Dear Friends We Have Prepared This Booklet As a Brief Introduction For

Dear friends We have prepared this booklet as a brief introduction for you – guests and collaborators of ITI, DIMATIA, and KAM as well as the participants of the Doccourse – to the place of your staying. By no means comprehensive, it should, however, answer at least some of the questions that you might have in mind, and assist you in finding your bearings in Prague – both in the geographical and social ways. The topics are many and sundry, spanning from a concise description of the hosting institutions to the most practical issues, such as guest computer accounts. Also included are a small dictionary and a little guide to the Czech pronunciation, or a general list of the jazz clubs and museums. We hope that you will find the booklet helpful, and that you will enjoy your stay. If you have any questions or comments, please write to us. Veronika Douchová and Jaroslav Nešetøil [email protected] [email protected] hosting institutions

CHARLES UNIVERSITY

The oldest university in central Europe, Charles University was founded on April 7th 1348 by Charles IV, then Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. From its foundation it was devoted to stu- dia generalia and it was endowed by the emperor with all the privileges enjoyed by older European universi- ties. The newly established university had four faculties – Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts. Soon after its foundation Prague university developed links with the medieval intellectual movements which were calling for reform in church and society. The destiny of Prague university has always been closely connected with the destiny of the Czech state and people. After the liberation of Czechoslo- vakia in 1945 the university began to develop rapidly in all its aspects. University life was soon to be disrupted and distorted by the effects of the Communist put- sch in February 1948. It meant purges, the end of academic free- doms and harsh repression of all expressions of disagreement with the official ideology. Further more, as a punishment for the role of teachers and students in the Prague Spring of 1968, a new and especially painful wave of purges hit the university and its faculties in the period of so- called normalization at the beginning of the seventies. Only after the velvet revolution, which began on November 17th 1989, was there any real change in a situation which had lasted more than forty years. The appointment of new representatives of a free academic community took place in January 1990. Charles University at present consists of sixteen faculties and educates more than 30,000 students. The faculties are centers not only for teaching, but also for research and scholarship. http://www.cuni.cz

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FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS

Mathematics and physics were tradi- tionally taught within the frame of the Philosophical Faculty (Faculty of Arts). In 1920 this faculty separated from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics (Czech abbreviation MFF UK) has existed independently since 1952. Among the scholars who have worked at and/or co-operated with Charles University and its faculties while staying in Prague are Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, Bernard Bolzano, Ernst Mach, Albert Einstein, Rudolf Carnap and Jaroslav Heyrovský. The Faculty provides education for more than 2,200 students in fields of computer science (informatics), mathematics, physics, and in the teaching of these disciplines at high school level.

http://www.mff.cuni.cz

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DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED MATHEMATICS

The Department of Applied Mathematics (KAM) is responsible for teaching basic and advanced mathematics courses at the School of Computer Science at Charles University in Prague. The main areas of active research performed at the department include algorithmic and structural graph theory and combinato- rics, discrete and computational geometry, complexity theory, category theory, and linear, nonlinear and combinatorial optimi- zation. It has developed into the current form during the late 1980‘s and early 1990‘s under the chairmanship of Jarik Nešetøil. Today the department has 18 full time members and 23 graduate students. http://kam.mff.cuni.cz DIMATIA

DIMATIA is the Center for Discrete Mathe- matics, Theoretical Computer Science and Applications. It was founded as part of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Czech Repub- lic, as a joint project of Charles University, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Repub- lic and Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague. A network of associate members of DIMATIA was soon developed. The center is open and actively seeks partners from all over the world. The purpose of the center is to foster research in all fields of discrete mathematics and its modern applications and relationship to computer science, operations research and fields as diverse as biology, chemistry and social sciences. Towards this end the center organizes a continuing program of workshops, confer- ences and research visits both in Prague and at the sites of partic- ipating institutions. DIMATIA is one of the principal founders of COMBSTRU – Research Training Network “Combinatorial Structure of Intracta- ble Problems“. http://dimatia.mff.cuni.cz

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KAM-DIMATIA Series The KAM Series were founded in 1986. They serve as a prepubli- cation medium for the scientific output of the Department of Applied Mathematics (KAM). Already more than 650 preprints have appeared in the series, and the number of authors exceeded 100 to date. The large number of coauthors docu- ments the active life of KAM – both domestic and international. Since 97-350, the word DIMATIA was appended to the name of the Series to indicate that the newly established Center of Dis- crete Mathematics, Theoretical Computer Science and Applica- tions (DIMATIA) participates in the Series. The most recent information, an updated reference list and some of the last Series in an electronic form are posted at the website. You are welcome to submit your papers by email to [email protected] http://kam.mff.cuni.cz/~kamserie/

COMBSTRU

COMBSTRU – Combinatorial Structure of Intractable Problems – is a Research Train- ing Network funded through the European Commission, whose main scientific goal is the analysis of intractable combinatorial problems, focusing on structural proper- ties of the problems and using tools from algebra, logic, probability, geometry, sta- tistical physics, and other fields. Training of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers through appointed positions, workshops and summer schools is a main objective of the network. http://dimatia.mff.cuni.cz/combstru/

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ITI

Starting from July 1, 2000 the Charles Uni- versity established one of the National Research Centers “Institute for Theoretical Computer Science“ (Czech abbreviation: ITI). This institute should foster research in all fields in the Theory of Computing and involves some of the key figures of Czech mathematics and computer sciences. A large number of younger researchers and students are involved in this project. The international contacts are extensive and are administered by the DIMATIA Center. The main aim of ITI is to promote research in theoretical computer science and related fields of mathematics and other areas with emphasis on the work of young researchers. Presently the institute has 12 young researchers that are fully supported from the institute and 11 senior researchers employed in their home institutes and receiving additional support from ITI. ITI plans a wide range of activities, in particular: several regular research seminars, including a graduate student research semi- nar, workshops, a series of colloquium talks, an ITI preprint series, lectures on modern trends in theoretical computer science. ITI will provide temporary positions for post-docs and dis- tinguished senior researchers. ITI invites all individuals and academic institutes to cooperate on projects in theoretical computer science. If you are supported by ITI we appreciate that you acknowledge it (the code is LNA00A56). http://iti.mff.cuni.cz

ITI Series The ITI Series were founded in 2000. They serve as a prepublica- tion medium for the scientific output of the Institute for Theoreti- cal Computer Science (shortly ITI). ITI Series are distributed to all CS departments in the Czech Republic and associated departments abroad. They are also available at the ITI website. You are welcome to submit your papers by email to [email protected]

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WHO IS WHO AT KAM

The whole department has its residence at the Malá Strana building, on the second (rooms #2**) and third floors (rooms #3**). The list of all members is available at the website, as are the phone and room numbers. The contact person for guests is Mrs. Polišenská (room #222). http://kam.mff.cuni.cz COMPUTERS AT KAM

At the beginning of your stay you get your personal account and password which you can use on all computers in guest rooms. Our machines run under the Linux operating system with a fairly common setup; if you aren‘t familiar with such an environment or if you have any unusual requirements (Hebrew keyboard and fonts, for example) feel free to contact our system administrators at [email protected] or personally in room #322. http://kam.mff.cuni.cz/net/ WHERE TO EAT

Restaurants, Pubs, and Coffee Houses At AMU (Academy of Performing Arts), you will find a canteen that is open to the public at lunchtime. There are 3 main meals available, one of them vegetarian. The price is very low. The other entrance of the same building will take you to a small courtyard with a little – but very nice – café. Since Malá Strana is a tourist area, the restaurants are mainly for tourists; the typical price for a dinner is approximately 20$. But those not directly in the main streets do serve common meals, mainly during the lunch time. We have listed some of them for your convenience on the page 9, with their locations marked on the map on page 8. On the same pages, you will find some of the coffee houses and tearooms near Malá Strana. Please remember that the information was up-to date at the time of publishing, but things may change...

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LEGEND

1 The Malá Strana Building, KAM, ITI, DIMATIA, Doccourse 2 The Letenská Building

Pubs and Restaurants 3 U tøí trojek 4 U Hrocha 5 U Kocoura 6 AMU Canteen 7 Baráènická Rychta 8 Konírna 9 Pizzeria 10 Malostranská Beseda 19 U Malého Glena (Jazz Club)

Coffee Houses and Tearooms 11 U zavìšenýho kafe 12 Columbia 13 Internet coffee house 14 Tearoom 15 AMU Café 16 Divadelní kavárna

Gardens 17 Vrtbovská Garden 18 Wallenstein Garden

Sightseeings 20 Prague Jewish Town 21 St. Nicholas Church

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THE MALÁ STRANA BUILDING

The construction of the building began in 1625, based on the design by architects Francesco Caratti and Giovanni Domenico Orsi de Orsini. Originally, it was to be a residential place for the Jesuits. Since 1628, however, the building at Malá Strana was also used as a grammar school and a seminary. In 1679, the architectonic supervision was taken over by Francesco Luragho, and the building was finished in 1690. In 1773 when the Jesuit order was abolished, the administration of the building was transferred to the state, and the unfortunate practice of utility- driven reconstructions was initiated – some vaults were demol- ished, or large halls partitioned. In 2001, a long awaited reconstruction started that is estimated to last approximately for 5 years. The reconstruction should restore the building to its original beauty and remove the traces of the former harsh modifications. The reconstruction design includes a new informatics library, canteen, and a students’ rest room. HOW TO REACH MALÁ STRANA

The “Malostranské námìstí“ is situated in the center of Prague and hence can be easily reached from the wider center of Prague on foot. In case you are further away, you may use the trams 12, 22, and 23. Depending on your starting point, “Malostranské námìstí“ can be reached in the following ways: • From Národní – the metro station on the yellow line B – by trams 22, 23 • From Malostranská – the metro station on the green line A – on foot or by trams 12, 22, and 23 • From Andìl – the metro station on the yellow line B – by tram 12

At Night Between midnight and 5 am, there is the tram 57 going through “Malostranské námìstí“. In one direction it goes to the stop Laz- arská – near the metro station Národní – which is the center interchange point of night trams. In the other direction, it goes to Hradèanská and Bílá Hora (for details about travelling at night see page 16). http://www.dp-praha.cz

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PRAGUE

The capital of the Czech Republic is our most valuable urban conservation area. In 1992 the historical core of the city cover- ing 866 hectares was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register. Prague was one of the nine cities awarded by the European Community the title of European City of Culture for the year 2000. “Praga caput regni“ has been inscribed in Pra- gue‘s coat of arms. And rightly so. Since the very beginning, Prague has always played an important role in the history of both the nation, country and Europe. Since the Middle Ages, Prague has been known as one of the most beautiful cities of the world, and has been attrib- uted phrases such as “golden“, “city of hundred spires”, “the crown of the world“, “a stone dream“. Prague includes a unique collection of historical monuments dominated by Prague Castle which towers high above the city. It merges many artistic and architectural styles and movements. The historical core of the city is situated on both banks of the Vltava river and consists of 6 parts – formerly independent urban units – unified in the 18th century. CHARLES BRIDGE

Named after the Emperor Charles IV, the Charles Bridge is Prague‘s most famous monument. Orig- inally designed by Petr Parléø, it was completed in 1400 and it connects Malá Strana with the Old Town. There are thirty statues on the bridge by Matthias Braun and Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff; many of them have been replaced with copies in order to preserve and protect the originals. The bridge is 515 meters long and 10 meters wide. See also page 5.

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PRAGUE CASTLE

A castle was built on this site in the 9th century, and a Romanesque palace was erected there in the 12th century. In the 14th century, during the rule of Charles IV, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style. The Royal palace was re-built to the current shape under the Jagellos at the end of the 15th century, and at that time, the builder Benedikt Rejt added the now-famous Vladislav Hall, also in Gothic style. The castle was enlarged in the 16th century. The Spanish Hall was added during the reign of Rudolf II, and it took its final form during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, under the direction of the architect M. Pacassi. After World War I, the interior and gardens of the castle were reno- vated by architect J. Pleènik. Today, the Castle is the seat of the President of the Czech Repub- lic, and it serves as the historical and political center of both the city and state.

St. Vitus Cathedral St. Vitus Cathedral is the spiritual sym- bol of the Czech state. A romanesque chapel was founded in the late 9th century by Prince Wenceslas and was finished in the 10th century. In the 14th century, John of Luxembourg erected the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral. Designed by architects M. Arras and P. Parléø, its construction started in 1344. The final stage of construction was completed only in the period between 1873 and 1929, initially by architects J. Mocker and K. Hilbert, and finished by J. Pleènik. ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH

This church, built in the period of 1704–55, is the most significant historical structure of the so-called Prague Baroque. The architects were G. Santini, K. I. Dienzenhofer, and A. Lurago. W. A. Mozart played the organ here during his stay in Prague. The belfry offers a view of Malá Strana. See pages 8–9.

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PRAGUE JEWISH TOWN

The Prague Jewish Town dates back to the 13th century but its present appearance is mainly the result of a vast redevelopment action undertaken between 1893–1913. Only a handful of the most significant buildings were saved, the surviving testimony of the history of Prague Jews which lasted for many centuries. Nev- ertheless these buildings form the best present complex of Jewish historical monuments in the whole of Europe. Six synagogues remain from this old settlement, including the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery – the most remarkable in Europe. Except for the Old-New Synagogue, they are part of the Jewish Museum. See pages 8–9.

Old Jewish Cemetery Established in the mid-15th century, the Old Jewish Ceme- tery served as a burial site until 1787. Include amongst 12 000 gothic, renaissance and baroque tombstones are also those of Rabbi Jehuda Loew (1609) and Mordechai Maisel (1601).

Old-New Synagogue This is the oldest preserved synagogue in Central Europe. It was built in the early Gothic style in the late 13th century and richly adorned by stone- work. The inside furnishings (gothic wrought-iron grill, wrought chandeliers) are of ancient origin. Up to the present day it has served as a house of prayer, and as the main synagogue of the Prague Jewish community. Other synagogues in Prague include: Pinkas Synagogue, Maisel Synagogue (the neo-Gothic synagogue), Klaus Synagogue (a Baroque building near the cemetery entrance), and Spanish Syn- agogue (named after its Moorish interior).

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PRAGUE GARDENS

Wallenstein Garden With a geometric layout, this garden was created in 1623–29 and features a spectacular salla terrena, a small lake, a cave with artificial stalactites and stalagmites, and dozens of roses, rhodo- dendrons, magnolias and Japan cherry trees. The statues are copies of originals by Adrian de Vries from 1626–27. See pages 8–9. Vrtbovska Garden This terrace Baroque garden was designed by architect František M. Kaòka. It is significant for its statues by Matthias Braun. See pages 8–9. http://www.vrtbovska.cz The Prague Castle Gardens The Royal Garden was founded in 1534. The gardens open at 10 am with fanfares from the Hartig Music Pavilion. Palace Gardens below the Prague Castle Ledebur Garden is a baroque terrace garden founded in the first third of the 18th century, apparently later adapted according to the plans of I. J. Palliardi. A salla terrena and a fountain with a statue of a Gigant lie in the center. The Small Palffy Garden was founded on terraces during the first half of the 18th century, additionally fitted with a staircase. In 1997, after a major renovation, it was joined to the Great Palffy Garden. In 2000, the Kolowrat and Small Fuerstenberg gardens dating from late Baroque and early Classicism period were also opened. http://www.hrad.cz

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TRIPS OUTSIDE PRAGUE

Most places of interest in the Czech Republic can reasonably be reached by buses or trains (http://www.vlak-bus.cz). Train tickets are bought at stations unless the counter is closed or nonexistent – then you purchase tickets from the conductor. Bus tickets are bought from the driver, but they can also be obtained in advance with seat reservation, which is recommended for longer trips. Fares are cheap. A reasonable and not too expensive local car rental company is called Alimex. Czech Republic has a number of smaller towns with well-preserved historical centers. In a one- day trip you can visit the once super-rich medieval mining city Kutná Hora with an impressive Gothic cathedral, or Mìl- ník with a castle, a beautiful view on clear days, and a macabre storage of skulls and bones below the church, or the not so tourist but rewarding Tábor. Other are further and more suitable for a tour of two or more days: The south-Bohemian UNESCO-protected jewel Èeský Krumlov (on the picture), in the same region Prachatice or Jindøichùv Hradec, the west-Bohemian miniscule but perfectly preserved Loket and the famous nearby spas Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Láznì, or the south-Moravian UNESCO-protected Telè.

Hiking and Skiing Czech Republic is a world superpower in marked hiking trails, tourist maps, and lookout towers. At most of the larger book- stores you can purchase hiking maps and plan your trips in any region. Although the mountain ranges surrounding Czech Republic are low, they are covered with snow in winter and both downhill and cross-country skiing is extremely popular.

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PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN PRAGUE

There is a single type of ticket for metro, tram, and buses. The tickets must be bought in advance at tobacconists, newsagents or from the slot machines located at the metro stations. On buses and trams you must punch your ticket immediately after getting on. At the metro, the ticket must be punched at the entrance. Once punched, the standard transfer ticket (12 Kè) is valid on the whole Prague city transportation network for 60 minutes (90 minutes on weekends and late evening). The non- transfer ticket (8 Kè) is valid only for 15 minutes. For frequent journeys it is advisable to use season tickets. There are month or quarter valid tickets, which are cheaper if you provide your personal data. For details please consult the posters by the entrance to the metro. The metro operates daily between 5 am and 12 pm as well as the day trams and buses. Please note that there are special seats reserved for disabled and elderly people and for pregnant women in all means of transport. These seats are marked by a pictogram of a chair and a green cross.

Travelling At Night Between midnight and 5 am there is no service by metro; the transport is provided by night trams and buses. Night trams are marked by numbers above 50 and run every 30 minutes. There is a central interchange point at the “Lazarská“ stop (near the “Národní“ station of the metro line B – yellow). Night buses are marked 501–513. http://www.dp-praha.cz TAXIS

We recommend that you order a taxi by phone. The organizers have used AAA Taxi, tel: 14014. AAA speak English, and can provide you with the approximate cost of the journey over the phone.

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SOCIAL LIFE

Jazz Clubs Agharta Jazz Centrum, Krakovská 5, http://www.arta.cz Jazzboat 2003, http://www.jazzboat.cz Jazz Club “U staré paní“, Michalská 9, http://www.jazzinprague.com Jazz Club elezná, elezná 16, http://www.jazzclub.cz Metropolitan Jazz Club, Jungmannova 14, http://mujweb.cz/www/metropolitan Reduta, Národní tøída 20 Ungelt Jazz‘n‘Blues Club, Týn 2, http://www.jazzblues.cz U Malého Glena, Karmelitská 23. See pages 8–9.

Classical Music http://www.concerts-prague.cz http://www.tynska.cuni.cz http://www.jchart.cz http://www.psalterium.cz http://www.ticketpro.cz http://www.pragueautumn.cz

Museums National Museum, Václavské námìstí 28, http://www.nm.cz City Museum Prague, Na Poøíèí 52, http://www.muzeumprahy.cz Museum of Toys, Prague Castle, daily 9:30 am–5:30 pm National Technical Museum, Kostelní 42, http://www.ntm.cz Beer Museum “U Flekù“, Køemencova 11, Mo–Fr 10 am–5 pm Wax Museum Prague, Melantrichova 5, http://www.waxmuseumprague.cz Jewish Museum, http://www.jewishmuseum.cz National Gallery in Prague, Staromìstské námìstí 12, http://www.ngprague.cz City Gallery Prague, http://www.citygalleryprague.cz Museum of Modern Art, Veletrní Palace, http://www.ngprague.cz Exposition of Asian Art, and Collection of Oriental Art, Castle Zbraslav, http://www.ngprague.cz Collection of Old Art, Aneský Closter, http://www.ngprague.cz Vyšehrad, http://www.praha-vysehrad.cz Prague Castle, http://www.hrad.cz

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GENERAL INFORMATION

The Local Currency and Exchange Rates The currency in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (Kè or CZK).There are a large number of exchange offices in Prague. They differ slightly in exchange rates; differences in service charges can be much larger: check the commission beforehand. Be careful: some exchange offices display the sell rates, not the buy rates.

Post and Pricing The post office nearest to Malá Strana is in Josefská street, near the Charles Bridge. It is open on weekdays between 8 am and 7 pm. The table below identifies the prices in Czech Crowns.

Up to (inclusive) 10g 20g 50g Domestic 8 10 European Countries (airmail only) 9 17 Non-European Countries (airmail) 12 14 23 Non-European Countries (surface mail) 9 17 http://www.cpost.cz

Bank and Legal Holidays January 1 April 12, 2004 – Easter Monday May 1 September 28 May 8 October 28 July 5 November 17 July 6 December 24-26

Tips The amount of a tip varies depending on a restaurant. In better restaurants, the tips are around 10% of the price, in pubs less. In Czech Republic, it is usual to include the tip in the price being paid; it is customary to round up the price. So when the waiter says: “65 Kè“, you say “70“.

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SMALL DICTIONARY

The pronunciation of Czech is quite easy, almost every letter is pronounced as it is written. The accent is always on the first syl- lable. We list some of the more tricky letters below.

Written English way of description Pronounce as in au cup uput á é í ó ú ù ý long vowels a:, e:, etc. car, equal, more, etc. ì soft e ne~nje, me~mje c tz or like “z” in German tzatziki, waltz, Mozart š sh machine, ship èchCzech, China zh vision ø Sorry, no way how to write it. But do not worry, no foreigner can pronounce it really correctly.

English Czech 1 jeden (m), jedna(f), jedno(n) 2 dva, dvì, dva 3tøi beer pivo bridge most good bye nashledanou good morning, afternoon dobrý den good night dobrou noc hi ahoj/èau (informal) I do not understand. Nerozumím. one more ještì jedno please prosím post office pošta thank you dìkuji yes ano

There are many courses of Czech for foreigners, for instance at the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts near Malá Strana: http://www.sfservis.com/cz/czechcourses.html

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...... 1 Hosting institutions Charles University ...... 2 Faculty of Mathematics and Physics ...... 3 Department of Applied Mathematics ...... 4 DIMATIA ...... 4 KAM-DIMATIA Series ...... 5 COMBSTRU ...... 5 ITI, ITI Series...... 6 Your Stay at KAM Who Is Who at KAM ...... 7 Computers on KAM ...... 7 Where to Eat...... 7 Map of Malá Strana ...... 8–9 The Malá Strana Building ...... 10 How to Reach Malá Strana ...... 10 Have a Day Off Prague, Charles Bridge ...... 11 Prague Castle, St.Nicholas Church...... 12 Prague Jewish Town ...... 13 Prague Gardens ...... 14 Trips Outside Prague ...... 15 Surviving in Prague Public Transportation in Prague ...... 16 Taxis...... 16 Social Life – Jazz Clubs, Classical Music, Museums...... 17 General Information Local Currency, Post and Pricing, Holidays, Tips ...... 18 Small Dictionary...... 19

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

EMERGENCY 155 POLICE 158 CITY POLICE 156 FIRE BRIGADE 150