Route of castles and fortified houses (La suisse à vélo n°171)

From Ville la Grand, pedal ten minutes or so to reach the signposted route at Puplinges. A route in the heart of the Geneva countryside. Between fields and orchards, the route passes through picturesque villages.

The tour begins with an urban leg-up from Eaux-Vives station. Eaux-Vives station is a main stop on the Léman Express line, a cross-border rail link that connects Cornavin, Geneva's main railway station, with Annemasse in neighboring France. The route continues between the opulent villas and villages of Cologny and Collonges-Bellerive. In Cologny, the Château El Masr, which means "the Egyptian", is multicultural and neo-Tudor in style. Currently inhabited, it cannot be visited. The same applies to the fortified house in the center of Vésenaz, known as Château de Vésenaz.

After passing through the communes of Vésenaz and Vandoeuvres, the route enters the Geneva countryside. It passes by the extensive remains of the Château de Rouelbeau. This medieval site, restored in 2016 and adorned with information panels, is well worth a stop. A few kilometers later, cyclists come across the Maison forte d'Adda in Meinier (Corsinge) and, above all, the Château du Crest in Jussy. Built in the 13th century and destroyed in the 16th, Château du Crest was reborn in the early 17th century. Today, the château is a renowned agricultural and winegrowing estate. It is run by a foundation.

Between fields and orchards, the route passes through the picturesque villages of Presinge, Choulex and Puplinge. From there, it heads towards the Geneva conurbation, returning to the starting point at the Eaux-Vives train station. The route can be taken in either direction. The one described is clockwise, and corresponds to the main direction.