POINTS OF INTEREST

The rural canton of Geneva is home to a wealth of interesting monuments and landmarks that showcase its history and heritage.

Scattered throughout the picturesque villages and countryside, these points of interest invite visitors to explore the beauty and history of Geneva’s rural landscape.

AIRE-LA-VILLE

La Charrette La Charrette wheelbarrow is a notable public monument located in the village center.
It was erected in 1985 to commemorate the region's agricultural heritage and the historical role of farming in the community.
Location: Google Maps

Château d'EauThe Château d'Eau (water tower) of Aire-la-Ville is situated near the Verbois hydroelectic power plant and dam.
Location: Google Maps

AVULLY

Fontaine couverte des TanquonsFountain with two basins covered by a roof, built in 1784, renovated around 1850, restored in 1971.
Location: Google Maps

Chancy-Pougny DamConstruction of the Chancy-Pougny power station began in 1920. Initially, it supplied electricity to the French metallurgical factories in Le Creusot. It was not until 1958 that Geneva started receiving electricity produced by this plant.
In 2014, the dam underwent significant renovations, with four production units being updated to increase the plant's flow capacity.
Location: Google Maps

Château d'Eau de Chancy-Pougny The Chancy-Pougny water tower, built in 1924, is a reinforced concrete structure.
Designed by Swiss engineer Robert Maillart, it is used to cool the turbines of the adjacent Chancy-Pougny hydroelectric dam.
Location: Google Maps

BARDONNEX

Capite de Vigne de VerbantThe historical monument Capite the Verbant was built in the 18th century.
A building overlooking a hillside of vineyards, capites were once located in the heart of large vineyards, far from towns.
Before modern transportation, they served as storage for equipment, shelter from weather, and places to eat or rest.
This capite is owned by the winemaker Domaine de Verbant.
Location: Google Maps

Château d'Eau de LandecyWater no longer flows from a natural spring in the commune of Bardonnex. Since the early 20th century, water has been supplied by Geneva Industrial Services.
It comes from the lake and the groundwater. The Château d'Eau de Landecy (Landecy water tower), built in 1901, ensures static pressure.
In the past, residents and animals drank from fountains and drew water from wells, some of which could run dry in the summer, forcing the people of Bardonnex and Charrot to fetch water from the large estates of Landecy and Evordes.
Location: Google Maps

Pressoir A pressoir (winepress) is a device used to extract juice from grapes as part of the winemaking process.
There are numerous pressoirs dotted around the Canton in most of the villages.
This pressoir was offered to the commune of Bardonnex by the Portier family.
Location: Google Maps

BERNEX

FontaineFountain located in the vineyards of Bernex with panoramic view of Lully and the surrounding countryside.
Location: Google Maps

Fontaine des Saules The Saules Fountain with three successive basins is mentioned in documents from the 18th century and was classified on June 12, 1959.
The wooden post supporting the roof on the street-facing side rests on a stone base to prevent rot.
Originally located in a pasture, it is now surrounded by buildings, far removed from its rural origins.
Location: Google Maps

Promenade de l'AireWalk along the Promenade de l’Aire, trail alongside a small river that originates in France, at the foot of Mont Salève. It crosses the Geneva basin before flowing into the Arve within the city of Geneva.
Progressive work was carried out from the end of the 19th century until the 1940s to channel the river in order to control its floods.
A renaturation project, started in 2001, gave back a more natural course to the river.
The trail along the edge of the river features several picnic areas and playgrounds, making it perfect for a quick family outing.
Location: Google Maps

CHANCY

Borne Frontière No.1Border marker No. 1, dating from 1816, marks the westernmost point of Switzerland.
It is the first of the 6,638 markers that run along the Swiss border.
Location: Google Maps

CHOULEX

Fontaine couverte de ChoulexBuilt around 1820, the fountain, part of a 1859 building housing the fire pump shed, is located in the central section opening onto the road.
It features three limestone basins: two parallel, receiving water from the larger one, which is divided into two perpendicular sections.
The Empire-inspired goat, resembling a fluted column with a base on a square plinth, adds a unique touch to the design.
Location: Google Maps

COLLEX-BOSSY

Château d'Eau de Collex-BossyThe Château d'eau de Collex-Bossy (Collex-Bossy water tower) was completed in 1966 and is still in service today.
It is a water tower constructed from concrete and serves the purpose of water storage.
Location: Google Maps

DARDAGNY

FontaineFountain with two separate adjacent basins.
Location: Google Maps

FontaineFountain situated next to the Dardagny temple.
Location: Google Maps

Photo: Mourad Ben Abdallah / Wikimedia Commons

JUSSY

Boundary Marker No. 141 The highest point in the canton of Geneva is located in Monniaz, where boundary marker No. 141 stands at an elevation of 517 metres, making it 7 metres taller than the Signal of Bernex.
The marker is inscribed with the letters G and S (possibly referring to Savoy), and the road lies within French territory.
Location: Google Maps

Château d'Eau de JussyThe Château d'Eau de Jussy (Jussy water tower) was constructed in 1911 and is owned by SIG (Services Industriels de Genève). Its function is to regulate the water pressure within the region's water distribution system.
At 25 metres tall and with a 53-metre circumference, the tower stands as both a practical infrastructure element and an architectural symbol.
Location: Google Maps

Poudrière RuinsA Poudrière (a gunpowder magazine) is the place where gunpowder was stored, as well as ammunition or other types of explosives for military use.
These ruins are located in Jussy woods.
Location: Google Maps

HERMANCE

Fontaine 1862This fountain is located in the heart of Hermance village.
Location: Google Maps

Tour d'Hermance The Hermance Tower was constructed at the most vulnerable point of the castle in 1337-1338 by Mermet Jonzier, under the orders of Dauphin Humbert II, who sold Dauphiné to France in 1349.
At that time, Faucigny, with Hermance as its port, was part of Dauphiné.
Location: Google Maps

MEINIER

Rouelbeau RuinsThe Château de Rouelbeau, built in 1318 and reconstructed in stone between 1339 and 1355, was owned by the Lord of Faucigny.
It served to secure access to the lake and the new village of Hermance. After Faucigny's integration into Savoy in 1355, the castle was abandoned and later destroyed by the Bernese during the Protestant Reformation.
Listed as a Swiss Heritage site in 1921, restoration began in 2001.
The ruins are accessible, with informative boards detailing its history.
Location: Google Maps

MIES (VAUD)

Pierre à PényThe Pierre à Pény is a massive gneiss block, with its underground volume likely larger than the visible part.
While its use as an altar for human sacrifices in prehistoric times is uncertain, its megalithic nature is suggested by small sculptures and cupules.
After 1564, it marked the boundary between Savoy and Bern, later becoming the border between Vaud and Geneva, bearing the coat of arms of Mies.
Threatened by quarrying, it was donated to the Vaudois Society of Natural Sciences by Mr. F. Bungener and was later classified by both Vaudois and Geneva authorities.
Location: Google Maps

MONNETIER-MORNEX (FRANCE)

Shedrub Choekhor Ling Tibetan TempleVisitors have the opportunity to observe the monks as they perform their daily rituals and prayers inside the monastery.
The monastery also offers a public viewing deck with stunning views of the Jura mountains.
Additionally, the monastery shop sells a variety of Buddhist and Tibetan handicrafts, decorative items, books, and jewellery.
Website: Link Location: Google Maps

PLAN-LES-OUATES

Saconnex d'Arve TowerThe tower is a surviving fragment of a former castle, built between 1299 and 1301 by the count of Geneva Amédée II.
The castle originally had four towers but over the centuries, having gone through wars and the fire, the other three disappeared.
At the top of the tower is a cast-iron virgin said to have come from the church of Compesières.
The tower is located on private property, and thus can only be viewed from the nearby walking path Sentier Sous-la-Tour.
Location: Google Maps

PREGNY-CHAMBÉSY

Ancienne Carrières de MolasseUntil the 18th century, the carrières de molasse (molasse quarries) near Geneva provided stone for many of the city's buildings.
Today, these quarries are submerged in Lake Geneva, visible by boat as dark, basin-shaped marks in the water.
Accessible only in winter when the water level dropped, they supplied stone for landmarks like the City Hall, Maison Tavel, and St. Pierre Cathedral, contributing to Geneva's architectural heritage.
Location: Google Maps

Photo: Google Earth

Sablier du Millénium The Sablier du Millénium (Millennium Hourglass) was created for the State of Geneva to mark the new millennium and raise awareness about child mutilation from landmines.
In 2015, it was moved to the Domaine de Penthes in Pregny-Chambésy.
Inaugurated on 31 July 2015—the bicentennial of Pregny-Chambésy’s entry into the Swiss Confederation—it stands 5.7 metres tall, making it Europe’s largest hourglass, and symbolizing Geneva’s commitment to peace and humanitarian causes.
Location: Google Maps

Pressoir de la Coudira Offered to the commune of Pregny-Chambésy by Mr. and Mrs. Dusendschön.
La Coudira is an estate situated in Chambésy. Its changes of ownership and transformations have been documented since the 17th century.
In 1926, the estate was acquired by Oscar Dusendschön, and later passed to his son, Friedrich Dusendschön, In 1960.
Location: Google Maps

RUSSIN

Verbois DamThe Verbois dam was built between 1938 and 1943, and is located on the river Rhône.
It replaces the former Chèvres dam, built by the Compagnie de l'industrie électrique (CIE) and the Geneva engineer René Thury, under the direction of Théodore Turrettini.
Standing 34 metres high, the dam has a retention volume of 13,000,000 m³ and a crest length of 410 metres. The reservoir covers an area of 131 hectares. It is operated by the Services Industriels de Genève.
Location: Google Maps

Fontaine couverte de RussinThe Russin Fountain consists of two successive basins and a limestone pillar. The roof that shelters it rests on cast-iron columns with ironwork arms.
The partially buried position of the basins is typical of such structures found in rural regions.
Location: Google Maps

SATIGNY

Capite Vigneronne, BourdignyThe term 'capite', which is only used in Switzerland, refers to a small, isolated house or a guard post.
In viticulture, a capite is a modest hut where winemakers would take a break during their long, hard-working days.
Location: Google Maps

Fontaine couverte de PeissyThe Peissy fountain, with two successive limestone basins, is sheltered by a roof supported by wooden posts and masonry walls with wooden panels closing the fountain on two sides.
Built in 1828 by the municipality on private land, it was restored in 1971 with a new frame.
Location: Google Maps

Le Vieux ClocherThe bell tower in Peissy, set back from the street, is the façade of an ancient sanctuary, the parish church of Saint-Paul, first mentioned in 1295. It was likely older and deconsecrated before the Revolution.
After the Reformation, it merged with Satigny’s church. In 1828, the Galiffe family acquired it under the condition that the bell and wall remain public. Saved from demolition in 1830, it represents one of the few remaining examples of early regional church architecture.
Restored in 1970, the bell has no date or inscription.
Location: Google Maps

SORAL

Fontaine couverte de SoralThis fountain, consisting of five basins, three of which are covered, dates back to 1820 and has recently been restored. Its paving, bollards, and walls have also been fully refreshed.
The 18-metre-long structure is made of white limestone and has been listed as a historic monument since 1960. The fountain is also under the protection of the Virgin Mary.
The water source is located on the right, in a small covered basin.
Location: Google Maps

TROINEX

Menhirs de la Pierre aux Dames Dating back to the fourth millennium BC, the Pierre-aux-Dames menhirs were discovered atop a mound along the road to Bossey. In 1877, excavation of the mound revealed four graves and bones, suggesting it was a burial site marked by the menhirs.
The name Pierre-aux-Dames comes from four engraved silhouettes on the menhir, which are believed to represent fertility goddesses with a funerary role.
In 1872, the Société d’histoire et d’archéologie moved the Pierre-aux-Dames menhir to Parc des Bastions. Weighing over three tons, its relocation required seven horses.
The stone was classified as a historical monument in 1921. In 1942, it was moved again to the courtyard of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Genève for better preservation.
In 1998, despite a proposal from Troinex's mayor, Béatrice Luscher, to return the stone, it remained at the museum for conservation. A fiberglass replica was placed in Troinex village square on September 19, 1998.
Location: Google Maps

VERSOIX

Fontaine des AmoureuxThe 'Fountain of the Lovers' is fed by a small spring from the St Loup estate, which once supplied the Nant de Saint-Loup. It flows into the Versoix canal, designed by engineer Nicolas Céard.
Located at the end of an avenue of plane trees, it replaced an old path to the Saint-Loup fountain.
The current grotto-shaped fountain, topped with a fir tree, is over a hundred years old. A similar grotto ordered by François Conty during the 1872 castle reconstruction likely influenced its design.
Location: Google Maps

Photo: G. Savary

Menhir de Chavannes-des-Bois The Menhir of Chavannes-des-Bois is located on the edge of Route de Sauverny-Versoix.
A menhir is a large upright stone associated with prehistoric monuments. These standing stones are believed to have had ceremonial or religious significance.
Location: Google Maps

Le Tumulus Préhistorique de MariamontHidden in the Bois de Marcagnou (Marcagnou woods) is the Mariamont Prehistoric Tumulus, a prehistoric burial site dating from the Hallstatt period (Bronze Age - Iron Age).
Location: Google Maps

VEYRIER

Jewish Cemetery of Veyrier The Jewish cemetery of Veyrier was created in 1920.
The location of the cemetery played an important role during the Second World War as well as in 1948 when the state of Israel was created.
During the war the cemetery was used by Jews as a passage of escaped from Nazi occupied France and after the war as part of a route to get to Port in Southern France and then onward to Palestine.
Location: Google Maps

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