Geneva Travel guide, Geneva hotels - holidays in France
Geneva Travel information
The first traces of human civilization in Geneva, discovered on the shores of Lake Léman, date from around 3000 BC. The hill of the Old City, however, was not inhabited until 1000 BC. Later, when Rome conquered Geneva, it was defended by a small Celtic tribe. In 58 BC, Julius Caesar drove off an attack by the Helvetii. At the height of the Roman Empire, around 400 AD, it became a bishopric.
The region was settled in 443 by a Germanic tribe, the Burgundians, but they were defeated later by the Francs, who occupied it in 534. Geneva was incorporated into the Merovingian dynasty, then into the Carlovingian Empire. The latter's disintegration in the 11th century led to the rise of the Second Burgundian Kingdom, to which Geneva belonged. In 1032, the kingdom passed into the hands of the Germanic emperors so Geneva legally became subject to the Empire. In practice, though, from the 11th century to the Reformation, it was ruled by its bishops, who had become the de facto lords of the city.
Geneva did not develop into an important centre until the end of the Middle Ages when its fairs, reaching their peak in the 15th century, first gave it an international reputation. Its independence, however, was threatened by Savoy, whose princes strove unsuccessfully from the 13th to the 17th century to force the town into submission. At its time of gravest danger, during the first third of the 16th century, the city' autonomy was saved by the intervention or the Swiss cantons of Fribourg and Bern. When the Reformation triumphed in 1535, the city became a republic. Calvin made Geneva his home the following year, and it was through his genius that the city earned the name "Protestant Rome". From 1550 onwards, persecuted Protestants, mainly French and Italians, streamed into Geneva in search of sanctuary. Under the guidance of Calvin and Théodore de Bèze, they gave their new home a greater religious and intellectual influence.
The refugees also helped to redress the economy, which had been in recession since the fairs had gone into decline at the end of the preceding century. In 1602, the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel, launched an abortive night-time attack against Geneva, which has come to be known as the "Escalade" (literally, "scaling the walls"). The festival commemorating it on December 11-12 is Geneva's main patriotic celebration. A second wave of refugees flooded into Geneva at the end of the 17th century following Louis XIV's savage persecution of Protestants in France. The 18th century was a period of enormous prosperity when industries - horology is the best known - business and banking flourished. Rousseau was born in Geneva in 1712 and Voltaire lived there from 1775 to 1778. On the other hand, Geneva was shaken by political and social agitation.
The Geneva revolution of 1792 brought down the aristocratic government of the Ancien Régime and proclaimed political equality. Geneva was annexed by France in 1798 and made the administrative centre of the Department of Léman. Its freedom was restored on December 31, 1813, following the defeat of Napoleon's armies. The republic's magistrates then applied for its entry into the Swiss Confederation. This was granted in 1815. A revolution in 1846 led by James Fazy overthrew the government of the Restoration and established the constitution that is still in force in the canton today. During the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th, Geneva welcomed many political refugees. Based on the ideas expressed by the Genevan Henri Dunant, the International Committee of the Red Cross was founded in 1864, the first of many international organizations to settle there.
Geneva's international role was confirmed after the First World War when it was chosen as the site for the headquarters of the League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations Organisation.
Geneva Sights, sightseeing, culture:
For a city of less than 200,000 inhabitants (but the population of the canton as a whole is roughly double that figure), Geneva undoubtedly has much to offer in terms of culture: it has over thirty museums, several concert halls (including the Victoria Hall, the Grand-Théâtre and the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices), over twenty theatres, about thirty cinemas and more than a hundred private art galleries. Various cultural manifestations take place throughout the year in the form of festivals, shows or other artistic performances - a recent and much appreciated addition being the annual Music Festival in June.
Although some people here have criticised our authorities as having cultural tastes or priorities that are too highbrow, being obsessed by Geneva's image or prestige on the international scene and with emphasis being laid on high-profile musical institutions such as the Victoria Hall, the Grand-Théâtre or the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, other cultural centres (such as the Usine, the Maison des Arts du Grütli, the Forum de Meyrin, Saint-Gervais, the Centre d'art en liIle, the Cité Bleue and the MAMCO) bear witness to our city's efforts to promote a thriving contemporary arts scene.
Despite being seldom regarded as such, our public libraries are an integral part of the canton's cultural life. Temporary exhibitions, literary readings, small-scale concerts and sometimes theatrical performances are held in most branches. Coupled with their twin sisters, the two music libraries, they also constitute one of the best places to gather information (leaflets or fliers) on what is happening in Geneva, culturally speaking.
Geneva luxury hotels 5*:
Geneva first class hotels 4*:
Geneva budget hotels 3*:
Selection of GUT rated hotels in Geneva:
All Displayed Prices Exclude Tax Recovery Charges and Service Fees