The island of Rousseau, formerly known as Barque, is located at the junction of the Rhone and Lake Geneva. The Rhone River flows from the Alps, down the road, to the island, from the stone embankment to the two sides, slowly injecting Lake Geneva, tens of meters away is the Mont Blanc Bridge connecting the old city of Geneva and the new district. The island is a natural reef on the Rhone River. In 1583, the Genevaites built it into an artificial island and became a military fort protecting the city.