From 20 to 26 September 2026, we took part in a study trip to France and Switzerland, during which we visited many significant places connected with history, technology, science, aviation and space.
Our first stop was Nice, where we got to know the city's best-known sights. We walked along the iconic seafront promenade, the Promenade des Anglais, visited Place Masséna, admired an interesting sundial installation and also stopped at the historic harbor of Port Lympia. Our program also included Monaco, where we saw the Prince's Palace and visited the Oceanographic Museum. Its exhibitions and aquariums introduced us to the fascinating world of marine ecosystems.
On Tuesday we focused on aviation and aircraft engineering. We visited Airbus, one of Europe's major centers of the aerospace industry, where we had the chance to learn more about the world of modern airliners. We then went to the Aeroscopia aviation museum, where we saw many interesting aircraft and followed the development of aviation from historic types all the way to the iconic supersonic Concorde.
The next day was devoted to space and space flight. At the Cité de l’Espace, we explored the mysteries of the universe, learned about the technologies used in space missions and expanded our knowledge of space flight through interactive exhibitions. We also visited the planetarium, where we watched projections of the night sky and space phenomena, and the large-format IMAX hall with a scientific and astronomical program.
On Thursday we moved on to historic technical and architectural monuments. We visited Fonseranes on the Canal du Midi, where we saw the historic flight of locks, a remarkable 17th-century engineering solution for water transport. Our next stop was the Pont-du-Gard, a monumental Roman aqueduct and an exceptional example of the technical sophistication of ancient civilization.
Friday belonged to science and Switzerland. We visited CERN, one of the world's most important centers for particle physics research, where scientists address fundamental questions about matter and how the universe works. Accompanied by Slovak scientists, we learned about CERN's research, how particle accelerators work and the significance of individual experiments. The interesting expert information and the opportunity to look into scientists' work directly at an international research center were a valuable enrichment of the whole trip. We ended our journey in Geneva, a city on Lake Geneva and an important center of international diplomacy.
During the trip we discovered some of the beauties of France and Switzerland and at the same time had the opportunity to glimpse the world of cutting-edge science, technology, aviation, space flight and history. The trip brought us a wealth of new knowledge, experiences and memories.
