Maison Tavel

Maison Tavel, on the Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre in the old town of Geneva, Switzerland, is the city's oldest surviving private house, dating from around 1334, and now operates as a free museum of urban history. Its hidden attraction is the Magnin relief on the top floor, an 1850 scale model of the whole city made before the fortifications were pulled down. The relief records every street, courtyard, church and bastion in fine detail, and studying it from different angles makes it far easier to read the layout of the old town afterwards. Many visitors go straight to the cathedral and miss this room, which is why it counts as a hidden gem. Elsewhere in the house, visitors pass through vaulted cellars, reconstructed interiors, painted shop signs, weapons, furniture and displays on the Escalade of 1602. A tower stair and stone details show the medieval structure. The museum is compact, taking 45 minutes to an hour, and is free to enter. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00AM to 6:00PM and closed on Mondays. Visitors can combine it with the nearby cathedral, the archaeological site beneath it, the Place du Bourg-de-Four and the Maison de Rousseau et de la Littérature, all within a few minutes' walk. It is rarely crowded, and a rainy afternoon is a particularly good time to visit. Labels are provided in French and English, and the staff are generally happy to point out details on the relief. Photography without flash is usually allowed, and the relief is best photographed from slightly above to capture the street pattern. Because the building is medieval, the stairs are steep and narrow in places, so it helps to allow a little extra time.