Upgraded Bois de la Bâtie, Revisited
Since the upgrade to the park is now complete, I’m revisiting this walk and Playground Combo. On a sunny day, it’s undoubtedly a family favourite because it offers something for everyone!
It seems forever ago that I wrote my first post about Bois de la Bâtie. For some time I avoided it because it became a real construction site with fences everywhere, making it almost impossible to navigate with a pram. With no playground and no woods to walk in, there was really no draw to trekking all the way there.
R = Café de la Tour, Restaurant and Café
A = Animal Park
P & P = Playground and Paddling Pool
S = Sadara Buvette
The Blue dotted line is the cycle path up to Bois de la Bâtie, this is also the easiest way to access the woods if you are with a pram, coming from Petit Lancy or from town
Waiting on the sidelines whilst the kids play in the playground is not Luka’s favourite part!
For a couple of years until Spring of 2021, they worked on everything in this park/playground area. They changed some of the footpath layout through the woods, relaid the paths leading up to the woods, put down gravel on all of the paths through the woods, installed lighting, lookout benches, several new water fountains, but most importantly there is a brand new playground, paddling pool and Buvette called Sadara which can be found right at the top of the field where it is an official off-leash dog park. Now there are no excuses not to go there!
The playground and paddling pool
The playground is essentially divided into three sections to appeal to children of all ages. It’s all contained in the same area though, so it’s still manageable even if you have multiple kids. (depending on the number and age of children you have, of course!) I tend to stick with Miya who is coming up to 3 years-old and Kai who is almost 5 tends to run around enjoying all that this playground has to offer.
There are also a few benches and low walls to perch yourself on, to watch over your children. In the height of summer though, shade in the immediate vicinity of the playground is somewhat lacking and it can get quite hot.
To the left of the playground is the paddling pool and toilets. The paddling pool is operational during the summer months and provides a welcome break from the heat of the playground.
Last year Geneva city organised some events over the summer weekends at the pavilion which can be found next to the paddling pool. It doesn’t seem as though they have this year’s programme up yet, so keep an eye out here.
We did however lose the BBQ area and Table Tennis tables which used to be in the playground area in the upgrade, but I suppose you can’t have it all! Now there are even fewer places where you are authorised to have BBQ’s in Genevois parks. It seems that the city is getting stricter on BBQ-ing in public spaces.
Needless to say when visiting the playground with your dog, they are not allowed on the playground or paddling pool itself so the dog will need to be tied up somewhere secure on the perimeter of the playground area. Summer times can be a problem with a dog because of the lack of shade. We’ve never had a problem bringing Luka here, but I am always aware that not everyone appreciates having a dog in an area that is designed for children, so I make sure Luka does not bother anyone.
The Woods
One of the best things about Bois de la Bâtie is that being officially the biggest wooded area in urban Geneva, there are plenty of wooded areas to explore. The woods have been here all along, however I never quite appreciated until recently how fun the woods can be for children. Hence I am including it as its own section in this post!
There are several discreet woods that make up the Bois de la Bâtie, and many of them have openings allowing for making cabanes and the likes using the wood that is lying around. I recently had a fantastic time here with Kai and his friend, building then destroying several wooden structures! Luka could get involved too, since he is also a stick lover, and a hole-digger, making it a fun time for everyone.
All of the wooded areas around the playground and Buvette are off-leash zones, so Luka had a great time playing with passing dogs whilst watching over the boys.
The Animal Park
The Animal Park is run by Geneva city and is free and open year-round, every day. It’s essentially a circular park, and there are several entrances. It’s a wonderful way to see some animals and birds, many which are native to the region, in the city that we would otherwise never see. Sometimes you even see the peacocks wandering around on the footpaths! Normally when we come here though, we don’t go inside as dogs are not allowed, so today myself, Miya and Luka took our time to make a tour of the outside of the Animal Park to look at all the animals that Miya loves so much, starting with the hairy pigs!
We always stop by to say hello to the Ibexes who live in the enclosure facing the football pitches. They are always curious when they see Luka and come and take a look. Thanks to Luka, generally when we visit the Ibexes they amuse us by getting on top of their shed and peeping over and saying hello! (or “Get away from here!” more likely…)
The brand new Buvette “Sadara”
Sadara is a really funky buvette, serving some simple and delicious foods, such as fondue, hot dogs, salads and soups. Most of the ingredients are sourced locally and they offer a seasonal menu. They also have an array of vegan snacks, cakes and a very extensive drinks menu, including wine and Prosecco on tap!
They are open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 8pm, but if the weather is bad they may be closed, so best to call them or check on their Instagram handle (@sa_da_ra), Facebook Page or call them before you go, if you plan to visit them.
Before it was Sadara, this location used to be occupied by a very outdated, sorry looking café-brasserie whose only patrons were the local dog walkers. I must say that Sadara has actually drawn people here, making Bois de la Bâtie a much more vibrant place to be.
What I love is that they are very dog-friendly; in fact last year they hosted a Spooky Doggy Party for Halloween for their closing of the 2021 season. Unfortunately we were away for this event, but I would have loved to have taken part!!
Normally we leave Luka off the lead when we are here, mainly because he doesn’t bother others and stays close to us. Of course it is up to the owners to use their discretion to put their dogs on a lead if they are bothering other customers or dogs, or stray too far, particularly as there are generally lots of kids and food around. Sadara reserves the right to ask you to put your dog on the lead at any moment.
Mostly the dog walkers will find a sun lounger and pull it up to the top of the field at the end of the terrace area which is a designated off-leash zone and enjoy a game of fetch with their dog while they enjoy a drink in the sun. When it’s really busy, we bring a picnic blanket and camp out on the grass which means we can be a little bit further away from the buvette and allow the kids and Luka to enjoy themselves without bothering anyone.
Sadara is open seasonally, opening on the 1st of March and closing in October, depending on how warm it stays going into Autumn.
Good news for Petanque lovers, there is a terrain just behind the Buvette, so don’t forget to bring your boules!
You will find a public toilet behind the Buvette, and it’s a pretty decent one! You have to give it to Switzerland when it comes to public toilets! Unfortunately there’s no changing table, but you can easily change your baby with a changing mat on the grass.
Off-leash walks and runs starting from Bois de la Bâtie
Another great point about Bois de la Bâtie is that it is a starting point for some longer walks or runs. You could keep on the same side of the Rhone, past the cemetery and over Pont Butin and come back into Geneva along the river on the other side, by St Jean. This would would keep you in an off-leash zone the entire time apart from across Pont Butin, so if your dog enjoys running off the leash, this is a really nice route. The details of the route can be found from a previous Geneva Hiking with Dogs post. Alternatively you could stay on the same side of the river and run/walk as far as Lignon and eventually to La Plaine if you wished! Not all of that section will be an official off-leash zone, and in fact as you reach Aire-La-Ville, it is a protected forest, so your dog would definitely need to be on a lead.
Another nice shorter route is to do a smaller loop of both sides of the Rhone and go over the Viaduct to reach the other side of the river, bringing you directly to the Falaises de St Jean. You can reach the viaduct by taking the path starting just in front of the Café de la Tour restaurant.
The added bonus of these routes is you get to see the junction of the Arve and the Rhone. Always an impressive and interesting sight!
I hope this post has convinced you that the upgraded Bois de la Bâtie is worth a visit, where ever you might be based in the Geneva region! This is also one of my go-to spots for suggesting play dates with my other mum friends on a sunny day, because there are so many things to do in a small area that there’s sure to be something to please everyone!
Fun factor for child: 5/5 Enjoy Geneva’s biggest woods and playground, splash around in the paddling pool and go to the Animal Park!
Fun factor for dog: 5/5 Enjoy sniffing around in the woods and play with other dogs in the big field in front of the Buvette
Pram-friendly: Yes
Water access for dogs: No, but the Rhone is not far away, across the viaduct
Potable Water: There are a number of fountains dotted around the woods and near the playground. Some only function during summer months. The one next to the Buvette is operational year-round
Baby changing facilities: No
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