Photos: Official Navy Page from United States of America Mass Communication Specialist Geneva G. Brier/U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Indiana Landmarks, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Clément Bucco-Lechat, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Official Navy Page from United States of America Mass Communication Specialist Geneva G. Brier/U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Indiana Landmarks, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Clément Bucco-Lechat, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Inside the UN's European headquarters, from outside its gates
Your local guide
Léa Chappuis
View profile
Highlights
- The UN's European headquarters explained
- A giant chair with a broken leg
- Peacocks living in a diplomatic park
- Why Geneva became a diplomatic hub
- A district explained from the inside
About this tour
This session covers the diplomatic quarter around the Palace of Nations, from its gates to the park surrounding it. You see the building's entrance, the giant Broken Chair sculpture nearby, and a section of Ariana Park where peacocks have lived for decades. Léa, who worked at a nearby NGO, explains how so many international organisations came to be based in this one part of the city.
She starts at the gates, giving the building's scale and purpose proper context, before moving to the sculpture and the park. She draws on her own working experience nearby throughout, answering questions about how these organisations actually function.
This suits anyone with an interest in international relations or diplomacy specifically. It works well as a longer session covering the district properly.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 6 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Geneva before heading out.
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Palace of Nations Gates 17 min
Léa stands at the main gates, explaining the building's role as the European headquarters of the United Nations.
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Broken Chair Sculpture 17 min
Just outside, the camera takes in the giant sculpture of a chair with a broken leg, raised as a monument against landmines.
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Ariana Park Grounds 17 min
Walking along the park's edge, Léa points out the peacocks that have lived on the grounds for decades.
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Your questions 11 min
Time to ask anything about Geneva: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 5 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Malakoff (fried cheese fritters) and Carouge, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Zurich time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Geneva, showing you Palace of Nations Gates and Broken Chair Sculpture live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on Google Meet with the link in your booking. I walk the gates and the park with the phone steady, since the district rewards a calm pace.
Times shown in Zurich time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Wed 28 Oct · 10 seats left From 27,00 €
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