NEW: City of pleasure and vice?
Sin City – 2 hour tour
Let’s take a walk from the Pâquis area to the Old Town to discover past and present places of prostitution, gambling, cabarets…and more.
Hot Geneva – 1.5 hour tour
The “hotter” trail from one red light district to another will reveal the transformation of sex-oriented services over the centuries.
Plan de Genève, John Roque, 1760 – © BGE
Geneva story (in a nutshell)
Follow 2000 years of history in the heart of the city, revealed in landmarks as well as hidden sites.
1 hour tour in the Old Town / 2 hour tour : Horloge fleurie – Old Town
Portrait of Anna Lullin – © BGE / Les lavandières – © MAH
Women of Geneva
Bring back to life women – known, forgotten or anonymous – and discover their contribution to the Geneva story.
2 hours: Ile Rousseau – Rue-Basses
© CICR
Humanitarian Geneva
Follow the footsteps of a handful of Geneva citizens who initiated what will become the world’s largest humanitarian movement.
2 hours: Place de Neuve – Old Town
© Céline Saugy
International Geneva
Follow the trail that reveals how the city became the global centre of multilateral cooperation and diplomacy.
2 hours: Palais Wilson – Place des Nations
© Catherine Hubert Girod
Countryside gems
Enjoy the scenic country-side overlooking the lake and discover villages among fields and vineyards where local lives and history meet.
1.5 hours: Chevrens hamlet in Anières
Geneva immersion
Geneva immediately brings to mind the Jet d’eau, its old town and the city’s international reputation. Did you ever wonder why?
The answers lie all around you as you wander through the city and its countryside – behind the landmarks and hidden in places you may pass by every day.
As you immerse yourself in the city and its beautiful natural surroundings, let yourself be surprised by the incredible stories that have made what Geneva is today – the smallest of the world’s major international cities.
You will never see Geneva with the same eyes again.
Catherine Hubert Girod
After many years living and working abroad, Catherine returned to Geneva with her family and rediscovered her city with fascination. She decided to leave her international humanitarian profession and become a Geneva guide in order to share the unique story of a city at the crossroads of local and global history.
Creating and guiding tours also made Catherine realise their potential in raising awareness on Geneva’s stunning natural environment, the ordinary lives of its inhabitants that contributed to the city’s story, as well as societal issues and emerging challenges.
Just arrived or lived here for a while?
There is no better way to appreciate a city then to walk through its streets and discover the on-going story that forges its identity.
You will become aware of your surroundings in new ways – historically, culturally and socially.
See you soon!
Self-guided tours
The trail of Chevrens: a guided visit transformed into a virtual tour to follow on La carte des récits d’Anières (FR only)
The humanitarian trail of the Red Cross: A former ICRC delegate, Catherine is a volunteer guide at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, as well as the author of this walking trail available on www.humanitariantrail.ch.
In the media
What visitors are saying
l recently went on a tour with Catherine focused on humanitarian Geneva. It was a wonderful afternoon packed full of compelling information and fascinating stories. As a result, we learn a lot in a most enjoyable way. Catherine has a unique way of guiding you around the story and the facts with humor, warmth and great professionalism. I would recommend Catherine’s tours to families, friends and work place colleagues. You will not be disappointed and you will have fun.
Caroline Kende-Robb
Working and living in Geneva for over 10 years
During my last stay in Geneva, I was able to see the city with new eyes despite having been brought up here. The Story of Geneva tour has been me a a historical perspective that I had hot been aware of.
Thomas Pizer
Artist and web designer living in Bourgogne
I was given a tour by Catherine in the village where I live in Anières. Catherine has an incredible talent for storytelling where she carefully depicts events in a chronological order, bringing it all to life. She gave us a walk through in time and stopped along the way to answer all our questions so thoroughly. One thing I really benefitted from was now being able to confidently answer lots of questions about where we live to my children, as an expat in this country it has helped me feel more a part of where we live. Thank you Catherine for this fantastic experience.
Charlotte Patchell
Originally from the UK and living with my family in Geneva
The lived experiences and voices of women that have lived and worked in Geneva become visible through the fantastic and interesting guided tour about women. We, at Plan International, did the tour as a team building and learning event! I would highly recommend it.
Anne-Sophie Lois
UN Representative Geneva and New York, Plan International
Header photo credits: Geneva Tourism & ICRC
