Switzerland is a beautiful and picturesque country and well worth visiting but it is also notoriously expensive. Every bit of savings helps when traveling as a family. So, here are five free things to do in Geneva with or without kids.
Geneva is known as the ‘city of peace” since it is the location of the United Nations’ second headquarters. Some sources have also cited Geneva as Switzerland’s second most expensive city.
1. Pose With the Jet d’Eau Fountain
One of Geneva’s most popular attractions is Jet d’Eau meaning “water jet”. It was hard not to miss this large fountain spraying water 459 feet into the air in the middle of Lake Geneva. This is one of the world’s tallest fountains.
The government built it in 1886 to help control and release a nearby hydraulic plant’s excess water pressure. Unfortunately, if you’re visiting around October or November, Jet d’Eau may be closed for maintenance. The fountain’s operational hours are also reduced during the winter.
While you can see Jet d’Eau from many places around the lake, we recommend strolling the pier near it for an up close view and you may get a bit wet too. The pier entrance was by the Eaux-Vives neighborhood or just follow the promenade alongside the lake.
Of course, my kids couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get this classic shot for their tacky tourist photo collection.
2. Learn at Museums
We always enjoy visiting museums when traveling and always learn something new. Geneva has over 40 museums and some great ones are free to visit. Most of the other museums offer free admission on the first Sunday of every month. Here are several noteworthy museums to visit with free admission:
Museum of Natural History
This is a wonderful visit for animal lovers out there. Switzerland’s largest natural history museum offers many taxidermy animals from around the world in their model habitats. These are in their free permanent collection. Though, temporary exhibits have a fee but free for kids 17 and under.
It has a large exhibition area that showcases animals, plants, the earth, local geology, current issues and technology. There are several interactive displays and kids can participate in free workshops on some days. There are also playgrounds for the kids.
Art & History Museum (also called “MAH”)
This is one of Switzerland’s top three largest museums. Located near the Old Town area, the museum displays over 7,000 exhibits including 650 art works. It has a vast collection of archeological and fine art pieces and artifacts that shows the western culture and civilization’s history dating back from prehistory to modern times.
While the permanent collections offer free admission, there is a small fee for temporary exhibits but free for kids up to 18 years old. There is a playground on the grounds too.
Maison Tavel
Maison Tavel or Tavel House is a wonderful way to know more about Geneva. It is located in one of the city’s oldest residential building and next to St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Old Town area.
It contains exhibits and artifacts on Geneva’s history and its citizens’ daily lives from the medieval times to the 19th century. The museum also offers a short movie, a 3D map of Geneva from 1850 and a 6300-liter wooden barrel.
3. Explore the Parks
Geneva has several parks worth visiting. But, the lakeside Parc de La Grange is a can’t miss as the city’s largest green space.
It has an almost three-acre garden that includes over 200 rose varieties and touted as Switzerland’s finest rose garden. The 18th-century villa here is now a restaurant and hotel and adds some elegance to the park. It hosts free concerts in its theater every summer.
The park has other flowerbeds, Roman ruins and water features. It provides a beautiful natural escape from the city with many walking trails plus amazing views of the lake. It also has a playground, children’s water basin and plenty of wide-open spaces to enjoy nature.
We enjoyed our visit at Jardin Anglais or English Garden which overlooked Lake Geneva and Jet d’Eau Fountain. This public park has been around since 1855 and features a wooden pavilion, a Monument National to honor Geneva entering the Swiss Confederation, sculpted bronze Four Seasons Fountain and several statues.
Don’t miss the beautiful Flower Clock or the L’horloge Fleurie near the entrance. This is a popular attraction that symbolized Geneva’s watchmaking tradition and a magnet for photo opportunities.
It is actually the world’s second-largest flower clock. The flower display varies depending on the season’s blooms. There was a ferris wheel here during our visit too and where we boarded the train sightseeing tour.
Another park to visit is Parc des Bastions. The large green space and many trees are largely due to this park being the site of Geneva’s first botanical garden.
It is also known for its several life-size chess sets and the famous Reformation Wall Monument built into the old city walls with prominent figures of the Protestant Reformation. Kids can enjoy the playground and the park has a free ice skating rink during winter.
4. Stroll Around the Old Town
Switzerland’s neutrality during wars has kept many of its cities intact and its old buildings unharmed compared to other European cities. Geneva’s Old Town area has largely been kept undamaged and felt like walking through a time machine. The area was filled with quaint streets and beautiful architecture.
We walked around on a Sunday so there weren’t that many people and we had many of the charming streets to ourselves. The bad thing was many of the stores were closed so it wasn’t the best time for shopping.
Don’t miss Cathedral St. Pierre in the middle of Old Town. The 1,000-year-old church offers fantastic views from its tower.
If you want a guided tour with the locals, that’s possible too and free. There are some free walking tours (only tip-based) available for visitors in Geneva. Free Walk Geneva offers two daily free walking tours departing at 11 AM from Tour de l’Ile, Pont de l’Ile at Place Bel-Air for about two hours.
5. See Palais des Nation and the Broken Chair
The Palace of Nations or Palais des Nation is the European headquarters of the United Nations and the organization’s second worldwide office. It’s worth stopping by the area to see the various national flags flying in front of it. Guided tours are available for a fee but free for children six years old and younger.
The broken chair monument and sculpture is in front of Palais des Nation. This large chair with a broken leg was placed here as a symbol for opposing land mines and was used to draw attention to mine victims. It was a plea to the nations to sign the Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines.
Photo Courtesy of: Gone With The Family
Bonus Freebies
- Summer not only offers great weather but also free concerts in city parks and some firework displays. There are always free events going on in the city. Check the Geneva Tourism website for updated information.
- Want to see Geneva by biking? Visitors can rent various types of bicycles for free for about four hours from April to October. You just need a cash deposit. Some bikes even include kids’ chair, helmets or baby trailers and other accessories. Check the Geneveroule website.
*Have you visited Geneva?
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I’ve flown in and out of Geneva before but never fully explored the city. I’m going to have to remedy that the next time I’m in Europe. It looks like a beautiful city.