Parc La Grange is a 25-hectare estate on the shores of Lake Geneva, in Geneva, known for its rose garden of around 12,000 rose bushes. You can explore a French formal garden, an English landscape garden and lawns overlooking the lake.
Parks & gardens
Main highlights
- Rose garden created in 1945, with around 12,000 rose bushes of 250 labelled varieties
- Historic park combining a French formal garden, an English landscape garden and an orangery
- Views of Lake Geneva and the Alps from the estate’s terraces and lawns
Overview
The La Grange estate was acquired in 1662 by the Lullin family. It then changed hands several times, until William Favre, its last private owner, bequeathed it to the City of Geneva in 1917. Once reserved for Geneva’s aristocracy, the park has been open to the public ever since.
Villa La Grange, built in the 18th century, overlooks the park. Its neoclassical architecture is evident in its façades and proportions. The interior is generally not open to the public, as the building hosts official and diplomatic events.
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Things to see and do
The rose garden, created in 1945, is the estate’s main attraction. Its some 12,000 rose bushes of 250 varieties include old, modern, climbing and shrub roses. Paths wind between the flower beds and each variety is labelled, allowing botany enthusiasts to identify the roses. The Geneva International New Rose Competition is held here.
The rest of the park offers a variety of settings. The French formal garden features geometric flower beds and clipped boxwood. The more natural English landscape garden combines meadows and groves. Century-old trees, including cedars and sequoias, dot the lawns.
During the warmer months, an open-air library lets you borrow or swap books. The lawns are ideal for picnics, and an open-air green theatre hosts concerts and performances in summer.
Practical information
Getting there : the main entrance is on Quai Gustave-Ador, served by buses 2 and 6, La Grange stop. A paid public car park is located nearby.
Visit duration : allow at least two hours to explore the estate.
On site : children’s playgrounds, benches and picnic tables. Admission to the park is free.
Pets : dogs are allowed on a leash.
Visiting tips
Come in June, when the rose garden is in full bloom, ideally in the morning for soft light and fewer crowds. Extend your walk into the neighbouring Parc des Eaux-Vives, connected by a footbridge : together, the two parks cover nearly 40 hectares.
This place is part of the selection Geneva, between lakes, mountains and cosmopolitanism.
Nearby attractions
- The Musée Ariana, the Swiss Museum of Ceramics and Glass, displays works from around the world.
- The Geneva Jet d’Eau has soared above Lake Geneva for more than a century.
- The Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, an Orthodox church in the Russian Revival style, was built between 1863 and 1866.
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