Bellevue Ge is a municipality in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland, where lake views, swimming spots, walking paths and local history offer a variety of ways to plan your day. From Bellevue, you can see the lake, the Môle, the Salève and Mont Blanc. Port Gitana offers views of Geneva and its Jet d’Eau, as well as the Alps and Mont Blanc. When planning your visit, you can focus on the water and scenery, a visit to Bioparc Genève, or the town’s historic sites.
Lakeside and walking paths
Plage du Vengeron lies within the municipalities of Bellevue and Pregny-Chambésy and includes a swimming area. The site at Route de Lausanne 284 also includes a large green space. Facilities include stone steps leading down to the water, toilets, showers and children’s play equipment. As facilities may change, check their current status before your visit.
In September 2025, the municipality reported that Plage Gitana had changing rooms with toilets and a shower cubicle. Four more showers for swimmers had also been installed on the lawn. Check which facilities are currently available before your visit. These details offer different points of reference for planning a day by the water.
Bellevue has an extensive network of footpaths and a rich green heritage. Bois d’Avault offers walkers an attractive landscape. Sentier des Orchidées is a footpath connecting the Quartier du Champ-du-Château with the Voie verte Versoix/Pregny-Chambésy near Vengeron. When finding your way around, you can keep in mind both this named connecting path and the larger green spaces and lakeside areas. The historic GE 1 route also passes through Bellevue.
Bioparc Genève: animal viewing and getting there
Bioparc Genève is located at Route de Valavran 33. Visitors can observe more than 600 animals representing around 95 European and exotic species. The options include self-guided and guided visits, feeding activities and immersive encounters. These different formats give you several ways to plan your visit, without assuming a particular duration.
Valavran stop is served by TPG bus lines 20, 50, 52 and 53. As transport information may change, check the timetable before travelling. Free parking is available at the sports centre opposite the Bioparc Genève entrance, in front of the La Vigne Blanche restaurant. This information provides practical guidance for getting there; choose the option that best suits your plans.
History between a coaching inn and a lakeside port
Remains from the Bronze Age and Roman period have been discovered in Bellevue. The area’s clay-rich soil also shaped local history: in the 18th century, it helped support the establishment of three brickworks and a pottery. The realignment of Route de Lausanne between 1776 and 1784 led to Bellevue’s first hamlet developing as a coaching inn.
The name Port Gitana also reflects local history. It comes from the steamship owned by Baroness Julie de Rothschild, for which she had a small harbour and a shed built. The property now known as Château Riencourt was established in 1801, when a modest house and a mill were converted into a rural residence. A small sign by the fountain opposite the entrance to Les Arbres points to the Chemin de Compostelle. The route passed through Bellevue and was used by pilgrims from southern Germany and Austria.
Choose a hotel to suit your plans
When looking for a hotel in Bellevue Ge, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: Bioparc Genève, swimming spots and walking paths, or the town’s history. Compare the location of each specific property with the places that matter for your trip, and plan visits around your interests. This lets you choose accommodation to suit your own itinerary, without assuming a fixed order for visiting the sites.
Discover more destinations: Lancy, Carouge Ge, Le Grand-Saconnex, Satigny, Collonge-Bellerive, Geneva, Laconnex, Vandœuvres
Go to the broader travel overview: Geneva.
