Excursions (Geneva (Region))

Lakeside swimming area
-Entrance fee

It can be proved that Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watch manufacturer in Switzerland. The clocks in the current collection are a homage to both founders, Jean Marc Vacheron (1731-1805) and Francois Constantin (1788-1854).

The Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art displays works from 40 public and private collections in Switzerland. There are no pieces by well-known artists - apart from a few exceptions - the art itself is the focal point.

Albert works with unusual raw materials and occupies a leading position in the manufacture of modern jewellery. In 1999 he opened the Musée des Cabinotiers in Geneva.

Franck Muller is the archetypal watchmaking success story. In less than ten years, he has taken his brand to an international level.

The exhibitions in an area of 7,000 square metres allow you to see fabulous archaeological, fine art and applied art treasures. The archaeological section gives you the chance to immerse yourself in local and regional prehistory, Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquity and Etruscan, Greek and Roman civilizations.

The Natural History Museum is one of the most modern in Europe. Along the two kilometers of corridors over four floors, you will encounter 3,500 mammals, birds, vertebrates, invertebrates and numerous stuffed specimens of the regional, exotic and marine wildlife.

Whether through sculptures, masks, jewels, ritual objects, cloth and all types of ornaments, or through forms, styles and materials, so-called primitive man has always gone in search of beauty and the expression of it.

More than 10 centuries' worth of Chinese and Japanese art are displayed in the Baur Collections, a marvellous voyage through Eastern civilizations. Presented with impeccable sobriety and elegance, the multitude of pieces assembled by Alfred Baur is of exceptional quality.

The Ethnography Museum, one of the most important and diverse collections in Switzerland, displays 60,000 objects, 50,000 photos, 20,000 books and thousands of documents.

The Ariana Museum houses one of the richest and most beautiful ceramic and glass collections in Europe.

Photographs and documentary films, objects and documents are exhibited in relation to each other in audiovisual sequences and on computer screens.

A visit to the Palais allows you to see certain conference rooms, notably the Counsel Room, which is decorated with superb frescoes, and the Assembly Room, which is even more vast than the Paris Opera!

Over three floors there are over 2,000 objects exhibitited, dating from 1839 to 1980. The owner and president of the company, Philippe Stern, owns 1,000 of them.

Forces Motrices, the imposing cultural center, “swims” in the middle of the Rhone River. Located in the former water works it is today a renovated oasis with theater and opera performances as well as exhibition halls with a capacity of 950 persons.

The Reformation in Switzerland began amongst others in Calvin's city of Geneva. The history of the movement is documented here in the Museum of the Reformation.

Created between 1987 and 1991 by the painter Venturelli and recognised by UNESCO, these 7 windows provide a sermon on human rights and on the Christian message.

Mamco is set in an old factory building, and has stayed true to the memory of the place. The industrial architecture from the '50s has left room for a flexible museographic plan that changes constantly. A wide range of art is displayed, dating from the early '60s to the present day. The displays, videos, paintings, photographs and sculptures have been donated from public and private collections.

Martin Bodmer (1899-1971) thought of his library as a museum, and the building project was entrusted to the famous architect Mario Botta. The museum invites the visitor to follow the human being trail, from the origins of handwriting, via the ancient East, ancient Greece and Rome, the Bible and Christianity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and finally arriving at the age of Romanticism in Europe, which leads directly to the modern day.

This religious painting from 1444 was the first in Europe to incorporate a realistic landscape into a Biblical scene.

An astronomical pocket watch with 33 complications: the most complex watch ever made!

Model by Auguste Magnin (1841-1903) depicting the town of Geneva as it was before 1850, enclosed by its bastions and ramparts.

Five hundred and seven steps lead you to the top of the north tower of the cathedral, where you can enjoy a fantastic view over the town and the lake. Then there is la Clémence, which, at a weight of six tonnes, is the cathedral's largest bell and was hoisted up into this same tower in 1407.

A stroll through Geneva can be easily combined with bird watching. Geneva’s Harbor Bay, especially the Pâquis-Dam, is well suited for watching the birds during their migration period in autumn, but also for observing the feathered winter guests.

Picture: Caspian Gull

The fisherman's craft is one of the oldest there is. And has remained a fascinating experience to this very day. As on Lake Geneva, for example, where some professional anglers take guests with them in their boats. The piscatorial skills taught include interpreting fish behaviour correctly, using a rod and line, tying knots in tackle and filleting freshly caught fish.

The fisherman's craft is one of the oldest there is. And has remained a fascinating experience to this very day. As on Lake Geneva, for example, where some professional anglers take guests with them in their boats. The piscatorial skills taught include interpreting fish behaviour correctly, using a rod and line, tying knots in tackle and filleting freshly caught fish.

For the past 400 years, the people of Geneva have been celebrating their triumph of keeping the Savoyards from climbing the city walls. The name of the celebration is the "Escalade". A courageous woman of Geneva is said to have thrown a soup cauldron (marmite) at the soldiers trying to storm the walls, which is why a soup pot plays a role in the festival to this day. For example, as a sweet temptation from the house of Stettler: Whoever visits the famous chocolatier can himself make a "marmite de l'Escalade", with the help of a master chocolatier.

Today the vineyards of the Crest Castle, located in the environs of Geneva, extend over more than 15 hectares. A variety of wines are grown here, from Chasselas to Cabernet to Merlot.