Social Program

The conference venue and main hotels will be within the walking distance of virtually all sightseeing attractions of Warsaw, commercial zones, the opera house and theaters, etc. so that the participants and accompanying persons will be able to easily organize a sightseeing program by themselves. The conference organizers will provide an opportunity to arrange excursions, guided tours, etc. to other places of interest (e.g. to Chopin's birthplace).

An excursion to Cracow (October 28, Saturday)

The framework programme of the excursion is as follows:

  1. Train departure from Warsaw Central Station: 8:35 a.m.; arrival in Cracow: 11:10 a.m.
  2. Sight-seeing in the historical part of the city - a guided walking tour, approximately 3-4 kilometres (Barbican, Old Town Square, the Cloth Hall, Our Lady's Church, the courtyard of the Royal Castle of Wawel, the 600 year old Jagiellonian University).
  3. Free time.
  4. Meeting at the famous, fin de siecle "Jama Michalikowa" ("Michael's Hole") Café.
  5. Departure from Cracow main train station at 6:51 p.m.
Also there is a possibility of visiting on your own:

Note: The participants of the outing to Cracow cover all costs of the excursion by themselves, except for the guide, whose fee is paid by the organisers. The representatives of the organisers will also take part in the excursion, thus accompanying the guests of the conference. Railway return ticket to Cracow with the 50% reduction costs approximately 18 US dollars.

Regarding lunch - there is a wide choice of restaurants and eateries in Cracow offering meals at a variety of prices, including the oldest Polish, 600 year old restaurant "U Wierzynka".

Brief info about Cracow

Cracow was the capital of Poland, and then of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, between the end of the 11th century and the end of 16th century. Jagiellonian University, founded in 1360, was the first Slavic university (Copernicus was one of its students). In 14th-16th centuries Cracow was one of the most powerful cities of Europe, with a well-developed self-government and close ties with virtually all the regions of Europe, both East and West. Thus, in particular, Cracow was the primary place of work of one of the most renowned medieval sculptors, Veit Stoss, originating from Nürnberg in Germany, which was due to the fact that Germans constituted an important part of the city's population; one of the quarters of Cracow, Kazimierz, hosted the Jewish community that was the largest in Central Europe; and an important number of Armenian merchants and craftsmen lived in the city since the early Middle Ages. The present size and shape of the Old Town Square repeat those of the Middle Ages. The entire medieval town of Siena in Italy - of that time - could fit well into this market square. Poland in general, but Cracow in very particular, is the place where you can see the only true-to-life Renaissance architecture North of the Alps. This is due to the fact that Buona Sforza, a daughter of Dukes of Milan, married the King of Poland and brought the finest Italian architects of Renaissance to Poland.