Bastions Park

Parc des Bastions is Geneva’s main historic city-centre park at the foot of the Old Town, between Place Neuve and the St-Pierre hill. It blends leafy promenades, university buildings and the International Monument to the Reformation.

• The city’s oldest park – first laid out in 1720 as the “Belle promenade” within the fortifications; enlarged after 1849 into a landscaped park.
• Geneva’s first Botanical Garden – founded in 1817 by Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle here; the collections moved to today’s site in 1904.
• Uni Bastions complex – built 1868–1872; now home to the Faculty of Humanities and the Bibliothèque de Genève.
• International Monument to the Reformation – constructed 1909–1917, officially handed to the City on 7 July 1917.
• Facilities – giant chess boards, a music-kiosk restaurant, a playground and a seasonal ice rink. Open 24/7.

• The Reformation Wall with Calvin, Farel, Beza and Knox against the former city rampart.
• The Uni Bastions buildings and the city library along the central alley.
• The games area by the main Place Neuve gate – giant chess and the kiosk-restaurant; an ice rink is installed in winter.

In 1720, in response to a plague outbreak, authorities created the “Belle promenade” within the walls at the base of the Treille, Geneva’s first major public park. In 1817, de Candolle established the city’s Botanical Garden here, shaping the site’s scientific role.

After the 1849 decision to dismantle the fortifications, the grounds were enlarged as a landscaped park. Between 1868–1872, the Uni Bastions buildings rose, cementing the academic character.

Work on the International Monument to the Reformation began for the 1909 jubilees; wartime delays meant completion and handover occurred in 1917. In the late 20th–21st centuries the park gained refreshed paths, a revamped kiosk-restaurant, a seasonal ice rink and open-air exhibition spaces.

Location: Promenade des Bastions 1, 1204 Geneva – at the foot of the Old Town between Place Neuve and the St-Pierre hill.

Getting there: Trams 12, 17, 18 and buses 3, 5, 20, 36 to Place de Neuve; enter via the wrought-iron gate.

Access: Open 24/7. Level, step-free main paths; dogs on leash on paths only, lawns off-limits; cycling prohibited except in the marked mixed-use strip.

Visiting hours: 24/7; temporary closures possible during major events.

Visit duration: 30–60 minutes for a loop; 60–90 minutes including Uni Bastions and the Reformation Wall.

Best time: Weekday mornings; in winter for the ice rink, in summer for festivals and shaded walks.

Notes: Games area and chess boards are free; gates may be controlled during large events. Surfaces can be slippery after rain.