Visiting the Council of Europe

Information on visits

All visits must be booked in advance. Guided tours and study programmesare organised for groups of at least 15 people.

Visits are free of chargeThe Palais de l’Europe is open to visitors Monday to Friday, except on French national holidays. Visitors must bring some form of identification withthem for security reasons.Wheelchair access is available.

To book your visit and for more information,please contact the Visitors’ Service:

Visitors’ Service Public RelationsCouncil of Europe, F-67075 STRASBOURG CedexTel: +33 (0)3 88 41 20 29 Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 54E-mail: visites@coe.int

The Council of Europe – 47 member states*

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova,Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia,Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, “theformer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia“, Turkey, Ukraine,United Kingdom.

The Council of Europe is a distinct and separate bodyfrom the 27-nation European Union (EU), but nocountry has ever joined the EU without first belongingto the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe works to promote democracy,human rights and the rule of law throughout the wholecontinent. It also develops common solutions to social,cultural and legal challenges in its 47 member states.

www.coe.int

* State candidate for membership : Belarus (12.3.1993).

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Welcome to the Council of Europein Strasbourg

… and welcome to the Palais de l’EuropeThe Palais de l’Europe is the headquarters of theCouncil of Europe, Europe’s first political institution.

The masts bearing the flags of the 47 member statesof the Council of Europe are lined up in front of thisdistinctive building.

The European flag, with its circle of 12 golden stars on a blue background, proudly flies on the forecourtof the building. This emblem has also been adopted bythe European Union. It is a symbol of European unity.

The building is the workplace of part of the Council ofEurope Secretariat, which has almost 2 000 staffmembers from 47 countries, committed to the common goal of achieving a united Europe based on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Learn more about this OrganisationA visit to the Council of Europe will give you a chanceto discover and learn more about the Organisation,from its origins in 1949 to the present day.

The tour will give you an insight into the work ofmembers of parliament, diplomats, experts and otherrepresentatives from members states who come to the Palais de l’Europe to work together and to findcommon solutions to today’s major problems.

What you will see thereThe entrance hall of the Palais de l’Europe with itsimposing staircase designed by French architect Henry Bernard in 1977 “to affirm by its solid externalform that unity is strength … necessary for the freeconfrontation of ideas”.

The Assembly Chamber, is at its heart, is where political leaders from all member states meet for thesessions of the Parliamentary Assembly and theCongress of Local and Regional Authorities of theCouncil of Europe – these two bodies represent thevoice of Europe, its countries and regions.

Types of visit availableThe Council of Europe Visitors’ Service organises guided tours and study programmes adapted to each group. There are two types of visitoffered:

Guided tours Tours are designed mainly for visitors wanting moregeneral information on the Council of Europe:

introduction to the Council of Europe;an explanatory video;a visit to the Chamber of the ParliamentaryAssembly;discussion on the role of the Council of Europe;visits conducted in English/ French/ German; duration: approximately 1 hour.

Guided tours are suspended during ParliamentaryAssembly plenary sessions, but groups of visitors havethe chance to follow debates in the AssemblyChamber. (Dates of the 4 sessions are available on theParliamentary Assembly websitehttp://assembly.coe.int)

Study programmes Tours are tailored to the needs and interests of thegroups (teachers, lawyers, university students, etc.):

visit to the Chamber of the ParliamentaryAssembly;lecture on the political role of the Council ofEurope; a lecture focusing on specific areas of the Council of Europe’s work can also be offered, uponrequest; lectures can be given in any one of the languagesof the member states;duration: approximately 2 to 3 hours.