Balade audioguidée - Découverte d'Annemasse

Walking/pedestrian

2, esplanade François Mitterrand, 74100 Annemasse

Immerse yourself in Annemasse's history with a 9-stage audio tour.

The tour begins at the old railway station, a historic crossroads of mobility and a symbol of the decisive role played by rail in Annemasse's development. The tour then moves on to some of the city's most important landmarks: the Maison des Mémoires, the Hôtel de Ville, and a villa surrounded by its park, all of which bear witness to the city's cultural and political evolution. The Marianne Cohn school complex and a number of religious buildings mark out the town's social and architectural history.
Finally, the tour continues to a recent district, where contemporary ambitions in terms of urban planning, renovation and quality of life are revealed. In this way, the city reveals itself in a constant dialogue between heritage and modernity.

Plain text period

All year round daily.

Accepted customers

Individuals

Points of interest

1Saint André Church

When you see the 32-metre Neo-Gothic bell tower, it is hard to imagine that this is one of the oldest places in Annemasse. From when the town was known as 'Namasce' to the present day, there has been a succession of buildings on Saint-André square. Although the building you can see today is the result of successive reconstructions, the first church is Annemasse stood where Saint André Church is today.
It was dedicated in 522 by Avitus, the bishop of Vienna, when he was returning from Saint-Maurice-d'Agaune. The first mention of 'Namasce' (which later would become 'Annemasse') can be found in texts describing this event. Excavations have revealed a pre-existing Gallo-Roman temple which could explain why this site was chosen.
Its present Neo-Gothic style is the result of an undertaking in 1862. The building was attached at right angles to an older conformation which was then destroyed 10 years later. The church was then equipped with a modestly-sized 'Merklin' organ.
The bells in Saint André Church are relatively recent as the originals were removed by the Reformists in 1536. Cast in 1956 in the very famous Alfred Paccard foundry, the three bells are called Marie-Andrée (950 kilos), Marie-Françoise (550 kilos) and Marie-Jeanne (380 kilos). They are all electronic.
The church furnishings and stained glass windows were recently added during renovation and restoration work in 1998. The altar, pulpit and altarpiece were made by the French sculptor, Philippe Kaeppelin, as well as the very striking, modern stained-glass windows.

2Saint-Joseph church

Built in 1941, the church is the work of architect Jacques Berenger and the monk Dom Paul Bello. With its mosaic tile roof, it stands impressively in the middle of the urban landscape. This neo-Romanesque church was built while the Second World War was tearing Europe apart. The parishioners were particularly involved in its construction, helping to keep the site moving forward.
Don't hesitate to enter the building to discover this beautiful volume of sober, sophisticated decoration. The liturgical furnishings are particularly remarkable. Religious symbols are elegantly conveyed in a refined interpretation, where the treatment of materials (glass, stone, brass, beechwood, etc.), both polished and rough, contributes to the impression of sacredness. You'll also be struck by the enveloping light of the church's large stained-glass windows. Created by Jean Bertholle, the artist's mastery of the evocative power of shapes and colors has enabled him to go beyond the decorative nature of this form of expression.

3Annemasse Town Hall

Annemasse Town Hall

5Maison des Mémoires

The town of Annemasse is preserving and promoting its memorial heritage by transforming the former Pax prison, a highly symbolic place in the town's Resistance and history, into a Maison des Mémoires. The Pax prison, a highly symbolic Resistance site
At the end of December 1942, Italian soldiers occupied Annemasse. They requisitioned a hosiery factory at 21, avenue de la gare and used the cellar to lock up political opponents. But in September 1943, the Italians left and German occupying troops took their place. The SS Polizei Regimenter Tod moved into the Hôtel Pax, and the hosiery factory opposite was converted into a prison. It became the department's main prison during the Second World War, holding hundreds of inmates. The prison register lists the names of 736 people, but not all of them would have been registered. Among them were resistance fighters and Jews, including 39 children. Some prisoners were murdered, others released, but most were transferred to Montluc prison, before being deported to concentration and extermination camps.

This was the fate of Mila Racine, a young Resistance fighter who saved many Jewish children by smuggling them across the Swiss border. Arrested on October 22, 1943, she was incarcerated in the Pax prison, then deported to the Mauthausen camp, where she died under Allied bombardment, just a few days before the camps were liberated.

After Mila Racine's arrest, Marianne Cohn took over. This young Resistance fighter in turn rescued a number of Jewish children, but was arrested on June 1 with a group of others. The mayor, Jean Deffaugt, managed to free the younger children and offered to exfiltrate Marianne. She refused, fearing reprisals against the children. Tortured, she did not speak and was murdered at the Ville-la-Grand mass grave on July 8, 1944, along with five other prisoners.
From the Pax prison to the Maison des Mémoires, a place of collective memory
The symbolic transformation of the former Pax prison into the Maison des Mémoires (House of Memories) brings new life to a place steeped in history, witness to the region's darkest hours during the Second World War and to the exploits of the Resistance. This revamped facility will help to bring together and pass on Annemasse's heritage.

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A modern, interactive memory trail:
The Maison des Mémoires offers a 120 m² interpretation center entirely redesigned to provide an immersive and educational experience. The exterior façade, the only original vestige of the building, has been subtly restored to its original appearance, including the reconstruction of the first-floor balcony. An adapted museography and a modern, interactive scenography make the history of the site during the Second World War accessible.

Visiting areas include :

A chronological tour of the site's history
Adapted interactive and participatory features
Projection areas and audiovisual displays

6Parc Claudius Montessuit

Situated in Annemasse town centre, this 1.7 hectare park is a leafy, flower-filled place with a children's play area, in which all ages can stroll around and relax. In the centre is the Villa du Parc contemporary art centre. Located in the heart of the city center, the 2-hectare park is a pleasant place to relax, with remarkable trees, children's play areas and an orienteering course.
It is also home to the Villa du Parc, a contemporary art center of national interest, where frequent exhibitions are held. The villa was originally built in 1865 for Claude-Philippe Dusonchet, syndic and then mayor of Annemasse between 1854 and 1871. The property also included an outbuilding, and was bought by the City of Annemasse in 1930 to create a public garden. This makes it the city's oldest park!
It took the name Montessuit in 1963, in tribute to the former mayor of Annemasse Claudius Montessuit (1929-1963).
The park was completely refurbished and enlarged in 2008 by landscape architects "Atelier Fontaine", and was awarded the "refuge LPO" label in 2010.
The site also features a stele in tribute to the Righteous, inaugurated on April 28, 2013.

7Mila Racine Park

Memorial park named in honor of a Jewish resistance fighter active in the region. Living space of 6190m² of greenery to enhance your sunny afternoons. The park features a number of areas, including a petanque court and a convivial area with ping-pong and picnic tables accessible to people with reduced mobility. You'll also find a children's play area with a balance course, as well as a sports equipment area for keeping fit, and family and shared vegetable gardens!

8Villa du Parc - Contemporary Art center

The contemporary art center is located in the Parc Montessuit. Each year, it presents 4 to 5 exhibitions by contemporary artists, and offers guided tours for the whole family. A contemporary art center since 1986, the Villa du Parc is located in the heart of the Parc Montessuit in Annemasse, 5 km from Geneva. The 300 m² exhibition space comprises 2 floors, a passageway, a terrace and a veranda. The park, a hectare planted with trees in the heart of the town, is also used for specific artistic interventions. La Villa du Parc also invites artists to work outside its walls, in the public space of the Annemasse conurbation.
In 2020, the French Ministry of Culture awarded La Villa du Parc the "Centre d'Art Contemporain d'Intérêt National" label.

History
This bourgeois villa was built in 1865 for Claude-Philippe Dusonchet. The villa, comprising twelve rooms with vaulted cellars, a veranda, the roof of which serves as a balcony on the upper floor, successively housed the Justice de Paix (Justice of the Peace), the Commissariat de Police (Police Station), the Tribunal (Court of First Instance) and a staff apartment on the upper floor. In 1982, as part of their cultural policy, Annemasse mayor Robert Borrel (1977-2008) and his council decided to convert the villa into a permanent exhibition space. This led to the creation of the "Villa du Parc" Association, to manage and coordinate the "Centre d'exposition et d'échanges permanents". With the moral and financial support of the town council, the French government and the Conseil Général, as well as the patronage of industrialists, the Villa du Parc opened its doors on June 21, 1986, with its first "Art and Industry" exhibition (June 21-August 15, 1986).