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Contest Guide through PragueThis page was created for participants of any Programming Contest held at the Czech Technical University, Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Being in Prague, there are several places you may be trying to find: Contest Hotel, Computer Science Department, Airport. The following table shows addresses of these places. If you lost somewhere, it could be handy to you.
The rest of the page is a basic guide through Prague. It gives an exact description how to get to various places. Note that the most important public transport in Prague is the underground system (we call it Metro). That is why the most effective transport from one place to another usually consists of three steps: (1) find a Metro station; (2) use the Metro to get to another station; and (3) the actual path from the Metro to the destination place. This guide concentrates on the third step although the first one is also included (how to get to Metro from the airport and from railway stations). See the public transport info if you are interested in the second step (travelling by Metro). The page contains many pictures. They are a low quality in order to reduce the data transfer (every picture has only several kilobytes). If you are interested in any picture, just click on it to see the more detailed version (and also larger, of course - such pictures have either 20k or 80k). Anyway, you should have an appropriate display capabilities (e.g. enough colors) to see the pictures well. Now choose the place where you want to begin and then follow our Contest Guide to get to all the important places.
Airport
If you are at the Prague Airport, the best thing you can do is to find a
bus of public transport (MHD = public transport). You could also take
a taxi but I cannot recommend it to you as they are usually too expensive.
The next description assumes you are using the public transport. When you
get out from the main airport hall, you can walk straight forward across
three streets. There are some signs and arrows so you can follow them only.
Find the bus number 119 (its destination is Dejvicka). It
should be no problem for you. Get on the bus. Please note that the driver
does not sell tickets. You can buy them in a ticket machine at the
bus stop if you have coins. If you have banknotes only, you should try
to find a news-stall inside the airport hall. There are various types
of tickets. You should buy two tickets - of 12 CZK and 6 CZK (for your
luggage). In any case you have to stamp the ticket immediately after
entering the first vehicle. See the public
transport info for more details on tickets.
Well you are in the bus now and it is going to the city center. In any case, you do not need to worry where to get off. It is always possible to go to the terminal station of bus 119 (Dejvicka), regardless of where you are going to. Anyway, the bus passes by the Hotel Krystal and if you go there,
you would have to travel back. So if you are not going to
Krystal, go to the terminal station and get off there. Then you can
skip the following paragraph.
If you are going to Krystal, look outside and wait for the tram line to appear. When the bus starts to follow the tram, you can get off at the first stop (it should have the name Sidl. Cerveny vrch). You should see two tram stops nearby. Get into the tram that goes to the opposite direction than you came from. You can safely use any tram that stops there but please be sure to really take the opposite direction (back to the airport). It is the same tram line that goes through Dejvicka so you can
read the description of how from Metro to Krystal.
The both tram and bus stop just by an underground entry. So it is easy to find the subway and get into it. The public transport info gives you more information on the Prague underground system (metro). Dejvicka is a terminal metro stop so there is only one direction
you can take. Go four stops to the change station Mustek. Get off and
change to the line B (the yellow one). Then choose the direction
Zlicin (not Ceskomoravska/Cerny most). Go two stops
in this direction and get off at the station Karlovo namesti.
Karlovo namesti (Charles Square)
There are two subway exits from the station Karlovo namesti. Look
carefully at the signs and choose the exit with the description "Karlovo
namesti". You will have to use two escalators and after then you arrive
in the underpass under the Charles Square. The next description depends on
the place you are going to:
If you want to the Computer Science Department, use the subway
exit with the label "Tram Nusle, Branik, Vinohrady / Spalena
ulice". You can see this exit right in front of you after you get out
from the escalator. Go upstairs and then turn right. You arrive at the
Charles Square.
The Czech Technical University is the building that surrounds the
underpass exit. So turn left, walk few steps and then you should see
the entry to the CTU on the left. Look for the sign "Ceske vysoke uceni
technicke".
Well you are inside the CTU building A now. The CS Department is located
in the building E and it could cause you some problems to get there. I hope
that the following description will avoid any difficulties. Go to the
stairway, turn left, go upstairs (only few stairs) and then forward through
the glass door.
Then you will walk the corridor that turns right. You will see two
stairways. Use the left one (the one going down). Go downstairs and then
forward. Turn right at the first place where it is possible. If you have
done everything all right, you should get out of the building at this
moment and stand in the courtyard.
Turn left immediately, walk along the building, then turn right and then
go straight forward. You will get to the building E entry. Go inside and you
are at the CS Department. Easy, isn't it? ;)
The orthophotography was taken from the server of
Geodezie CS and the picture is the
property of IMIP Praha.
If you are standing in the Charles Square underpass and want to
Hlavkova kolej, use the exit with the label "Resslova ulice /
Jiraskovo namesti". When you get out from the escalator, this exit is
on your left-hand side.
After you get out from the subway, walk the street that is right in front
of you. Turn left at the first crossing and right at the next one. You
should arrive in the Jenstejnska street.
Hlavkova kolej is almost the last building on the right side of the street. Walk in and look for the reception. To get to the Computer Science Department from here, you have to
take all the path back to the subway. Go into the underpass, turn left and
then follow the instructions how to get to the CS
Department.
Bethlehem Chapel and New Town Hall
Unfortunately, we have no pictures of the path to the Bethlehem Chapel or New Town Hall. But we prepared a map of the Charles Square for you. After leaving the CTU building, turn left and walk along the side of the
Charles Square. The New Town Hall is located at the end of the
square. Just before leaving the Charles Square, turn right and you should
see the Town Hall. If you are going to the Bethlehem Chapel, go
the street straight forward. When you see the tram line turning left, go
still straight. After the next 150-200 meters you should see a narrow street
going to the left. It leads to the Bethlehem Chapel.
Holesovice Railway StationUnfortunately, we do not have any pictures from this station. But it is the terminal station of Metro line C (the red one). So all you need to do is to find a subway entry and take the Metro - there is only one direction so you cannot be wrong. If you are going to the CS Department or to Hlavkova kolej, go only two stops and get off at the change station Florenc. Change to the line B (the yellow one). Choose the direction Zlicin, go four stops and get off at Karlovo namesti (Charles Square). Then skip to the paragraph describing how to get to the CS Department. If you want to Hotel Krystal, go four stations. Then change to the line A (the green one) at the station Muzeum. Take the Metro with the direction Dejvicka (not Skalka) and go to the terminal station. Get off and follow the instructions how to get to Hotel Krystal.
Hlavni nadrazi (Main Railway Station)
The Main Railway Station (Hlavni nadrazi) is the station of Metro as well. There is a subway entry just in the mail hall. But be careful because there are two different entries which are not connected to each other! Moreover the one you should use depends on the destination you are going to. If you are going to the CS Department or to Hlavkova kolej you have to choose the entry with the label "Florenc / Nadrazi Holesovice". Go only one stop in this direction and get off at the change station Florenc. Change to the line B (the yellow one). Choose the direction Zlicin, go four stops and get off at Karlovo namesti (Charles Square). Then skip to the paragraph describing how to get to the CS Department. If you want to Hotel Krystal, you need to take the opposite direction. Choose the entry with the label "Muzeum / Haje" and go only one stop in this direction. Then change to the line A (the green one) at the station Muzeum. Take the Metro with the direction Dejvicka (not Skalka) and go to the terminal station. Get off and follow the instructions how to get to Hotel Krystal.
Hotel Krystal
First of all, you have to get to Dejvicka Metro station (the
terminal station of the green line A). There are two different exits from
the platform. Choose the one with the sign "Tram Divoka Sarka, Vokovice /
Evropska / Hotel Diplomat". Use the escalator to get up to the
underpass.
If you are going to the Airport, look for the exit described "Bus Airport". Go outside and then find the bus number 119 and go to its terminal stop - Letiste Ruzyne (Airport). This guide does not describe more about it. If you want to Hotel Krystal use the underpass exit with the label
"Tram Vokovice, Liboc, Divoka Sarka".
You arrive at the tram stop. You can use almost any tram line that goes
there (numbers 20, 26 or 51). The only one you cannot take is the one
with the number 2 - it does not go to Krystal! Please check the number of
the tram and get in only if the number is not 2.
The tram takes you to Hotel Krystal. The only problem is where to
get off. I do not try to describe the hotel itself because it cannot be seen
well from the tram. Instead of it, you should be looking for the building
of Paegas. The shape of it is remarkable - if you examine the picture
you should be able to recognize it later. The building is located on the
right-hand side of the tram line and there are almost no other buildings
around. The huge sign with the word Peagas is located on the top of
the building now. The tram stop has the name Nad Dzbanem
(formerly Koospol) and it takes 8 stops to get there from
Dejvicka and 3 stops from Sidl. Cerveny vrch.
When you get off, turn backwards and look to the direction you have come
from (back to the city center). The hotel can be seen on the right side of
the street, behind several blocks of flats. So cross the street and take the
direction back to the city center. After about 150 meters of walking, turn
right and you should see Hotel Krystal - the building that appears in
the pictures below. Well done. You are there!
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The whole path you have to follow is also marked on the picture on the
left-hand side. Remember that you have to pass through the building A of
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and enter the courtyard. The arrow shows
the main building entry and the dots are the path through the building.
