Chat and dating in Geneva, from the cathedral to Carouge

The Old Town and Saint-Pierre

Up on the hill, the cobbled lanes of the Old Town climb to Saint-Pierre Cathedral, Calvin’s pulpit and a tower with sweeping views of the harbour and Mont Blanc. Place du Bourg-de-Four, Geneva’s oldest square, lines up terraces and fountains. Tavel House, the city’s oldest home, tells Geneva’s story in a superb setting: a cultural date with vintage charm.

Treille and watchmaking

The Treille Walk, running along the old bastion, features the world’s longest wooden bench and a gentle view over the Bastions park and its giant chess game. For watchmaking fans, the Patek Philippe Museum traces five centuries of timepieces in one of the world’s finest collections. Showing the other person the movement of a complex watch is already a way to speak of time and patience, together.

Carouge, little Montmartre

Across the Arve, Carouge, built in the eighteenth century by the Sardinians, feels like a village within the city, with plane-tree squares, craft workshops and Italian bistros. On Saturday mornings, its market is a delight. On Lyad, Geneva locals share their favourite tables and lanes; it is up to you to find someone to push open the door of an osteria and stretch out the evening.