Tourist attraction
Passage des Degrés-de-Poules
Steep stone staircase tucked between old-town houses, nicknamed for its henhouse-like climb.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Passage des Degres-de-Poules in Geneva follows a steep, covered staircase that once linked the old Palace of Justice to the Bishop's prison, covered over in 1554 and nicknamed the Hens' Steps for its cramped, ladder-like climb. It traces the passage's use marching condemned prisoners straight from sentencing to a cell door, and the 1898 case of Luigi Lucheni, convicted of assassinating Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Run a hand along the worn stone as you climb the sixty-seven steps toward Saint-Pierre Cathedral.
This audio guide was created using AI.