The Best Picnic spots in Geneva

Image by press 👍 and ⭐ from Pixabay

The Best Picnic spots in Geneva

Geneva is a cosmopolitan and international city in Switzerland, it is located on the shores of Lake Geneva, close to the French border.

Known worldwide for its wealth, it is one of the 5 richest cities in the world. It also has quite much to offer to tourists!

Around the world, cities are feeling the strain of rapid urban migration and the problem is getting worse with 2.5 billion additional people projected to be living in urban areas by 2050.

The growing demand for housing in Switzerland has forced the closure of dozens of city garden allotments across the country shrinking the spaces available for the public to picnic.

The only thing better than getting out and about to explore Geneva is getting out and about to explore Geneva while picnicking.

When summer comes, it’s the perfect excuse to find some outdoor space, relax and enjoy the food alone or with friends and family. 

Whether the space you choose is out in the wilderness with a mountainside view, next to a stunning lake or simply a green slice of paradise within your city, you’re guaranteed a great day out with picture-perfect views to accompany your meal.

Go out and spread out your picnic blanket in these best picnic spots in Geneva.

1. Perle du Lac Park

Rue de Lausanne, 1202 Genève, Switzerland

Hours:  Open 24 hours

Phone: +41 22 418 50 00

Facilities: Car Park, Biking & Walking path, Barbeque Spots, Restaurant, a Playground & a    Fountain.

Image MHM55 from Wikimedia

This park is on the right side of the lake and in our opinion, it is the best view of the city, the lake and the Mont Blanc in the background.

It is the perfect backdrop for your laid-back picnic. The wife of the Rolex founder and former owner of the park, Hans Wildorf aptly named the park the Pearl of the Lake, a fitting crown.

Perle du Lac Park, it’s not far from the botanical garden by the lakeshore.

There, you’ll also find the little harbour with the jetty for the “mouettes genevoises” (ferries) linking the two sides of the lake.

The park is an extension of Mon Repos and Moynier Park, with a marvellous view of the lake. 

On the grounds of Geneva’s botanical gardens, spread over 28 hectares and showcasing more than 12,000 kinds of plants and trees, you’ll find the kind of peace and quiet that invites you to meditate and reflect.

The 21-metre-high neoclassical greenhouse reminiscent of a miniature palace is particularly striking.

This is home to plants requiring Mediterranean climate conditions from all over the world, such as succulents or gigantic palms, whose leaves reach all the way to the dome.

With its six million samples, the garden’s herbarium is one of the largest in the world.

Dogs are allowed in this magnificent site for picnicking.

2. Savonniere Beach

Chemin Armand-Dufaux 13, 1245 Collonge – Bellerive

Hours:  Everyday 8:00 am to 11:00 pm

Facilities: Public Toilets, Restaurant, Free Parking, Barbecue Spaces, Bike Paths, Showers and Paddleboards for rent.

Image by Esther Merbt from Pixabay

A beautiful pebbly beach with enormous lawns and many trees offering loads of shade on a scorching day, the Plage de la Savonnière is a great place to while away a summer’s day.

It is a family-friendly beach in Collonge-Bellerive, at the weekends in the summer, there is an entrance fee but on the weekdays it is free.

This beach is a bit further out. It is a nice 40-minute bike ride or about 10 km from the centre of Geneva. There is a bicycle path the whole way and it could be the perfect half-day trip.

It is less crowded than other beach areas in Geneva. It ticks all the boxes for a perfect picnic spot. 

You can rent paddles and treat yourself to a delicious pizza from the resident food truck.

During the summer, Geneva Paddle organises a few crayfish festivals don’t miss the Crayfish Festival on the 22^nd of August.

3. Vengeron Beach

Rte de Lausanne 284, 1292 Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland

Hours:  Everyday 8:00 am to 11:00 pm

Facilities: Public toilets, small bar, paddleboards for rent, sailing club, parking.

Image by Lídia Craveiro from Pixabay

This beach is approximately 5 km away from the city centre, on the way to Lausanne.

It is relatively easy to reach this beach by bicycle as there is a bike path the whole way. You can also come by car, as there is paid parking at the entrance of the beach.

However, during the summer the parking is usually full and it can be hard to find a free parking spot in the surrounding area.

The view from the city with both the Mont Blanc and the Jet d’Eau in the background is breathtaking. The atmosphere is familial, friendly and laid-back.

This beach is perfect for large groups of friends or for big family reunions, get-togethers and kids’ birthday parties.

It has a big grass lawn for people to lie on and for the kids to run around and play ball safely. It is large enough that it never feels crowded.

There are barbecue grills available at the far end of the beach by the shade of the trees.

4.  Bastions Park

Prom. des Bastions 1, 1205 Genève, Switzerland

Hours:  Mon to Wed    9am – 12am    Thur to Sun    9am – 2am

Facilities: Free wifi, Toilets, Restaurant, Buffet, Giant Chess Boards, Playground.

Image by Jacklee from Wikimedia

Bastions Park, a former botanical garden and the location of Geneva’s oldest university, is popular with students and bustling with activity most of the day. 

At the park’s north end, a set of lifesize chess boards draws chess experts, young and old eager for a challenge. 

Finally, the Reformation Wall, which runs along the Medieval Town’s old rampart wall, pays homage to the Reformation’s founders, who are commemorated in statues along the wall.

This expansive park in the old section of Geneva is a great place to bring your assorted grocery shopping treasures for a picnic lunch.

Bring your basket or take-away from the excellent nearby restaurants and enjoy your meal in front of the massive monument to the founders of Protestant Theology 

5. Parc La Grange( The Grange Park)

Quai Gustave-Ador, 1207 Genève, Switzerland

Hours: Everyday 6:00 am to 10:00 pm 

Phone: +41 22 418 50 00

Facilities: It is one of the parks with designated by the City of Geneva as a barbeque area.

Image by Abdirahaman Ait Ali from Wikimedia

Parc La Grange is one of the largest and most attractive parks in the city. Its magnificent trees, spectacular viewpoints and diverse ambiences make it a favourite place for enjoying a walk.

It is located between the district of Les Eaux-Vives and Parc des Eaux-Vives, with which it forms one continuous green area.

The Parc La Grange is an urban park in the city of Geneva, Switzerland. The city park is located south of Lake Geneva at the Quai Gustave-Ador in Geneva.

It has a surface of 200,000 m² and hosts very old and tall trees, Geneva’s biggest rose garden, orangeries, an alpine garden and an 18th-century villa

On the left bank of Lake Geneva, in the trendy Eaux-Vives neighbourhood, you’ll find the beautiful Parc La Grange with its impressive rose garden that contains more than 200 different varieties of roses.

It is the largest green space in Geneva and the most historical park. There are even a few roman vestiges hidden in the park.

During the summer, the park hosts  “Musique en été”. All summer there will be free concerts in the park, from jazz to reggae.

For an easy, luxury picnic experience, why not order a gourmet picnic basket from Tiffany or EastWest Hotels.

These picnic baskets come with plates, cutlery and a blanket for added comfort.

6. Jonction

On the banks of the River Rhône in Jonction

Hours: Open 24/7 

Facilities: Wooden decks for sunbathing, public toilets and a Restaurant.

Image by Bogdan Korneker from Pixabay

If you want to truly experience Geneva like a local, you must head to the Rhône River for a different and unique picnic and swimming adventure.

Jonction offers a very different way of sightseeing and experiencing the city.

Spending a day at Jonction is like being on vacation. This place is where the River Arve and the River Rhone meet and merge; it is the junction of the two rivers.

There is a distinct colour difference between the two rivers. The Rhone has a pure blue colour while the Arve has a more brown and muddy colour.

It is a wonderful natural occurrence and the walk is really lovely even in the cold of winter.

In the summer, it is also where people from all social classes and from all kinds of backgrounds meet, where tourists and locals alike, gather for get-togethers with family and friends.

People grill on public barbecues, play music, swim, and jump from the bridge.

Fill your lungs with fresh air and shades from the trees and cool off in the freshwater of the Rhone is an amazing way to spend your afternoon.

7. Evaux Park

Fondation des Evaux, Chemin François – Chavez 110,1213 Onex

Hours: 24/7

Phone: 0041-22-879 85 85

Reservations: reservation@evaux.ch

www.parcaventuregeneve.com

Facilities: Parking, Ziplines, Barbeque tables, Skate park, Children’s Play Area and Toys.

Image by Анна Иларионова from Pixabay

This park has 55 hectares of greenery and forest for long, peaceful walks in nature close to the river Rhône.

The variety of things to do makes this park an amazing day out with your family.

Sit for a nice picnic in the shades of the trees (you can find tables and public bbq`s set up all over the park).

Cold drinks and simple snacks can be bought at a small shop, that has been set up while the restaurant is currently being renovated.

Children will enjoy the playground or the famous `tortillard`, a little train that runs on Wednesdays, weekends and during the holidays all summer.

You can hire pedal-karts to use on a dedicated course or to explore the park or make reservations for the beach-volleyball pitches and tennis courts.

Make use of the nearby skate park, football pitches and a full-sized running track, as well as a run-in-nature parcours of 3, 5 or 10 km, table tennis and a lot of fun, is a round of disc-golf.

You will find plenty of parking close by but again, arrive early to get a spot.

8.  The  Bois-de-la-Batie Animal Park

Le Bois-de-la-Bâtie, Chemin de la Bâtie, 1202 Geneva

Hours: Winter 8:00 am to 6:00 pm    Summer 8:00 am to 8:00 pm

Facilities: Small Parking Area, Children’s Play Area, Chairs, Public Barbeque Areas and a Dog Park.

This park is much smallish but closer to the centre of Geneva. It offers sports activities for kids and adults and nice walks in the greenery and in the forest.

Image by Deniev Dagun from Wikimedia

Plenty of grassland invites to have a picnic and four public BBQs help to make it a nice experience.

 A playground with different slides, a sand pitch, swings, a climbing pyramid and table tennis help entertain the young and the old.

If you are lucky, you can find one of the chairs to hang out in, that have been placed there in summer or walk down to the river Rhône.

While dogs are allowed but need to be kept on a leash, there is a fenced zone where you can let them run free under your supervision.

The small nearby zoo is worth seeing as it is home to some historically Suisse races of peacocks, sheep, woolly pigs, cows from Hinterwald and Appenzell- chicken and the small lake with different species of ducks is very peaceful.

9.  Jardin Anglais (English Garden)

Quai du Général-Guisan 34, 1204 Genève, Switzerland

Hours: Open 24 hours 7 days a Week

The English Garden has a very special place in the heart of Geneva’s citizens. Its paths are the perfect place for an idyllic stroll in the centre of the city.

Part of the park is the site of the Flower Clock and the National Monument commemorating Geneva’s integration into the Swiss Confederation.

In the centre, a giant bronze fountain offers cool water to young and old. Crowds gather during the Geneva Festival for free concerts and food from all over the world.

When it’s boiling outside and you find it way too hot to do any cooking in our apartment. The easiest thing to do is to pack some food and head to the lakefront in the English garden for a picnic and the cool breeze off Lake Geneva.

Furthermore, the Jardin Anglais is home to several hundred-year-old trees, such as ginkgo planted in 1863 and a red beech planted in 1895 for the National Exhibition.

An exceptional western red cedar, a magnolia grandiflora, a number of horse chestnuts, a tulip tree, an imperial paulownia and several other species complete the magic of the site.

10. Eaux Vives Park

La Grange, Genève, Switzerland

Hours: Open 24 hours

Phone: +41 22 418 50 00

image by Alexey M from Wikimedia

Eaux Vives Park is a sloping hillside park topped by an 18th-century castle that now serves as a restaurant.

With its vast lawns, its hundred-year-old trees and its picturesque pond, the Eaux-Vives Park is one of the oldest parks in the city of Geneva.

Located adjacent to the La Grange Park directly at the water’s edge, Eaux-Vives offers a beautiful view of Lake Geneva and the Jura. 

The extraordinary location of the Eaux-Vives park makes it one of the most beautiful and most popular parks in the region. 

What could be more romantic than a grassy picnic with a stunning view of the lake? 

The Restaurant du Parc des Eaux-Vives provides this service! 

Everything has been thought of for you to spend a special moment with a special someone, including a great packed lunch, glasses, dinner services, and even a blanket.

Geneva is often referred to as the “city of parks” due to the fact that over one-quarter of the city is covered by public parks.

Many of the parks were once grand estates that were later dedicated to the city. Most of the parks are situated along the lake with stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Relax and lay out a picnic at one of the sites and enjoy it as locals do.