In the 1870s, rich travellers began exploring the world for pleasure, by train and ship. In Jules Verne’s famous account, the journey took 80 days. A number of Swiss globetrotters also completed the trip. From 6 April to 26 October 2025 a new exhibition, which developed out of a University of Geneva research project supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, showcases the conquest of the globe by tourists.

In the 19^th century, an age of industrial revolution and colonisation, the rise of new forms of transport opened up the planet. The development of railways and steamships paved the way for tourists to circle the globe.

This exhibition looks at how round-the-world travel, previously the preserve of adventurers, became accessible to wealthy tourists in search of new and unfamiliar experiences. Jules Verne documented that tourist boom almost in real time in an 1872 novel recounting the extraordinary 80-day odyssey of Phileas Fogg, the two original manuscripts of which are on show at Prangins.

Among the thousands of tourists who travelled round the world between 1869 and 1914 were a number from Switzerland, to whom the exhibition devotes particular attention.

Whether purchasing an all-inclusive package from an agency or leaving things more to chance, the first globetrotters travelled the world – or at least a limited number of locations in the northern hemisphere: London, Paris, Alexandria, Suez, Aden, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and New York.

Along the way, these well-to-do explorers collected vast quantities of souvenirs, trinkets, postcards, photos and anecdotes. On loan from private collections and public institutions, these objects are the landmarks on an itinerary that extends over two floors at Château de Prangins, with immersive installations evoking the appeal of faraway places. They reveal how, on the cusp of the 20^th century, round-the-world travel became an omnipresent feature of popular culture. A wide range of visual devices and literature enabled people to travel the globe without even leaving home.

The exhibition also highlights the historical context in which these globetrotters – drawn from the big colonial powers – set off to conquer the planet and make it their playground. Imperialism, capitalism and technological progress brought the world within their grasp.

By way of an epilogue, a final chapter considers the contemporary relevance of global travel, and invites visitors to reflect on what it means – and what it doesn’t.

Round-the-world travel. From Jules Verne to the first globetrotters came about thanks to a collaboration with the geography department at the University of Geneva and is part of a Swiss National Science Foundation project.