Jet d'Eau, Geneva - the tallest fountain in the world
The Traveller, who discovers Geneva for the first time, will certainly be fascinated by the Jet d’Eau, the water-fountain in the lake. This is a 140 meters high water monument, sort of an exclamation mark dominating the roadstead. A white column, constantly moving, mounting rapidly into the sky and then falling down again in millions of drops as a curtain with thousands of constantly renewed folds.
The Jet d’Eau of Geneva has a rich history. Originally it was the safety valve for a hydraulic plant, at the time when electricity was still a laboratory curiosity. Today it works through motor-driven pumps and its capacity is 500 litres per second. It works from the beginning of March till mid-October.
When approaching the Jet d’Eau, the visitor feels a mixture of an indescribable power and freshness. Coming closer he will feel a draught filled with invigorating spray. After that he will get conscious about the environing sites, the harmony of the quays, the old town on the hills and the St Peter's Cathedral. Later he will admire the gentle lines of the Jura Mountains at the horizon. When going back in the dark of the night he will see the many multicolour lights of the town, emphasized by the line of the hundreds of small lamps along the quays. The Jet d’Eau will add its vertical line to this peaceful horizontal picture.
Source: Geneva Tourism