Bastions Park (Parc Des Bastions)

The Parc des Bastions lies at the foot of Geneva's old town, on the site of the city's old fortifications. As the name suggests, the park occupies ground that was once part of the bastions, the massive earthworks and stone walls that protected Geneva in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The defences were removed in the middle of the nineteenth century when the city outgrew them, and the ground was turned into a promenade and park, which the city has kept ever since. Today it is the main green space close to the centre, a short walk from the lake and from Place Neuve, where the Grand Théâtre and the Conservatoire stand.

The park's most famous feature is the Reformation Wall, a monument about a hundred metres long, built into the old wall and completed in 1909. It commemorates the Protestant Reformation in Geneva and was erected for the four-hundredth anniversary of the birth of John Calvin and the three-hundred-fiftieth of the academy he founded. At the centre stand four large figures: Guillaume Farel, John Calvin, Théodore de Bèze and John Knox, the Scottish reformer who spent time in Geneva. Smaller figures and reliefs on either side show other reformers, rulers and episodes from the history of Protestantism across Europe. The wall is a good place to learn why Geneva was called the Protestant Rome and why so many exiles came here in the sixteenth century.

Next to the monument is a more playful attraction. Several outdoor chessboards, with large pieces that you move by hand, have been set up on the paved area, and they are in constant use by locals of all ages, with passers-by often stopping to watch and comment. It is one of the best places to see Genevans at leisure, and visitors are welcome to take part if a board is free. Elsewhere in the park there are lawns, tall old trees, shaded benches and a playground, and the paths lead to quiet corners that feel far from the traffic.

The park sits beside the old university building, the Bastions, which gives the area an academic atmosphere. Students and academics cross the park between lectures, and in the evening the lawns are used for picnics and conversation. Concerts and cultural events are sometimes held there, as well as open-air screenings in summer, though the programme changes from year to year.

From the park you can climb the steps to the Promenade de la Treille and the old town, or walk down toward the Jardin Anglais and the lakefront. The Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, the Maison Tavel and the other museums of the old town are close. The park is free and open throughout the day, and it suits families, students, walkers and anyone looking for a break between sights. A visit takes thirty minutes to an hour, longer if you play a game of chess, and the Reformation Wall is best seen in the morning light, when it is less shaded.