Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. One of the largest cities of Central Europe, it has served for centuries as the capital of the historic region of Bohemia.
Magical Prague - golden city of a hundred spires - preserves in its architecture elements of its rich history all the way back to its Romanesque foundation eleven hundred years ago, through Gothic, Renaissance and early Baroque periods, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the First Republic and Communism. Almost undamaged by the Second World War, Prague's medieval centre retains its cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, hill-side orchards and jostling rooftops and spires, all in the shadow of the majestic St Vitus cathedral and the ninth-century castle that looks eastward as the sun sets behind it. The conference venue lies in the heart of the historic centre.
Prague is also a modern and vibrant city full of energy, music, theatre, art, fine dining and cultural events. Wikitravel is a good place to get more information about Prague in general, what to see there and what to do there. There's also a CzechTourism page for Prague that contains information about current events.
In June, the weather is usually warm with an average daily maximum of 24°C. It can rain sometimes and temperatures can reach as high as the mid thirties.
Please check whether you need a visa to enter the Czech Republic. (A list of countries whose citizens are required to have visa.) In case you need a visa, please read through the Visa Application Requirements. Charles University in Prague will be able to provide you with an official invitation letter. Please contact the conference organizers at petra [at] iuuk.mff.cuni.cz and include your name, affiliation, mailing address, and fax number or email. Indicate that you plan to attend SPAA (authors of regular papers, brief announcements and posters should also include the title).
Those attendees not coming from a university or research institution are advised to contact the SPAA secretary first.
Getting to Prague
A large number of airlines operate
out of Václav Havel Airport Prague located
15 km from the conference venue.
There are daily direct flights from New York, Atlanta, Seoul, Dubai, Tel Aviv
and all major European airports, and good connections to most major cities
anywhere.
There are also very good direct train connections from many European cities (Vienna, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Warsaw, Budapest, Amsterdam, Zurich, ...).
Ground transportationThe best connection from either the airport or the train station is either taking a taxi or public transport. The ride from the airport takes ~20 minutes by taxi, ~45 minutes by public transport. From the train station it takes ~10 minutes by the taxi and ~20 minutes by public transport.
Taxi:The taxi fare from the airport to downtown Prague is around 600 CZK (~$30). Taxis can be ordered online (e.g. at AAATaxi).
Shuttle:There is also a taxi shuttle service from the airport CEDAZ that runs every 30 minutes and costs 150 CZK (~$8) per person.
Public transport:To get to the conference venue from the airport, take the 119 bus, and at its final stop (Dejvická) go down into the metro system (green line A), taking the metro to Malostranská station and then return above ground to take a tram (12, 20 or 22) just one stop to Malostranské náměstí. This journey takes about 45 minutes in total. When buying tickets at the airport, either get a 32 CZK ticket which is valid for 90 minutes (enough to get anywhere in Prague), or a 310 CZK 3-day ticket. You can purchase tickets at the public transport information centre at the airport or if you have sufficient change in coins from a yellow vending machine just next to the airport stop for bus 119. (As a last resort you can buy a ticket directly from the bus driver should the information desk be closed at the airport.) Later you can buy tickets from booths located in every metro station, from newsagents and from vending machines. When looking for a connection to any place in Prague, we recommend the Journey Planner.
The conference will take place in the historic building of the School of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University. The address is 25 Malostranske Square (see the map below, sign B). It is in the historic centre of Prague between Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, and close to many hotels and restaurants. It is also a 5-minute walk from the Malostranská metro station on the A (green) metro line, and thus easily accessible by Prague's excellent public transport system. A wi-fi connection will be available at the conference centre.
Participants are invited to attend a welcome reception on Sunday, July 22, between 17:00 and 19:00 at Restaurant Hergetova Cihelna on the banks of the Vltava with a spectacular view of Charles Bridge (see the map below, sign L). The restaurant is within a walking distance of the conference venue and most of the hotels.
Finger food and drinks (including local beer) will be served, and participants can pick up their conference registration packages.
The banquet will take place on Tuesday evening at Villa Richter Restaurant (see the map below, sign K), which is about a 15-minute walk from the conference venue (less than 1 km). The restaurant is very close to Prague Castle and offers wonderful views over Prague.
Special prices have been negotiated for conference attendees at a few hotels close to the conference centre or within a short ride by public transport.
The conference lunches have been arranged at the Profesní Dům Restaurant in the basement of the conference venue. There are many other restaurants nearby.