EUROPEAN COUNCIL FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH

The world-renowned European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is dedicated to fundamental physics, the discovery of the constituents and laws of the Universe. Founded in 1954, this prestigious scientific laboratory today has twenty-three member states working to answer fundamental questions: what is the origin of the Universe? what is it made of? how did it evolve? What happened after the big bang? CERN's aim is to provide answers to the various enigmas of the universe, and it presents its work in a series of outstanding exhibitions designed to explain the nature of its research to the general public. The center uses complex scientific instruments to probe the ultimate constituents of matter: the fundamental particles. By studying what happens when these particles collide, physicists are able to understand the laws of nature.

The world's most powerful particle gas pedal, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), enables scientists to study the smallest known particles, the building blocks of matter and the forces that bind them together. We move from the infinitely small, inside atoms, to the infinitely large of the Universe. The site is unique, and the visit exceptional. Nuclear physics is fascinating and deserves to be discovered by neophytes - you don't need to be a specialist in particle physics to come here! A must-see is the Science Portal (a building designed by Renzo Piano), conceived with educational aims in mind, to awaken new scientific vocations. According to the Italian architect, it should be "a place where people meet". The Science Portal houses excellent exhibitions, a laboratory where physicists will help you conduct your own experiments, an auditorium, a café and a restaurant.