Jet d'Eau in Geneva

Description Street view Reviews Accomodation Map

Description

The Jet d'Eau is a large fountain in Geneva, Switzerland, and is one of the city's most famous landmarks, being featured on the city's official tourism web site and on the official logo for Geneva's hosting of the 2008 UEFA Championships. Situated at the point where Lake Geneva empties into the Rhône, it is visible throughout the city and from the air, even when flying over Geneva at an altitude of 10 kilometres (33,000 ft).

Five hundred litres (110 imp gal; 130 US gal) of water per second are jetted to an altitude of 140 metres (460 ft) by two 500 kW pumps, operating at 2,400 V, consuming one megawatt of electricity. The water leaves the nozzle at a speed of 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph). Diameter of the nozzle is exactly 4 inches (10 cm). Maximum height of water jet is about 140 metres (460 ft) above water level. When it is in operation, at any given moment there are about 7,000 litres (1,500 imp gal; 1,800 US gal) of water in the air. Unsuspecting visitors to the fountain—which can be reached via a stone jetty from the left bank of the lake—may be surprised to find themselves drenched after a slight change in wind direction.

History

The first Jet d'Eau was installed in 1886 at the Usine de la Coulouvrenière, a little further downstream from its present location. It was used as a safety valve for a hydraulic power network and could reach a height of about 30 metres (98 feet). In 1891, its aesthetic value was recognised and it was moved to its present location to celebrate the Federal Gymnastics Festival and the 600th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation, on which occasion it was operated for the first time. Its maximum height was about 90 metres (295 feet). The present Jet d'Eau was installed in 1951 in a partially submerged pumping station to pump lake water instead of city water.

Since 2003, the fountain has operated during the day all year round, except in case of frost and particularly strong wind. It also operates in the evening between spring and autumn and is lit by a set of 21 lights totalling 9 kW.

On 25 August, 2016, the fountain celebrated its 125th anniversary at its present location.

Street view

Reviews

05.08.2021 Rosa
Really iconic in Geneva. It's cool to walk along the walkway and past the fountain. You will definitely feel the mist!
05.08.2021 Przemyslaw
Stunning, especially during the night if you come really close. Good place to come, sit for a while and stop thinking about anything in this lively city
05.08.2021 Webdesignwill
Cool fountain which is pretty powerful when you get close. Nice to hang with some friends and a wine
05.08.2021 Michele
Iconic. Le Jet D'eau. The symbol of Geneva. Get up close and wet or admire from all round the lakeside.
05.08.2021 Georgia
It's iconic and a must see! Take M2 boat line (included in the public transport ticket you'll get at your hotel/hostel) across the lake and you'll go right past it! It's magnificent.
05.08.2021 The
If you're in Geneva, you have to see this! Iconic, dramatic and featured in the credits of 1970's TV series "The Champions". Check the "Schedule of the Jet d'eau" to tell when it's working - but seeing it power down is pretty spectacular as well.
05.08.2021 Anjani
Nice.to see this. When we visited the wind.direction was changing soon much that the water sprinklers were showering on us as a huge down pour... Liked it
05.08.2021 Jaskamal
Spent around 3 hours in afternoon here and really liked the view and atmosphere here. Good place to visit.
08.07.2018 Janelle
This is a rather impressive water fountain. We were able to get close enough to allow the mist cool us off on a warm day in Geneva. The wind direction did change while we were there and the spray from the fountain ended up drenching other visitors who got closer than we did.
05.07.2018 Sarah
I wish we could have seen it! It was turned off the day we were in the area due to high winds. Instead, we walked out to it and along the shore. The surrounding area was still pretty nice to explore. There still was a lot to see including swans, boats, and park areas, plus the Fete de la Musique was going on, so we definitely were not bored! Maybe we'll have to come back some other time to hopefully see it.
Share your experiences, help others make the right choice!
Think about what you would like to know if you were looking for a review about a place to relax. Please describe in detail what you liked and what you didn't. What would you advise to other guests and to the hotel owner. The more fully you tell about the hotel, the easier it will be for other people to make a choice and they will be very grateful to you!

Map

X