Parks and the outdoors in Geneva

20 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Geneva.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Eat
Asia Garden
Boky
Large selection of Chinese and Japanese dishes. Quality Chinese food (it's always full of Chinese customers) but no fancy atmosphere.
Open now · closes 11:59 pmFr. 14-20
Do
Bois de la Bâtie
Just over the river Arve from Jonction. Most of this woodsy bluff has been left in a more-or-less natural state, though there are walking trails around the edges. The trails connect eventually with a sidewalk which crosses a railroad bridge to the St. Jean neighborhood. There is also a small (free) zoo at the western edge of the woods. If you don't like to walk up the trail from the river you can take the bus up to Claire Vue.
Eat
Buvette des Bains (Bains des Paquis)
Wonderful place in the middle of the lake. Beach in Summer, fondue restaurant in Winter. Good "plat du jour" all day for Fr. 12
Fr. 12-20
See
Cathédrale St-Pierre and Calvin's auditorium
The new Espace Saint Pierre pass includes entrance to all three sites of Cour Saint-Pierre, a worthy space of unique spiritual and cultural importance. The Cathedral and its towers, originally Catholic, both embody the high point of the Reformed tradition and explore the origins of Christianity with an extensive archaeological site and they are now complemented by the International Museum of the Reformation on the ground floor of the Maison Mallet. An underground passage, reopened when the Museum was created, connects the two buildings. The archeological tour beneath the cathedral is excellent for archeology fans it explains the origins not only of the cathedral but the reason for Geneva's location back to pre-Roman times. Those willing to climb the steps of the Cathedral's towers will be rewarded with magnificent views of Geneva and the lake. Nearby, the Auditoire, where Calvin taught, completes a complex that is both representative of the past and open to current questions. The new Espace Saint-Pierre thus aims to contribute to our understanding of today’s world – between tradition and modernity, cultural experimentation and spiritual practice. These three buildings invite the visitor to explore the city’s history. Religious denominations aside, Espace Saint Pierre represents a spirit that continues to guide the city and citizens of Geneva today. For schedules and information about free live organ performances in the cathedral, go to the website Concerts cathédrale.
Jun-Sep: Mon-Sat 09:00-21:00, Sun 11:00-19:00; Oct-May: Mon-Sat 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-12:30 and 13:30-17:00Adults Fr. 16 (Seniors, Disabled, Students aged 16-25, and groups of more than 15 qualify for a Fr. 10 pass, children aged 7-16 qualify for an Fr. 8 pass. Entry to the church itself is free, of course, but donations are welcome.)
Buy
Centre Commercial Cygnes
A variety of smaller shops and eateries under one roof a short walk along Rue de Lausanne from the railway station.
Do
Genève Plage
There are many smaller places where to swim in either the rivers or the lake, but the largest one is Genève Plage (literally "Geneva Beach") at the eastern bank of the lake. It's a nice place to swim, enjoy the sun, play, barbecue, or just hang out.
May-September
Do
Jardin Anglais
A small park where people like to spend their lunch break. Located at the bank of Lake Geneva, just as you've crossed over the Mont Blanc bridge to the southern half of the city. In the summer there are many small concerts and funfairs held in the park, especially around at the time of the "city party" Fête de Gèneve. Don't miss the flower decorated clock at the southwestern edge of the park.
See
Jardin botanique
At the botanical garden you can see flowers, plants and trees both from the Alps and from other parts of the world. The palm house also hosts tropical vegetation. In the northern part of the park there is a zoo spread over a quite large area with birds and some Alpine mammals such as goats and deer.
free
See
Jet d'Eau
One of the crowning symbols of Geneva is the monumental Jet d'Eau, a fountain of water pumped 140m into the air. The spectacular plume was once an occasional pressure release for hydro-power generation on the Rhône River, but people liked it so much that in 1891 the city created a permanent pumped fountain. It's beautifully lit at night. Best viewed from a distance — the surrounding half kilometer is soaked with water. However, the more adventurous might want to try the pathway leading right up to the Jet d'eau -- prepare to get enjoyably wet!
daily 10:00-23:00 (shut off in November for maintenance and during strong winds.)Free
Do
La Perle du Lac
Translates to the "Pearl of the Lake" and is the largest park on the western bank of Lake Geneva. It hosts the splendid eponymous restaurant and a free science museum, but it also a great place for a picnic.
Buy
Molard Souvenirs
is a nice little souvenir shop with all the Swiss souvenirs you could think of but also many Swiss made watches can be found there and is only few minute's walk from the central railway station.
See
Museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross
The Museum of the ICRC is in the basement of the headquarters and shows photos and objects related to the organisation's service to humanity during countless wars and natural disasters, and presents stories of victims. However much of the permanent exhibition is not an ordinary museum, but probably supposed to be more of an "experience", one might even call it a theme park — not really appropriate for such a serious topic. You will be given an audio guide that is activated when going through different rooms and touching screens - these are malfunctioning quite frequently. There are also educative tasks/games for the visitors to play as well as postmodern works of art. Overall, the museum is largely a rather confusing experience and given the offhand expectations you probably have, this museum will probably not be the high point of your visit to Geneva.
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00. Closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January. Access for disabled visitors.Adult Fr. 15; child, ICRC members, the elderly, and others Fr. 7
Do
Parc de la Grange
Just along the south side of the Lake Geneva promenade, Parc de la Grange is a large park which contains a rose garden, a historic mansion and a tree-lined path leading to the nearby Parc des Eaux Vives.
Do
Parc des Bastions
This lovely tree lined park, which is home to the liberal arts campus of the University of Geneva features giant chessboards and even larger statues of Geneva's Calvinist founding fathers, and it's directly between the old town and Plain de Plainpalais, so it makes a good transitional area for exploring.
Do
Parc des Eaux Vives
This park offers promenades and views over the lake of the UN campus and the Palais des Nations. Geneva beach is at the end furthest from the city, on the lakefront.
Eat
Perle du Lac
The only restaurant located adjacent to the Lake Geneva footpath. Food and service are excellent. The view of the Lake is excellent and the ambiance is outstanding.
Fr. 65 (lunch), from Fr. 88 for set menu
Buy
Rue du Marché
, a 10-minute walk southwards from the train station, has just about everything. From the traditional to the modern, from souvenirs to household appliances to libraries to prescription glasses. This is one of Geneva's busiest streets (And don't get confused because this main street has 4 different names. From East to West: Rue de Rive - Rue de la Croix d'Or - Rue du Marché and Rue de la Confédération), and is kept clean and appealing. Prices are fair for the most part, but checking several stores before buying, or asking a friendly-looking passer-by for shopping tips can't hurt.
Buy
Rue du Rhône
on the south side of the river (running parallel to Marché) is a good place. Of course you can easily find them elsewhere in the city - this is Switzerland!
Do
Salève cable car
Téléphérique du Salève
Just over the French border, this high alpine ridge has a stunning view of Mt. Blanc and the Lake Geneva area and miles of walking trails. A cute little corner shop in Pas de l'Échelle Village (France) sells about 100 varieties of French cheeses and is open on Sundays. Don't forget your passport.
See
Île Rousseau
Small island where the lake ends and river Rhône begins named after the famous philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau - of course there's a statue of him there too.
Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Geneva (CC BY-SA 4.0).