On this walking tour, we’ll take a stroll through the cobbled streets to hear stories that begin over 2,000 years ago, and others that take us to the present day. I’ll answer questions about who founded the city, what role the Celts and the Romans had in its formation, and who the Burgundians were.
Along the way you’ll learn about the Protestant Reformation, the Swiss Confederation, and the founding of the Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions. You'll also hear about:
• The old marketplace
• The Holy Roman Empire
• The cathedral and its Chapel of the Maccabees
• Geneva’s oldest house, now a museum, and its oldest street
• Ancient stories behind the Arsenal’s mosaics
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the celebrated philosopher
• The invention of the US dollar
• How Switzerland came to be a neutral state
Come along and explore Geneva's beautiful, storied corners as you retrace its journey in becoming one of the world's smallest cities with global significance.
You can download the tour anytime, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point.
This tour follows a set route and includes turn-by-turn directions. It works best if you start it in the right place and follow the directions from one location to the next. When the download completes, you’ll see a screen with a photo of the starting point and directions to it. The red start button will become active when you are at the starting point.
Places to stop along the wayThe cafes and restaurants everywhere on the route.
There are public toilets at the starting point behind the Linden tree and next to the cathedral.
Any time, but best at daylight. The cathedral and museums only open at 10 AM.
PrecautionsGeneva is a very safe place. Criminality rate is very low. However, use normal precautions against pickpockets. There are not many, but in case… And don’t hang around the rue de Berne late in the evening.