Seventh IACR Theory of Cryptography Conference
TCC 2010
February 9-11, 2010, ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
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Seventh IACR Theory of Cryptography ConferenceTCC 2010February 9-11, 2010, ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland |
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The airport is located approximately 10 km north of downtown Zurich. The airport is fully integrated into Zurich's public transportation network by regular train and tram service. We recommend the following two options to reach downtown Zurich, the hotels, and the conference venue:
For both options, the same ticket is valid (2nd class on all trains can be used) and costs CHF 6.20.- one-way, valid for one hour. Tickets can be bought at the blue vending machines at the bus stop or at the airport's train station (only coins!) or at the information/ticket counter at the train station. Also see below for more details on the use of the ticket vending machines.
Taxi service from the airport to downtown is also available (cost approximately CHF 60.- one-way). But keep in mind that the public transportation is clean, reliable, safe, fast, frequent, comfortable ... :-)
An alternative for travelers on a low budget is to arrive at Basel/Mulhouse Euroairport, approx. 80 km northwest of Zurich. It is served by European low-cost airlines such as EasyJet and Ryanair.
In order to reach Zurich from Basel's airport, exit to the Switzerland/Basel at the airport (even though the airport is officially located in France, you will not enter France by using this exit -- Welcome to Switzerland :-)), and take bus line 50 to Basel main train station (Basel SBB). From there, regular intercity trains connect Basel to Zurich. The fare from the airport to Zurich Main Station is CHF 35.- per way, overall travel time is approx. 90 minutes. Check schedules and buy/print tickets in advance on the web-page of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) (Note that tickets are only bound to a particular day, but not to a train. No seat reservation is necessary.) Alternatively, tickets can be bought at the SBB counter in the Swiss sector of the airport.
See here for visa information.
Hint: You will need coins to buy your tickets on the automatic vending machines. Right outside of the airport in the direction of the tram-stop on your right you can find an automatic machine to exchange Swiss Frank bills to coins.
Here are the tickets that you will most likely need to buy (don't buy them in advance, they are valid from the time of purchase and they don't need validation):
Zurich is quite close to the Alps, so you might want to take the chance and enjoy a day in the snow. There are several winter resorts that can be reached by a (slightly more than) one hour train ride, the most convenient one being Flumserberg. There are several things to do there, including skiing, snowboarding, sledging, or simply walking through the winterly scenery. Train tickets cost about 50 CHF for a train ride with return ticket, and 85 CHF including a one-day ski pass. You can also rent skis and boots at the winter resorts for about 40 CHF per day. Remember to bring proper clothing and don't forget the suncream!
If you intend to visit the Alps on Friday, February 12th, you're probably not the only one to do so. Just send us email, and we'll try to connect you to other snow-loving cryptographers... and, on Friday, parts of the Zurich crypto group might also join for a day in the snow. Of course, we'll also try to answer all your questions concerning winter resorts and snow activities.
Zurich is the largest city of Switzerland and has an enormous variety of cultural offerings. Most notably, there is a vast number of museums of art and private galleries, especially for contemporary art. The two most important are the Kunsthalle and the Helmhaus, but you might want to have a look on this more comprehensive list. The Museum für Gestaltung currently has an exhibition on arts and furniture. The Kunsthaus has a large variety of Swiss and international arts from various epochs. Zurich also has the Landesmuseum, which shows the national history of Switzerland and currently has an exhibition on the history of Switzerland between 1840 and 1960.
If you want to see people on the stage that do not talk about cryptography, you might consider visiting the Opera, or a theater such as the Schauspielhaus or the alternative Theater Neumarkt.
There are many nice bars in Zurich, and also several clubs and discos. Most of these are either in the 'Niederdorf', or in the area near the 'Langstrasse'. Both areas are marked on the map. In general, one can say that the Niederdorf area tends to be more decent and slightly more expensive, while the Langstrasse area is quite diverse and more alternative. Detailed information and personal hints can be obtained during TCC by asking someone from the organizing committee.
There is plenty to see and do both in the city and in the environs of Zurich.
If you take a walk through Zurich, there are several things that you might not want to miss. First, there is a nice historic city center with beautiful houses and small stores. It is located near Rennweg and Bahnhofstrasse, and it's nice to just walk around and have a look. Besides, the largest shopping area of Zurich is also located around Bahnhofstrasse, with the Paradeplatz at its heart. Here you also find the main branch of Confiserie Sprüngli, a Zurich confectionery and café company (the café is usually quite crowded). A particularly nice part of the historic city center is the Schipfe, which is located directly at the Limmat between the two bridges 'Rudolf-Brun-Brücke' and 'Rathausbrücke'. In the small stores at the alley 'Schipfe', artisans produce and sell their products.
If you follow the Limmat in the direction of the Zurich lake, you will find the Fraumünster. The main windows of this church have been designed by Marc Chagall. Across the Limmat, you can see the Grossmünster, which is the best-known church of Zurich. In the time of Ulrich Zwingli, this was one of the centers of reformation in Switzerland. Talking about churches: From this side of the river you can occasionally see the spire of St. Peter's church, which is the spire with the largest clock face in Europe. Considering the fact that the church itself is not quite large, this makes a somewhat strange combination.
Located between Grossmünster and Central, the 'Niederdorf' is a shopping district at daytime, has a good choice of restaurants for the evening, and lots of bars for the nightlife.
To have a nice view of the lake of Zurich and the very first snow-covered mountains of the Alps, you might want to go to the 'Bürkliplatz' or to 'Bellevue'. All the mentioned spots are marked on the following map.
One of the best known Swiss chocolate manufacturers is the Zurich based company "Lindt & Sprüngli". Starting in a confectionery shop in downtown Zurich in 1845, Lindt was not the first Swiss chocolate manufacturer but has invented important production techniques and has definitely had a share in making Swiss chocolate world famous.
Unfortunately, Lindt no longer offers guided tours through their production facilities. Still, you might want to visit the factory store, which is located in Kilchberg close to Zurich. The factory store is open from 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays.
The chocolate factory is located at Seestrasse 204, 8802 Kilchberg. You can easily get there by public transport, (buy a 3 zones one day ticket for 12.40 CHF, zones 10—counts as 2—and 50).
During lunch in the Dozentenfoyer, you have a great view of the winter panorama at the Uetliberg. The Uetliberg is also a nice destination for a walk, and you can enjoy both the view of Zurich and the lake, and the food in the restaurant Uto Kulm.
You can reach the Uetliberg using the commuter train S10 from the main station to the terminal stop 'Uetliberg', you need a ticket for 4 zones (10, 54, 55). You can also get off the train one or two stops earlier and take a scenic walk to the top.
From the Uetliberg, you can take a 90 minute walk on the ridge to Felsenegg, which is the upper stop of the Felsenegg Aerial Cableway to Adliswil, from where you can take the S4 train to return to Zurich. For the way from Adliswil to Zurich, you need a ticket for 3 zones (10, 50).
You can borrow a bike for free from "Züri rollt" (page in German). There are pick up stations both left and right of the main station, they require a valid ID and a deposit of 20 CHF.
Several pictures are taken from Wikipedia, © by the respective authors.