick the group up at their hotel.

Consult our list on the following page...

Cruises

Get to know Lake Geneva and the Rhône-River Valley by choosing from our wide range of cruises (some with commentaries) that leave from a variety of embarkation points around the harbour:

- Cruses on Lake Geneva

- Rhône River Cruise

- Rafting down the Arve Rive

- Boat & Pedal-boat Rental

Excursions

Thanks to its exceptional location in the centre of Europe, Geneva offers numerous possibilities for excursions. Whether by boat, train or coach, they represent an excellent opportunity to set off in discovery of the surroundings

- Excursions by Mini-train

- Excursions by Coach

- Excursions by Cable Car

8. Technical Visits

Geneva's industries and commerces await your visit. They will enable you to discover and learn about regional products. The next page will give you wealth of ideas as well as details enabling you to carry them out.

More informations on the following page... (ONLY FOR GROUPS)

9. GenèvRoule

Use free bicycles.

How can one discover the sights and lovely scenery of Geneva's surrounding countryside in a leisurely, ecological, healthy and invigorating manner? On a bicycle, of course! Urban and suburban Geneva boasts a large network of cycling lanes and signposted itineraries. A few pushes on the pedals will take you out into the country amidst the vineyards, forests, fields and brooks in no time. Do stop to relax in one of the charming villages which dot the landscape.

Zürich Downtown Switzerland

Zürich is top for leisure and pleasure. Gentle hills, peaceful woods, the unpolluted lakes and rivers, picturesque villages - and all just a stone's throw from the Alps. Zürich is the ideal starting point for all kinds of varied excursions.

Zürich

Enjoy the pretty old town, the trendy new Zürich West district and the glorious lake.

With opera, ballet, theater premieres, shows, musicals, art exhibitions in over 50 museums and 100 galleries, time never drags in Zürich. The famous Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmatquai are a shopper's paradise. Over 1,700 restaurants and bars serve both traditional Zürich and Swiss dishes as well as exotic specialties. The eveningswill leave you spoilt for choice: indoors or outdoors, anything is possible as far as the nightlife in Zürich goes.

Winterthur

Winterthur has blossomed from a former industrial town to a lively venue for all ethnic groups and types of culture. Winterthur is an important museum town - it has 16 in all - and also offers a wide range of culture, sports and entertainment. Amongst the numerous night clubs and bars you will also find the only bar in Switzerland that opens 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The Rhine Falls, the biggest waterfall in Europe, is just a 20 minute drive from Winterthur.

Rapperswil & Lake Zürich

Rapperswil, the riviera at the upper end of Lake Zürich, will charm you with its many attractions: the castle, the medieval old town, the historical wooden bridge and Knies Children's Zoo. Equally, however, the Alpamare water park and Atzmännig slide & trampoline paradise are just as much part of this family-friendly destination. Summer or winter, the Lake Zürich region offers many opportunities for sport.

Baden

Baden, a historical city with a very lively present, is worth a visit, not just because of the Grand Casino Baden.

The Zürich region is unique, within everyone's means and definitely worth a visit. Live it. Love it.

The best places for the first visiting

First of all, it is necessary to see its mountains and the mountain roads, coiling a streamer under hanging rocks and hiding in tunnels; surprising cleanliness of lake, mountain rivers and raging falls. And then it is necessary to visit its cities. Swisses have there is an opinion, that Bern is a head, Zurich hands, and Lucerne – the heart of the country. Bern is the capital not only for the same canton, but also for all country.

As it is pleasant to pass on its medieval streets, decorated by arcades, colonnades and fountains to see a symbol of city are alive bears. In this large cultural and public centre the parliament, therefore Bern a head sits. Further Zurich - the largest city of the country. The basic here converge зкономические strings. And the central street of city conducting to lake of Zurich, is considered one of the most beautiful and expensive streets of Europe.

Here there are well-known Swiss banks in which "the Zurich gnomes" forge riches of the country are located. Lucerne is the city of bohemia, carnivals. It is singed of poets, artists and musicians. Having seen once night Lucerne, you’ll forever keep in memory its graceful bridges, a fortification, paved medieval streets.

And, at last, Geneva - city of numerous international establishments on a coast of lake of Geneva. You will amaze well-known a 145-meter fountain and flower hours at the English park. This city of the World for a long time belongs to all mankind.

The biggest pride of inhabitants and the main sight of Zurich - church over Peter. First, it is the most ancient temple of the city, second, it the biggest in the world decorate a chiming clock (diameter of hours are 8,64 meters), and in the third, practical швейцарцы have thought up to establish on bell tower churches also a post of firemen.

Besides monuments of architecture and expensive shops in Zurich huge quantity(amount) of museums from which the most curious to me have seemed the Museum of coffee, the Museum of toys with a private collection of ancient toys and the Museum of porcelain. To finish acquaintance to city it is necessary walk on river tramway over lake of Zurich.

The most known and expensive mountain resort of Switzerland - Saint-Moritz. Its mineral sources were known still in X one century B.C., and to Middle Ages here already specially came to correct for health. The best advertising to a resort under the legend was made by daddy Lion X in 1519: he has promised full absolution by that who has visited on waters of Saint-Moritz.

But where other legend of Saint-Moritz history that the building of most luxurious hotel Carlton was constructed in the beginning of the last century specially for Nikolay II is more pleasant for the Russian person, but the last Russian tsar so never and has not visited the Swiss residence …

Up to middle of the nineteenth century Saint-Moritz was a summer resort – public came only on waters. But in 1863 a businessman Johannes Badrutt has managed to persuade several Englishmen to arrive for winter. After that case has constructed in city the first hotel, and the resort has changed the image.

Now to Saint-Moritz come basically in the winter but to not ski, and to breathe mountain air, to visit the refined society, to observe of game in polo - the lake of Saint-Moritz depth of 90 m in the winter freezes and on its ice will carry out matches. Two times - in 1928 and in 1948 in this small small town passed winter Olympic games.

Nearby from Saint-Moritz there is less known tourist small town - Pontrezina. The silent and cosy place at the foot of Engandine the Alpes has kept the traditional architecture. One of basic sights of Pontrezina is the Alpine museum where there are flora and fauna of mountains, a collection of minerals, mountain-skiing and climbing equipment from the last centuries up to now is submitted, the life of an ancient Alpine house is recreated.

Gold pass (Golden Pass Line) - one of the most tempting railway routes in Switzerland. It connects the historical centre and the tops of area of Jungfrau covered with snow to Montreux and lake of Geneva. The 250-kilometer route borrows 5 hours. At last, the Glacial express train (Glacier Express) - a panoramic route through the Alpes in the heart of Switzerland from Saint-Moritz in Cermartt, practically on glacier Aletch.

Hundred millions years back forces of creation have lifted the Alpes from sea depths and have uplifted these mountains on hundreds meters closer to the sky. Huge glacier Aletch then was formed. The ice file almost 24 kms in length goes with speed of 200 meters to one year… By the way, this summer the area of glaciers of Jungfrau - Aletch was recognized as UNESCO a nature sanctuary of the world’s heritage. The status of the international natural reserve has received glacier Aletch as the biggest and the cleanest.

Conclusion

Hardworking swisses thriftily have equipped the small country. They have penetrated mountains by tunnels and have constructed bridges through gorges, have built for rise on tops the gear railway, cable cars and cable lifts. They are proud of a level of the traditional branches of a facilities (an economy) - an agriculture (we shall recollect the Swiss cheeses or chocolate), manufacture of well-known Swiss hours, they have created a himiko-farmaceutical industry, exact mechanical engineering, have mastered textile manufacture.

But, first of all, Switzerland is the classical country of tourism. The infrastructure of this branch of economy is lead up to perfection. At any time of year everyone will receive here a bouquet of offers for rest. In winter thousands of tourists come directly in the Alpine region. Here there is a lot of places for rest: from Interlaken on the highest in Europe the railway can reach a viewing platform at the glacier Alechnyi or in area of a glacier of Jungfrau where long ski lines are prepared.

At any time of all year round tourists aspire to see fine Swiss cities which names excite all: Basel, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Locarno, Lugano, Montreux, Lausanne, Lucerne. On short trip it is simply to impossible visit each of them and thus to see mountains and valleys of Switzerland. As Kozma Prutkov has noticed, - it is impossible to grasp immense. However it is possible to make a route that the tourist had full enough representation about Switzerland.

Literature

1.  Драгунов Г. П. Швейцария: история и современность: Очерк новейшей истории. - М.: Мысль, 2003.

2.  Новая история стран Европы и Америки. Первый период: Учеб. для вузов по направлению и специальности "История"/В. И. Виноградов, Н.М. Гусева, А. М. Зверев и др.; Под ред.: И. М. Кривогуза, Е. Е. Юровской.-М.:Высш. шк., 2003.

3.  Перевощиков К. А. Швейцария вчера, сегодня, завтра: Очерки.-М.: Дет. лит., 2004.

4.  The Rough Guide to Europe. Published by Rough Guides. 2008 Edition.