Tourist information - Geneva
Geneva (Switzerland) (French Genève; German Genf) is a city in western Switzerland, the capital of Geneva Canton. The city is located within the western extremity of Lake Geneva, where the Rhône River issues from the lake. The Rhône divides Geneva into two almost equal parts. About the south, or even left, bank stands the older section of the city, containing the financial and business districts and two old residential districts: Eaux Vives and also Carouge, the latter a working-class neighborhood. Narrow, crooked streets penetrate the old quarter in all places apart from along the river bank, containing broad avenues and modern quays. The Rhône is spanned by a number of bridges, one of which traverses a small island, Rousseau's Island. The northern, or right, bank is usually residential, containing the Quartier Saint-Gervais, in which massive hotels are found; and the Les Délices district, comprising the house in which the French writer and philosopher Voltaire lived from 1755 to 1758. The entire city is enclosed by boulevards laid out on the site of the ancient city walls.
Geneva contains numerous theme parks and squares, notably the Jardin Anglais and the Place Neuve on the left bank, and the Place des Alpes around the right bank. The principal buildings in the old section include the Cathedral of Saint Peter, built in the 12th and 13th centuries; the Florentine-style city hall, erected in the 16th century; the Temple de l'Auditoire, where the Scottish religious reformer John Knox preached and the French theologian John Calvin taught; the 18th-century house where the French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau was born; the Rath Museum, including an immense art collection; and the Museum of Natural History. Educational institutions in the city include the University of Geneva (started as the Collège de Genève by Calvin in 1559) as well as other industrial and technical schools, including the École d'Horlogerie (School of Watch making). Watch making and the production of jewelry have contributed to making Geneva a major manufacturing center. Many other industrial sectors include enameling, the production of music boxes and scientific instruments, and also diamond cutting. Geneva is also an important banking and financial center. Guest workers are an essential part of the work force, creating around 30 percent of the city's population.
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