
Mathieu Jaquet
Mathieu guided groups through the Old Town for seven years, from St. Pierre Cathedral to the Bastions. He builds his routes on foot, stopwatch in hand, and cuts whatever does not fit into a real day. He would rather write that a visit is not worth the ticket than pad out a list.

Red Cross Museum: the visitor listing
Opposite the Palais des Nations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum tells the story of humanitarian act…

Palais des Nations: the visitor listing
The UN's European headquarters can be visited on a guided group tour, with ID and a 25 CHF ticket. What to know before b…

Patek Philippe Museum: the visitor listing
In Plainpalais, the Patek Philippe Museum tells five centuries of watchmaking over four floors. Tickets at 10 CHF, open …

Museum of Art and History: the visitor listing
Geneva's big museum, four minutes from the Old Town, shows its permanent collections for free, including Konrad Witz's M…

Reformation Wall: the visitor listing
In the Parc des Bastions, the Reformation Wall lines up Calvin, Farel, Beza and Knox over a hundred metres. Free, always…

Jet d'eau of Geneva: the practical listing
Geneva's symbol shoots its water 140 metres high at the end of the Eaux-Vives jetty. When it runs, where to see it up cl…

Saint-Pierre Cathedral: the visitor listing
At the top of the Old Town, Calvin's cathedral can be visited freely, its towers and archaeological site with a ticket. …

Geneva with children: activities, museums and beaches by age, and what is closed
Geneva is a flexible family city, not a theme park. It works very well from 5 to 12, more modestly with a toddler. What …

Free things to do in Geneva: museums, views, the lake, parks and events
Geneva passes for the most expensive city in Europe, yet it is one of the most generous with free things: museums, the l…

Geneva in winter: ice rinks, hot baths, markets and skiing an hour away
Geneva's winter has its rituals: the sauna facing the lake, fondue after a cold dip, the Bastions ice rink, the Christma…

Visiting the UN and the Palais des Nations in Geneva: booking, ID, prices
You do not visit the UN on a whim: the Palais des Nations only opens for booked guided tours, often full weeks in advanc…

The Fête de l'Escalade in Geneva: 2026 dates, procession, race and chocolate marmite
Every December, Geneva celebrates a night in 1602 when it drove back the troops of Savoy. A costumed procession through …

Geneva in three days: the full itinerary, with a day trip and the fair in April
Two days are enough for Geneva's main sights; the third goes to watchmaking or a day trip. The day-by-day itinerary, the…

Geneva in one day: the walking itinerary hour by hour, and the one detour to choose
One day is enough to see the heart of Geneva, not to see everything. The walking route from Cornavin to the Old Town, ho…

Day trips from Geneva: Lausanne, Montreux, Gruyères, Annecy, Chamonix, what fits into one day
Nine one-day destinations from Geneva, and one rule: one main destination, one indoor visit, one walk. Beyond that, the …

St Pierre Cathedral in Geneva: towers, archaeological site, tickets and view
St Pierre is three different visits sold separately: a plain Protestant church, towers for the view, and excavations tha…

Geneva's museums: which are worth the detour, which are free, which one is closed
Geneva has several major free or pay-what-you-wish museums, a world-class watch museum, and one museum all the guides st…

A weekend in Geneva: the two-day itinerary, hour by hour
Geneva fits into a weekend as long as you do not try to do everything. Day one on foot, between the harbour and the Old …

Boat trips on Lake Geneva from Geneva: Mouettes, CGN, cruises and stopovers
Three very different products hide behind "boat in Geneva": the harbour Mouette, public transport at tram prices; CGN, w…

Visiting CERN from Geneva: the Science Gateway, the Globe, guided tours and the closed tunnel
CERN is free, forty minutes by tram from the centre, and fascinating for anyone with a little scientific curiosity. But …

Geneva Old Town on foot: Bourg-de-Four, St Pierre and the six-stop walk
Geneva's hill takes fifty minutes to walk round outdoors, or half a day if you go inside everywhere. The six-stop route,…

When to go to Geneva: seasons, weather, events and prices, month by month
There is no single right month for Geneva, there is the right month for what you are coming to do. The lake in summer, w…

Geneva Christmas market: 2026 dates, location and what to eat
The Geneva Christmas market is neither in the Old Town nor at Plainpalais: it is Noël au Quai, by the lake, on Quai du M…

The Bains des Pâquis in Geneva: swimming, winter fondue, sauna and opening times
A concrete pier in the middle of the harbour, diving boards, a canteen-priced snack bar, a sauna in winter and fondue by…

The Geneva Jet d'eau: height, opening times, when it is switched off and where to see it
It is free, visible from the whole harbour, and yet many visitors find it switched off. The Jet d'eau's 2026 opening tim…

The Salève, Geneva's mountain: cable car, panorama, hikes and places to eat
The Salève towers over Geneva but stands in France: the cable car leaves from Étrembières, nine minutes' walk from the V…

Things to do in Geneva: the activities worth your time, and the ones you can skip
Geneva is very easy to enjoy for free, and a few tickets are worth their price. Our sorting of the activities, from the …

Map of Geneva: the two banks, the districts and the must-sees
Geneva reads by its water: the Rhône leaves the lake and splits the city into two banks, with Palexpo and the airport ap…