The Organizing and Scientific Committees have the pleasure of inviting you to attend the conference and to enjoy the beauty of the Kraków city with its outstanding historical monuments and unique atmosphere.

Kraków, the former capital of Poland, was the seat of Polish Kings (Royal Castle in Wawel Hill). It is a scientific centre, having over 10 universities. The Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, is one of the oldest in Europe. Kraków is known for its scientific heritage and experience in the organisation of international conferences and seminars. This old Renaissance city, with its architectural and cultural monuments, and its museums is on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. This is a city of special charm, attracting millions of tourists each year. In the old part of the city one can visit the most spectacular and famous monuments, such as the glamorous Royal Castle, Church of St Mary, the Cloth Hall with numerous shops selling souvenirs typical of Kraków and highlander's culture, the City Wall remnants and St Florian’s Gate with its open-air art gallery. The old quarter of the city is surrounded by a beautiful green belt known as “Planty” where the visitor may take a refreshing walk. The central part of the Main Market Square is a place of open-air events, such as folk or rock concerts, performances of street theatres, seasonal events and festivities, which can be comfortably viewed from the nearby garden cafeterias. Tourists may also view the city by horse-drown carriages or electric cars, both departing from the Main Market Square.



In addition to its historic attractions, numerous cafes and restaurants invite visitors to try traditional Polish cuisine, e.g. “Wierzynek”, “Miód Malina”, “Chłopskie Jadło”, “Hawełka”. There are also many fine restaurants offering diverse international menus (e.g., Corsican cuisine in “Paese”, French specialities in “Cirano de Bergerac”, Italian food in Trattoria “Mamma Mia” or sushi in “Zen”). Krakow’s Philharmonic Concert Hall features performances of well-known musicians and singers. Fans of jazz music may spend time in night clubs listening to live sessions of leading Polish jazzmen, e.g. at “U Muniaka” in Floriańska St. There are a lot of museums and art galleries in Kraków. Among the best known ones are the National Museum where Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci can be admired.

The Gallery of 19th Century Polish Art is now a completely new space created in the historical Sukiennice building. The Sukiennice, a huge market hall built in the 13th century in the middle of Rynek Główny (Main Square), enlarged in the 14th century in the Gothic style and remodelled in the mid-16th century after Renaissance fashion, was restored in 1875–1879 and became the city’s showpiece facility hosting grand balls and patriotic celebrations. The Museum has thus become a place where tradition and state-of-the-art technology meet.

In 2010 interactive tourist route “Following the traces of European identity of Kraków” was opened. The establishment of this hi-tech and highly popular exhibition was made possible thanks to the archaeological study that was conducted from 2005 to 2010, on the eastern side of the Main Market Square. To accommodate discovered objects, an archaeological reserve unique in Europe, was fashioned under the surface of the Main Market Square to provide a display for the treasures that had been found, make it possible to imagine daily life in Kraków a few centuries ago and narrate the turbulent history of Medieval Kraków.

GETTING TO KRAKÓW

Kraków can be reached from most European cities by various means of transportation.

By air

Kraków is accessible from a majority of European cities and from selected American, Asian or African cities, e.g. Chicago, Dubai, Tel-Aviv, Amman and Marrakesh via non-stop connections. The list of connections served from/to Krakow is available at krakowairport.pl. The airport is located on the outskirts of the City, but can easily be reached by taxi (about 15 Euro) or car (various rentals are available at the airport), local buses serving City Centre: route 208 and 292, and by train. The train service is the fastest link between the center of Krakow and the airport. Travel time is 18 minutes. The train station is located close to the airports’ terminal.

Poland can also be reached via the International Airport Okęcie in Warszawa (Warsaw; located 300 km away), from which the best solution to reach Kraków by domestic flights or using the Express Train service (departing every hour, travel time ca. 2.5 hrs).

By train

Kraków is efficiently connected by rail to the principal Polish towns as well as to the European railways network. From Warsaw (Central Station) the express takes ca. 2.5 hrs. The main railway station in Kraków is located only a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. For location, see the map below. The rail connections are available at rozklad-pkp.pl


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By car

Krakow is connected with the European highways network by E-40 road (A-4 in Poland).