Location: Geneva
Top Things to do in Geneva
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The 10 Best Free Things to do in Geneva, Canton of Geneva
The shores of Lake Geneva have attracted visitors and invaders for millennia. The cheerful city of Geneva sits on the lake's western shore, lofty snowcapped peaks creating a gorgeous backdrop on all sides. The city is perfect for exploring on foot; rent a bike to venture further. The top of any itinerary should be visits to Geneva's lakefront and its famed water fountain, the Flower Clock in the English Garden, St. Peter's Cathedral, Reformation Wall, Place Neuve and the birthplace of the U.N.
Restaurants in Geneva
1. Musee D'Art Et D'Histoire
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 469 reviews
Built between 1903 and 1910 by Genevan architect Marc Camoletti, with the aim of regrouping under one roof a number of dispersed public collections, the Musée d'art et d'histoire is one of Switzerland's most important encyclopaedic museums. Boasting over half a million objects including a number of major works and unique series that have made it an institution of international stature, the museum maintains a permanent exhibition of a selection of itsapplied arts, fine arts and archaeology collections. Regional archaeological discoveries, Egyptian and Classical antiquities, artworks, furniture, arms, musical instruments, paintings and sculptures all bear witness to 15,000 years of history. A renovation and enlargement project is currently underway and constitutes one of the major challenges facing the Museum over the coming years.
Reviewed By timfl2016 - Urbana, United States
This museum is located in the Old Town, with free admissions. Its collection of Swiss paintings is very nice, especially those by Ferdinand Hodler Wolfgang-Adam Töpffer. The building is impressive, too.
2. Maison Tavel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 443 reviews
This historic building, the foundations of which date back to the 12th century, houses a museum that documents the history of the city.
Reviewed By 588phis - Bangkok, Thailand
This is a free museum highlighting the history of Geneva. The 3D model of the city on the top floor was fascinating. Do not miss it.
3. Musee Ariana
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 284 reviews
Built in the Italian baroque style and crowned with a cupola, it was constructed between 1877 and 1884 by the art patron Gustave Revilliod to house his vast and eclectic collections. He bequeathed the museum and its surrounding park to the City of Geneva in 1890. Today it is known as the Swiss Museum for Ceramics and Glass. In the Musée Ariana are to be found the various ceramics and glass collections belonging to the City of Geneva. It is the only museum in Switzerland devoted entirely to ceramic and glass art and occupies an important place in this field.The collections, comprising more than 25,000 objects, illustrate seven centuries of ceramics ranging from Europe to the Far East. All the principal techniques are represented: earthenware, faïence, stoneware and porcelain. The collection of Middle Eastern ceramics and an important group of Oriental export porcelain highlight the interactions between the Orient and Europe.
Reviewed By 142prado - Guaruja, Brazil
It´s a wonderful museum just 5 minutes by foot from UN (place des Nations). It's free and frequently there are not lines to enter or many people there such as into the Louvre Museum or Metropolitan. You can appreciate a huge collection of ancient ceramics vases, plates,glasses,carillons, paintings etc. Outside you can rest in a beautiful park.I highly recommend.
4. Place Bourg du Four
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 665 reviews
This historic town square is situated at the heart of Old Geneva.
Reviewed By greekcypriot2009 - Athens, Greece
The cosmopolitan City of Geneva has a well preserved picturesque old town testimony to its 2,000-year-old history. By stepping onto the cobbled stone streets we were kind of instantly transported back in time. After the stop we had at the 12th-century St Pierre Cathedral with its lofty neoclassical façade features of several architectural styles, we wandered through the labyrinthine paved streets. We visited the Art and History Museum and Maison Travel, the oldest house in the city. The cobblestone alleys of old town wind through lovely buildings that exude old world charm. The alleys are lined with many art galleries, bookshops, antique shops, museums, cafes, and restaurants. Through our stroll around the old town, we explored squares dotted with enchanting fountains, windows overflowing with vibrant blossoms, intricate designs and ornamentations on the lofty wooden doors and the signboards of the cafes.
5. Eglise Russe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 378 reviews
Reviewed By lindakY6134FL - Gilroy, United States
I’ve never been inside a Russian Church. I had to see this even though my husband and I have been walking around a lot. It was worth the hike. The golden domed top is beautiful. We even went inside the church. It was too sacred inside, we didn’t dare take pictures. I saw an image of the Mother of Perpetual Help. We took a lot of pictures outside. We even witnessed their bells rolling. It sounded quite foreign to me.
6. CERN
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,537 reviews
CERN, in Geneva, is the world’s largest particle physics research centre. CERN has recently brought into service the world’s most powerful accelerator, the LHC (Large Hadron Collider), which will provide new insights into the Universe and how it evolved. The entire Universe is made up of particles. But where do they come from? What laws govern their behaviour? The purpose of the "Universe of particles" exhibition is for visitors to confront the great questions of contemporary physics : a journey to the Big Bang.
Reviewed By RaghuNair
Excellent place to learn about activities in CERN where world wide web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee as a tool for physicists working at CERN.
7. Musee d'histoire des sciences de la Ville de Geneve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 132 reviews
Reviewed By ginak2802 - Dublin, Ireland
Great museum with a lot of interesting stuff,you can learn a lot.Very friendly staff.Museum free of charge.It sits in the beautiful spot facing the lake.
8. Cathedrale de Saint-Pierre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,908 reviews
This famous cathedral is best known for its historic significance as the church where John Calvin gave his inspiring sermons during the mid-16th century.
Reviewed By annettestretton - Skelmersdale, United Kingdom
We paid 5EUR each to get to the top of the tower. There aren’t too many steps and the views are 360 degrees of Geneva. Beautiful views and worth the climb. It was a hot day when we visited but the climb up was cool within the stone of the cathedral. Spiral steps and quite enclosed on the way up but not too strenuous.
9. Lake Geneva
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,580 reviews
A scenic mountain lake situated alongside the city of Geneva, it empties into the Rhone River.
Reviewed By greekcypriot2009 - Athens, Greece
One of the gems of Geneva is its Lake which is a year-round hotspot for outdoor activities and nice restaurants. The northern shore covers picturesque villages terraced vineyards and medieval castles. It is easy to explore lakeside landmarks such as the medieval bastion of Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon). Soaking up the scenery on a Lake Geneva cruise was a marvel. Time permitting visitors can enjoy a ride by the GoldenPass panoramic train into the Swiss Alps, take a Geneva sightseeing tour, or hop over the French border to explore Annecy, Chamonix, or Mont Blanc.
10. Museum of Natural History (Museum d'Histoire naturelle)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 683 reviews
Reviewed By myelessar - Geneva, Switzerland
The museum offers a very large selection of stuffed animals in their natural environment. This is fantastic for young children as they can realise how big they are and how they actually look like. I highly recommend a visit!
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