ViaJacobi, Stage 20/33

This short stage from the centre of Geneva to the French border offers plenty of architectural and cultural highlights. After St Peter's Cathedral, the Mediterranean city of Carouge beckons. Its trendy artists' district gives way to a charming nature reserve.

The approximately ten-kilometre hike begins right by Genève Cornavin railway station. It initially leads through the heart of Geneva, past the Basilica of Notre-Dame and up to the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. The city’s principal church, Protestant since 1535, stands directly on the route. The trail continues southwards through urban neighbourhoods to Carouge.

Beyond Carouge, the city gradually recedes. The trail remains easy and passes through more open countryside with meadows and fields, interspersed with short stretches of woodland. Climbing gently, the route leads to Compesières. There, the Commanderie de Compesières, the most important establishment of the Order of Malta in the canton of Geneva, lies just a few steps from the trail.

The route climbs gently once more via Charrot. Shortly before the national border, it reaches its highest point at around 485 m, not far from Signal de Bernex. The hike ends at the border, away from public transport; the nearest stop, «Bardonnex, Charrot», is a further 600 m away.