A Stroll Through Carouge: Geneva's Little Italy

(30 reviews)

Geneva audio tour: A Stroll Through Carouge: Geneva's Little Italy

This is a 0.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Geneva

Switzerland

$8.99

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About the Tour

If your attention would not have been drawn to it, you would probably not have heard of the little city of Carouge. It is a secret tip! You will discover a very charming place as a big contrast to Geneva, although it lies only 15 minutes away from the center Carouge is one of Geneva’s best-kept secrets and, if your attention hadn’t been drawn to it, you would probably never have heard of it.

On this walking tour, you’ll discover just how charming this little municipality is and how, despite being only 15 minutes away from the city centre, it contrasts with the rest of Geneva. I’ll share its unique and colourful history with you as you wind your way through its atmospheric streets.

On this 75-minute tour, you’ll hear several surprising stories from 2,300 years ago up to today, including:

Why Carouge is called “Little Italy”
How it became so picturesque
The city’s origins and the role the Celts and Romans played
What led the famous French philosopher, Voltaire, to stage his first play here in a wooden shed

Come with me to hear the stories that have made Carouge the Little Italy of Geneva! It has a totally different and incredibly rich history. So, on this tour, you will learn many surprising stories from 2300 years ago up to today. Why is it called “Little Italy”? Why is it so attractive today? Who founded the city, why did he so? What about the Celts, the Roman? Come with me to hear all the beautiful stories, which made Carouge the Little Italy of Geneva.

Tour Producer

Ariel Pierre Haemmerlé

8 tours

My name is Ariel Peter Haemmerlé and I’m a certified Geneva tourist guide. A very diversified professional life has made me discover many aspects of our city.

My last official job was to take care of the archives of the Geneva State Heritage Office. Only when I got retired – a good number of years ago – I really started to have time to work as a tourist guide. But since, Geneva Tourism and many other agencies call for my tours all the time.

Preview Location

Location 1

The heart of the city

Welcome to Carouge, also called little Italy or Greenwich village of Geneva. Until Napoleon, this was another country.

I’m Ariel Peter Haemmerlé, official guide of Geneva and Carouge.   I was born in Switzerland, grew up between here and other parts of Switzerland, and li... Read More

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Major Landmarks

Église Sainte-Croix
Mairie de Carouge
Place de Sardaigne
Statue Titeuf
Fontaine Blavignac
Place du Marché
Cinéma Bio
Le Poids Public
Temple de Carouge

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Pl. du Marché 23-13, 1227 Carouge, Switzerland
Total distance

1km
Final location
Carouge Church, Pl. du Temple 13, 1227 Carouge, Switzerland
Distance back to start location

110.15m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts at the marketplace of Carouge. To go there, you can, from the center of Geneva, either walk the street of Carouge which is in Geneva and leads to Carouge. This will take some 30 minutes.

Or you can take any tramway nr 12 from the downtown area or 18 from the main station area with direction Bachet, De Stael, or Palette. After crossing a little river, get off at the second stop called “Carouge Marché” and you are there. This will take some 15 minutes.

If you are staying in a hotel in Geneva, the reception will have given you the free “Geneva transport card”. Offered by the State of Geneva, it allows you to take any public transportation in the canton for free during your whole stay.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are cafes, restaurants, ice cream shops and fast food restaurants as well as benches in public places everywhere on the route.

Public toilets can be found at the marketplace (starting point) next to the monumental fountain and on the other side of place de Sardaigne.

Best time of day

Any time during daylight.

Precautions

Carouge and Geneva are very safe places. Criminality rate is very low. However, use normal precautions against pickpockets. There are not many, but in case…

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”