The most beautiful sights of Geneva. Place bourg de four Place of the Union of Nations

Geneva is one of the most major cities Switzerland (second largest). In addition, this largest financial center houses the bases of many international organizations. Situated at the westernmost tip of Lake Geneva, the city offers a wealth of entertainment and leisure options.

Two rivers flow through its center, creating a very picturesque atmosphere. Geneva is an attractive place in terms of attractions: here you can see many cultural and historical landmarks, as well as beautiful green parks and recreational areas.

Hospitable and elegant, Geneva, attracting guests from all over the world, is beautiful at any time of the year. Hiking in the old part of the city they tell about the two-thousand-year history of this settlement; the variety of parks, museums and monuments reveal the skills of architects, artists, and landscape designers.

Excursions by car can be made by driving through parts of the city divided by the Rhône or by water bus to admire the picturesque scenery and ancient buildings from the water. To rent a car you will need.

Sights of Geneva: photos and descriptions

Museum of Art and History

This Geneva museum is considered the largest in Switzerland. Its collection includes more than 650 thousand exhibits - paintings by famous artists, musical instruments, sculptures and archaeological artifacts. The area of ​​the Museum of Art and History is almost seven thousand square meters. m, the museum is located in the very center of Geneva, a couple of minutes walk from another famous landmark - the Cathedral.

The museum is located at Geneve, Rue Charles-Galland, 2, in a beautiful palace decorated with columns in the spirit of classicism.

There are several stone sculptures on the roof. Tourists are not charged a fee to visit the museum! The exception is temporary exhibitions (there are up to 10 of these per year), where the entrance ticket is 5-20 francs. But there is no point in feeling sorry for them, because such exhibitions feature works by Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir and other famous painters.

The museum's opening hours are from 11.00 to 18.00. Monday is a day off. You can get here by bus (No. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 36) or by tram (No. 12) to the Saint-Antoine stop.

The art museum has a restaurant called Le Barocco, where you can enjoy dishes in a bohemian atmosphere local cuisine and very interesting wines.

Botanical Garden

The Geneva Botanical Garden is a world famous: in addition to many different flowers and plants, here you can see the zoo, relaxing in a landscaped area on the shore of the lake, there is also a children's playground, so neither adults nor children will be bored. The collection of the botanical garden includes tens of thousands of plants from all over the world.

Having visited the territory of the complex, you cannot miss the so-called Garden of Smells and Touches, where you can find plants that feel strange to the touch with a whole trail of different aromas. You can significantly expand your knowledge of flora by visiting the Herbarium Garden - the plant collection here numbers 6 million specimens! The exhibits are on tables-stands, they are convenient to view, you can turn on the lamps standing next to them.

The total collection of the botanical garden is several tens of thousands of plants collected from all parts of the planet. Conditions in flower beds and greenhouses are close to natural, so you can visit both the humid tropics and alpine meadows. The Botanical Garden of Geneva is also rich in medicinal plants. Here you can learn how to grow a home “pharmacy” in your summer cottage.

Another nice thing is that admission is for all visitors, as are excursions in the botanical garden free of charge! The Botanical Garden of Geneva is open to tourists all year round.

Opening hours are from 9.30 to 17.00 in winter, from 8.00 to 19.30 in the summer months. The restaurant at the botanical garden is open from 8.30 to 19.00.

You can get to the botanical garden by buses number 1, 11, 25 and 28 to the Jardin botanique (“Botanical Garden”) stop.

Also, don’t miss the botanical gardens in other European countries:

Basilica of Notre Dame

The main Catholic church in Geneva is the Basilica of Notre Dame. It's easy to find, especially with railway station─ literally two minutes walk. The majestic Notre Dame Basilica was built in the mid-19th century according to all the canons of the Gothic style.

The main shrine of the Basilica of Notre Dame is a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary made of white stone.

Compared to other religious sites, the Catholic Basilica of Notre Dame has luxurious decoration: it is decorated with many bas-reliefs and stained glass windows. The temple building is built of sandstone, which in itself is a rarity for Geneva buildings.

Entrance to the temple is free for everyone, the only requirement is compliance with the dress code: closed clothing.

Church address: Geneve, Rue de Chantepoulet.

Services in the temple are held on Mondays - at 12.15 and 18.30, Tuesday - Friday - at 7.00, 8.00 and 18.30, Saturday - at 8.00. You can attend Sunday Services at 7.30, 9.00, 10.00, 11.30 and 17.00.

The Cathedral of Our Lady can also be seen in.

St. Peter's Cathedral

St. Peter's Cathedral is considered in Geneva the main religious attraction of the city. The Swiss monastery has a rich history (the cathedral was built in the early 13th century), but for tourists its value lies elsewhere. Such architectural forms, which are built into St. Peter's Cathedral, are not often found.

Of the unique relics that have survived to this day, the cathedral contains the throne of the famous reformer John Calvin.

The temple was rebuilt many times and after all the renovations it represents a mix of different styles - Baroque, Romanesque, classicism. With all the variety of architectural options, St. Peter's Cathedral looks like a single ensemble. The interior decoration of the temple is not permanent either. Now it is closer to ascetic, although there are some Catholic elements.

After visiting the cathedral, you can visit the archaeological museum, which is located on the back side of the church. Here, visitors are presented with parts of the temples found during excavations of the cathedral; according to archaeologists, they existed back in the 4th century.

Address: Geneva, PlaceBourg-Saint-Pierre.

Visit cathedral possible: on weekdays and Saturday from 9.30 to 18.30, on Sunday - from 12.00 to 18.30. In winter, the temple closes an hour earlier.

Entrance fee to the church ─ 4 francs; Entrance fees for the museum they can be purchased separately, also for 4 francs.

Flower clock

In Geneva, time is checked not only by clocks on city towers and business centers. The flower clock shows time accurate to the second. This unique attraction can be seen in the English Park, next to Lake Geneva. The flower clock has been keeping time continuously for 60 years.

The peculiarity of the Geneva flower clock in Geneva is that, in addition to the usual mechanisms, it uses the natural biorhythms of plants. Exact time The dial, whose diameter is more than 5 m, shows both arrows and flowers! For this purpose, flowers are planted in flower beds in the order in which they bloom according to their biological clock. Of course, these changes do not happen in seconds, but watch natural phenomenon and the operation of the mechanisms is very interesting.

The condition of the clock mechanisms installed underground is controlled by Swiss craftsmen, and the plants are renewed every night by florists. Geneva owes this amazing landmark to the famous scientist Carl Linnaeus, who spent his entire life studying flowers and created the world's first plant clock. He planted his creation in Geneva in 1903; in the 50s, the flower clock was changed to the one that delights vacationers in the English Park to this day.

You can admire the flower clock in Geneva for free; it is located just on the street.

Address: Geneve, QuaiduGeneral-Guisan, 28

Geneva is rich in unique attractions, but one of them - the Jet d'Eau fountain - is not ignored by any tourist. The Geneva Fountain is located in the city center, but not in a square or in a park, as usual, but in the middle of a lake. And this is no coincidence. The fountain was launched in 1886; it was not just a landmark - it worked for the citizens, maintaining the smooth operation of the city's hydraulic system.

The fountain is turned on every day - from morning to evening, so there is no need to worry about the operating mode.

Today, the Geneva Fountain is one of the most powerful in the world: the jets of the water complex rise to a height of... 140 meters! This can be compared to the height of a 46-story building! In addition to the powerful jet, which takes on various bizarre shapes, the Geneva Fountain is distinguished by beautiful multi-colored lighting.

At dusk, the spotlights are turned on, and the lake with a fountain turns into an incredible spectacle. The only thing that can hinder your pleasure is the weather: on windy and frosty days water complex For security reasons they do not launch.

Address: Geneve, QuaiGustave-Ador

There is no charge for visiting the Geneva Fountain - you can freely watch it from any observation deck.

Most tourists begin their acquaintance with the Swiss city from the historical Bourg de Fours square. According to historical facts, this square worked already in the era Ancient Rome. At that time there was a market here, where there was a brisk trade in livestock every day.

Near the square you can see an equally famous meeting place for citizens and guests - the Promenade de la Treille.

Now on the Bourg de Fours square except beautiful fountain, which is already three hundred years old, there is a whole complex of city attractions. So, walking along the square you can see the Town Hall, the Tavel House, the oldest in Geneva, the Palace of Justice, and the University of John Calvin.

Traveler reviews

Place of the Union of Nations

Geneva is, first of all, the center of many international organizations and corporations, so getting to know the city will be incomplete without visiting the UN. The UN European Headquarters is located in the modern part of the city, accessible by any means of transport. I decided to take a walk. The map of Geneva is easy to understand ─ not too much big city. From Lake Geneva the walk took 40 minutes.

The first thing you notice on the way to the UN is the famous cannon with a tied barrel as a sign of the UN's anti-war policy.

A little further on the square, where fountains gush upward (a great way to cool off in the heat), there is an unusual monument in the form of a huge three-legged chair ─ a symbol of protest against the use of anti-personnel mines (the torn off chair leg symbolically reflects the crippled leg of a person who stepped on such a mine). Very symbolic and sad.

Here is the UN building. The entrance will be to the left of the square(if you walk along the fence). The building offers tours in English and French. Entrance is approximately 10 francs. During the excursion they talk about the history of the UN, key personalities, and the organization’s policies. Sitting in the meeting room, you feel like a full-fledged member of the UN. There is also a room with flags of countries indicating the places of their representatives.

Everyone is excitedly trying to find their country ─ it’s fun, patriotism awakens. Gifts for the organization from different countries. Educational and useful ─ immediately there is a desire to do something for our world. By the way, there are no cafes or restaurants at the UN. I couldn't even buy water. So stock up in advance.

LaGrange Park

Walking along the promenade, you can get to LaGrange Park (Parc de la Grange). This is a huge area with many walking paths and places that are pleasant to the eye.

Here you can:

• Sleep under a tree for a few hours. Here they treat this normally: some are sleeping, some are just lying on the lawn, some are writing or dreaming. And none of the law enforcement officers bothers me.
• Have a mini-picnic. Only there is nowhere to buy food and drinks there. Stock up in advance.
• Ride a bicycle, which you can rent for free (!) on the embankment, and from there get to the park and take a walk. I really liked this option, because... The park is large and hilly. With a bicycle you can see more.
• In the depths of the park there are many beautiful reservoirs, which take a long walk to reach. Just don’t forget that a free bicycle is given out for an hour (additional time is paid) and on the security of your passport.
• Go to a concert. There is a concert area and events are usually written on the notice board at the entrance to the park.
• Admire the rose garden. Not far from the entrance to the park there is a small rose garden with magnificent flowers. The smell there is amazing.

By the way, the view of the lake from the park is simply amazing! Great place for a photo shoot.

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When exactly Burg de Four appeared is not known for certain, because its history stretches back to the times of Ancient Rome. In ancient times, several important trade routes passed through this place, after which the Forum was formed here, and in the Middle Ages - a large livestock market. For a long time, the square was a place where meetings were made, deals were concluded, and public meetings were held. And now around the fountain in its center there are remains of a pavement polished by hundreds and thousands of feet.

By the way, about the fountain: it appeared here in the 18th century, and has been well preserved since then. Decorated with a small monument in antique style, it harmoniously complements the equally small but cozy square surrounded by ancient houses.

How to get there

The Bourg des Fours area is located in the northeastern part. This is practically the center of the old city, from where its narrow streets radiate in all directions.

You can get here by the following public transport:

• By bus number 36 all the way to Bourg-de-Four;
• Take buses No. 3, 5, 36, NO to the Palais Eynard stop.

For those coming from the airport, it will be convenient to take the IR train towards Lucerne for one stop, and then use the map to get to the square on foot (about a 20-minute walk).

Address: Place du Bourg-de-Four, Geneva, Switzerland.

Bourg de Fours area on the map

Attractions around

There are many historical attractions in the vicinity of Bourg de Four:

Street Passage des Degres-de-Poules- the smallest street in Geneva, the name of which translates as “chicken passage”. She is known for her steep stairs, sandwiched between the walls of houses. The length of the street, if you can call it that, is only 20 meters, and the width barely allows two people walking towards each other to pass each other.

Geneva St. Peter's Cathedral- the most famous city temple, which is located just 3-5 minutes on foot from the Bourg des Fours square. The building, located on a hill, began to be built in the 12th century, and the last changes to its design were made in the 19th century. It is known that John Calvin himself preached here at one time.

Geneva Museum of Art and History- the largest city museum, located in a beautiful palace from the early 19th century. It has a rich collection of antique weapons, ceramics, furniture and works of art. Among the exhibits there are paintings by Picasso, Chagall, Rodin, and Monet.

Observatoire Park(de l’Observatoire) is a beautiful green area next to the Geneva Museum, located 5 minutes on foot from the Bourg de Fours. Its main attraction is the sculpture of a reclining woman by the famous British sculptor Henry Moore.

Bench at Promenade de la Treille- an original attraction included in the Guinness Book of Records. The bench, which is not very remarkable in appearance, is considered the longest in the world, since its length is as much as 120 meters.

What to pay attention to

The Bourg de Fours square itself also has a lot of interesting things for tourists. The buildings that surround it were erected in the 15th-17th centuries - they give this place a special flavor and immerse you in the atmosphere of past centuries.

The most famous historical monuments are:

Tavel's House- The building, built in the 12th century and restored after a fire in 1334, is considered the oldest in the city. It is distinguished by two stone turrets and small sculptures on the facade - historians have not decided who they represent. Today the building houses a museum with a collection of historical photographs of Geneva, antique furniture, coins and other artifacts.

University of Geneva- founded by John Calvin in 1559, it holds the title of oldest in. In addition to its high importance as a educational institution, the university has value as a historical monument.

City Hall- a historical building from the 16th century, in which city authorities have been working since ancient times to the present day. In summer, classical music concerts are often held in its courtyard.

In addition, it is worth noting that there are several restaurants in the square national cuisine and a cafe where you can try the famous Swiss chocolate. There is also a large bookstore, souvenir and antique shops.

Finally, the area around Bourg de Four is known for its relatively small but high-quality 4 and 5 star hotels. These are hotels such as Hôtel Les Armures or Hôtel de La Cigogne - they are located in historical buildings, but inside they are equipped with the latest technology.

Place Bourg-de-Fours - historical center Geneva

The historical center of Geneva is the Bourg de Four square - a beautiful monument of antiquity and architecture. Ancient trade routes from different countries of the world intersected here: leading south to Anesse and Lyon, and east to Italy and Chablais. They have survived to this day and can be found here. This island of history is located on the left bank of the Rhone River. Place Bourg de Four in Geneva is paved with smooth, polished stone, emphasizing its ancient origins. Triangular in shape, the square is decorated with a magnificent fountain built in the 18th century. From this historic square the narrow streets of Geneva branch off in different directions.

Historical information about the area

According to some historical documents, the Bourg-de-Fours square already existed in Roman times. The Roman Forum was located here. A little later, in the Middle Ages, there was a market on it, where livestock trade was carried out briskly and noisily. Later still, this famous square in Geneva was crowded with Protestant refugees. And now you can meet people of different ages and social groups here. Both city residents and many travelers from around the world like to gather here.

Memorable places on the Bourg-de-Fours square

The Bourg-de-Fours square is surrounded by structures that are characteristic of ancient architecture Geneva and are its historical monuments. Many of them were built in the XV-XVII centuries. These buildings are architectural monuments of Geneva. For example, such works of architecture include the popular Tavel House, the former Palace of Justice, Calvin University, which was built back in 1559, and the Geneva City Hall, which differs from others in its oldest tower, built in 1455. The Tavel House, built in 1303, now houses the Geneva Old Town Museum, which houses a rich collection of rare exhibits.
Here, to this day, forged decorations of buildings have been preserved. Antique forged lanterns and metal flowerpots complement the facades of buildings and give the architecture of Geneva and the square a unique flavor of eternity and hoary antiquity. Next to the square is the Promenade de la Treille. This place is popular for meetings. Here you can relax on the longest bench in the world, the length of which reaches 120 meters.
The ancient St. Peter's Cathedral, built in the 12th century, towers majestically over the Old Town. It surprisingly beautifully combines the features of Gothic and Romanesque styles and makes the architecture of Geneva unique. From the height of the observation deck, which is located on the north tower of the Cathedral, you can admire Geneva and Lake Geneva lying at your feet, as well as the famous highest European fountain, the Jet d'O.

Place Bourg-de-Fours - favorite place meetings

After visiting many of the sights of the Old Town of Geneva, on Place Bourg de Four you can relax in cozy restaurants or cafes. The square surprises many travelers with a huge number of antique shops and fine art exhibition galleries. On central square Geneva is always lively and noisy. Nowadays, the Bourg-de-Fours square in Geneva is a favorite meeting place for city residents in love. Despite the apparent crowdedness, it is easy to get lost here among the townspeople and tourists admiring the works of architecture.
But besides lovers, business and friendly meetings are scheduled here. And travel lovers go on exciting sightseeing tours from here.

• Address: Place du Bourg-de-Four, 1204 Geneve, Switzerland
• Attractions: John Calvin University, Town Hall, former Palace of Justice, Captain Tavel's house

Sometimes it seems that the spirit of antiquity and romance has not yet faded away in the Bourg-de-Fours square; old flower vases still stand here, and the houses are decorated with ancient wrought-iron lanterns. This place is also interesting because very close to it is the Promenade de la Treille, on which the world’s longest bench, 120 meters long, is installed.

There are several small restaurants on the square where you can sit comfortably and enjoy not only a cup of aromatic coffee or hot chocolate, but also the atmosphere of the eternity of existence.

How to get to Place Bourg de Four in Geneva?

If you are heading into the city from the airport, you need to take the IR train and travel one stop away from here to the square for about 20 minutes at a leisurely pace.

You can get from the city by shuttle buses No. 3, 5, 36, NO to the Palais Eynard stop or No. 36 to the Bourg-de-Four stop. In any case, you will enjoy a stroll through the Old Town to the square.