St. Peter's Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint-Pierre

The Geneva audio-guided tour presents you with the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, which dominates with all its height the paved old town and invites contemplation.

A thousand years of history and the mark of the Reformation

Built from the twelfth century, on the site of older churches some of which go back to the fourth century, the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre bears the trace of its numerous transformations. Of Romanesque-Gothic style originally, it underwent its greatest changes with the Reformation, in the sixteenth century: the furniture and the statues were removed in favour of the stripped-down sobriety of the Protestant worship, which it has hosted since 1535. In the eighteenth century, a neoclassical-style columned façade came to replace the old medieval façade. The interior preserves the largest set of Romanesque and Gothic capitals in Switzerland, spared because located apart, as well as the Maccabees chapel, remarkable for its paintings and its luminous stained glass. One hundred and fifty-seven steps lead to the top of the tower, from where opens a magnificent view over the city and the lake.

What there is to see

The Cathedral of Saint-Pierre invites contemplation in its sober nave, marked by the Reformation, and preserves an exceptional set of capitals and the Maccabees chapel. Its neoclassical façade and its tower, accessible by one hundred and fifty-seven steps, offer a splendid view. It is a major monument of the old town, between history and spirituality.

Practical information

The Cathedral of Saint-Pierre is at the highest point of the old town of Geneva. A Protestant place of worship, it can be visited with respect for the services, according to hours to be checked on site; access to the tower is generally subject to a charge and includes many steps.

Since when has the cathedral been Protestant?

Since 1535, following the Reformation, which profoundly transformed its interior in a spirit of sobriety.

What does one see going up the tower?

After one hundred and fifty-seven steps, a magnificent view over the old town, Lake Geneva and the surroundings of Geneva.