Cultural Trail around Plainpalais

The history of a working class district transformed in the 19th century into an area devoted to culture and knowledge, with the University, the Geneva Library, the Rath Museum and the Grand Théâtre. Today, the district beats to the rhythm of its markets, events held on the Plaine de Plainpalais, contemporary art galleries and numerous museums such as MAMCO and the MEG.

The museums along the Trail are described in a user-friendly way. You can download the printable version of the Trail at the bottom of the page or listen to the audio guides below, which include a special interview with a representative from each institution that takes you to the heart of the collections.

Pratical Informations

The trail: Walking the trail should take 55 minutes (not including museum visits);
Departure : The Geneva Library. Arrival : Plaine de Plainpalais;
Access : Public transport, Cars or Bicycle;
Wifi : wifi available the Geneva Library, Rath Museum, Maison des Arts du Grütli, Victoria Hall, Plaine de Plainpalais: skate park et avenue du Mail, Rond-Point de Plainpalais, Espace de quartier Jonction (rue Michel-Simon 7), MAMCO, MEG, Vernets sports center, Rue du Stand.

Cultural trail: Plainpalais

Parc des Bastions and the Geneva Library

The Geneva Library is the city’s oldest cultural institution (its origins can be traced back to 1559). With a collection of more than two and a half million works, it is the written, printed, musical and iconographic heritage of the people of Geneva. The institution is at the same time a conservation library, constituting and transmitting an intellectual and encyclopaedic heritage, a scholarly library, with recognised fields of excellence in the human and social sciences, a research library and information centre with an open access area containing over 40,000 volumes, as well as a space for themed temporary exhibitions.

Bibliothèque de Genève
Promenade des Bastions
1204 Genève
Tel. +41 22 418 28 00
Open Monday to Friday 9.00 - 18.00 and Saturday 9.00 - 17.00

The Reformation Wall

Place de Neuve and Rath Museum

The Rath Museum now hosts the major temporary exhibitions of the Museum of Art and History. It opened in 1826 and was the first building in Switzerland to have been specifically designed for the display of artworks to the public. A real “Shrine of the Muses”, in accordance with the origin of the term “museum.”

Musées d'art et d'histoire de Genève (MAH)
Place de Neuve
1204 Genève
Tel. +41 22 418 33 40
Open only during temporary exhibitions of the Museums of Art and History, Tuesday to Sunday 11.00 - 18.00, late-night opening until 20.00 on every 2nd Wednesday of the month

The Cimetière des Rois

The BAC and the MAMCO

The Contemporary Art Building (BAC) gathers une one roof the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCO), the Geneva Centre for Contemporary Art (CAC), the Geneva Centre for Photography (CPG) and the Multimedia Library of the Contemporary Art Fund of the City of Geneva (FMAC) on the former industrial site of the Société Genevoise d’Instruments de Physique (Geneva for Physical Instruments Company).

Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain (MAMCO)
Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10
1205 Genève
Tuesday to Friday 12.00 - 18.00; Saturday-Sunday 11.00 - 18.00
Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève (CAC)
Centre de la photographie Genève (CPG)
Fonds d'art contemporains de la ville de Genève (FMAC)
Open Tuesday to Sunday 11.00 - 18.00

MEG - Museum of Ethnography Geneva

Over a thousand different objects, messengers of the cultures of the world, are presented at the MEG in <strong>a bright and spacious contemporary setting</strong>. 7200 square metres of space, almost entirely dedicated to exhibits, are used for the presentation and conservation of this vast material, immaterial, cultural and artistic heritage from around the world.