Palace of Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

The Palace of Nations is the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva. It was built between 1929 and 1938 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations. The palace was at the time of completion the second-largest building complex in Europe after Versailles.

The Palace is located in Ariana Park, which was bequeathed to the City of Geneva in 1890 by Gustave de Revilliod de la Rive, on several conditions: i.a. that the park always remain accessible to the public and that he be buried in the park. The park also contains a 1668 chalet.

Beneath the Palace of Nations's foundation stone is a time capsule containing a document listing the names of the League of Nations member states, a copy of the Covenant of the League, and specimen coins of all the countries represented at the league's Tenth Assembly. A medal showing the Palace of Nations with the Jura Mountains in the background was struck in silvered bronze.

The building overlooks Lake Geneva and has a clear view of the French Alps.

References:

Wikipedia

Palaces, manors and town halls in Switzerland

User Reviews

indah nuria Savitri (7 months ago)
A must see place when you are visiting Geneve! During my posting in Geneve from 2007 - 2011 in Geneva, I spent most of my time here..every working days perhaps :D..so I got a chance to go around and enjoy its beauty. I even get the chance to visit the place again for works until the pandemic hits. An organized tour is also available for tourists, with extra discount if you're coming with someone with UN ID. But please check the arrangement during the pandemic as some places close their tour. If you have a friend or family with the UN ID, you can come along with them to get in and see the Palais yourself accompanies by the person with the ID. Don't miss Room XX or Alliance for Civilization Room with its magnificent ceiling work...General Assembly, Salle des pas perdu and the famous backyard as well as mountainous scenery, the Council Chamber. Many interesting art objects and gifts from States are also in displays.I also love the murals in the library....and of course, Gate 1 where we have the lines of flags of the UN member states.if you are lucky, you can also see beautiful peacocks roaming freely in some corners of the yard... Don't forget to walk around the Armillery sphere and take pictures there with the Palais as the background..so lovely...There is also a typical Swiss chalet near the main gate... A true palace indeed...with all its endless and enchanted beauty... Take your time and enjoy it...

Silvia. Antoinette Muller Muller (14 months ago)
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Reena Motwani (15 months ago)
Fantastic place with lovely interiors. A must visit if you come to Geneva, intercontinental hotel just a few steps ahead with a beautiful view to United Nations and Broken chair ?

Sandro Mathys (16 months ago)
There used to be a big red warning on their website, that the tours are not open due to COVID-19. But the warning vanished and most other museums and tours reopened a while ago. So I expected they're open again and came to Geneva specifically for this tour, just to be told it's closed.

Jason Chang (16 months ago)
Fantastic place with very imposing structures. You definitely get the feel that this is a place that takes itself seriously. Strongly suggest visiting to understand it's history in peace building and it's place in the current world of diplomacy

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The Cloth Hall in Kraków dates to the Renaissance and is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the main market square in the Kraków Old Town (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978).

The hall was once a major centre of international trade. Traveling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter. During its golden age in the 15th century, the hall was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the east – spices, silk, leather and wax – while Kraków itself exported textiles, lead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Kraków was Poland's capital city and was among the largest cities in Europe already from before the time of the Renaissance. However, its decline started with the move of the capital to Warsaw in the very end of the 16th century. The city's decline was hastened by wars and politics leading to the Partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century. By the time of the architectural restoration proposed for the cloth hall in 1870 under Austrian rule, much of the historic city center was decrepit. A change in political and economic fortunes for the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria ushered in a revival due to newly established Legislative Assembly or Sejm of the Land. The successful renovation of the Cloth Hall, based on design by Tomasz Pryliński and supervised by Mayor Mikołaj Zyblikiewicz, Sejm Marshal, was one of the most notable achievements of this period.

The hall has hosted many distinguished guests over the centuries and is still used to entertain monarchs and dignitaries, such as Charles, Prince of Wales and Emperor Akihito of Japan, who was welcomed here in 2002. In the past, balls were held here, most notably after Prince Józef Poniatowski had briefly liberated the city from the Austrians in 1809. Aside from its history and cultural value, the hall still is still used as a center of commerce.

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The Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art was a major cultural venue from the moment it opened on October 7, 1879. It features late Baroque, Rococo, and Classicist 18th-century portraits and battle scenes by Polish and foreign pre-Romantics.

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