  The study of relativistic heavy-ion collisions is an important part of the
LHC research programme at CERN. This emerging field of research focuses on the
study of matter under extreme conditions of temperature, density, and pressure.
Here we present an introduction to the general aspects of relativistic
heavy-ion physics. Afterwards we give an overview of the accelerator facility
at CERN and then a quick look at the ALICE project as a dedicated experiment
for heavy-ion collisions.
