ESI Logo

ESI workshop on
large cardinals and descriptive set theory

Vienna, June 14 – 27 2009
Program Committee: S. Friedman (Universität Wien, Austria)
M. Goldstern (TU Wien, Austria)
R. Jensen ( Humboldt-Universität, Germany)
A. Kechris (Caltech, USA)
W.H. Woodin (UC Berkeley, USA)

General information is provided by the ESI under this link. Here we give some additional information. Please click on one of the following links or scroll down:

Map
Ground Transportation
ESI
KGRC
Internet
Hotels
Mobile Phone
Libraries
Reimbursement
ATM Machines
Information about Food and Restaurants
Social lunch and dinner excursions

Map

Google Maps

NEW: We now have a link to an updated Google Map, containing all the locations (including restaurants...) mentioned on this page. (For hotels use the old link below.) Clicking on an icon will provide some information and a thumbnail photo.

An interactive google map with a list of locations (including some hotels) can be found here (opens new window/tab).

Google Earth

Alternatively, you can directly get the .kml-file for Google Earth here.

.gpx-file for your GPS

Download .gpx-file

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Ground Transportation

Public transportation

Vienna has a quite good public transport system. See Practical hints at the ESI.

Airport connections

The airport Vienna ("Flughafen Wien-Schwechat") is located in the southeast of Vienna (18.7 km from ESI):

If you take the "S-Bahn S7" from the airport to "Landstraße-Wien Mitte" you need a ticket for "2 zones" (3.40 Euro). You can use this ticket to continue your trip from Landstraße to any other point in Vienna, using bus, tramway or subway.

Alternatively, you can take the CAT (short for City Airport Train) for 9 Euros, which is slightly faster. This will only get you to Landstraße; you need another ticket (1.70 Euro) if you continue from there by public transport.

The Technical University of Vienna has a website with further instructions regarding how to get from the airport to the city. Click here to view this.

Important lines

Subway line U6 stop Währinger Straße Volksoper and U2 stop Schottentor are both in about 15min walking distance.

Trams (tramways, electric streetcars on rails) numbers 37, 38, 40, 41, 42 have a (common) stop very close to ESI. They all start from the lower level (below street level) of the U2 subway station Schottentor near the center of the city and go in a northwestern direction to Währinger Straße / Spitalgasse; 37 and 38 continue to U6 station Nußdorferstraße and beyond, 40, 41 and 42 go to U6 station Währinger Straße and beyond.

Tram stops (37, 38, 40, 41, 42) in Währinger Straße close to ESI and KGRC:

Tramway number 5 starts at U6 subway station Westbahnhof and goes in a clockwise direction around the city to U4 station Friedensbrücke and beyond. It also stops at Währinger Straße / Spitalgasse.

Some tram and subway stops are marked in our map.

Schedule information

... is available at http://www.wienerlinien.at ("english" in the top right corner). Real time information for busses and tramways at http://www.wienerlinien.at/itip/?lng=uk

Tickets

Single trip tickets can be bought (at a higher price) in buses and tramways, but not in subways. All tickets can be bought from machines in subway stations, and in shops called "Trafik". All tickets except for weekly tickets have to be stamped at machines called "Entwerter" (in buses and tramways, and in subway stations).

Citybikes

If you are so inclined, you can also use Vienna's Citybikes. For a one-time registration fee of 1 Euro, to be paid by credit card, you can check out a bike at any of Vienna's 58 citybike terminals, one of them at Währinger Strasse/Boltzmanngasse, half way between ESI and KGRC.

Using the bike is free for the first hour.

When you check out a bike, it is a good idea to check if the bike terminal at your destination has free places for returning bikes.

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ESI

All lectures take place at the ESI, Boltzmanngasse 9, 1090 Wien; second floor (= top floor, 2 floors above the ground; sorry, no elevator). Click here for more photos of ESI
ESI

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KGRC

The participants are also welcome to use the facilities of the KGRC, Währinger Straße 25. (Enter the garden through the gate; take the right side entrance, go to the second floor = top floor = 2 floors above ground floor. There is also an elevator that you can reach through the center/main entrance, then a bit to the left. Go to floor "2".) Services offered include Logic Library services, wireless access, wired access, fixed public computers and other computer services. There are workspaces for quiet study and space for group work, including blackboards and whiteboards. Coffee and other refreshments will be available. Click here for more photos of KGRC
KGRC

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Internet

At the conference venue (ESI as well as KGRC) there will be a few internet terminals, as well as WLAN access.

In some (but not all) of the hotels there will be WLAN or ethernet connections as well. If you have a laptop but the hotel does not provide internet connection (or only at a ridiculous cost), you could consider buying a prepaid mobile data card, e.g., from yesss (information in German). The prepaid SIM card (including 2GB) costs 20 EUR and can be bought at any "Hofer" supermarket (there is one 3 minutes walk from ESI). However, you either need a laptop that can use the SIM card directly, or you need a suitable modem. (You can buy it at Hofer as well, for 55 EUR including the sim card.)

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Hotels

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Mobile Phone

You can get prepaid SIM cards, e.g., from yesss, at any "Hofer" supermarket (there is one 3 minutes walk from ESI). The SIM card costs 20 EUR, including 180 minutes (to austrian numbers). Receiving calls is free (as with all Austrian SIM cards) (information in German).

There are several alternatives, e.g. BOB (available at post offices, information in German). Costs are very similar.

However, you need a suitable mobile phone to use the SIM card. It must not be SIM-locked to a specific provider, and has to be able to use the GSM band 1800 MHz. You can get simple phones starting at 25 EUR. (At Hofer, you can get a package "phone plus SIM card" for 55 EUR.)

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Libraries

The KGRC has a well-stocked library specialising on logic. During the conference, the KGRC library opening hours are Mo-Fr 10:00-18:00. The mathematics library complements this logic selection (and has of course a big selection on other mathematical topics). At the TU, there is the main library and a small mathematics library (Turm A, floor 2) in the Freihaus (Wiedner Hauptstraße 8-10).

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Reimbursement

If you have been offered reimbursement, then you can see here where and when to get it.

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ATM Machines

There are many ATM machines ("Bankomat") quite close to ESI or KGRC. For instance, you can find an ATM machine in the U2 subway station Schottentor or next to Hofer or inside the Spar in Nußdorfer Straße.

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Information about Food and Restaurants

There are several possibilities to get food in walking distance from ESI.

NEW: We now have a link to an updated Google Map, containing all the locations (including restaurants...) mentioned on this page. (For hotels use the old link below.) Clicking on an icon will provide some information and a thumbnail photo.

Note that most shops in Austria (also supermarkets) are closed on Sundays.

Also note that many restaurants listed below may not accept credit cards. Those that do accept credit cards will often only accept Visa and MasterCard. In general, credit cards are far less common in Austria than in the US. There are many ATM machines ("Bankomat") where you can get cash, e.g. in the U2 subway station Schottentor or next to Hofer or in the Spar (Nußdorfer Straße).

Please click on one of the following links or scroll down:

Supermarkets
Bakeries
Würstelstand / Falafel / Kebap
Student Cafeterias
Restaurants, Cafés, etc.

Supermarkets

Link to a Google Map (containing all locations mentioned here; clicking on an icon will provide some information and a thumbnail photo)

Most supermarkets (as well as most other shops in Austria) are closed on Sundays ("Würstelstände" and many restaurants are open). However, the Billa store inside Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof (Julius Tandler Platz) is open (Monday-Sunday 6:00-21:00).

In all supermarkets, you can get cheap drinks, sized at 1/2 liter, 1 liter or 1.5 liters.

Supermarkets are the cheapest way to get food. Hofer is cheapest among the supermarkets close by, but does not have a Deli counter (but it has pre-packed ham, cheese and bread; and frozen or cooled precooked dishes), neither does it have cooled drinks. Billa and Spar are slightly more expensive, but do have Deli counters and cooled drinks.

Some stores which could be interesting for you:

Bakeries

Link to a Google Map (containing all locations mentioned here; clicking on an icon will provide some information and a thumbnail photo)

There are several bakery chains such as Ströck, Anker and Mann. You can get various sandwiches, sometimes slices of Pizza, also desserts such as "Kuchen" and "Strudel". Desserts are vegetarian, some of the snacks as well. Usually nothing for vegans (apart from bread). Some stores quite close to ESI:

In the U2 subway station Schottentor there are many places to get food (click here for photos):

There are also Mann / Anker stores:

Würstelstand / Falafel / Kebap

Link to a Google Map (containing all locations mentioned here; clicking on an icon will provide some information and a thumbnail photo)

A "Würstelstand" is kind of a traditional kiosk selling grilled and cooked sausages. Quite cheap (about 3 EUR) for the enourmous amounts of fat per serving. Nothing for vegetarians. Popular choices include "Käsekrainer" (/KAY-ze-CRY-nuh/, reddish, grilled sausage with cheese in it), "Bratwurst" (/brutt-WOO-ust/, light brown, grilled sausage) and "Frankfurter" (pinkish, cooked sausage). Usually you eat that stuff either with "Semmel" (bread roll) or a slice of "Brot" (bread); and either with catchup, or with "scharfem/Estragon Senf" ("yellow" mustard) or with "süßem/Kremser Senf" (brown mustard). Alternatively, you can get the sausages in a hot dog bun as well (a much bigger thing than you might be used to from the US); optionally you can also get some pickles ("Gurke" or "Pfefferoni") with that. (Note: "Pfefferoni" = chili pepper; the sausage sometimes called pepperoni would in Austria be called "salami".)

Other kiosks sell Döner Kebap or Falafel (about 3.50 EUR). Döner Kebap is minced meat in white bread, with salad, onion and tomato; "mit allem" = "with everything" means spiced. Do not get your hopes up if you are vegan: they do sell Falafel, but this may be appaling; for good Falafel, you have to go to Mashu Mashu (far away), tolerable Falafel you can get at the kiosk intersection Währinger Straße and Gürtel (on the little island for the tram-stop), see below under "Felafel/Kebab".

You can find many kiosks in walking distance to ESI (the first two are particularly close by):

Student Cafeterias

Link to a Google Map (containing all locations mentioned here; clicking on an icon will provide some information and a thumbnail photo)

If you do not want to have lunch in a (more expensive) restaurant, a student cafeteria (e.g., AAI Mensa) might be a reasonable low-budget alternative. Usually, there are vegetarian (but not vegan) options in the student caferias. The price is less than 5 Euro.

Restaurants, Cafés, etc.

Link to a Google Map (containing all locations mentioned here; clicking on an icon will provide some information and a thumbnail photo)

Tipping is common in Restaurants and Cafés (between 5 and 10 percent, maybe round up to the next Euro). You do not tip in supermarkets or take-away bakeries (tipping situation unclear in restaurant take-away situations).

You are supposed to order a drink in most restaurants. You can just ask for "Leitungswasser" (tap water), which is free, but then the waiters will dislike you. The cheapest alternative usually is "Soda" (seltzer/soda water, 1-2 EUR), usually cheaper than "Mineralwasser" (mineral water). The usual size for nonalcoholic drinks is 0.2-0.25 liter (7-8 fl.oz), "large" is 1 half liter (about a pint).

Note that many of the restaurants listed below may not accept credit cards.

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Social lunch and dinner excursions

There are two excursions planned during the conference. For both events, the maximal number of participants is limited. Tickets can be bought (cash only) from Ms Miedl, the administrative director of ESI, Mo-Fr 10:00 to 17:00. Tickets for Mostalm can only be bought on Monday 15th.

Mostalm: Excursion and lunch, Wednesday, June 17
15 EUR per person, 20 EUR for accompanying persons.
Tickets have to be bought on Monday 15th (the first day of the conference).

Mostalm (coordinates) is a rustic house in the Vienna woods that serves basic Austrian food, including homemade desserts. We will leave the Schroedinger Institute at 12.15 pm by bus and arrive in the Sophienalpe (coordinates), on the edge of the Vienna woods, in about 20 minutes. From there we go by foot for 20-25 minutes (1.9 km) along a nice path through the woods (no high heels!), arriving at about 1.15 pm for lunch. Afterwards, there are the options of taking the bus back to the Schroedinger Institute, following a planned walk through the woods (returning to Vienna by public transport) or venturing out on your own walk.

The planned walk will take approximately two hours. The easy trail is located in the woods, so it won't be possible to buy any beverages on the way. Shortly before arriving at Salmannsdorf / Neustift am Walde (a wine village) we have one of the most beautiful views of Vienna; we will have the possibility to visit another traditional inn (Häuserl am Stoan). In Salmannsdorf, we will pass through Dreimarksteingasse, where Johann Strauss (the Younger) composed his first waltz at the age of six years. We can take the Wiener Linien bus 35A to return to the city.

To get a detailed trail map of this area, go to www.austrianmap.at and search for "Mostalm" (just type "Mostalm" into the field "Geographischer Name", press enter and select "o Mostalm" in the list below the field by double-clicking). Alternatively, you can try to follow this link; then just zoom in by clicking the "+"-sign at the upper-right corner of the map.

Mostalm has no website, but you can trust the above description! For lunch we will have:

First course: Sulz (meat aspic), mixed salad or egg mayonnaise
Main course: Wiener schnitzel from pork or fried Zander (pike-perch), either served with potato salad
Dessert: Topfen (sweet cheese) strudel

Pictures of Mostalm: Click here.

Lusthaus: Excursion and dinner, Wednesday, June 24
25 EUR per person, 30 EUR for accompanying persons

A former hunting lodge and meeting place for nobility, the Lusthaus offers today a popular restaurant. It is located on the Prater Hauptallee, the main pedestrian thoroughfare of the famous Prater recreation area, where one also finds the giant ferris wheel featured in Orson Welles' film "The Third Man". The Lusthaus can be reached either directly by bus, or by bicycle, roller-blades or foot (30 minute walk, 3km) along the Hauptallee, from the point where it meets the end of the tram line. We will provide information on how to get there as well as arrangements for bicycle rental.

Drinks on the terrace will be served at 6pm. For dinner we will have:

First course: Goat cheese from the Waldviertel (a region of Austria) on a salad of rucola and cherry tomatoes, or Smoked trout filet with creamed horseradish
Second course: Spinach and sheep cheese strudel with herbed cream and Liebstock (an herb) potatoes, or Stewed young chicken from Steiermark with peas and mushrooms, accompanied by almond rice
Dessert: Topfen (sweet cheese) and yoghurt cream with raspberry puree and fresh fruit

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This page is maintained by the KGRC. © Jakob Kellner 2008-2009. Last changed 2009-06-11.