Physics at the Large Hadron Collider

The goals of the physics to be studied at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are very impressive. Four major experimental installations are ready to compete in obtaining and analyzing the data from high-energy hadron collisions. The main hope is to answer the most intricate questions ever asked concerning the most fundamental problems of matter and its fundamental forces and space structure. The design of the LHC and its four detectors is briefly described. We then review the main facts revealed previously by experimentalists at other accelerators. The most pertinent topics and the stage-by-stage plans for LHC investigations are discussed. Further prospects for high-energy physics are outlined.