Place du Bourg-de-Four

The Place du Bourg-de-Four

The Geneva audio-guided tour takes you to the Place du Bourg-de-Four, the oldest and one of the most famous squares of the city, historic heart of the old town.

From the Roman forum to the lively square

It is here that the Roman forum of the ancient city was once located: the square is thus the historic heart of Geneva. Become in the Middle Ages the Place du Bourg-de-Four, it also served as a site of markets and fairs. In the sixteenth century, it was a place of refuge for many Protestants fleeing the religious persecutions that then struck Europe, an episode that one evokes with measure. Today, the square remains very lively, by day as by night. Its houses typical of the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries house shops that will delight lovers of books, art and antiques, while an elegant fountain and wide café and restaurant terraces make it a prized meeting place. It is the ideal spot to sit down and observe the life of the old town.

What there is to see

The Place du Bourg-de-Four charms with its stone façades, its elegant fountain and its lively terraces, on the site of the former Roman forum. Art, book and antique shops mix there with cafés and restaurants. It is the beating heart of the old town, ideal for strolling and soaking up the Geneva atmosphere.

Practical information

The Place du Bourg-de-Four is in the heart of the old town of Geneva. In free access at all hours, it comes alive to the rhythm of its shops, cafés and restaurants, according to their own hours.

Why is the Place du Bourg-de-Four so old?

Because it occupies the site of the former Roman forum of Geneva; it is the historic heart of the city.

What is found on the square today?

Book, art and antique shops, a fountain and many café and restaurant terraces.