Parc des Bastions

Lawns, avenues, statues - and giant chess

Word to the wise: Like many city parks, the Parc des Bastions is perhaps best avoided after nightfall.
Its easy to see why Genevans are so fond of the Parc des Bastions, a glorious green space laid out on the site of the city's former ramparts. Once a botanical garden, its shady avenues and lawns are now hugely popular both with students from the nearby university and with chess fanatics who come to play giant chess on its promenade's man-sized boards.

The park is also known for its massive monument to the European protestant reformation movement, built along the line of the former city wall. A sort of sculpted protestant hall of fame, it commemorates religious figures from Switzerland and Europe with sombre, imposing statues set against a 100-metre-long wall of creamy stone.