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Le Palais des Nations
Parc de l'ArianaAbout
The former home of the defunct League of Nations is the present headquarters of the United Nations in Europe, lying 1.6km (1 mile) north of Mont Blanc Bridge. The complex of buildings is the second largest in Europe after Versailles. Tours, conducted in English, last about an hour. They depart from the visitors' entrance opposite the Red Cross building. To join the tour, you'll need to show your passport. The monumental compound was constructed between 1929 and 1936. The highlights of the tour include the Assembly Hall, with a balcony made entirely of marble and lofty bays looking out over the Court of Honor. You are shown the Council Chamber, the home of the Conference on Disarmament with its allegorical murals by José Maria Sert, an artist from Catalonia. A Philatelic Museum offers collections of stamps relating to the League of Nations, along with a wide selection of philatelic publications from around the world, and a League of Nations Museum documents the history of the precursor to the United Nations.
