You want to visit Geneva while spending as little as possible?
Then follow this Top 10 of free visits, museums and activities to do in the little Belgian city that I created for you to enjoy without breaking the bank.
Although Geneva is ranked as the fifth most expensive city in the world, it would be a real shame to miss out on the wonders this alpine nugget has to offer. Thanks to the 15 things to see and do for free in Geneva that we have carefully selected for you, you will see that it is still possible to discover this city with a limited budget!
Table des matières
Lake Geneva
If you’re traveling on a budget, you’re free to explore the wonders that nature has to offer: that’s why we think Lake Geneva is a great place to start your discovery of Geneva!
The best thing to do to admire all the beauty of this place is to take a walk below the city along its quays. To relax and enjoy the scenery, there are many parks all around. When the weather allows it, you can also take a dip in its water (quite cool) and enjoy the Alps in the background!
Address : Lake Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Website : https://www.myswitzerland.com/fr-fr/decouvrir/bord-du-lac-geneve/
The Jet d’eau
No visit to Geneva would be complete without seeing one of the city’s most iconic sites: its Jet d’eau. Spouting water 140 meters high from the lake shore, you can’t miss it!
As you walk along Lake Geneva, each view of this marvel seems new… You can admire the Jet d’eau from afar, but if you want to feel its full power, we invite you to approach it by its stone pier. A tip: remember to check the wind direction if you don’t want to get soaked!
Address : Quai Gustave-Ador, 1207 Geneva, Switzerland
Website: https: //www.geneve.ch/fr/jet-eau
The Brunswick monument
To come across a rather unlikely monument in Geneva, we suggest you go and admire the Brunswick monument: you’ll see, you won’t be disappointed!
As you walk along the chic Quai du Mont-Blanc, which borders Lake Geneva, you will see at the beginning on your left this particular construction surrounded by a small park. In fact, it is a neo-gothic style mausoleum built in marble at the end of the 19th century to honor the memory of a duke who bequeathed his fortune to the city of Geneva. During your stay, don’t miss the details engraved in the stone of the sculptures that make up this monument!
Address : Jardin des Alpes, Quai du Mont-Blanc, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
The Conservatory and the Botanical Gardens
Close to the Palais des Nations and on the shores of Lake Geneva, the setting of the Geneva Botanical Gardens is idyllic!
We highly recommend this living museum which presents a rather impressive variety of gardens where you will find seasonal flowers, aromatic herbs, Swiss plants, rose bushes and much more! Several greenhouses, a library, a gift store and a wildlife park are also available for free access. If the weather is nice, you can even have your picnic in this idyllic setting!
Address : Chemin de l’Impératrice 1, 1292 Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland
Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb/index.php
Discover Geneva by bike
Thanks to Genève Roule, a great initiative proposed by the city, you can discover Geneva by bike and enjoy its urban side as much as its natural side!
There are places all over the city where you can pick up a bike in one place and drop it off in another
To take advantage of this service for free, we recommend a 4-hour ride: beyond that, you will be charged for the bike rental. Cycling along Lake Geneva is a pleasure that is priceless..
Address : Place de Montbrillant 17, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://www.geneveroule.ch/
Les bains des Pâquis
The Pâquis baths, located on the right bank of Lake Geneva, are a public bathing area where people like to sunbathe, dip their feet in the water or swim to the climbing wall (in summer).
In summer, free concerts are organized early in the morning. In winter, the public baths become saunas. No matter what season you are in Geneva, this is definitely a place we suggest you go. We particularly liked the magnificent view that the Pâquis baths offer on the Geneva Jet d’eau and Lake Geneva!
Address : Quai du Mont-Blanc 30, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://www.bains-des-paquis.ch/
The English Garden and its clock in bloom
The English Garden is a relatively small park on the shore of Lake Geneva. If you are in the old town of Geneva and you go down to the lake, this is the first park you will meet. And guess what? The entrance is free!
Once there, we marveled at the Flower Clock located near the entrance: it’s a popular attraction that symbolizes Geneva’s watchmaking tradition. The floral decoration of the clock (which really works!) varies according to the seasons, depending on the blooming of the different species of flowers that compose it.
Address : Quai du Général-Guisan 34, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://www.ville-geneve.ch/plan-ville/parcs-jardins-plages-bains-publics/jardin-anglais/
The Saint-Pierre cathedral
A surprising mix of Roman, Gothic and neoclassical elements, this cathedral in the heart of the old city was built in the 12th century
We invite you to enter because inside, you can admire Roman mosaics, sculpted columns and frescoes from the Middle Ages… a treat for the eyes! During your visit, don’t miss the wooden chair used by Calvin himself at the time of the Reformation and the Maccabees Chapel, adorned with sumptuous colorful decorations!
Open to the public every day, visiting the cathedral will cost you absolutely nothing! To enjoy the panorama of Geneva from its bell tower, you will have to invest 5 Swiss francs.
Address : Cour de Saint-Pierre, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : https://www.cathedrale-geneve.ch/
The Tavel house
Just next to the Saint-Pierre cathedral, you will see a dark tower that slightly protrudes on the street: don’t look any further, it’s the Tavel house! Built in the 12th century, it bears the name of the owners who had it built. You can admire its remarkable architecture from the outside, but you can also enter it for free: the house was bought by the city of Geneva to make a museum that houses its history.
After visiting the house, we invite you to go and sit on the bench of the Treille: in addition to offering a beautiful view on the Bastions park, this bench is the longest in the world!
Address : Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://institutions.ville-geneve.ch/fr/mah/lieux-dexposition/maison-tavel/
Discover Geneva on foot
The best way to explore Geneva at your own pace is to do it on foot! If you wish, you can obtain a free map from the Geneva Tourist Office. To discover the area on your own, we suggest you start in the old town, then head to the Reformers’ Wall overlooking the Parc des Bastions, and finally finish your visit by enjoying the breathtaking views of Lake Geneva.
What we also particularly liked are the free guided tours that Free Walk Geneva offers: accompanied by a Geneva resident, you can choose between a tour focused on the international organizations and another one on the old town. A must try!
Address : Tour de l’Ile, Rue de la Tour-de-l’Ile, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://www.freewalk.ch/geneva/index.php
The Bastions Park
Among the best parks in Geneva, we strongly invite you to go to the Parc des Bastions: right in the city center, it is the ideal place to recharge your batteries after a good day of walking!
Whether it’s picnics in the summer or energizing walks in the winter months, this place is perfect for relaxing, walking, biking, attending concerts, having fun with the kids in the playgrounds… and don’t forget to play its giant chess board and enjoy the breathtaking views of Lake Geneva! Once in the Parc des Bastions, don’t forget to visit the wall of the Reformers which presents the great figures of Calvinism.
Address : Prom. des Bastions 1, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://www.ville-geneve.ch/plan-ville/parcs-jardins-plages-bains-publics/promenade-bastions/
The free museum of natural history
As surprising as it may seem, most of the museums in Geneva do not charge admission: this is the case of the brilliant Natural History Museum.
Welcoming no less than 250,000 visitors a year, this animal-themed museum just a stone’s throw from Lake Geneva houses replica habitats filled with taxidermied animals of all kinds
Temporary exhibits, from ants to dinosaurs, are also offered. In addition, children can participate in free interactive workshops on certain Wednesdays (such as those devoted to microscopes or origami). And who knows? You might be as impressed as we are by a specimen of the two-headed museum..
Address : Route de Malagnou 1, Parc Malagnou, 1208 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://www.museum-geneve.ch/
Attend an open-air concert
Are you planning to go to Geneva in summer? If so, don’t miss the free concerts scattered all over the city!
On the occasion of the “This summer is concerts” festival, which is held throughout the summer season, nearly 50 concerts are offered where you can listen to local artists in various musical styles on the shores of Lake Geneva, in a park, in the hall of a museum or even in the Victoria Hall, the Geneva opera house! Early in the day or late in the evening, we really encourage you to attend at least one of them to have a great time during your vacation!
Address : all over the city
Website: https: //www.geneve.ch/fr/actualites/ete-concerts
The point of the Jonction
Geneva has a rather unusual curiosity that you absolutely must see during your stay in the city: the Pointe de la Jonction.
A 30-minute walk from the old town, it’s a fascinating place where the Arve River meets the Rhone. What we really liked when we went there was the extreme color contrast between the two rivers: the Rhone is turquoise and incredibly clear, while the water of the Arve seems muddy and brown. A tip to immortalize the meeting of these two waters: take a little height on the viaduct which overhangs the confluence. You’ll see, you won’t be disappointed by the view!
Address : Chemin William-Lescaze 29, 1203 Geneva, Switzerland
Website : http://www.geneva.info/jonction/
Mount Salève
If you want to go to an alpine mountain around Geneva, we invite you to put on some good shoes and go hiking on the beautiful Mont Salève
It is actually located in France, but we understand its nickname of “Geneva’s balcony” because it gives a breathtaking view of the city, Lake Geneva and the Alps!
From downtown Geneva, it takes about 3 hours to walk to the top. There are also buses that drop you off at the bottom of the mountain and then a cable car that takes over (for a fee). A tip: wait until you are in France to buy your lunch for less, and enjoy your picnic while admiring the view!
Address : Mont Salève, 74160 Beaumont
Website : https://www.myswitzerland.com/fr-ch/decouvrir/mont-saleve/