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Religious Sites

Geneva is a crossroads of religion – the originally Catholic city became a hub for Protestants during the Reformation, including John Calvin, founder of Calvinism. Today, Catholics, Protestants, and Russian Orthodox Christians practice their religion in Geneva’s sacred buildings.

St Peter’s Cathedral: Catholics began construction on St Peter’s Cathedral in 1160, and after 150 years of construction, the church became an ornate Romanesque- and Gothic-style building. In 1536, the Reformation brought Protestant religion to Geneva, along with principles of decorative simplicity and practicality. The cathedral morphed into a Protestant church, and all interior decorations and ornaments, save for the stained glass windows and carved Romanesque capitals in the nave, were removed. Its Neoclassical façade replaced the former Gothic façade in 1750; around the same time, its green spire was added. St Peter’s remains a Protestant church today, and is widely known as the place where John Calvin gave the sermons that converted followers to Calvinism in the mid-16th century.

Climb the north tower’s 157 steps and arrive at a lookout featuring a spectacular panoramic view of Geneva and the lake.

Russian Church: In 1859, Orthodox Russians were granted permission to build a church in Geneva, and the result was a church with stunning gold cupolas and an exquisite interior.

Saint Germain Church: One of Geneva’s oldest churches, Saint Germain Church was built in the 13th century. Originally a Catholic church, its possession was transferred to Protestant reformers in 1535, but was returned to the Catholic church in the 1800s.