Les Pâquis

A grittier side of Geneva

Noteworthy for: Long a hangout for the bohemian and free spirited, Les Pâquis gave its name to a school of artists - the École des Pâquis - that flourished between the wars.
Word to the wise: Geneva is a very safe city, but single females might feel uncomfortable in the slightly sleazy area round Les Pâquis' Rue de Berne after dark.

By Geneva’s polite standards, the lively Pâquis district is a little rough and ready. While its streets flanking Lake Geneva are among the city’s most expensive, behind this area is a multi-cultural dining and nightlife haven, where independent shops jostle ethnic restaurants and bar crowds spill onto the streets on summer evenings.
Its occasional patches of sleaze (it's still something of a red light district) might be off-putting to some, but Les Pâquis is also one of Geneva's most appealingly multicultural districts. With a diversity and distinctly urban feel that can make a refreshing change from the immaculate decorum of Geneva's smarter neighbourhoods, it's popular both for good shopping around Rue des Pâquis and for its boho bathing spot on Lake Geneva, the Bains des Pâquis.