This is a 5k ‘runseeing’ tour of Geneva’s tourist highlights, focused on the most important sights in the older part of the city, on the south side of the Rhône. We’ve created this specific route, but use it as a guideline to create your own.
We start the tour at the St. Pierre Cathedral, most famous as the adopted home church of Protestant Reformation leader John Calvin, and next to the Museum of the Reformation. There’s sort of an elevated passage you can run here. Off the Place de la Madeleine, LEFT on the Rue de la Croix d’Or, toward the Temple de la Fusterie. Then head down toward the water, and run east along the Promenade, to the Jardin des Anglais, to see the famous flower clock.
Depart the lakefront path and run to the Museum of Natural History, using Rue Adrien-Lachenal. At the museum, take a RIGHT on Ferdinand-Hodler, to Observatory Park, which at a bit of elevation has great views, and some steps for running. Run through the park, by the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Geneva’s largest museum), along the Esplanade Théodore-de-Bèze. Then run along the Rue Chaudronniers, to the famous Bourg-de-Four Square shopping area, continuing west for a jaunt though the lovely campus of the University of Geneva and the Parc des Bastions. Then head north, toward the water, along the Boulevard du Théâtre, to the Place de la Synagogue. and then RIGHT along Strand, to the Rue de la Cité, where you’ll turn right and run along this main shopping street back to the start.
Add-Ons. For a pleasant add-on, do a ~1 km tour of the Place de L’Ille, a waterfront island with numerous quais and bridges connecting to the north side of Geneva. See the landmark Tour de l’Ile and iconic Cité du Temps event space. You can even spend some time running some of the streets of the north side, which features lots of shops, restaurants, and hotels. Of course you can also add mileage along the river and lake paths.
This is a 5k ‘runseeing’ tour of Geneva’s tourist highlights, focused on the most important sights in the older part of the city, on the south side of the Rhône. We’ve created this specific route, but use it as a guideline to create your own.
We start the tour at the St. Pierre Cathedral, most famous as the adopted home church of Protestant Reformation leader John Calvin, and next to the Museum of the Reformation. There’s sort of an elevated passage you can run here. Off the Place de la Madeleine, LEFT on the Rue de la Croix d’Or, toward the Temple de la Fusterie. Then head down toward the water, and run east along the Promenade, to the Jardin des Anglais, to see the famous flower clock.
Depart the lakefront path and run to the Museum of Natural History, using Rue Adrien-Lachenal. At the museum, take a RIGHT on Ferdinand-Hodler, to Observatory Park, which at a bit of elevation has great views, and some steps for running. Run through the park, by the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Geneva’s largest museum), along the Esplanade Théodore-de-Bèze. Then run along the Rue Chaudronniers, to the famous Bourg-de-Four Square shopping area, continuing west for a jaunt though the lovely campus of the University of Geneva and the Parc des Bastions. Then head north, toward the water, along the Boulevard du Théâtre, to the Place de la Synagogue. and then RIGHT along Strand, to the Rue de la Cité, where you’ll turn right and run along this main shopping street back to the start.
Add-Ons. For a pleasant add-on, do a ~1 km tour of the Place de L’Ille, a waterfront island with numerous quais and bridges connecting to the north side of Geneva. See the landmark Tour de l’Ile and iconic Cité du Temps event space. You can even spend some time running some of the streets of the north side, which features lots of shops, restaurants, and hotels. Of course you can also add mileage along the river and lake paths.
The more picturesque of the lake's north/south shore running options, the Promenade features fantastic views of the lake and surrounding mountains, famed waterfront hotel, parks, and a quick jaunt over to the Parque des Nations.
A route along Lake Geneva's south shore. Great views, and a couple of great parks. Our 9km out and back route features a nice waterside promenade, the grand Jardin Anglais and Grange Park, just past Cologny.
This route combines parks, the Botanical Garden, a tour of the UN, and some hillside farms. It can be a standalone run, or combined with a longer route involving the north shore of Lake Geneva.
A pleasant run along a smaller river that branches off the Rhone. Head south toward the Bout-du-Monde, a sporting center that features a running course, track, & numerous other facilities. Good distance options involving bridge loops.
A run along one of the two rivers coursing through Geneva, the Rhône. The path along the water is not as seamless as that along the Arve, but this is still an enjoyable route incorporating the water, parks, and bridges.
A great combination run of wooded path along the Rhône to the Centre Intercommunal de Sports, which itself has 2-3 km of open, scenic paths, an outdoor track, and other sports facilities. The Center has also mapped jogging routes.
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We start the tour at the St. Pierre Cathedral, most famous as the adopted home church of Protestant Reformation leader John Calvin, and next to the Museum of the Reformation. There’s sort of an elevated passage you can run here. Off the Place de la Madeleine, LEFT on the Rue de la Croix d’Or, toward the Temple de la Fusterie. Then head down toward the water, and run east along the Promenade, to the Jardin des Anglais, to see the famous flower clock.
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Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!