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Of all the cities in Europe, Geneva is the one that devotes the lion’s share of its budget to culture. Over 20%. The results of this commitment can be seen in the daily profusion of shows, concerts and exhibitions on offer, all for the benefit of Geneva’s residents and, more broadly speaking, the inhabitants of our region. The benefits can, in fact, be felt deep down, no doubt on a more intimate level, one that touches on the difficult art of ‘living together’.

Forty per cent of Geneva’s population consists of foreigners. While our city and our canton both have their fair share of xenophobic pathologies, these nevertheless remain the preserve of a relatively inactive minority. Today, this privileged situation strikes me as one of the consequences linked to the social and cultural options taken by Geneva.

In this context, it is my very clear intention to develop the dialogue with all cultural players, encourage the convergence between the various publics – including the least spontaneously receptive – and the artists, and promote the work of those who display creativity and dynamism.

Culture is all about desire, pleasure and human encounters. It thus expresses a life-impulse and paves the way for a better understanding of the experiences had by our neighbours, be they near or far.

Culture is also a peaceful confrontation of worldviews and ideas, a salutary questioning of conventionalisms and rigid paradigms. It also helps us, sometimes, to become truly happy human beings. Culture is therefore, to some extent, the water of our soul. And, in Geneva, such water is plentiful.

So, may each and every one of you find something in which to slake your thirst.

Bibliothèque d'art et d'archéologie du Musée d'art et d'histoire - City of Geneva
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Promenade du Pin 5
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 27 70
F. +41 (0)22 418 21 71
Vocal guide : T. +41 (0)22 418 34 11

Rate : free entry

Opening times :

• Library : Mon.-Fri. 9h-18h, Sat. 9h-12h, Sun. closed
• Mediatheque : Mon.-Fri. 13h-16h, Sat.-Sun. closed

Miscellaneous :

• E-mail : info.baa@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch/musees/baa/baa.html
• Catalogue on internet : http://www.rero.ch

Bus :

• N°36, Petit Palais stop
• N°3, 5, station Athénée stop
• N°1, 8, Tranchée stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : accessible, please notify in advance

Open to the public in 1911, this is one of Switzerland’s most important art libraries.

Its fields of coverage are in line with the collections of the Art and History Museum of which it is a dependency: archaeology and the history of art from prehistoric times to the 20th century – painting, scultpure, drawing, etching, architecture, the decorative arts, etc.

The library’s readers have 72,000 monographs, 50,000 exhibition catalogues, 42,200 auction catalogues and 5,070 different periodicals at their disposal.

The media reference section includes more than 120,000 slides, together with cassettes and multimedia facilities, numerous collections of illustrations on paper, and dossiers on individual artists.

Cabinet des estampes du Musée d'art et d'histoire - City of Geneva
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Promenade du Pin 5
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 27 70
F. +41 (0)22 418 21 71

Rate : [ 2.50 fr. ] [ - 18 ans : free entry ]

Opening times :

• Tue.-Sun. 10h-12- & 14h-18h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Only Temporary exhibitions
• Founds: consultables by appointment
• Guided tour: by appointment
• E-mail : cde@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch/musee/cde/cde.html

Bus :

• N°36, Petit Palais stop
• N°3, 5, Athénée stop
• N°1, 8, Tranchée stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : accessible, please notify in advance

With over 300,000 items dating from the 15th to the 20th century, Geneva’s Prints Collection is one of the five most important in Switzerland. All the prints conserved fulfil the same criteria: they are works on paper printed in one or more proofs from a block that has been engraved, drawn or etched.

The collection includes major works from Germany, England, Flanders, Italy, Japan and Switzerland. Highlights include Piranesi and Venetian engravings of the 18th century, and works by Callot (17th century),
Hogarth (18th century) and Corot (19th century).

The Prints Collection in Geneva deliberately focuses on a few movements and contemporary artists, putting together coherent collections of the work of Baselitz, de Chirico, Saura, Michaux, Bram van Velde or Valloton,
among others. The collection of avant-garde Russian and Hungarian prints dating from 1913 to 1925 has a significant place, and is one of the best in Europe.

Collections Baur, Musée des arts d'Extrême-Orient
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Rue Munier-Romilly 8
1206 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 704 32 82
F. +41 (0)22 789 18 45

Rate : [ 5 fr. / 2 fr. 50 ] [ -12 ans : free entry ] [ passport Musées Suisses ]

Opening times :

• Tue.-Sun. 14h - 18h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : info@collections-baur.ch
• Website : http://www.collections-baur.ch/

Bus :

• N° 1, 8 Florissant stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible : 1st floor

Library : consultable on request

Comprising more than 7,000 examples of Asiatic art, the Baur Collection is housed in an elegant private mansion built at the end of the 19th century in neo-Louis XV style.

The Swiss collector Alfred Baur (1865-1951) put together this remarkable collection of Chinese ceramics and jades from the 8th to the 19th centuries as well as Japanese art objects including prints, netsuke and sword-fittings. Chinese snuff bottles and Japanese smokers’ requisites add a pleasant final touch to the collection.

The important collection of Japanese lacquer works assembled by Alfred Baur was enriched in 1995 by a donation of 12 lacquer items from China dating from the 14th to the 18th century.

Catalogues and bulletins are regularly published and Temporary exhibitions are organised in the newly-built rooms.

Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques - City of Geneva
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Chemin de l'Impératrice 1
1292 Prégny-Chambésy
T. +41 (0)22 418 51 00
F. +41 (0)22 418 51 01

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times :

• Garden :
  25 October until 31 March.
  Mon.-Sun. 9h30 - 17h
  1st of April until 24 October
  Mon.-Sun. 8h00 - 19h30
• Greenhouses : 9h30-16h30
• Salle du Chêne :
  from March until November
  Mon.-Fri. 8h30-12h & 13h00-16h30
  Sat., Sun., non-working days 11h-17h

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Autoguided Tours. free entry: Wed. 12h30, from may until October, by appointment
• Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb

Bus :

• N° 1, 11, 28, Jardin Botanique stop

Parking : Nations car park

Disabled access : Accessible, except Greenhouses

Gift shop : Botanic Shop

Restaurant : light meals, restaurant : from the half of March until October

The spirit of naturalism that prevailed in the 18th century eventually prompted A.-P. de Candolle to establish Geneva’s first extensive botanical gardens in 1817. Today this area of 28 hectares, situated since 1904 on the edge of Geneva, is an ideal setting for either a simple stroll or for learning.

The Botanical Gardens consist of a collection of 16,000 plant species from all over the world. This truly living museum is divided into several sections : an arboretum, the rock garden and banks of protected plants, medicinal and useful plants, greenhouses, horticultural plants (including a "garden of scent and touch") and an animal park devoted to conservation.

The Conservatory owns a rich public library of more than 200,000 volumes, major databases supported by powerful computers, and a herbarium whose more than 5,5 million samples make it one of the four or five largest in the world. (Visits open to scientists by appointment.)

At the Salle du Chêne, around fifteen artistical Temporary exhibitions are presented every year.

Espace Ami Lullin, musée de la Bibliothèque de Genève - City of Geneva
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Bibliothèque de Genève
Promenade des Bastions
1211 Genève 4
T. +41 (0)22 418 28 00
F. +41 (0)22 418 28 01

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Fri. 14h-18h, Sat. 10h-12h, Sun., Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : expos.bpu@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/bpu

Bus :

• N° 3, 5, 12, 29, 36, Place Neuve stop
• N° 1, 4, 13, 32, Rond-Point de Plainpalais stop

Parking :

• Plainpalais car park
• Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible, please notify in advance

Library : Mon.-Fri. 9h-18h, Sat. 9h-12h

The Library has chosen to display some of its precious manuscripts and other curiosities in the turn-of-the-century environment of the Ami Lullin Hall. Covering four centuries of history, the room houses a permanent exhibition of papyri and illuminated parchments. The walls are hung with a hundred or
so portraits of prominent Geneva personalities and famous people linked with Geneva.

The Historical Museum of the Reformation presents documents of all kinds (bibles, portraits, manuscripts) on the Reformation not only in France and French-speaking Switzerland, but also in Germany, Scotland, German-speaking Switzerland, the Netherlands, Bohemia and Hungary.

The Jean-Jacques Rousseau Museum, with its exceptional collection of original documents, offers its visitors an insight of the life and work of the "Citizen of Geneva".

Musée Jean-Jacques Rousseau - City of Geneva
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Bibliothèque publique et universitaire
Promenade des Bastions
1211 Genève 4
T. +41 (0)22 418 28 00
F. +41 (0)22 418 28 01

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Fri. 14h-18h, Sat. 10h-12h, Sun., Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : expos.bpu@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/bpu

Bus :

• N° 3, 5, 12, 29, 36, Place Neuve stop
• N° 1, 4, 13, 32, Rond-Point de Plainpalais stop

Parking :

• Plainpalais car park
• Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible, please notify in advance

Library : Mon.-Fri. 9h-18h, Sat. 9h-12h

The Library has chosen to display some of its precious manuscripts and other curiosities in the turn-of-the-century environment of the Ami Lullin Hall. Covering four centuries of history, the room houses a permanent exhibition of papyri and illuminated parchments. The walls are hung with a hundred or
so portraits of prominent Geneva personalities and famous people linked with Geneva.

The Historical Museum of the Reformation presents documents of all kinds (bibles, portraits, manuscripts) on the Reformation not only in France and French-speaking Switzerland, but also in Germany, Scotland, German-speaking Switzerland, the Netherlands, Bohemia and Hungary.

The Jean-Jacques Rousseau Museum, with its exceptional collection of original documents, offers its visitors an insight of the life and work of the "Citizen of Geneva".

Espace Rousseau
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Grand-Rue 40
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 310 10 28
F. +41 (0)22 310 10 28

Rate : [ 5 fr. / 3 fr. ] [ free entry : passport Musées Suisses, carte 20ans/20francs ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 11h-17h30, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Audiovisual tour
• E-mail : info@espace-rousseau.ch
• Website : http://www.espace-rousseau.ch/

Bus :

• N° 36, Hôtel de Ville stop

Parking :

• Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Inaccessible

Gift shop : Postal cards and books about Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of Geneva's most renowned citizens, was born on the 28th of June 1712 at number 40 Grand-Rue, in the historical heart of Geneva. It is here that, during the summer of 2002, a cultural space devoted to the famous writer, musician and philosopher of the Enlightenment, was created.

The Espace Rousseau offers visitors a 25 minute audio-visual journey in French, German, Italian, English and Japanese, through Rousseau's life, thought and work. Within a contemporary setting, the exhibition vividly presents the itinerary of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's life and his influence on the world's political and social thought. Portraits, quotes of Rousseau's writings and 18th century music help introduce the visitor to the multiple faces of the author of the Confessions, The Social contract, Emile and The New Héloise.

Fondation Martin Bodmer - Bibliothèque et musée
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Route de Guignard 19-21
1233 Cologny
T. +41 (0)22 707 44 33
F. +41 (0)22 707 44 30

Rate : [8 fr. / 5 fr. ] [ free entry for childrens up to 16 years, teachers, SHAS cards, ICOM ] [passport Musées Suisses]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 14h-18h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Guided tours of the exposition by appointement
• E-mail : info@fondationbodmer.ch
• Website : http://www.fondationbodmer.org/

Bus :

• N° A, Cologny-Temple stop
• N° 33, Croisée de Cologny stop

Parking :

• 17 places at the Fondation and paying car park "La Forge"

Disabled access : 2 reserved Parking, lift for museum access

Established in the village of Cologny, this legendary library is the life's work of the great collector Martin Bodmer (1899-1971).

Numbered among the most important private libraries in the world, the Bodmeriana reflects the adventure of the human intellect since the dawn of the written tradition. Gathering together around 80 literatures, it omprises 160,000 works. These include hundreds of western and oriental manuscripts and 270 incunabula (books printed before 1500) - among them one of the few copies of the Gutenberg Bible.

On permanent display is the library's famous collection of Greek and Coptic papyri, which includes the most ancient manuscripts of St John's Gospel and three comedies by Menander. Although devoted primarily to the written word, the Bodmeriana also houses sculptures, paintings, drawings, tapestries and musical scores.

Musée Zoubov - Fondation in memoriam Comtesse Tatiana Zoubov
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Rue des Granges 2
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 340 48 64
F. +41 (0)22 340 48 64

Rate : [ 5 fr. / 3 fr.] [ - 6 ans : free entry ]

Opening times :

• 1st October until 14 June : Thur. 18h, Sat. 14h30 & 15h30
• 15 June until 30 September : Mon.-Fri. 15h45

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections : T. +41(0)22 311 92 55
• Special visits for groups

Bus :

• N° 36, Hôtel-de-Ville stop
• N° 2, 7, 12, 16, Bel-Air Cité stop

Parking :

• Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Inaccessible

Between 1720 and 1723, three private mansions were constructed in the rue des Granges in the style of the beautiful patrician residences being built in France at the same period.

The items collected by Countess Zoubov are housed in one apartment within this group of buildings.

A woman of European culture, the countess had a taste for beautiful objects which she bought in the course of her many travels between 1920 and 1930. She created a very special setting, respecting the decorative tradition of the 18th century salons, with admirable pieces of authentic period furniture by French cabinet-makers, rare ceramics, Sèvres porcelain, precious carpets, and paintings by Vigée-Lebrun and other artists.

Pieces from the Pavlosk and Strogonov palaces of St Petersburg are also on display, as is a remarkable collection, originating from the Imperial Palace in Peking, of 18th and 19th century cloisonné enamels from Canton.

Institut et Musée Voltaire - City of Geneva
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Les Délices
Rue des Délices 25
1203 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 344 71 33
F. +41 (0)22 345 19 84

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Mon.-Fri. 14h-17h, Sat.-Sun. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : institut.voltaire@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/imv

Bus :

• N° 6, 19 Prairie stop
• N° 7, 11 Délices stop
• N° 27 Musée Voltaire stop

Parking :

• Ecole d'ingénieurs car park (rue de la Prairie)

Disabled access : Accessible : 1st floor

Library : Mon.-Fri. 14h-17h, on morning by appointment, Sat.-Sun. closed

"It is the palace of a philosopher with the gardens of Epicurus", said Voltaire of the estate which he owned until 1765, and christened "Les Délices" ("Delights"). This is where he maintained his principal residence from 1755 to 1760.

Since 1954, this mansion has housed an important centre of documentation and research on Voltaire and the 18th century consisting of a library and a museum. The collections are composed essentially of printed books (currently more than 22,000), manuscripts and iconographical documents.

In the museum, a wide selection of manuscripts, old editions, paintings, drawings, engravings and sculptures (including three masterpieces by Houdon), together with various objects that belonged to Voltaire, are presented in a manner allowing visitors to follow the main stages of the life and work of the author of Candide, while at the same time enjoying the atmosphere of a fine 18th-century interior.

Maison Tavel - City of Geneva
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Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 37 00
F. +41 (0)22 418 37 01

Rate : [ permanent collections : free entry ] [ Temporary exhibitions : 3 fr. / 2 fr. ] [ -18 years and 20ans/20francs : free entry]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 10h-17h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• E-mail : mah@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch

Bus :

• N° 36, Hôtel-de-Ville stop
• N° 2, 7, 12, 16, Bel-Air Cité ou Molard stop

Parking :

• Saint -Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible

A historic monument, Tavel House is one of Switzerland's remarkable examples of civilian mediaeval architecture.

Destroyed by a fire which ravaged part of the city in 1334, the house was rebuilt by the Tavels, a family of Geneva nobles who gave the house its character of fortified mansion and urban palace. After passing through the hands of various influential local families over the centuries, the house was acquired in 1963 by the City of Geneva, which carried out a respectful and exemplary restoration. Viewable in its entirety, from the cellars to the attic, Tavel House is devoted to the urban history and daily life of Geneva.

Objects, drawings, engravings and photographs, coins, furniture and collections of silver - all bear witness to Geneva's past, from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. A huge scale model dating from 1896, known as the Magnin maquette, reconstructs the appearance of Old Geneva as it was before 1850, still surrounded by its fortifications.

Mamco, Musée d'art moderne et contemporain
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Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10
1205 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 320 61 22
F. +41 (0)22 781 56 81

Rate : [ 8 fr. / 6 fr. / 4 fr. ] [ - 18 years : free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Fri. 12h-18h, Sat.-Sun. 11h-18h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment
• Guided tour free entry on the first Sunday of the month at 15h
• Website : http://www.mamco.ch

Bus :

• N° 1, Ecole-de-Médecine stop
• N° 1, Bains stop

Tramway :

• N° 12, Rond-Point de Plainpalais stop
• N° 13, Place du Cirque stop

Parking : Plainpalais car park

Disabled access : Accessible

MAMCO opened in September 1994 in a former factory, and it takes into account the spirit of the building it occupies. The factory’s industrial architecture of the 1950s allows for a flexible and constantly changing museum arrangement.

The museum exhibits a broad range of work dating from the early 1960s to
the present day. Its installations, videos, paintings, photographs, and sculptures come to MAMCO on loan from public and private collections,
as gifts, as artists’ deposits or as acquisitions.

In a convivial and playful manner inspired by the spirit of Marcel Duchamp, MAMCO aims to provoke people to reconsider their understanding of the notions of "contemporary art" and "museum". A number of rooms are installed in collaboration with the artists. In fact, some areas are even managed
by artists, who either exhibit the works of other artists, or set up actual studios in which they come to work on a regular basis. A "Geneva Suite" brings together the works of well-known Swiss artists.

Microcosm interactive museum of Cern
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CERN
Laboratoire Européen pour la Physique des Particules
Route de Meyrin
1217 Meyrin
T. +41 (0)22 767 84 84
F. +41 (0)22 767 81 10

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Mon.-Sat. 9h-17h30, Sun. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Hands-on workshops and guided tours of the Laboratory: by appointment
• E-mail : visits.service@cern.ch
• Website : http://www.cern.ch/visits

Bus :

• N° 9, Y, Cern stop

Parking : on the spot

Disabled access : Accessible

Straddling the border between France and Switzerland, CERN is the world's largest particle physics research centre. This European institution was founded in 1954 and now has twenty member states. The Microcosm visitor centre is situated on the CERN site: discover the excitement of fundamental research and how it can lead to breakthroughs in communication, computing, medicine... Laboratory visits are also highly recommended: see behind the scenes at CERN and meet some of the 7 thousand scientists from over 80 countries that work there. A new hands-on exhibition, entitled “What are we made of ?”, tells the story of the particles that make up our body and the forces that hold them together. The exhibition is based on interactivity : Why do we weigh more on the Earth than on the Moon ?

Find out by touching, lifting, pulling or clicking. Entertaining and interactive, the Microcosm contents are also educational with computer games and hands-on experiments. Supporting material is available for teachers and hands-on workshops can be booked in advance... there is something for every-one.

Musée Ariana, Musée suisse de la céramique et du verre - City of Geneva
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Avenue de la Paix 10
1202 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 54 50
F. +41 (0)22 418 54 51

Rate : [ 5 fr. / 3 fr.]
[ reduced rates: persons from 18 up to 25 years, AVS, AI, unemployed, students, apprentices]

Opening times : Wed.-Mon. 10h-17h, Tue. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Programms of visits : see Accueil des publics - Musée d'art et d'histoire
• E-mail : ariana@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch/musee/ariana/ariana.html

Bus :

• N° 8, 18, F, V, Z Appia stop
  N° 5, 11, 13, 14 Nations stop

Parking : Nations car park

Disabled access : Accessible, please notify in advance

Gift shop : Gift shop, books, porcelain and glass

Restaurant : light meals, restaurant

The Ariana Museum brings under one roof the City of Geneva’s collections of ceramics and glass. It is the only museum in Switzerland - and one of the most important in Europe - devoted entirely to kilncraft.

With over 16,000 objects, the collections illustrate seven centuries of ceramics in Geneva, Switzerland, Europe and the East. All the main techniques are represented: pottery, stoneware, earthenware, porcelain, and china. The islamic collection and an important series of oriental porcelains for export reveal the interactions between East and West wich constitute a fundamental truth in the universal history of ceramics. The museum also has examples of work from the 20th century.

Built on the initiative of Gustave Revilliod (1817-1890), the Ariana Museum, with its neo-classical and neo-baroque features, immediately set itself apart from the local architectural style.

Musée d'art et d'histoire - City of Geneva
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Rue Charles-Galland 2
1205 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 26 00
F. +41 (0)22 418 26 01

Rate : [ permanent collections : free entry ] [ fixed prices for temporary exhibitions : 5 fr. / 3 fr. ] [ -18 years and 20ans/20francs : free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 10h-17h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• During year L’Accueil des Publics gives programms for visits at the Musée d’art et d’histoire, Musée Ariana, Musée d’histoire des sciences, au Musée Rath and at the Maison Tavel.
• E-mail : mah@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch/

Bus :

• N° 3, 5, Athénée stop
• N° 36, Saint-Antoine stop
• N° 2, 7,12, 16, Rive stop
• N° 1, 8, Tranchées stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible

Gift shop : Gift shop, books and goods

Restaurant : Restaurant

The Art and History Museum was erected between 1903 and 1910 by architect Marc Camoletti, commissioned by Charles Galland, the benefactor of the Museum.

Designed as an encyclopedic museum, it houses collections in such diverse fields as archeology, the fine arts and applied arts, and brings together typical examples of the highlights of western culture from its origins to the present day.

The Museum owns a rich collection of regional prehistoric items as well as the largest Swiss collection of Egyptian antiques.

The Near-East, Greek, Etruscan and Roman collections offer a complete archeological overview up to the Coptic and Byzantine christian era. The numismatic collection, which displays only part of its 60,000 or so Genevan, Greek and Roman coins, is a major contribution to economic and social history.

The fine arts collection, spanning 500 years from the 15th to the 20th century, displays a variety of Swiss works of art, from the retable painted by Konrad Witz for St Peter's cathedral in 1444, to pictures by Liotard, odler and Vallotton. The Italian, French and Dutch schools are also represented by several paintings and drawings. The Swiss and European 19th century is given a special place, with works by Calame, Diday, Corot, Renoir, Monet and Cézanne. The 20th century is represented by expressionist, neorealist and contemporary works.

The applied arts collection displays items from the Middle Ages - including the christian Near-East - to the 20th century. Textiles and silverware, stained-glass window panes, furniture and woodwork, as well as ewterware,
all exemplify the diversity of styles shown here. Another room is devoted to weapons and suits of armour.

A programme of Temporary exhibitions and meetings is run throughout
the year.

Musée Barbier-Mueller
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Rue Jean-Calvin 10
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 312 02 70
F. +41 (0)22 312 01 90

Rate : [ 5 fr. / 3 fr. ] [ -12 years : free entry ] [ passeport Musées Suisses ]

Opening times : Mon.-Sun. 11h-17h

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : musee@barbier-mueller.ch
• Website : http://www.barbier-mueller.ch/

Bus :

• N° 2, 7, 12, 16, Molard stop
• N° 36, Hôtel-de-Ville stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible, 1st floor

Standing right in the centre of the old town of Geneva ever since it opened to the public in 1977, the Barbier-Mueller Museum was created to preserve, study and publish documents on a collection started in 1907 by Josef Mueller and continued up to this day by his heirs.

This collection now boasts 5,500 items and includes works of art from tribal and classical antiquity, as well as sculptures, fabrics and ornaments from so-called "primitive"civilisations the world over. In particular, the collection includes a unique series of megalithic monuments from Indonesia, a well-known collection of Indonesian jewels, ancient masks and African shields, statues and items of worship from Oceania, as well as some unique pieces of pre-Columbian art.

The Barbier-Mueller Museum has been internationally acclaimed for its travelling exhibitions, loans to other museums, and for the publication of numerous art catalogues and books.

Musée de Carouge
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Place de Sardaigne 2
1227 Cargouge
T. +41 (0)22 342 33 83
F. +41 (0)22 342 33 81

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 14h-18h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Temporary exhibitions
• Founds : consultable by appointment
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : musee@carouge.ch
• Website : http://www.carouge.ch

Bus :

• N° 12, 13, 21 Place du Marché stop
• N° 11, 14, 18, 41, 45, Tours de Carouge stop

Parking : Place de Sardaigne car park

Disabled access : Accessible

The Carouge Museum is located in a beautiful Old Carouge house built for a master watchmaker around 1789 in the Louis XVI style. Its typical Sardinian garden makes it a pleasant destination for a stroll on the edge of Geneva in a remarkably well-conserved district enlivened by numerous handicraft shops.

The permanent collections, which may be viewed on demand, consist mainly of earthenware produced by the Carouge factory between 1810 and 1930, Noverraz art deco ceramics made between 1930 and 1960, and various works by contemporary ceramics artists. The museum's collections also include works by several Carouge artists of the 20th century.

The museum is open only during the four Temporary exhibitions presented every year.

Musée d'ethnographie - City of Geneva
close details

Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65
1205 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 45 50
F. +41 (0)22 418 45 51

Rate : [permanent collection : free entry ] [ Temporary exhibitions : 4. fr. 50 / 2 fr. 50 ] [ -18 years and 20ans/20francs: free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 10h-17h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour: by appointment
• E-mail : musee.ethno@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/eth

Bus :

• N° 1, 4, 32, Ecole-de-Médecine stop

Parking : Plainpalais car park

Disabled access : Accessible : 1st floor

Library : Library

Established in 1901 by Professor Eugène Pittard, the Museum of Ethnography has been located in a former school since the last world war. A new museum will be built in Place Sturm by the winner of a recent architectural contest.

This museum contains 60,000 objects, the second largest number of items in any Swiss museum. It is a good reflection of the exceptional and long-standing dealings of Geneva with the rest of the world. Likewise, the objects exhibited reflect the diversity, the richness and the creativity of traditional cultures in every corner of the globe.

This museum has built up a prestigious reputation in several fields such as the different cultures of Amazonia, South American colonial silverware, Japanese weapons and art objects from the Edo era, the aborigine civilisations of Australia, the rural cultures of western and central Africa.

Musée d'ethnographie - Annexe de Conches - City of Geneva
close details

Chemin Calandrini 7
1231 Conches-Genève
T. +41 (0)22 346 01 25
F. +41 (0)22 789 15 40

Rate : [ 4.fr 50 / 2.fr 50 ] [ - 18 years and 20ans/20francs : free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 10h-17h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour: by appointment
• E-mail : musee.ethno@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/eth

Bus :

• N° 8, Calandrini (on request) stop

Parking : Route de Florissant car park

Disabled access : Accessible

The Conches Annex is an old family mansion set in a beautiful park. The exhibitions organised here do not leave visitors indifferent and can be at times even provocative. In all events, it might be said that the Conches Annex is very much attuned to modern times.

Its Temporary exhibitions focus on regional, alpine and urban ethnography. The Annex stages the Temporary exhibitions based on the prestigious Georges Amoudruz collection, the world's largest collection of the alpine heritage.

Muséum d'histoire naturelle - City of Geneva
close details

Route de Malagnou 1
1208 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 63 00
F. +41 (0)22 418 63 01

Rate : [ free entry ] [ Temporary exhibitions : paying ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 9h30-17h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tours: by appointment
• Website : http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/mhng/

Bus :

• N° 1,8, 20, 27 Muséum stop
• N° 1, 8, Tranchées stop
• N° 12, 16, Villereuse stop

Parking : Villereuse car park

Disabled access : Accessible

Gift shop : Gift shop, books, CDs, and goods

Restaurant : light meals, restaurant

Inaugurated in 1965, the Museum’s current building offers generous space for exhibitions. Its modern concept of museum-keeping makes it one of the most visited institutions in Geneva. It was on the initiative of Henri Boissier (1762-1845) that Geneva established its natural history museum. The initial collection has been enriched by the contents of cabinets belonging to numerous distinguished scientists, including Saussure, Pictet, Forel and Lamarck.

The permanent exhibition rooms are devoted notably to regional fauna (exhibiting almost every vertebrate species present in Switzerland), exotic birds and mammals (a unique attraction is the collection of every species
of tiger known in the world) and marine life, as well as the lower vertebRate (fish, reptiles) and invertebRate (insects, molluscs). Two galleries display the history of our universe and our planet.

The Museum also houses an important section on minerals.
A specialised library is open to the public.

Musée d'histoire des sciences - City of Geneva
close details

Villa Bartholoni
Rue de Lausanne 129
1202 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 50 60
F. +41 (0)22 418 50 61

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Wed.-Mon. 10h-17h, Tue. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Programms of visits : see Accueil des publics - Musée d'art et d'histoire
• E-mail : mhs@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch/musee/mhs/sciences.html

Bus :

• N° 1, 11, 13 Sécheron stop

Parking : Perle du Lac car park

Disabled access : difficult to access

Library : Library consultable by appointement

The Museum of the History of Science is the only museum of its kind in Switzerland. It is also an excellent display case for the city's scientific past, which was particularly outstanding in the 18th century, and a reflection of the interest the inhabitants of Geneva have always had in science.

Shaded by the trees of the Perle du Lac park by Lake Geneva, this museum is situated in the Villa Bartholoni (the city's most beautiful neo-classic house, built in 1828). Inside the villa, the rooms are decorated with wall paintings which are among the most accomplished of the Pompeiian style in the country.

The collections are composed of numerous old scientific instruments (microscopes, barometers, sun dials, astrolabes, etc.), books and documents bequeathed by the families of Geneva's scientists and scholars (e.g. the
de Saussure collection) or donated by the public bodies for which they worked (e.g. the collection of M-A. Pictet).

Musée de l'horlogerie et de l'émaillerie - City of Geneva
close details

Route de Malagnou 15
1208 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 64 70
F. +41 (0)22 418 64 71

Closed for renovation work

Rate : [permanent collection : free entry ] [Temporary exhibitions : 4 fr.50 ] [ -18 years and 20ans20francs : free entry ]

Opening times : the museum is closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Programms of visits : see Accueil des publics - Musée d'art et d'histoire
• E-mail : mhe@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch/

Bus :

• N° 1, 8, 20, 27, Museumstop
• N° 1, 8, Tranchées stop
• N° 12, 16, Villereuse stop

Parking : Villereuse car park

Disabled access : Accessible : 1st floor

Library : Library consultable by appointement

Situated in a leafy park in the Route de Malagnou, Bryn Bella Villa, built in the Palladian style in the first half of the 19th century, has housed the collections of Geneva’s Watchmaking and Enamel Museum since 1972.

Closed to the public until 2009, the Museum is currently undergoing a total makeover and will be endowed with an additional exhibition space.

The Museum’s major collections, which provide information on the history of Geneva’s workmanship and trades (watchmaking, enamelling and jewellery making), as well as developments in the national and international watchmaking industry, will be opened to the public in a newly refurbished decor: spanning the 16th and 21st centuries, clocks and watches, sundials and hourglasses, jewels and miniatures, snuffboxes, objets de vertu, watchmaking and enamelling instruments, watch dials and old documents will benefit from the brand new surroundings.

In the meantime, the Museum’s collections, covering many activities and fields of competence, will maintain a high profile at various events, notably at Geneva’s Art and History Museum.

Musée international de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge
close details

Avenue de la Paix 17
1202 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 748 95 25
F. +41 (0)22 748 95 28

Rate : [10 fr. / 5 fr.] [-12 ans free entry ] [ passeport Musées suisses]

Opening times : Wed.-Mon. 10h-17h, Tue. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions. Audioguides.
• Guided tour : by appointment
• Website : http://www.micr.org

Bus :

• N° 8, 18, F, V, Z station Appiat ou Ariana

Parking : Sur place : bus uniquement

Disabled access : Accessible

Mediatheque : by appointment

Gift shop : Librairie, Gift shop

Restaurant : Restaurant

Geneva, the birthplace of the International Red Cross, hosts the only museum devoted to the work of Henri Dunant. Located just opposite the Palais des Nations, this museum was opened in 1988 to pay tribute to the extraordinary deeds of the men and women of the Red Cross who have served humanity for over a century.

Eleven areas have been set apart to illustrate and explain the principles, history and work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent during the gravest events of our time.

Very up-to-date museographics are used to display installations, sculptures, flags, numerous objects, original photographs and films. Audio-visual recordings, computer terminals and slide shows weave a striking fabric
of written texts, unforgettable pictures and other documents.

Musée international de la Réforme
close details

Maison Mallet
Rue du Cloître 2
1204 Genèe

Rate : [ 10 fr. / 5 fr. ] [ - 6 ans : free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 10h-17h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Audioguides
• Guided tours, by appointment
• E-mail : info@musee-reforme.ch
• Website : http://www.musee-reforme.ch/

Bus :

• N° 36, Hôtel-de-Ville stop
• N° 2, 7, 12, 16, Molard stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible, please notify in advance

Mediatheque : by appointment

Gift shop : Gift shop, books, goods

Restaurant : light meals

In April 2005, the International Museum of the Reformation will open its doors at the Mallet Mansion, cour Saint-Pierre, in the heart of the Old Town, next to the St-Pierre Cathedral. The place is a highly symbolic choice, for it was on this very site that on 21 May 1536 the Reformation was proclaimed. The Museum paint a comprehensive picture of the Reformation from its origines to the present day, using the latest museum technologies. The cellars lead to the entrance of the Archaeological Site of Saint-Pierre Cathedral.

Musée Jean Tua de l'automobile, de la moto et du cycle
close details

Rue des Bains 28-30
1205 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 321 36 37
F. +41 (0)22 321 83 84

Rate : [ 8 fr. / 6 fr. / 4 fr. ]

Opening times : Wed.-Sun. 14h - 18h, Mon.-Tue. closed (except by appointment)

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment

Bus :

• N° 1, 4, 32, Ecole-de-Médecine stop
• N° 1, Bains stop

Parking : Plainpalais car park

Disabled access : Partially accessible

This museum was named after the collector of the one hundred and forty-odd vehicles on show there. It is located in the old factory that also houses the MAMCO and the Contemporary Art Centre.

It is the only museum of its kind in Switzerland and exhibits exclusively original models dating from 1877 to 1939. It includes some of the most prestigious names in the automotive industry such as Hispano, Voisin,
De Dion-Bouton, Fiat, Delage, Citroën or Mercedes.

Permanent exhibits display such unique models as a Hispano-Suiza built by Parisians Fernandez and Darrin in 1936, an avant-gardist Citroën from 1938 with bodywork by Swiss designer Bernarth, and a 1932 Bugatti Type 49 with bodywork by Rucksthul.

Musée militaire genevois
close details

Château de Penthes
Chemin de l'Impératrice 18
1292 Pregny-Chambésy
T. +41 (0)22 734 48 75

Rate : Ask the Museum for further information

Opening times : Wed.-Sat. 14h-17h, Sun. 10h-12h et 14h-17h, Mon.-Tue. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections

Bus :

• N° V, Z, Penthes stop

Parking : on the spot

Restaurant : Restaurant : Le Cent Suisses

In the Guillaume-Henri Dufour Pavilion, the collection of the Military Museum of Geneva presents the history of the Geneva military from 1813
to the present day.

Musée de l'Ordre de Malte
close details

Commanderie de Compesière
Route de Cugny
1257 Bardonnex
T. +41 (0)22 735 33 81 or +41 (0)79 202 55 64
F. +41 (0)22 735 33 81

Rate : [ rate depending on number of persons ]

Opening times : Only Guided tour by appointment

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• E-mail : fzanetta@iprolink.ch
• Website : http://www.smommuseum.ch/

Bus :

• N° 46 Compesières stop

Parking : on the spot

Disabled access : Innaccessible

Library : consultable by demand

The Order of Malta’s Museum is situated in the Commanderie de Compesières, about ten kilometres from Geneva. It occupies part of a fortified dwelling recently refurbished to restore the medieval effect.

The museum contains collections bearing witness to the sovereign Order of Malta's past and current activities. The order was established in the early 12th century to heal and protect pilgrims on their way to visit Christ's tomb. By way of the various uniforms, paintings, manuscripts and a collection of coins and decorations, visitors re-experience the period of the knights who, without ever neglecting to tend their "Lords, the sick", continually defended Christendom in the Mediterranean region.

Musée Rath - City of Geneva
close details

Place Neuve
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 418 33 40
F. +41 (0)22 418 33 51

Rate : [ 9 fr. / 5 fr. ] [ - 18 years and 20ans/20francs : free entry ]

Opening times : Thur.-Tue. 10h-17h, Wed. 12h-21h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Only Temporary exhibitions
• Programms of visits : see Accueil des publics - Musée d'art et d'histoire
• E-mail : mah@ville-ge.ch
• Website : http://mah.ville-ge.ch

Bus :

• N° 46 Compesières stop

Parking : on the spor

Disabled access : Innaccessible

Library : consultable by demand

The first Swiss museum to be devoted to the fine arts, the Rath Museum serves as the home of large Temporary exhibitions organized by the Art and History Museum. Located on Place Neuve, it is a neighbour of the Grand-Théâtre and the Conservatory of Music – legacies of an era of economic prosperity and growing interest in artistic life.

Built as a gift to the people of Geneva by two sisters, Jeanne-Françoise and Henriette Rath, and inaugurated in 1826, the Museum was conceived as a "Temple of the Muses" embodying both French taste and the Italianate style.

The Museum currently exhibits international as well as Swiss art. Over the past decade it has housed more than 60 thematic and single-artist exhibitions. Special emphasis has been laid on archaeology and ancient art on the one hand (e.g. "Treasures of Islam") and on modern and contemporary art on the other ("Bram van Velde", "Markus Raetz" retrospectives, etc).

Palais des Nations
close details

Avenue de la Paix (Porte 39)
1211 Genève 10
Appointements for visits : T. +41 (0)22 917 48 96
F. +41 (0)22 917 00 32

Rate : [ entry for visits : portail Pregny avenue de la Paix 14 ] [ 8 fr. 50 / 6 fr. 50 / 4 fr. ]

Opening times :

• From April until October : Mon.-Sun. 10h-12h & 14h-16h,
• July and August : Mon.-Sun. 10h-17h
• From November until March : Mon.-Fri. 10h-12h & 14h-16h
  

Miscellaneous :

• For access, please present your ID card
• E-mail : visit-gva@unog.ch
• Website : http://www.unog.ch

Bus :

• N° 8, 18, F, V, Z, Appia stop
• N° 5, 11, 13, 14, Nations stop

Parking : Nations car park

Disabled access : Accessible, please notify in advance

Restaurant : light meals, restaurant for groups

The Palais des Nations was built between 1929 and 1936 and extended in 1973 with the adjunction of a new wing. It hosts the United Nations Office in Geneva. Twice as large as the Chateau de Versailles, it is located on the picturesque Ariana estate and boasts a first-class view on Mont-Blanc and Lake Geneva.

The Palais' architecture is very typical of its time. Its inside decoration includes a number of remarkable works of art that reflect the cultural diversity of many countries. The rooms are hung with paintings by Massimo Campigli, Rauschenberg, José Maria Sert and Sörensen.

Many century-old trees stand in the park, as well as striking sculptures such as the orb sphere and a bronze by Edwina Sandy. Visitors can take a commented tour daily in any of fifteen different languages or learn more about the building with multimedia interactive games placed at their disposal. Thirty to forty temporary shows are staged each year. The League of Nations Museum and the Philatelic Museum also display permanent exhibitions.

Musée des Suisses dans le monde
close details

Château de Penthes
Chemin de l'Impératrice 18
1292 Pregny-Chambésy
T. +41 (0)22 734 90 21

Rate : [ 5 fr. / 3 fr. 50 / 1 fr. 50 ] [ - 6 years : free entry ] [ passeport Musées suisses]

Opening times :

• Tue.-Sun. 10h-12h and 14h-18h
• 15.01-31.03 : Wed.-Fri. 14h-17h, Sat.-Sun. 10h-12h and 14h-17h
• Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Autoguide.
• Guided tour: by appointment
• E-mail : musee@chateau.de.penthes.ch
• Website : www.chateau-de-penthes.ch

Bus :

• N° V, Z, Penthes stop

Parking : on the spot

Disabled access : Accessible : 1st floor

Restaurant : Restaurant : Le Cent Suisses

Originally a 14th century fortified mansion, the Château de Penthes took on the main features of its current appearance in 1870. Standing in the middle of a splendid park, it has been the home of the National Institute of Historical Research on Switzerland Abroad since 1978.

Through documents, uniforms, portraits, paintings and engravings, flags, costumes and furniture, the museum traces the history of Swiss people abroad, from the Middle Ages to the present day, in every sphere of human activity from politics, industry and the arts, to science and the military.

Patek Philippe Museum
close details

Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 7
1205 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 807 09 10
F. +41 (0)22 807 09 20

Rate : [ 10 fr. / 7 et 5 fr. ] [ -18 years : free entry ] [ Wednesday guided tour: 15 fr. ]

Opening times :

• Tue.-Fri. 14h-17h, Sat. 10h-18h, Sun.-Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Guided tour : every wednesday in french at 14h15 (2h)
• Guided tour : every friday in english at 14h15 (2h)
• E-mail : info@patekmuseum.com, visit@patekmuseum.com
• Website : www.patekmuseum.com

Bus :

• N° 1,4, Ecole-de-Médecine stop

Parking : Plainpalais car park

Disabled access : Accessible

Library : Consultation only by appointment

Located in a building that was constructed in the early 20th century, the PATEK PHILIPPE MUSEUM exhibits important collections of horology and enamelling of Genevese, Swiss and European origin, dating from the 16th to the 20th century.

A library of 7000 works entirely dedicated to horology and its related subjects documents the historic collections which are essentially composed of watches, musical automata and portrait miniatures. The museum is home as well to the prestigious creations that PATEK PHILIPPE, the Geneva-based firm of master watchmakers, has been designing and developing since its foundation in 1839.

Petit Palais
close details

Terrasse Saint-Victor 2
1206 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 346 14 33
F. +41 (0)22 346 53 15

Rate : [ 10 fr. / 5 fr. ] [ - 13 years : free entry ]

Opening times : Closed. Please contact museum for further information.

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections
• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment
  

Bus :

• N° 36, Petit-Palais stop
• N° 3, 5, Claparède stop
• N° 1, 8, Florissant stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible, please notify in advance

Gift shop : Gift shop

Located at the gates of the Old Town in a prestigious Second Empire residence built in 1862, the Petit Palais presents paintings, sculptures and drawings by artists who marked the history of modern art between 1870 and 1930.

Within the intimate surroundings of a private house, the property of its founder, Oscar Ghez, the Petit Palais exhibits more than 300 works from Impressionism to the Paris School. Most of the major movements that influenced French painting for more than half a century are represented by canvases signed by famous names (such as Cézanne, Caillebotte, Renoir, Gauguin, Van Dongen or Modigliani). But the presence of works by artists of lesser renown allows visitors to consider the importance of an artistic movement as a whole.

Permanent retrospectives are devoted to the work of Tarkhoff, Steinlen, Kisling, and Mané-Katz.

Site archéologique de la Cathédrale Saint-Pierre
close details

Cour Saint-Pierre 6
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 311 75 74

Rate : [5 fr. / 3fr.] [groups from 15 persons : 3fr.] [carte 20ans/20francs : 2 fr.]

Opening times :

• 1st June until 30 September : Tue.-Fri. 11h-17h, Sat.-Sun. 11h-17h30, Mon. closed
• 1st October until 31 May : Tue.-Fri. 14h-17h, Sa-Sun. 13h30-17h30, Mon. closed
  

Miscellaneous :

• Permanent collections, individual audioguides
• Guided tour : T. +41(0)22 310 29 29
  

Bus :

• N° 36, Bourg-de-Four stop
• N° 2, 7, 12, 16, Molard stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Partially accessible

From 1976 right up to the present day, archeological excavation has been going on under Saint Peter's cathedral and the Chapelle des Macchabées.

Eleven excavation zones have been specially marked out in the subsoils of these two buildings. With state of the art museographic techniques, these areas have become one of the most important archeological sites north of the Alps.

The portal of the old Romanesque cathedral dating back to the year 1000 is the first of a series of remnants of a major centre of Christian worship that goes back as far as 350 A.D. From the construction of the very first buildings (a church and a baptistery) up to the period during which the current cathedral was built, this place of worship underwent constant changes over a period of nearly one thousand years.

This site is a testimony not only to the architectural developments and liturgy of Geneva, but indeed to one of the lesser known aspects of the city's history, namely the period from the Roman era up to the Middle Ages.

Andata Ritorno
close details

Rue du Stand 37
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 329 60 69
F. +41 (0)22 321 58 12

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Tue., Wed., Sat. 14h-18h, Mon., Thur., Fri., Sun. closed

Bus :

• N° 2, 10, 19, 20, D, Palladium stop
• N° 1, Rois stop
• N° 13, 16, Stand stop

Parking : Hôtel des Finances car park

Andata Ritorno was created in 1981 by a group of artists just out of the Academy of Visual Arts in Geneva. It continues today as an association, with an Artistic Director. Neither Art Center nor commercial gallery, Andata Ritorno holds an atypical place among spaces for contemporary art, functioning primarily as a promotional laboratory for young and lesser known artists. Since 1981, it has 200 exhibitions to its credit, among which 60 or so were first solo shows: Guy Limone, Hervé Gaumann, Patrick Weidmann, Gianni Motti, Alexandre Bianchini, Yan Duyvendack, Gilles Porret, etc.

Attitudes - espace d'arts contemporains
close details

Rue du Beulet 4
1203 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 344 37 56
F. +41 (0)22 344 56 57

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Wed.-Sat. 15h-19h, Sun.-Tue. closed, and by appointment

Miscellaneous :

• E-mail : attitudes@worldcom.ch
• Website : http://www.attitudes.ch

Bus :

• N° 7, 27, Jean-Jacques stop

Parking : Planète Charmilles commercial center car park (avenue d'Aïre)

Disabled access : Accessible

Library : Consultable by appointement

Attitudes – contemporary arts space is an artistic structure founded in 1994 and based in Geneva. Attitudes conceives and organises projects in the whole spectrum of contemporary arts, mainly exhibitions, but also video programmes, lectures, catalogues and produces multiples by artists. Attitudes develops its activity in its Geneva space, as well as in other artistic contexts in Switzerland and abroad ( since 2000, projects have been realised in Paris, Weimar, Budapest, Madrid and Buenos Aires ). The ongoing programme is centred on visual arts, but regularly opens up to other disciplines such as performance, film, design, architecture and music. Each exhibition has its own newspaper, which includes original works by the contributing artists.

Art en Ile
close details

Halles de l'île
Place de l'île 1
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 312 12 30
F. +41 (0)22 312 12 30

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Fri. 13h-19h, Sat.-Sun. 11h-17h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Only Temporary exhibitions

Bus :

• N° 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, Bel-Air stop
• N° 12, Bel-Air Cité stop
• N° 13, 16, Stand stop

Parking : Seujet car park

Disabled access : Accessible, please notify in advance

Restaurant : Restaurant

The Art Centre on the Island and the Centre of Applied Arts were established at the start of the 1990s in the Halles de l’Ile - a renovated former market magnificently situated in the middle of the Rhone.

Devoted mainly to local artists, the Art Centre on the Island aims to serve as an exhibition space open to every style and every movement.

Twelve or thirteen individual or collective Temporary exhibitions are organized every year. Every mode of xpression is presented: sculpture, painting, photography, collage, installations and video. The Centre also aims to help young creative artists to be in direct contact with the public and to integrate themselves in a professional circuit.

To facilitate contacts and discussions, the exhibiting artists are usually present at the gallery on Saturdays and Sundays

Centre d'art contemporain Genève
close details

Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers, 10
1205 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 329 18 42
F. +41 (0)22 329 18 86

Rate : [ 4 fr. / 2 fr. ] [ -16 years and 20ans20francs : free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 11h-18h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Temporary exhibitions
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : info@centre.ch
• Website : www.centre.ch

Bus :

• N° 1, 4, 32, Ecole-de-Médecine stop
• N° 1, Bains stop

Parking : Plainpalais car park

Disabled access : Accessible

Library : Library, consultable by demand

Founded in 1974, the Centre of Contemporary Art has been located since 1989 in the former factory which also houses the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCO).

Through its Temporary exhibitions its purpose is to encourage the production of new work, although not with the aim of acquiring them. The Centre has been the first institution in Geneva, and often also in Switzerland, to welcome artists who would later be acclaimed at international level.(Recently these include Pipilotti Rist, Kiki Smith and Tony Oursler.) One exhibition area is devoted to the presentation of young artists from Geneva and other parts of Switzerland.

The Centre aims to present only the latest ideas and themes in the sphere of contemporary art, while promoting a humanist vision of artistic creativity by presenting works that - through different modes of expression - question our civilisation. To achieve these goals, it also organizes numerous events (perf-ormances, lectures, etc.)

Centre d'édition contemporaine
close details

Rue Saint-Léger, 18
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 310 51 70
F. +41 (0)22 310 52 62

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Fri. : 14h-18h, Sat. : 14h-17h, Sun.-Mon. : closed

Miscellaneous :

• Only Temporary exhibitions
• Founds: consultable by appointment
• Guided tour: by appointment
• E-mail : edition@c-e-c.ch
• Website : http://www.c-e-c.ch

Bus :

• N° 3, 5, 36, Croix-Rouge stop

Parking : Saint-Antoine car park

Disabled access : Accessible

The Centre d'édition contemporaine is located in the heart of the Old Town since July 2000, and this temporarily before joining in the near future the Building of Contemporary Art (10, rue des Vieux- Grenadiers).

The Centre combines active production with a programm of exhibitions. It aims to reflect on contemporary creative work and more specifically on issues related to publication: books, artists' books, papers and other “multiples”.

Centre pour l'image contemporaine - Saint-Gervais
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Rue du Temple, 5
1201 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 908 20 00
F. +41 (0)22 908 20 01

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Tue.-Sun. 12h - 18h, Mon. closed

Miscellaneous :

• Video installations
• Expositions of photographs
• Guided tour : by appointment
• E-mail : cic@sgg.ch
• Website : www.centreimage.ch

Bus :

• N° 7, Saint-Gervais stop
• N° 13, 16, Isaac-Mercier stop
• N° 13, 16, Goulart stop

Parking : Seujet

Disabled access : Accessible

Mediatheque :

• Mediatheque : accessible tuesday and sunday from 12h until 18h (during expositions) or by appointment.
• T. +41(0)22 908 20 60.

The Foundation for the Arts of the Stage and Image, Saint-Gervais Genève, houses the "Centre for the Contemporary Image" - a place of production, dissemination, encounter and archiving.

A mediatheque - consisting of collections of works and documents gathered since 1985, an interactive catalogue on CD-Rom, and a presentation on Internet-offers each visitor access to the collection of artistic works (video, multimedia and photography).

The video collection is one of the best endowed in Europe. The Centre owns notably some unique collections of the complete works of internationally recognized video artists such as Bill Viola and Gary Hill. Saint-Gervais Genève houses the Swiss archives of video creation, pursuing a systematic policy of acquisition, restoration and conservation. Ten or so Temporary exhibitions are staged every year. There are also regular publications, meetings and workshops with the artists.

Centre de la photographie, Genève
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Maison des Arts du Grütli
rue du Général Dufour 16
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 329 28 35
F. +41 (0)22 329 28 35

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times :

• Tue.-Fri. 14h-18h, Sat. 14h-17h, Sun.-Mon. closed
• July and August closed

Miscellaneous :

• Temporary exhibitions
• E-mail : cpg@centrephotogeneve.ch

Bus :

• N° 3, 5, 12, 36, Place Neuve stop
• N° 1, 4, 13, 32, Place du Cirque stop

Parking : Plainpalais car park

Disabled access : Accessible

Library : Library, consultable on the spot

Established in the Grütli Arts House the "Geneva Photography Centre" is the city’s only institution devoted solely to fine art photography. It is run by a group of practitioners who aim to promote awareness of photography as an art form.

In response to the surfeit of images that invade our daily life, the "Geneva Photography Centre" has chosen to display works by individual photographic artists in order to highlight singular visions.

The Centre organizes between 10 and 15 exhibitions every year. Each exhibition presents the work of two photographers, often Genevese, in a relationship of complementarity or opposition.

Apart from its programme of exhibitions and lectures on specific themes, the Centre publishes "images", a twice-yearly review of creative work and analysis.

Forde Espace d'art contemporain
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Rue de la Coulouvrenière, 11
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 321 68 22

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Wed.-Fri. 17h-20h, and by appointment, Sat.-Tue. closed

Miscellaneous :

• E-mail : forde@usine.ch
• Website : http://www.forde.ch

Bus :

• N° 2, 10, 19, 20, D, Palladium stop
• N° 1, Rois stop
• N° 13, 16, Stand stop

Parking : Hôtel des Finances stop

Forde was initiated within the alternative cultural centre of L’Usine by three Genevan artists – Alexandre Bianchini, Fabrice Gygi and Nicolas Rieben – in 1994. Every 18 months, the curator changes and presents a new programme featuring all types of local and international contemporary art.

Piano Nobile
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Rue Lissignol, 10
1204 Genève
T. +41 (0)22 731 04 41
F. +41 (0)22 731 04 41

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Mon.-Sun., depending on expositions

Miscellaneous :

• E-mail : info@pianonobile.ch
• Website : http://www.pianonobile.ch

Bus :

• N° 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 19, 29, Coutance stop
• N° 6, 8, 9, 27, Chantepoulet stop

Parking : Cornavin train station

Created in 1995 in an unusual space, in an attic, disposing at present of a place on the ground floor of a pedestrian street, Piano Nobile organises contemporary art events. Different display forms and varied media succeed one another in situ or in the public place. In a perspective of a laboratory presentation, the gallery collects installations, projects in the shop window, performances, videos, bill sticking, etc. Structured as a notfor-profit organization, Piano Nobiles purposes are to promote young Swiss and foreign artists by putting an exhibition plat form disposal, in the same way of putting forward and explaining their artistic processes to the public.

Villa Dutoit
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Chemin Gilbert-Troillet, 5
1209 Petit-Saconnex
T. +41 (0)22 733 05 75
F. +41 (0)22 733 05 75

Rate : [ free entry ]

Opening times : Wed.-Sun., 14h-18h, Mon.-Tue., closed

Miscellaneous :

• E-mail : villadutoit@bluewin.ch

Bus :

• N° 3, 14, Trembley stop
• N° 14, 51, Mervelet stop

The Villa Dutoit, situated in a magnificent 18th century setting, organises nine visual arts exhibitions, classical and jazz music concerts and conferences over the year. An exchange of ideas and synergies.

Villa du Parc - Centre d'art contemporain
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Rue de Genève, 12
74100 Annemasse, France
T. 0033 (0)450 38 84 61
F. 0033 (0)450 87 28 92

Miscellaneous :

• E-mail : info@villaduparc.com
• Website : http://www.villaduparc.com

The Villa du Parc, situated in the heart of the town of Annemasse and the Montessuit park, has been holding five exhibitions a year as well as discussion conferences since its inception in 1986.

Tips for Geneva
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Reaching Geneva

By road
The motorway network brings you right into Geneva : only 40 km from Annecy and 80 km from Chamonix with customs at Bardonnex - Saint-Julien; you need the compulsory motorway sticker (single annual 40 frs fee) to come through this customs office. Purchase of the motorway tax sticker at one of the customs is obligatory in order to drive on Swiss motorways.

By rail
Cornavin railway station (main station for trains from Switzerland and France ; tel. +41(0)900 300 300 (frs 1.19/min.) and Eaux-Vives station (regional trains from Annemasse and Haute-Savoie; tel. +41(0)22 736 16 20).

By boat
Regular lines during the summer for the whole of Lake Geneva (CGN – Compagnie générale de navigation).

By bus
Regular international bus routes (Bus station : tel. +41(0)22 732 02 30); the TPG (Geneva Public Transport) provide regular services from Saint-Julien, Archamps, Thoiry, Ferney-Voltaire, Moillesulaz (tel. +41(0)22 308 34 34).

By plane
Geneva-Cointrin Airport
Tel. +41(0)22 717 71 11

Getting around town

Combine city car-parks (shown on the map) with Geneva Public Transport . From June to September you can cross the Rade (Lake) by boat with the Mouettes Genevoises, Société de Navigation, Quai du Mont-Blanc 8 (tel. +41(0)22 732 29 44).

CERN is 13 km from Cornavin railway station (bus 9), direction Meyrin – Saint Genis. UN , CICR (International Committee of the Red Cross), Ariana (bus 5 or 8), Jardin Botanique (bus 4) from Cornavin railway station or park in the Nations car-park, Place des Nations. An indication of Parking prices

From approximately 6 frs to 12 frs for 4 hours, progressive Ratefs. Many underground car-parks in Geneva, all clearly sign-posted from main access roads.

Shopping

All sorts of shops from small Gift shops (in the Rue du Rhône neighbourhood and the Corraterie, in the Old City) to department stores in the Rue de la Confédération, de la Croix d'Or, du Marché ("downtown") and Coutance. You can change money in the main Geneva banks, stations and foreign exchange offices.

Having something to eat

Geneva has many restaurants, brasseries and cafés. Most of the museums and department stores have cafetrerias as well : Le Barocco at the Musée d'art et d'histoire, the café de l'Ariana are particularly charming.

For further information

Arcade d'information de la Ville de Genève
Pont de la Machine 1
1204 Genève (tel. +41(0)22 311 99 70)
Mon 12.00-18.00, Tu-Fri 9.00-18.00, Sun closed

Office du Tourisme
Rue du Mont-Blanc 18
1201 Genève (tel. +41(0)22 909 70 00)
Monday 10-18h
Tue-Sat 9-18h, sun closed, (except from half-June til end of august Sun 9-18h)
http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/

Geneva-Cointrin Airport
(tel. +41(0)22 717 80 83)
Open daily
http://www.gva.ch

Gare CFF de Cornavin
Informations tel. +41(0)900 300 300 (1.19frs./min.)
Open daily
http://www.cff.ch

Telephoning from France : 00 41 22 + 7-digit number.
Prices indicated here are in Swiss francs.

The old city
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Hidden away in the Old City's picturesque narrow streets you'll find a multitude of art galleries, antique shops, bookshops and charming cafés. Leading off from the Cathedral, cobbled streets and connecting passageways entice you to stroll around the Bourg-du-Four, along the Promenade de la Treille or the Terrasse Agrippa d'Aubigné.

Parks and lakeside
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525 acres of public parks to relax in. As you walk along the quays from the Botanical Gardens, past the Flower Clock and the Water Jet all the way round to the beautiful rose gardens in the Parc de la Grange and the Parc des Eaux-Vives, all Geneva's different facets will unfold before you - from its gardens and buildings to the Lake.

International Geneva
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Geneva was already an international city by the end of the XVIth century. Since then its influence as a city of peace and negotiations and its traditional hospitality have never ceased to grow. Originally headquarters of the League of Nations, now the European centre for the United Nations and the birthplace of the Red Cross, Geneva hosts many other international organizations as well as these two major institutions.

Concerts and shows
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From world music to classical concerts and opera, from jazz, pop rock to techno, you can enjoy the whole range in Geneva. There is a wide selection of shows, both internationally well-known as well as the alternative scene, catering for all tastes in a multicultural city.

Throughout the year you can find any type of music...at the Victoria Hall , the Grand Théâtre , Arena or in more intimate venues such as the Sud des Alpes , Chat noir .

La Comédie, Am Stram Gram, Poche, the Loup... a dozen theatres provide a very varied dramatic repertoire, plus several multipurpose venues for other forms of entertainment such as dance, cinema and video : the Grütli Maison des arts, Saint-Gervais , L'Usine and La Parfumerie .

Festivals also give rhythm to Geneva's busy cultural life : cinema, dance, jazz, traditional and contemporary music - the Fête de la Musique in June, the Fêtes de Genève at the beginning of August, the Fureur de lire (each two years) and the Escalade in December.

Programms : Arcade d'information de la Ville de Genève

Guide books
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• Berlitz Switzerland Pocket Guide, Berlitz Publishing, Singapore 2003
• Insight Guide Switzerland, Langenscheidt Publishers, 2002
• Switzerland, Lonely Planet, 2003
• Switzerland, Michelin Green Guide, 2001
• Pedestrians Guide Books

Usefull links
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• Official tourism office
• Discover the city of Geneva
• Links to international organisations in Geneva
• Business and economy in Geneva
• English speaking library in Geneva
• Visit Geneva by foot
• Public transport