CERN and Mont Blanc: Dark and Frozen Matter: Switzerland and France
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Prepare to have your mind blown by Europe's particle physics centre CERN, where researchers operate the famous Large Hadron Collider, nestled near the charming lakeside town of Geneva. This tour focuses on CERN and Geneva's fascinating history before heading to Chamonix to explore Mont Blanc and the nearby glacier. During the tour, you will enjoy a private lecture from particle physicist Darren Price, who will also give you a personal guided tour of CERN.
In Geneva, you will also explore the old town, cruise the lake, visit the Museum of the History of Science and learn about horology at the Patek Philippe Museum.
In partnership with Kirker Holidays
DAY 1: ARRIVE INTO GENEVA
Flying direct into Geneva, you will be transferred to the 4-star Hotel Royal in the centre of the city. The afternoon will be free and you will enjoy dinner this evening at a local restaurant.
Day 2: OLD TOWN AND AN INTRODUCTION TO CERN
This morning, you will start with a walking tour of the old town centre of Geneva, including the cathedral where John Calvin preached in the 16th century, and a visit to the Patek Philippe Museum where you will discover over 2,500 watches, automata and precious objects representing five centuries of Genevan and Swiss horological innovation.
This evening particle physicist Darren Price will join you to give a talk on particle physics and his work at CERN followed by dinner together.
DAY 3: CERN AND THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
Today is devoted to the CERN complex, where the European Organization for Nuclear Research operates the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, including the famous Large Hadron Collider. The largest machine ever constructed, with a circumference of 17 miles, the LHC is one of the most important research establishments in the world, and several areas are open to visitors. Darren will accompany the visit to the lab itself and you will see the Universe of Particles exhibition inside the Globe of Science and Innovation. A 27-metre-high wooden dome. CERN are currently in the midst of opening a new flagship building for science education. An innovative tubular structure called the CERN Science Gateway with immersive exhibitions and hands-on activities.
DAY 4: CHAMONIX AND MONT BLANC
Heading out of the city for the day, you will travel into the majestic Alps, which provide Geneva’s striking backdrop. You will visit the charming small town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and take the mountain railway to the Mer de Glace where you will visit an ice cave carved into the glacier itself. You will enjoy a traditional fondue lunch and there will be an option to take Europe's highest cable car up to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi. The views over the Alps from this 3800-metre-high peak are simply stunning.
DAY 5: SCIENCE, DIPLOMACY, BOTANY AND LAKE GENEVA
Today, you will start at the Museum of the History of Science which opened in 1966 inside the neo-classical Villa Bartholoni. The museum, located by Lake Geneva, houses exhibits relating to astronomy, microscopy, meteorology and electricity, including a collection of old scientific instruments from the 17th to 19th centuries, such as microscopes, telescopes, thermometers and astrolabes.
You will continue to the Palais des Nations, built for the League of Nations and still an important UN centre, before reaching the Botanical Gardens and Conservatory, where you can wander in 69 calming acres of grounds, which are home to more than 14,000 species, including rare medicinal plants plus a herbarium with nearly 6 million specimens.
In the evening, you will take a dinner cruise on Lake Geneva, on board a Belle Epoque paddle-steamer.
DAY 6: AT LEISURE THEN DEPART
This morning will be free for independent sightseeing before you are taken to Geneva airport for the flight home.
NO FLY OPTION
If you would prefer not to fly, we can book a Eurostar/TGV train journey for you from London or Paris.
Darren Price is a Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, UK. He read Mathematics at Cambridge, followed by an MSc and PhD in experimental particle physics. He has 20 years of experience in particle physics research, working at and with laboratories and institutes worldwide. At CERN, he leads an international research team working as part of the ATLAS Collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider. His research spans the search for new particles, study of quantum chromodynamics, high-energy electroweak phenomena, and searches for dark matter. Darren is a UK STEM Ambassador, and regularly contributes to a wide range of public engagement activities.