Home » UAE » The Geneva Fountain is the main symbol of the Swiss capital. Geneva Fountain, Switzerland: description, photo, where it is on the map, how to get to the Fountain of the Jeu D'eau

The Geneva Fountain is the main symbol of the Swiss capital. Geneva Fountain, Switzerland: description, photo, where it is on the map, how to get to the Fountain of the Jeu D'eau

Located in the heart of Geneva harbor, the Geneva Fountain (Jet d'Eau) is a recognizable emblem of the city throughout the world and the main attraction of the Swiss capital. The huge water fountain is an integral part of the landscape and occupies a special place in the heart of Geneva. Beautiful and stunning at any time of the day or year, at night, thanks to modern sophisticated lighting, it appears in all its splendor. Millions of tiny bubbles of water and air contrast effectively with the darkness and romantic city at night.

There is a lot in Geneva interesting places and attractions, but it’s almost impossible to visit the city and not see the fountain. Select and book a hotel in foreign countries, for example in Switzerland, you can visit www.planetofhotels.com. There you can also find detailed photographs, descriptions, a map and see prices. Switzerland is not the best cheap country, the cost of a single room in Geneva hotels can be more than $400. On average - 120 dollars. The popular airport hotel in Geneva usually costs $200-350 per night, but if you look in advance, you can book a room for $124.

The Geneva Fountain was not always a symbol; it served local residents in a very practical way for a long time. With its help, the pressure and water system in the city were regulated at the end of the 19th century. A gigantic hydraulic structure for those times was built in 1886. In the evening, when the artisans stopped their machines, there was excess pressure. So the idea arose to create an additional flow through a safety valve, which regulates the pressure, releasing all the water pressure to the sky. The first stream of water was 30 meters high. In July 1891, the city's Administrative Council decided to make a fountain tourist place and moved it to the very center of the harbor. A new stream of water reached more than 90 meters. Until 1951, the fountain was connected to the drinking water network. Currently, self-contained, partially submerged pumps use lake water, allowing it to operate throughout the year.

Technical characteristics of the Geneva fountain:

Average jet height: 140 meters
Water outlet speed: 200 km/h
Flow: 500 liters/sec
Two pumping units with a total power of 1000 kW and 2400V.
Flow rate of each group: 250 l/s
Lighting power: 9000 W

Postcard with a view of the main fountain of Switzerland.

Geneva at night is beautiful!

Without exaggeration, Jet d’Eau is one of the largest fountains in the world.

Fountain and couple on the shore.

Five hundred liters (132 gallons) of water per second rises to a height of about 140 meters!

Since 2003, the Geneva Fountain has been operating 24 hours a day throughout the year. It is turned off only in very strong winds and frosts.

Geneva Fountain (Geneva, Switzerland) - description, history, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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There are many interesting sights in Geneva, but one of them - the Jet d'Eau fountain - attracts all tourists without exception. The Geneva Fountain is located in the city center, but not somewhere in a square or park, but in the middle of a lake. This place was not chosen by chance. History says that the fountain was launched in 1886, but then it was not just a beautiful landmark, but worked for the benefit of all of Geneva, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the city's hydraulic system.

There is no need to worry about the operating hours of the Geneva Fountain, since it is turned on every day - from morning to evening.

Today the Geneva Fountain is considered one of the most powerful in the world. Just imagine: the jets of the water complex rise to a height of... 140 meters! This is comparable to the size of a 46-story high-rise! In addition to the powerful jet, which, by the way, can take different forms, the Geneva Fountain also boasts beautiful multi-colored lighting.

Geneva fountain

The spotlights are turned on at dusk, and the lake with a fountain gushing on its surface turns into an incredibly spectacular event. There is no need to worry about the operating hours of the Geneva Fountain, since it is turned on every day - from morning to evening. The only thing that can prevent you from enjoying the main attraction of Geneva is bad weather: on windy days and in sub-zero temperatures water complex do not run for security reasons. And finally.

You will not be charged a single franc for visiting the Geneva Fountain - from any observation deck You can watch it completely free of charge.

Address: Geneve, Quai Gustave-Ador

The Geneva fountain, or Jet d'Eau, is located in and today is not only the main symbol of the city, but of the whole city. Few tourists, and local residents They know that initially the fountain performed an important function in providing the city with electricity. Much later, the city authorities decided to reconstruct the building. This is how the Geneva Fountain appeared - one of the most magnificent of the city, which attracts vacationers.

The history of Geneva's largest fountain

Jet d'Eau is the largest fountain in Geneva. Its history begins at the end of the 18th century, when the fountain was built and put into operation in addition to the hydraulic factory. In those days, the fountain was small, its height barely reached 30 meters, but despite this, it quickly became a favorite place for lovers, new mothers and their children, and elderly residents of the city. In 1891, the Geneva municipal council seeks funds to illuminate the fountain, making it more beautiful than before. After quite a bit of time, the attraction was moved to another part of the city, to the square of the Haut-Vives quarter, to the shore. The transformations did not end there; the power of the fountain jet increased to 90 meters, and the design of the adjacent territory also changed. Since then, the Geneva Fountain has been working smoothly and delights everyone who lives or visits Geneva.

For the last decade, the fountain has been operating every day, except on stormy days with freezing temperatures or strong gusts of wind, when it can be dangerous for others.

Features of the fountain

Wind and sunlight help the fountain stream change shape and colors.
You can endlessly watch the movement of water, because its sculptures are unique.
Depending on the refraction of the sun's rays, the water in the fountain can be painted in all sorts of colors and shades, from pink to silver-blue.
Water takes different forms depending on weather conditions it could be a pillar or a fan of spray.
Thanks to technical equipment The water in the fountain is saturated with air, which gives it a pleasant white color. The water in the lake is brown.

Fountain today

Fountain of the Jet Dau in Geneva – main center political and cultural life of the city and country. For example, in 2010 a charity campaign against breast cancer was organized here. Every year, the Geneva Fountain becomes the venue for events for tasting water from the lake. All funds raised during this celebration are donated to Kenya, whose residents are experiencing an acute shortage of drinking water. Each celebration is accompanied by excursions introducing the internal structure of the fountain.

Today Jet d'Eau has become even more magnificent. The height of the water column of the Geneva Fountain is 147 meters, and the speed at which the water moves can reach 200 kilometers per hour. Every second, two powerful pumps pump up to 500 liters of water. The mass of water flying into the air reaches 7000 kg; a small drop returns to the lake after 16 seconds of flight. The height of the jet of the Geneva Fountain could be increased further, but these changes would have a negative impact on the flora and fauna of the lake, so the municipality decided not to risk it.

Note to tourists

The Geneva Fountain is visible from any corner of the city, so it can be used as a landmark if you lose your way. The fountain is located on the promenade embankment nearby and if you are staying in one of them in the Old Town, you can walk to your destination. Tourists living on the opposite shore of the lake can use the services of local transport - cruising boats. The ticket will cost 2 euros.

The Je Dau Fountain operates around the clock, but you can fully enjoy the beauty of its illumination and illumination only in dark time day, so plan your day correctly to get everything done and admire one of the greatest buildings of our time.

The giant jet of water has been Geneva's most significant landmark since 1981. This narrow column of water, shooting to a staggering height of 140 meters, is one of the most recognizable places in the city.

The fountain has quite impressive characteristics: every second, a stream of water with a diameter of 4 inches (10.16 cm) rushes to the surface at a speed of 200 km/h. At any moment there is about 7,000 liters of water in the air.

Named "Jet d'Eau", which means "stream of water" in French, the fountain is located on Lake Geneva where it flows into the Rhône River. The lake has a stone pier installed in the same year, like the famous fountain, visitors can use it to get from the shore directly to the place where the stream of water comes from.

The famous Swiss landmark was originally intended as a relief valve to relieve excess pressure that was being put on the city's hydraulic power grid. A hydraulic power network uses pressurized water to transfer mechanical energy from a large central pumping station to workshops and factories throughout the city through a network of pipes, just as a power system transfers energy from a generator station to end users.

The idea of a hydraulic power supply network was first proposed by the English inventor Joseph Bramah in the early 1800s, and the first such low-pressure systems began to appear in England in the 1840s, but the real breakthrough came in 1850 with the introduction of the hydraulic accumulator, which allowed the use of much higher pressures. By the end of the 19th century, many cities around the world had hydraulic power grids. These included London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Antwerp, Melbourne, Sydney, Buenos Aires and Geneva.

The Geneva Hydraulic Electricity Network was created in 1879 through the installation of a 300 HP steam engine, pumping water from Lake Geneva for both drinking and pressurized water supply. Increased demand prompted the city to install a new pumping station in 1886, which used water from the Rhone River. Water pressure was used to drive machines in more than a hundred workshops and factories. At the end of each workday, as factories turned off machines at the same time, excess pressure built up in the system, so a relief valve was needed to relieve it. This safety valve became the first fountain in Geneva, creating a column of water 30 meters high.

Soon the tall fountain became a city landmark. Seeing how popular it had become, in 1891 the city decided to move it to its current location for the sole purpose of attracting more tourists. When the jet began to flow with greater power, the height of the fountain rose by 90 meters. In 1951, the power of the flow once increased so much that the jet rose to its current height - 140 meters - becoming the sixth tallest fountain in the world.

Today the fountain operates around the clock throughout the year, and in the evenings it is illuminated with colorful lights.

The first Jeu d'Eau fountain in Geneva, circa 1886.