Les Délices, House museum in Saint Jean district, Geneva, Switzerland
Les Délices is a manor house in Geneva, set just outside the old city walls, that now operates as a house museum. The rooms are furnished with pieces from the 18th century and the building also holds a library and research collections related to Voltaire and the Enlightenment.
The property was built in the early 18th century and became widely known when Voltaire bought it in 1755 and made it his home for five years. After he moved to Ferney, the house passed through different hands before eventually becoming a museum dedicated to his life and work.
The name Les Délices was chosen by Voltaire himself to express the pleasure he took in living there. Visitors today can walk through rooms that still carry the layout and feel of a working intellectual home from the 18th century.
The museum sits in a residential area of Geneva and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. Booking in advance is recommended, as guided visits tend to be the main way to see the interior and group sizes are usually limited.
Geneva was a republic that banned theater performances when Voltaire lived there, so he built a small private stage on the property to host plays for invited guests. This allowed him to continue his passion for theater without openly breaking local rules.
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