Old Town Walk (Self Guided), Geneva

Many visitors to Geneva join the city's younger crowd in voting with their feet and heading for the maze of old streets and picturesque squares of the old town. They are lined with historical buildings, galleries, museums, charming cafés and restaurants. It is a wonderful place to mix a little bit of sightseeing with some shopping and dining. Many of the old town's winding streets are closed to traffic, which makes a walk through the area an even more pleasurable experience.

Check out some of the art galleries here, where you can see a diverse mix of styles. Go to the Place du Bourg-de-Four, the heart of the old town. This popular square is Geneva’s oldest, and was once the site of a Roman marketplace. Today, it hosts boutiques, souvenir shops, restaurants and coffee shops, and is a lively meeting place for locals and tourists alike. As you sip your coffee and savor a selection of pastries and chocolates look over to the middle of the square where there are medieval fountains.

At Christmas time, the area is adorned with a row of lamps, a beautiful and romantic sight at night. A few steps from the square is St.Peter's Cathedral, where John Calvin, one of the 16th-century leaders of the Protestant Reformation used to preach. Inside is his wooden chair.