Longest Bench in the World? I Sat Down to Investigate

I've got a 'petite devinette' for you: who really has the longest bench in the world? Well, I went to Geneva to find out...

It was during my most recent visit to Geneva that I came across a bench.

Yes, a bench. A very, very long one.

You know how sometimes you're walking through a city and something catches your eye, not because it's flashy or monumental, but just... odd?

That was my reaction standing at the Promenade de la Treille, in the old town.

Stretching alongside a charming stone wall, shaded by chestnut trees, was this endlessly long bench.

It just kept going and going like the Swiss version of a red carpet — but made of wood painted in green.

I did what any normal person would do when confronted with a suspiciously long bench.

I sat on it.

And then I read the tourist brochure:

“Le plus long banc du monde”
The longest bench in the world.

Really? The longest in the world?

That’s quite a claim. I mean, the Swiss are known for precision, but still.

My curiosity was piqued. So I did what any half-decent blog writer would do: I launched an investigation.

A Little History First

The Promenade de la Treille is no newcomer to Geneva.

In fact, it’s the city’s oldest promenade, dating back to the early 16th century.

Originally designed as a defensive platform, it gradually evolved into a tree-lined boulevard and social gathering spot.

By the 18th century, Geneva decided that standing around gossiping in the shade was no longer enough — people needed somewhere to sit.

So in 1767, they began installing a continuous wooden bench along the promenade.

The project was completed in 1774, and that same bench — yes, the very one — is still standing (or rather, sitting) there today.

The Legendary Bench: By the Numbers

Let’s talk measurements, because this is Switzerland and facts matter.

• Length: 120.21 metres
• Feet: 61
• Planks of seating: 212
• Planks of backrest: 79
• Material: Wood (originally also the supports, now mostly replaced with stone or concrete)
• Views: Panoramic, over the Parc des Bastions and Geneva’s rooftops
• Seating capacity: A modest crowd of philosophers and pigeon-feeders
• More seriously, about 170 people could sit on the bench at the same time — give or take a few depending on how friendly they are. 😄

The bench has undergone a few cosmetic touch-ups since the 18th century.

In the 1800s, the original wooden feet were replaced with stone, then later with concrete in the 1950s (practicality over aesthetics, apparently).

In 2017, the city decided it was time for a full makeover. The bench was lovingly restored — every plank re-aligned, every foot tidied — and today it looks better than ever.

Oh yes, and it has a certain Parisian look (read my article on the benches of Paris)!

But still.

Is it really the longest bench in the world?

The Longest Bench in the World: My Sleuthing Begins…

Now, I’m not one to take claims like this at face value.

Especially when it involves world records and benches, two things that tend to attract hyperbole.

So I turned to the ever-trusty internet and quickly discovered that Geneva has competition — and not just from random benches in obscure parks.

I’m talking serious contenders. Including one from just across the border in France...

The Marseille Megabanc 🇫🇷

Ask any proud local in Marseille, and they'll swear that the longest bench in the world is located right there, along the Corniche Kennedy — a 3-kilometre seaside boulevard with jaw-dropping views of the Mediterranean.

And yes, there is a bench.

It hugs the coast from the Pont de la Fausse-Monnaie to the Hôtel Nhow.

It’s long. Very long.

In fact, if you measure from start to finish, you might get to 3 km.

Geneva’s 120.21 metres suddenly seems rather petite.

But — and here’s the catch — the Marseille bench is interrupted.
By stairs.
By walls.
By large gaps where you can most definitely not sit.

According to the local site Marseille Secrète, they too once believed they held the record. But, in their own words:

“L’erreur étant humaine, rendons à César ce qui appartient à César.”
(To err is human, so let’s give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.)

In short: Geneva wins.

Marseille’s bench may be long in theory, but it lacks continuity — and when it comes to benches, continuity counts.

The Appenzell Monster Bench (RIP) 🧀

If Marseille was disqualified for its gaps, the bench in Appenzell, Switzerland went down in flames for an entirely different reason: it was illegal.

Built in 2012 as a marketing stunt by the makers of Appenzeller cheese (because why not?), the bench sat proudly along the Kronberg mountain and measured an impressive 1,013.32 metres.

It could hold up to 3,000 people at once and had name tags along its length ordered via Facebook.

Very Swiss. Very efficient. Very temporary.

Because, in 2013, local authorities declared the entire construction unauthorised.

The bench didn’t have the proper permits, and a legal appeal by the cheese company failed.

The result?

➡️ In 2014, the bench was dismantled.
Gone.
Poof.
No more mega-bench in the Alps.

The Longest Bench in the World: And the Winner Is…

Ladies and gentlemen, let the records show that the Banc de la Treille in Geneva remains the rightful holder of the title:

The Longest Wooden Bench in the World
(still in existence, still uninterrupted, and still open to all derrière sizes)

Now, if you're the type who likes official titles, you might notice that the Guinness World Record for "longest bench" still credits the now-defunct Appenzell monster.

But in the real world — the one with walking tours, pigeons, and a 2017 renovation budget — the Geneva bench reigns supreme.

And even if some eccentric billionaire in Dubai one day builds a longer bench out of teak or titanium, let me just say this:

➡️ The Treille bench will still be the longest historical wooden bench in the world.

And probably the only one with that many centuries of solid Swiss sitting behind it.

Final Thoughts (and a Seat With a View)

So next time you find yourself in Geneva, take the time to walk up to the Promenade de la Treille.

Find a quiet spot along the 120-metre curve.

Look out over the Parc des Bastions.

Watch the light flicker through the chestnut trees.

And sit. Just sit.

It may not be the newest bench.

It may not be the flashiest.

But in terms of charm, history and pure, uninterrupted length?

This bench is long to reign over us.

💬 And hey — if you happen to know of another super long wooden bench somewhere out there, let me know in the comments. But be warned: I will check your sources. 😉