Geneva’s Left Bank: From the Flower Clock to the Escalade Fountain

(50 reviews)

Geneva audio tour: Geneva’s Left Bank: From the Flower Clock to the Escalade Fountain

This is a 1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Geneva

Switzerland

$8.99

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About the Tour

Where does the name Geneva come from? Why isn’t a watch called a clock? I’ll share the stories behind these questions, and several others, as we stroll along the left bank of the world-famous Bay of Geneva and across the river Rhone.

Whether this is your first time in Geneva or you’re a seasoned visitor, during this walking tour you’ll hear plenty of tales that’ll surprise you. You’ll learn about watchmaking, finance, industry, philosophy, the Celts, the Romans and the struggle for our city’s independence.

I'll tell you all about:

The invention of modern mapmaking
One of the biggest rivers in Europe
The largest street fair on the Continent
A modern sculpture that changes shape depending on how you view it
The famous philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Luxury watchmaking
The Roman emperor who made history in Geneva
Geneva’s desire to join the Swiss confederation
Switzerland’s financial hub
The city’s fight for independence

Join me on this eye-opening walk and discover what makes Geneva the smallest internationally important city in Europe.

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 3

At the lake

Stop once you are by the lake.

From here you can see the main landmark of Geneva, the fountain. It is the highest monumental fountain in the world, running every day except when the wind is too strong, or the temperatures are approaching freezing point. It rises to a high o... Read More

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Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

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Major Landmarks

Bay of Geneva
Brunswick Monument
The Geneva Water Fountain
Flower Clock

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
Quai du Général-Guisan 28, 1204 Genève, Switzerland
Total distance

2km
Final location
Rue de la Confédération 4, 1204 Genève, Switzerland
Distance back to start location

551.86m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts in front of the flower clock at the left bank of the lake near the first bridge. It’s situated next to the road, across from place Longemalle, so big, you can’t miss it.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

The Potinière Café behind the flower clock, the many ice cream cafés and refreshment bars at the lakeside, the restaurant on the steamer “Genève” staying on the quay and the restaurant-steamers making lunch and dinner cruises, the many restaurants and bars on the riverside, the restaurants on place Molard, etc.
There are public toilets behind the flower clock and at place Molard.

Best time of day

You can take this tour any time in daylight, preferably not before 9 a.m. in summer or 10 a.m. in winter to see the fountain. One of the passages in this tour is only open on office and shopping hours. But you can walk around it. In the evening, it’s charming magic develops in the street lighting.

Precautions

Geneva is a very safe place. Criminality rate is very low. However, use normal precautions against pickpockets. There are not many, but in case… And don’t hang around the rue de Berne late in the evening. The route is wheelchair accessible.

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App Store Review

“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.”