My Tour Guide Journey – Part 6 – “Carouge”

As my Culture and Tourism course at the University of Geneva continues, our training has become more hands-on through immersive Geneva walking tours across different neighborhoods. These guided experiences are led by experienced members of the Geneva Guides Association, giving us a real-world model of high-quality Geneva guided tours and professional storytelling techniques from a Geneva professional tour guide perspective.

This week, we explored Carouge, a fascinating independent city within the Canton of Geneva. Originally founded in the 18th century under the Kingdom of Sardinia (the Savoyards), Carouge still feels like a small Italian-style city with its own identity, architecture, and rhythm.

Our tour was led by veteran guide and author Ariel-Pierre Haemmerlé, a respected Geneva professional tour guide who has written several books on local history, including “Le Vieux Carouge” (Alma Lux 2020).  A resident of Carouge himself, Ariel combines historical expertise with civic engagement and strong storytelling skills.

We began at the Église Sainte-Croix, a landmark Catholic church built between 1777 and 1780 under Sardinian influence. Even though the church was closed for renovation, Ariel gave us a vivid introduction to its role as the heart of Carouge’s original urban plan designed to be a “rival city” to Geneva just across the river. The first written traces about Carouge date from 1247 and the first archeological traces include a bridge which dates from 1155. In 1816, Carouge and a part of it’s province (the ‘Communes réunies’) was joined to the canton of Geneva, but remained a separate city.

From there, the 1.5-hour walking tour took us through a mix of historic and modern highlights, including:

  • Place du Marché
  • hidden courtyards with microclimates and exotic plants
  • home of Titeuf creator Zep (Philippe Chappuis)
  • modernist residential towers, Tours de Carouge 
  • Le Vieux Carouge, oldest restaurant in Carouge
  • Blavignac Fountain
  • Cinéma Bio
  • Église Réformée (Protestant church) at Place du Temple

What made this Geneva walking tour truly memorable was Ariel’s storytelling mixing architecture, anecdotes, and centuries of social history into a seamless narrative. He highlighted how Carouge evolved from a planned Sardinian town into a vibrant district of Switzerland, officially becoming part of Geneva in 1816, yet still proudly maintaining its own identity as its own “city”.

For me, the most fascinating part was hearing the human stories-how people lived, worked, and shaped Carouge’s culture over time. Ariel also brought a light sense of humour to the tour, making it both educational and genuinely fun.

This experience was a great reminder of what defines a high-quality Geneva guided tour: knowledge, storytelling, and personality. As I continue my journey toward becoming a Geneva Professional Tour Guide, guides like Ariel remain a strong source of inspiration.

FYI….You can find more information about Ariel’s book “Le Vieux Carouge” and/or purchase it at Payot

Ariel-Pierre Haemmerlé, Tour Guide, Author