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Tours in Geneva |
Cathédral de St Pierre (St Peter's Cathedral)
Built between 1160 and 1289, St Peter's Cathedral is surprisingly small. Even more surprising is its combination of Romanesque, gothic, and neoclassical styles. The austerity of the main body of the church is wholly appropriate for a building in which John Calvin preached (1536-1564). However, the 15th-century Chapel of the Maccabees, restored in 1875, is a riot of gilded embellishment against blue and red grounds that recall the decoration of Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch by William Burges. The neoclassical facade was added in 1750. Under the cathedral is one of Europe's largest underground archaeological sites with some good 14th-century mosaics, while the top of the north tower offers fine views over the old town and lake.
Cour St-Pierre
Tel: (022) 311 7575.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1730, Sun 1200-1730 (Oct-May); Mon-Sat 0930-1830 and Sun 1200-1830 (Jun-Sep).
Free admission, charge for the tower.
Jardin Anglais (English Garden) and Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock)
The English Garden, dating from 1854, is home to the Monument National, a statue of two young women - the 'Republic of Geneva' and 'Helvetia', symbolising Geneva's attachment to the Swiss Confederation on 12 September 1814. Within the park there is an elegant bronze fountain and L'Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock) (decorated with over 6,300 plants) that was installed in 1955 to honour Geneva's watch-making industry. The clock measures 5m (16.4ft) in diameter and 17.7m (58ft) in circumference. Its second hand is the longest in the world at over 2.5m (8.2ft).
Quai Général Guisan
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission.
Jet d'Eau (Water Fountain)
The famed Water Fountain is the Eiffel Tower of Geneva, an impressive 140m (459ft) fountain that dominates the Geneva harbour and all modern depictions of the city. The Jet was originally the safety valve for the city's water supply and is Europe's tallest fountain. This water showpiece is illuminated at night, however, during the day, the fountain takes care of the special effects for itself - when the sun shines, a rainbow hovers behind the powerful jet of water, which spurts straight up into the sky at a speed of 200kph (125mph).
Off Quai Gustave Ador (on the Rive Gauche)
Operating hours: Hours are subject to weather conditions. Check with the tourist office. Closed for three weeks during November for maintenance.
Free to view.
Mur des Réformateurs (Reformation Wall)
Construction of the 60ft (18m) Reformation Wall began in 1909, on the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. The monument is dedicated to the four figures central to the Reformation movement - John Calvin (1509-64), Théodore de Bèze (1513-1605), John Knox (c1514-72) and Guillaume Farel (1489-65).
Parc des Bastions
Opening hours: Dawn to dusk.
Free admission.
Jardin Botanique (Botanical Gardens)
Geneva's world-renowned Botanical Gardens were created by the botanist A P de Candolle, in the Parc des Bastions in 1817. Relocated to their present site in 1901, the 28-hectare (69-acre) gardens have greenhouses with tropical plants from six continents, a pond brimming with aquatic plants, thousands of flowers, a garden of the senses, an aviary and a park of rare animals, as well as a research laboratory, herbarium collection and extensive library.
Chemin de l'Impératrice 1, Chambésy
Tel: (022) 418 5100.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700 (Oct-Mar); daily 0800-1930 (Apr-Sep).
Free admission.
Palais des Nations (Palace of Nations)
This vast building, designed in the form of a double horseshoe and set in a park with century-old trees, is the largest United Nations centre after New York. It was built between 1929 and 1937 to host the League of Nations, the precursor to the UN. Visits are extremely popular and allow entrance to certain conference rooms (including the Council Room with frescoes by José Maria Sert, and the Assembly Hall).
Avenue de la Paix 14
Tel: (022) 917 4896.
Website: www.unog.ch
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1200 & 1400-1600 (Sep-Jun); 1000-1700 (Jul-Aug). The visit consists of an hour-long tour. Group tours must be booked in advance. ID is necessary.
Admission charge.
MAMCO (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art)
Situated in a former factory, this museum extends over four floors that are best visited from top to bottom. One of the permanent displays is L'Appartement, a faithful reproduction of a Parisian collector's flat, for which he has loaned his own furniture, paintings and sculptures.
Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10
Tel: (022) 320 6122.
Website: www.mamco.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1200-1800, Sat-Sun 1100-1800, closed Mon.
Admission charge.
Musée International de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge (International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum)
With a powerful combination of audiovisuals, sculpture, computers and documentation, this extraordinary museum tells the story of the founding of the Red Cross by Henry Dunant, as well as its present humanitarian actions. It is Geneva's most impressive and original museum. The Café Dinant also is a multimedia area.
Avenue de la Paix 17
Tel: (022) 748 9525.
Website: www.micr.org
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1700, closed Tues.
Admission charge.
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Museum of Art and History)
The Museum of Art and History presents a multidisciplinary approach to history (from prehistoric times to the present) through important collections of fine art, archaeology and applied art, including arms and armour, costumes and musical instruments. The most celebrated work is Konrad Witz's early 15th-century painting, La Pêche Miraculeuse.
Rue Charles-Galland 2
Tel: (022) 418 2600.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch/mah
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700, closed Mon.
Free admission.
Musée Patek Philippe (Patek Philippe Museum)
Geneva has long been associated with clocks and the Patek Philippe Company count among the finest manufacturers of Swiss watches. The numerous artefacts at this fascinating museum illustrate the history and development of Swiss timepieces, from the 16th to the 19th centuries, including the Calibre 89, the most expensive watch in the world.
Rue de Vieux Grenadiers 7
Tel: (022) 807 0910.
Website: www.patekmuseum.com
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1400-1800, Sat 1000-1800.
Admission charge.
Maison Tavel (Tavel House)
The one-towered Tavel House is named after the noble Tavel family, who lived here in the 14th century. Today a museum, it provides an insight into the day-to-day lives of Genevois from the 14th to 19th centuries. The attic houses the Magnin Maquette of 1896, a huge relief model of Geneva before 1850, with its city walls still in place.
Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6
Tel: (022) 418 3700.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch/mah
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Free admission, charge for temporary exhibitions.
Built between 1160 and 1289, St Peter's Cathedral is surprisingly small. Even more surprising is its combination of Romanesque, gothic, and neoclassical styles. The austerity of the main body of the church is wholly appropriate for a building in which John Calvin preached (1536-1564). However, the 15th-century Chapel of the Maccabees, restored in 1875, is a riot of gilded embellishment against blue and red grounds that recall the decoration of Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch by William Burges. The neoclassical facade was added in 1750. Under the cathedral is one of Europe's largest underground archaeological sites with some good 14th-century mosaics, while the top of the north tower offers fine views over the old town and lake.
Cour St-Pierre
Tel: (022) 311 7575.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1730, Sun 1200-1730 (Oct-May); Mon-Sat 0930-1830 and Sun 1200-1830 (Jun-Sep).
Free admission, charge for the tower.
Jardin Anglais (English Garden) and Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock)
The English Garden, dating from 1854, is home to the Monument National, a statue of two young women - the 'Republic of Geneva' and 'Helvetia', symbolising Geneva's attachment to the Swiss Confederation on 12 September 1814. Within the park there is an elegant bronze fountain and L'Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock) (decorated with over 6,300 plants) that was installed in 1955 to honour Geneva's watch-making industry. The clock measures 5m (16.4ft) in diameter and 17.7m (58ft) in circumference. Its second hand is the longest in the world at over 2.5m (8.2ft).
Quai Général Guisan
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission.
Jet d'Eau (Water Fountain)
The famed Water Fountain is the Eiffel Tower of Geneva, an impressive 140m (459ft) fountain that dominates the Geneva harbour and all modern depictions of the city. The Jet was originally the safety valve for the city's water supply and is Europe's tallest fountain. This water showpiece is illuminated at night, however, during the day, the fountain takes care of the special effects for itself - when the sun shines, a rainbow hovers behind the powerful jet of water, which spurts straight up into the sky at a speed of 200kph (125mph).
Off Quai Gustave Ador (on the Rive Gauche)
Operating hours: Hours are subject to weather conditions. Check with the tourist office. Closed for three weeks during November for maintenance.
Free to view.
Mur des Réformateurs (Reformation Wall)
Construction of the 60ft (18m) Reformation Wall began in 1909, on the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. The monument is dedicated to the four figures central to the Reformation movement - John Calvin (1509-64), Théodore de Bèze (1513-1605), John Knox (c1514-72) and Guillaume Farel (1489-65).
Parc des Bastions
Opening hours: Dawn to dusk.
Free admission.
Jardin Botanique (Botanical Gardens)
Geneva's world-renowned Botanical Gardens were created by the botanist A P de Candolle, in the Parc des Bastions in 1817. Relocated to their present site in 1901, the 28-hectare (69-acre) gardens have greenhouses with tropical plants from six continents, a pond brimming with aquatic plants, thousands of flowers, a garden of the senses, an aviary and a park of rare animals, as well as a research laboratory, herbarium collection and extensive library.
Chemin de l'Impératrice 1, Chambésy
Tel: (022) 418 5100.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700 (Oct-Mar); daily 0800-1930 (Apr-Sep).
Free admission.
Palais des Nations (Palace of Nations)
This vast building, designed in the form of a double horseshoe and set in a park with century-old trees, is the largest United Nations centre after New York. It was built between 1929 and 1937 to host the League of Nations, the precursor to the UN. Visits are extremely popular and allow entrance to certain conference rooms (including the Council Room with frescoes by José Maria Sert, and the Assembly Hall).
Avenue de la Paix 14
Tel: (022) 917 4896.
Website: www.unog.ch
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1200 & 1400-1600 (Sep-Jun); 1000-1700 (Jul-Aug). The visit consists of an hour-long tour. Group tours must be booked in advance. ID is necessary.
Admission charge.
MAMCO (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art)
Situated in a former factory, this museum extends over four floors that are best visited from top to bottom. One of the permanent displays is L'Appartement, a faithful reproduction of a Parisian collector's flat, for which he has loaned his own furniture, paintings and sculptures.
Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10
Tel: (022) 320 6122.
Website: www.mamco.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1200-1800, Sat-Sun 1100-1800, closed Mon.
Admission charge.
Musée International de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge (International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum)
With a powerful combination of audiovisuals, sculpture, computers and documentation, this extraordinary museum tells the story of the founding of the Red Cross by Henry Dunant, as well as its present humanitarian actions. It is Geneva's most impressive and original museum. The Café Dinant also is a multimedia area.
Avenue de la Paix 17
Tel: (022) 748 9525.
Website: www.micr.org
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1700, closed Tues.
Admission charge.
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Museum of Art and History)
The Museum of Art and History presents a multidisciplinary approach to history (from prehistoric times to the present) through important collections of fine art, archaeology and applied art, including arms and armour, costumes and musical instruments. The most celebrated work is Konrad Witz's early 15th-century painting, La Pêche Miraculeuse.
Rue Charles-Galland 2
Tel: (022) 418 2600.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch/mah
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700, closed Mon.
Free admission.
Musée Patek Philippe (Patek Philippe Museum)
Geneva has long been associated with clocks and the Patek Philippe Company count among the finest manufacturers of Swiss watches. The numerous artefacts at this fascinating museum illustrate the history and development of Swiss timepieces, from the 16th to the 19th centuries, including the Calibre 89, the most expensive watch in the world.
Rue de Vieux Grenadiers 7
Tel: (022) 807 0910.
Website: www.patekmuseum.com
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1400-1800, Sat 1000-1800.
Admission charge.
Maison Tavel (Tavel House)
The one-towered Tavel House is named after the noble Tavel family, who lived here in the 14th century. Today a museum, it provides an insight into the day-to-day lives of Genevois from the 14th to 19th centuries. The attic houses the Magnin Maquette of 1896, a huge relief model of Geneva before 1850, with its city walls still in place.
Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6
Tel: (022) 418 3700.
Website: www.ville-ge.ch/mah
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Free admission, charge for temporary exhibitions.
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