Walking down (and up!) the streets of Old Town in Geneva, although interesting, yet quite exhausting. So when we came across a museum, we sighed with relief – at least they have chairs in some of exhibition halls. The museum turned out to be Museum of Reformation. So I had a chance to learn something I knew very little about. And, frankly, if you put aside the dogma of Reformation in Church, the principles of re-designing rituals and decorations seemed somewhat close to my taste – I too like things to be straight and simple…;-)
Museum of Reformation
But if serious, Geneva is a historical capital of the Reformation in Europe. So there are quite a few monuments and buildings there related to that period. From here Calvin managed to turn the religious institute upside down. And if you learn about Calvin at school, you might remember that Reformation was all about rationalism, about rejecting pompous rituals in church, about putting God above everything else and denying existence of the saints, about predetermination of destiny. Of course, this is not all that it is to the Church of Reformation. But I don’t think it is important. Relevant to my travel log is only the fact that the only museum we visited in Geneva happened to be a Museum of Reformation. And that it was unexpectedly interesting.
St.Peter’s Cathedral
The museum stands next door to the St Peter’s Cathedral. Now that was Cathedral well placed! Standing on the top of the high hill, Cathedral also has two towers, from where there is a breathtaking view over the city, lake, and fountain. That is if you’ll manage 157 steps of a spiral staircase, of course. The Cathedral was built in from 12 century and has been under improvement all the time to 17th century. As a result, the Cathedral is such a mixture of architectural styles, that it is difficult to say it is a sacred place. The entrance, for example, looks like a roman theatre, not a church at all.
Clocks
Switzerland is famous for its banking, chocolate and watches. We weren’t particular interested in any of those, but we did see the famous Geneva’s Flower Clock. Growing in The English Gardens (some place by the lake, which has nothing to do with English, apart from British tourists wandering around from time to time) In a basic sense it is just a gigantic flowerbed with embedded clock mechanism. It’s nice, it’s pretty and it attracts crowds of tourists. (as if none of them has normal watch on their wrist to check the time!)
Brunswick
There was this guy. Extravagant millionaire, famous for his love for linguistics, music, horses and spending money in the most original ways. Named – Charles, Duke of Brunswick. He spent his last years of life in Geneva and, apparently, left to the city a sum of money with one condition: to build him mausoleum in the best place in city, by the best builders, and for this to be exact replica of the Scaligeri family tomb in Verona, Italy. The City took the money and of course, build the tomb. A strange construction out of place in such a modernist city, but still – a fine work of art.
Smurfs
I am still under the spell of the remarkable works of Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona. Can you imagine my excitement when in the center of Geneva we’ve discovered a little reminder-signature of the artistic style that can never be mistaken for another! It is a small neighborhood, just behind the train station and it’s dedicated to… the Smurfs. Well, actually, the name is Schtrumpfs. And this is about sweet blueish cartoon characters…walking around these uneven buildings with the spider-webbed balconies, columns in the form of mushrooms and bright colors spilled in random fashion all over the place…it feels as if you’re walking inside the cartoon, almost making your very self a funny cartoon character …absolutely adorable place – the Grottes
More of Switzerland to come
Museum of Reformation
But if serious, Geneva is a historical capital of the Reformation in Europe. So there are quite a few monuments and buildings there related to that period. From here Calvin managed to turn the religious institute upside down. And if you learn about Calvin at school, you might remember that Reformation was all about rationalism, about rejecting pompous rituals in church, about putting God above everything else and denying existence of the saints, about predetermination of destiny. Of course, this is not all that it is to the Church of Reformation. But I don’t think it is important. Relevant to my travel log is only the fact that the only museum we visited in Geneva happened to be a Museum of Reformation. And that it was unexpectedly interesting.
St.Peter’s Cathedral
The museum stands next door to the St Peter’s Cathedral. Now that was Cathedral well placed! Standing on the top of the high hill, Cathedral also has two towers, from where there is a breathtaking view over the city, lake, and fountain. That is if you’ll manage 157 steps of a spiral staircase, of course. The Cathedral was built in from 12 century and has been under improvement all the time to 17th century. As a result, the Cathedral is such a mixture of architectural styles, that it is difficult to say it is a sacred place. The entrance, for example, looks like a roman theatre, not a church at all.
Clocks
Switzerland is famous for its banking, chocolate and watches. We weren’t particular interested in any of those, but we did see the famous Geneva’s Flower Clock. Growing in The English Gardens (some place by the lake, which has nothing to do with English, apart from British tourists wandering around from time to time) In a basic sense it is just a gigantic flowerbed with embedded clock mechanism. It’s nice, it’s pretty and it attracts crowds of tourists. (as if none of them has normal watch on their wrist to check the time!)
Brunswick
There was this guy. Extravagant millionaire, famous for his love for linguistics, music, horses and spending money in the most original ways. Named – Charles, Duke of Brunswick. He spent his last years of life in Geneva and, apparently, left to the city a sum of money with one condition: to build him mausoleum in the best place in city, by the best builders, and for this to be exact replica of the Scaligeri family tomb in Verona, Italy. The City took the money and of course, build the tomb. A strange construction out of place in such a modernist city, but still – a fine work of art.
Smurfs
I am still under the spell of the remarkable works of Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona. Can you imagine my excitement when in the center of Geneva we’ve discovered a little reminder-signature of the artistic style that can never be mistaken for another! It is a small neighborhood, just behind the train station and it’s dedicated to… the Smurfs. Well, actually, the name is Schtrumpfs. And this is about sweet blueish cartoon characters…walking around these uneven buildings with the spider-webbed balconies, columns in the form of mushrooms and bright colors spilled in random fashion all over the place…it feels as if you’re walking inside the cartoon, almost making your very self a funny cartoon character …absolutely adorable place – the Grottes
More of Switzerland to come