Large Hadron Collider, Geneva, Switzerland

Getty Images/Mint Images RM

CERN

Top choice in Geneva


Founded in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 8km west of Geneva, is a laboratory for research into particle physics. It accelerates protons down a 27km circular tube (the Large Hadron Collider, the world's biggest machine) and the resulting collisions create new matter. Come anytime to see the permanent exhibitions shedding light on its work. Group tours of 12 or more can be booked in advance, but individual tours must be booked on site, up to an hour in advance.

Tours often fill up months ahead – access the online booking portal at http://visit.cern/tours/guided-tours-individuals. To get here take tram 18 from the main train station.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Geneva attractions

2. Palais des Nations

4.1 MILES

Home to the UN since 1966, the Palais des Nations was built between 1929 and 1936 to house the now-defunct League of Nations. Visits are by guided tour …

3. Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques

4.4 MILES

Geneva's premier botanical park – renowned for its Botanical Conservatory – boasts over 12,000 species of plants from around the world, meticulously…

4. Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain

4.6 MILES

Set in an industrial 1950s factory, the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum plays cutting-edge host to young, international and cross-media exhibitions. It…

5. Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève

4.61 MILES

Admission is free to the permanent collection of this excellent hands-on museum, which examines the similarities and differences of our planet's myriad of…

6. Patek Philippe Museum

4.63 MILES

An ode to Swiss timing, this elegant museum by one of Switzerland's leading luxury watchmakers displays exquisite timepieces and enamels from the 16th…

7. Cité du Temps

4.7 MILES

This 19th-century industrial building straddling Lake Geneva was constructed in the 1840s to provide the city's public fountains with water. Today it…

8. Quai du Mont-Blanc

4.75 MILES

Flowers, statues, outdoor art exhibitions and views of Mont Blanc (on clear days only) abound on this picturesque northern lakeshore promenade, which…