Place du Bourg-de-Four is the oldest square in Geneva, in continuous use since Roman times when it was the city's forum and crossroads. In the medieval period it was the main market square — cattle, grain, wool — and the focus of the small walled town below the cathedral. The current arrangement of cafés, fountain, and irregularly-aligned stone shophouses dates mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, after several fires destroyed earlier wooden buildings.
The square is the heart of the Vieille Ville and the prettiest spot in the city for an afternoon coffee or evening drink — the cafés set out their terraces from spring through autumn and the place fills with locals and tourists in equal measure. The central fountain, the stepped narrow alleys leading off in all directions, and the warm Genevan stone make this the photograph everyone takes home. From the square, walking uphill brings you to Saint-Pierre Cathedral; downhill leads to Rue de la Confédération and the modern shopping streets.