Life in Geneva
Geneva is a city offering significant advantages, thus attracting a constant flow of visitors, students, artists, companies, workers, ideas, specialty foods, capital and entertainment. International Geneva is the capital of international organizations. Home to the co-headquarters of the United Nations, Geneva hosts about 200 distinct international organizations. Consequently, the city’s population is extremely diverse, uniting cultures, traditions, cuisines and languages from all parts of the world. Approximately 40% of Geneva’s inhabitants are foreigners. Culture Geneva’s cultural life is active and diverse. Thanks to its high concentration of wealth, the city offers performances and exhibitions for all tastes. Furthermore, its vast show-room ("Palexpo") attracts some of Europe’s largest shows. Sports in Geneva and its surroundings Geneva is an ideal city for amateurs of sports. Walk into the train station early on a Sunday morning and you will be surprised by the number of people with their packs on their shoulders, ready for a long day hike. Alternatively, lake Geneva is an inviting environment for water sports. In the winter, Geneva offers some of the best skiing in the Alps as close as 45 minutes away. Local buses bring skiers to the nearby slopes of Chamonix, Flaine, Les Portes du Soleil, Zermatt, Verbier and other renowned ski areas. Quality of life and Travel Geneva offers a very high quality of life, as the city is clean, safe and small enough for getting around by bike. Further, it boasts an extensive public transportation network, enjoys an easily accessible international airport and is well connected by train to most other major European cities (for instance, approximate hours of travel are: Milan – 4, Paris – 3.5, Frankfurt – 5, Zurich – 3.5, Marseille – 3.5). Housing The only real disadvantage of Geneva is the housing situation. On top of all the international organizations, many of the large multinational companies have established their European headquarters in Geneva (e.g. IBM, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Procter and Gamble, Caterpillar). Such an influx of people has made it very difficult and relatively expensive to find housing. If you are coming to the area, we encourage you to apply for university housing through the university of Geneva’s housing website or by completing the paperwork sent with your acceptance letter. Otherwise, you should arrive in Geneva about one month in advance to look for apartments to rent. The latest offers are published every Wednesday on the GHI newspaper, and you might find ads of other students looking to share flats on the university’s bulletin boards. For more information For more information on Geneva, you may like to view these external websites:
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