Whitmore Hall · University of Geneva
Venue & travel
Everything you need to reach the symposium, find a room, and get around Geneva — including your complimentary transport card.
The venue
Whitmore Hall
Built in 1873 for the university's law faculty and restored in 2021, Whitmore Hall places a 400-seat great hall, six seminar rooms, and a glazed cloister around a quiet courtyard in Geneva's Old Town. All session rooms are step-free, hearing-loop equipped, and within ninety seconds' walk of one another.
Getting here
Three ways in
By air
Geneva Airport (GVA) is served by direct flights from most European hubs. Trains run every ten minutes from the airport to Genève-Cornavin — the ride takes seven minutes, and your arrival ticket is free from the machine in baggage reclaim.
By rail
Genève-Cornavin has direct TGV Lyria services from Paris (3 h 10), and hourly connections from Zurich, Milan, and Lyon. Whitmore Hall is a ten-minute walk from the station, or two stops on tram 14 to Bel-Air.
Around town
Every registered delegate receives a Geneva Transport Card covering all trams, buses, and mouettes (lake shuttles) for the length of their stay. Hotels also issue the card free on check-in — ask at reception.
Accommodation
Reserved hotel allocations
Rooms are held at the rates below until 30 April 2027. Quote the code MERIDIAN27 when booking directly with the hotel; rates include breakfast and city tax.
| Hotel | Walk to venue | Rate per night | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hôtel Beau-Séjour | 5 minutes | CHF 210 | Old Town, 40 rooms held |
| Auberge du Léman | 12 minutes | CHF 165 | Lakeside, 25 rooms held |
| Hôtel des Alpes | 10 minutes | CHF 240 | Near Cornavin station, 30 rooms held |
| Résidence Universitaire Candolle | 15 minutes | CHF 85 | Single study rooms, students and bursary holders first |
Documents
Visas & entry
Do I need a visa for Switzerland?
Switzerland is in the Schengen area. Citizens of the EU/EFTA and of visa-waiver countries need no visa for stays under 90 days; others require a Schengen short-stay visa. Check your status early — June appointment slots at consulates fill quickly.
How do I get an invitation letter?
Request one in the registration form. Letters are issued within five working days of payment, addressed to your named consulate, and sent as signed PDFs; posted originals are available on request.
What if my visa is refused?
Registration fees are refunded in full on presentation of a refusal notice, and accepted authors may present remotely at the programme chairs' discretion.
While you are here
An evening in Geneva
Bibliothèque de Genève
Reading rooms and the Rousseau archive, four minutes from the venue in Parc des Bastions.
Café du Bourg-de-Four
Fondue and longeole on Geneva's oldest square; delegates gather here most evenings — no booking needed before 19:00.
Mouette across the lake
The yellow lake shuttles are covered by your transport card; the M2 crossing at dusk is the best ten minutes in the city.
Musée d'ethnographie (MEG)
Free permanent collection, open until 18:00; the archives exhibition pairs well with this year's theme.
We look forward to welcoming you to Geneva
Questions about access, travel, or accommodation? Write to the secretariat — we answer within two working days.