Are you moving to Geneva or just planning to move within the area and want to know more about Geneva’s neighborhoods? This is another installment in our series profiling each of Geneva’s neighborhoods. We’ve polled our members and asked them all about their communities.
Name: Dardagny
Neighborhood website: http://www.dardagny.ch
Location: In the heart of wine country, this charming village of about 500 people is quiet, agricultural, and very beautiful. Lively? Not at all, some would say downright dull … except for those who love nature.
Favorite thing about Dardagny: Ten varied and gorgeous walks right outside my doorstep. From the “one foot in Switzerland one foot in France” hike up through the vineyards, to the wilds of the Allondon river valley, and down through La Plaine to the bird sanctuary along the Rhone — each with different things to delight the senses in every season. The Caves Ouvertes at the end of May is the highlight of the year when the village welcomes thousands of wine lovers!
Least favorite thing about Dardagny: Public transportation can be frustrating. The bus follows the school schedule, so there is no bus at all in the summer or school holidays, and no buses from La Plaine to Dardagny after 7 PM. One can call ahead to reserve a Proxibus ride if you don’t have a car available, but a car is almost essential to get around.
Why Did You Choose Dardagny? The natural surroundings are some of the most wild in Geneva canton. Foxes and sangliers (wild boar) live in the Allondon valley! Also a great place for bicycling on quiet country roads and we live at the ride start! The rents are also cheaper than in the city if you don’t mind driving into town.
How Easy is Trash and Recycling to Deal With? Somewhat easy
Additional Notes about Trash and Recycling: No garbage or recycling pick up at our door, but there are bins down the street which makes it quite easy.
How Convenient is Public Transit? Not convenient
Do You Need a Car in Dardagny: Yes
Additional Notes about Transportation: The public bus (X-line) runs on a school schedule, and goes to the La Plaine train station. Trains run 2x/hour, and it’s just an 18 minute train ride from there to Cornavin. One can call the Proxibus if one must get to the La Plaine train station when the regular bus is not running. Otherwise, one can walk 30 minutes down to the La Plaine train station (and a tough 35 minutes back up the hill), or park at La Plaine. No problem with parking in such a small village.
What Kind of People is Dardagny Best Suited For? Great for everyone who loves peaceful, beautiful countryside, but it would be very tough for single young adults.
What Amenities does Dardagny Have? 11 wineries – with free tastings every Saturday morning! The coffee shop is the only real commercial establishment, except for the Auberge (expensive) and a used book store. Local elementary schools are served well by the bus. A few after-school programs at the Salle Polyvalante for kids. There are sometimes concerts at the Chateau, and a small theatre company has shows a couple of times each year.
What is the Nearest Hospital or Urgent Care Facility? Hopital de la Tour in Meyrin is about 10-15 minutes drive away.
Anything Else to Add About Dardagny? Every Saturday at 7 PM, I love to hear the church bells ring for 5 minutes, and in the summer when the windows are open, one can hear the church bells ring on the hour – the only sound in this peaceful place.
Image credit for coat of arms: “Dardagny-coat of arms” by Delta-9 – Own work (the author’s picture). Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardagny#mediaviewer/File:Dardagny-coat_of_arms.svg
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