Jet d'Eau

Big, bold and beautiful

Word to the wise: The best time to visit Jet d’Eau is late in the evening when it is beautifully lit up against the dark sky.
One of the world's highest fountains and a true Genevan icon, it's hard to believe that the exceedingly photogenic Jet D'eau wasn't even intended to be pretty at first. First installed downstream from its present site, the fountain was once a mere pressure valve for a local factory's hydraulic power network. Once Genevans had noticed how stunning it looked at full blast, however, it was moved to its present site in 1891, blasting water into the Geneva sky at a rate of 500 litres per second.

The fountain's magnificent plume reaches a height of 140 metres, often splashing onlookers on the nearby pier as it falls. Pay attention to this if you go for a closer look, as a small change in wind direction can leave you drenched.