Maison Tavel

Maison Tavel is Geneva’s oldest private residence at the heart of the Old Town. Since 1986, it has housed the Museum of Urban History and Daily Life (MAH).

• Oldest surviving private house in the city – a benchmark of medieval Swiss civic architecture.
• Rebuilt after the 1334 fire as a fortified urban residence with turrets and a façade of carved heads.
• Excavations in 1979 revealed a 11th-century tower base and a vast 17th-century rainwater cistern in the vaulted cellars.
• “Relief Magnin” – a metal model of Geneva before the c. 1850 demolition of the fortifications, ≈30–32 m², completed in 1896 after 18 years of work.
• Free permanent displays; temporary shows use a pay-what-you-want scheme (guide CHF ~5–20); audio guide available in FR/EN/DE/RU.

• The “Relief Magnin” room – a panoramic, pre-1850 view of Geneva and its walls.
• Vaulted cellars with the cistern and reconstructed 18th–19th-century urban interiors.
• Thematic galleries on Geneva’s growth with prints, maps, models and everyday objects.

Owned by the Tavel family from the late 13th to the early 16th century, the house was rebuilt after the 1334 fire as an urban palace with defensive features. In the 17th–early 18th century, the Calandrini family reshaped parts of the building.

The City purchased the property in 1963 and carried out an exemplary restoration. Open as a MAH museum since 1986, it showcases finds from 1979 excavations – notably the 11th-century tower remains and the 17th-century cistern.

Location: Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6, 1204 Geneva, atop the Old Town near St. Peter’s Cathedral.

Getting there: bus 36 to Palais Eynard; also a 5–10-minute uphill walk from tram stops Molard/Rive (12/14/18) or Place de Neuve (12/17).

Access: Step-level main entrance with ramp and lift; surrounding streets are cobbled and sloped. Audio guide FR/EN/DE/RU via izi.TRAVEL.

Visiting hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–18:00; Mon closed.

Visit duration: 60–90 minutes.

Best time: Weekday mornings; cellars and interiors are ideal on rainy days.

Notes: Permanent displays free; temporary exhibitions pay-what-you-want (guide CHF ~5–20). Saint-Antoine car park serves the Old Town.