Geneva might not seem to be entertaining at first. The Swiss town is largely losing to Paris or London, when it comes to expositions, shopping malls or just a city landscape, enriched with outstanding architecture. However, if you’re seeking some aesthetic pleasure and knowledge, here are five undervalued museums located around town, that may leave you surprised.
Musées d’Art et d’Histoire de Geneve
If you’ve decided to explore museums of Geneva, this is a great museum to start with. It’s one of the biggest museums in Switzerland, containing around 650’000 objects of art and archeological findings. It has some permanent expositions, but offers new temporary expositions every year. One of the recent expositions included works of famous artists such as Picasso
Address: Rue Charles-Galland 2, 1206 Geneva
Timetable: Open from 11 AM to 18 PM: Closed on Mondays
Price: Free – Permanent expositions
Prices may vary – Temporary expositions
Musée Ariana
It’s easy to spot the romantic façade of the Musée Ariana alongside the Palace of the United Nations and the Standing Commission of the Red Cross precise geometric buildings. The museum offers an outstanding collection of glass and ceramics and introduces you to its history within Europe and Asia.
Address: Avenue de la Paix 10, 1202 Geneva
Timetable: Open from 11 am to 18 pm: Closed on Mondays
Price: CHF 8 / CHF 6 – Permanent expositions
CHF 5 /CHF 3 – Temporary expositions
Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
This museum will surely be of interest to those who came to Geneva to work in human rights and humanitarian fields, as well as to those curious to learn more about what it is these legendary organizations do. Its expositions can tell visitors the history of humanitarian work overtime and also provide updates on current operations worldwide.
Address: Avenue de la Paix 17, 1202 Geneva
Timetable: Open from 11 AM to 17 PM: Closed on Mondays
Price: CHF 15 – Adults
CHF 7 – Youth of ages 12-22 or seniors over 65
Free – Children under the age of 12
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCO)
MAMCO is the largest modern art museum in Switzerland, and is globally regarded as a reference to what’s going on in the art world. It’s a dream destination of every art school student. Its unique collections will give you lots of emotions and food for thought. If you are into contemporary art, this is surely a place to go.
Address: Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10, 1205 Geneva
Timetable: Open from 12 AM to 18 PM: Closed on Mondays
Price: CHF 15 – Adults
CHF 10 – Apprentices, teachers, artists and seniors
Free – Friends of MAMCO, youth under the age of 18, students, unemployed and disabled
Patek Philippe Museum
Except for being an amazing marketing move, Patek Philippe museum tells a story of an old luxury brand and history of an iconic swiss item: watches. The museum owns an extraordinary collection of watches of all kinds, including ancient ones, made from 1500th century up to 1800th century.
Address: Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 7, 1205 Geneva
Timetable: Open from 14 AM to 18 PM: Closed on Mondays and Sundays
Price: CHF 10 – Adults
CHF 10 – Students of ages 18-25 and seniors
