Curiosities in the Servette Petit-Saconnex district

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Remarkable trees to discover while enjoying a stroll

There are numerous hundred-year-old trees in the district. The giant sequoia in the Parc Trembley, planted between 1850 and 1870, and the Lebanese cedar in the Parc Beaulieu, planted in 1735, are two of the oldest and most majestic specimens in the district.

The “De quai en quai” pedestrian circuit offers you the chance to discover this green heritage.

Special benches for market gardeners

The farmers from the Gex region in France would walk here to deliver their products to the markets in Geneva. When they arrived at the Promenade des Crêts, they would look over the entire city and could place their heavy baskets on stepped benches without having to bend down. Dating back over a century, two of these benches still remain.

The peaceful Jardin de la Paix

Located in the district of le Petit-Saconnex, the Jardin de la Paix is a carefully preserved haven of peace. The borders filled with roses and perennials colour this magnificent closed garden in the impressionist style in a wide range of shades. 

Urban fitness machines in the parks

The district of Servette Petit-Saconnex was the first to welcome the open-air fitness installations during the summer of 2013, in the Trembley and de Vermont parks. Suitable for anyone, regardless of their level of fitness, they can be used free of charge by families, senior citizens and sports fans throughout the year, 7 days a week.

The Coin de Terre city garden

For more than seventy years, 387 families have been able to cultivate their garden in a constructible zone in le Bouchet. This complex is an unfinished example of an ideal that was widespread during the inter-war period: the city garden. It was built in 1934-35 by the Geneva-based association le Coin de Terre, whose aim was to promote family gardens and facilitate the purchase of houses for families with limited income. 

Sources:

• City of Geneva, Les parcs de Genève, 125 ans d'histoire, Geneva: SEVE, 1993
• City of Geneva, under the direction of Rafael Matos-Wasem, Genève à pied. 10 parcours à thèmes, Geneva: Slatkine, 2008
• Georges Turrian, Genève… ses parcs et promenades, Yens-sur-Morges, 2005.