PRACTICAL GUIDE UZDOC STUDY VISIT 9-15 April 2015, University of Granada Main venue: Escuela Internacional de Postgrado, C/ Paz, 18, 18071 - Granada Contents Arriving in Granada .................................................................................... 3 Reaching the Hotel Granada Center ........................................................... 3 Reaching the venue of the meeting from the Hotel Granada Center ......... 5 Getting around Granada ............................................................................ 6 About the host ........................................................................................... 9 Social programme .................................................................................... 10 Contact..................................................................................................... 12 UZDOC | Granada Visit Practical Guide 2 Arriving in Granada Granada is, first and foremost, a university city. It has a population of 240,000 people, 80,000 of which are students, lecturers, researchers and administrative and service staff directly linked to the University of Granada, meaning that a staggering 1 in every 3 inhabitants is directly linked to the University. As a result, a lively student atmosphere has flourished here, giving rise to the development of a modern, multicultural and vibrant study destination that welcomes people from all backgrounds. Reaching the Hotel Granada Center The Hotel Granada Center is the reference hotel for the Granada Study Visit. Hotel Granada Center Address: Avenida Fuente Nueva, s/n – Granada. 3 Granada Visit Practical Guide | UZDOC Website: http://www.hotelescenter.es/en/hotel-granada-center/granadacenter/ BY PLANE From Granada Airport: Granada Airport is 15 km away from the city centre. To reach the city from the airport you can take a bus (price of one ticket: €3) or taxis (approx. €25) when the bus is not available. Bus company website: http://www.autocaresjosegonzalez.com/index.php/en/services.html The closest bus stop to the hotel is “AVENIDA CONSTITUCIÓN” (in front of Hotel Macia Condor). Hotel Granada Center is located within an 8-minute walk from the bus stop. UZDOC | Granada Visit Practical Guide 4 From Malaga Airport: Malaga is the nearest international airport (129 km away from Granada), so many of you will be flying there. To get from Malaga to Granada you will have to take a bus. First you need to take a bus from the airport to Malaga bus station and from there another bus to Granada. There is a bus every hour from 7 am until 9 pm (except for 8 pm). The price is about €8. The journey takes approx. 1,5 hour. To get from Granada bus station to the centre you can take a taxi or a bus (line SN1 stops near the hotel). Reaching the venue of the meeting from the Hotel Granada Center The main meeting venue of the study visit will be Escuela Internacional de Postgrado, Paz street, number 18. The building is located within a 10minute walk from the Hotel Granada Center. The main meeting room is located on the first floor. 5 Granada Visit Practical Guide | UZDOC Getting around Granada Granada is the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, at the confluence of four rivers, the Beiro, the Darro, the Genil and the Monachil. It sits at an average elevation of 738 meters above sea level, yet it is situated only one hour drive away from the Mediterranean coast, the Costa Tropical. Nearby is the Sierra Nevada Ski Station. In the 2005 national census, the population of the city of Granada proper was 236,982, and the population of the entire urban area was estimated to be 472,638, ranking as the 13th largest urban area of Spain. The Alhambra, a Moorish citadel and palace, is Granada's distinctive landmark. It is the most renowned building of the Andalusian Islamic historical legacy with its many cultural attractions that make Granada a popular destination among the touristic cities of Spain. The Almohad influence on architecture is also reflected in the Granada neighbourhood called the Albaicín with its fine examples of Moorish and Morisco construction. Granada is also well-known within Spain for the University of Granada which has about 80,000 students spread over five different campuses in the city. The pomegranate (in Spanish, “granada”) is the heraldic symbol of Granada. UZDOC | Granada Visit Practical Guide 6 Location and Distances Distances to Granada by road from various Spanish cities: Madrid, 433 km; Cadiz, 454 km; Malaga, 128 km; Seville, 251 km. Granada's airport is 15 km away from the city on the road to Malaga. Sierra Nevada is 30 km and Granada tropical coast is 65 km away from the city. Business opening hours in Granada Granada shops usually open at 10 am and close between 1.30 and 2 pm, opening again between 4.30 and 5 pm in winter (a little later in summer) and closing finally at 8.30 pm (9 pm in summer). They are closed on Sundays and holidays and occasionally on Saturday afternoons, with the exception of the larger department stores which open on some Sundays during the year, at Christmas time and during sales. Bars and restaurants serving food and tapas open around 1 pm and close at about 4 pm. Evening opening times are from about 8 pm and closing time is between 11.30 pm and midnight. Bars serve tapas while the kitchens are open, more or less within the above-mentioned hours. Cafeterias or bars serving breakfasts open early, some before 7 am and others a little later. They may close at midday (if it is only a cafeteria and not a bar), between 1.30 and 3 pm, and re-open around 3.30 pm, to remain open until 8.30 or 9 pm. Weather Granada's climate is friendly and dry, the air is clean and healthy, with clear and bright skies. Strong winds, fog and snow are rare. The mean annual temperature is 14ºC, maximum 40ºC and minimum 4ºC. Rain is heaviest in November, March and April. The most stable temperatures are during spring and autumn, which are the best times of the year to visit the city. Check the current weather forecast for Granada on the following link: http://www.eltiempo.es/granada.html Money Matters Euro (€, EUR) is the currency used in Spain. 1 EUR = approx. 2678,50 Uzbekistan Som 7 Granada Visit Practical Guide | UZDOC Banks Banks are usually open Mon-Fri, 9.00-14.00. In summer they may close slightly earlier. Most banks have English-speaking staff and all deal with International transactions. Commissions may be charged on foreign transactions and passports will be required for most. Language The official language in Granada is Spanish. Working language of the study visit is English. Telephone To make an international call from Spain, dial 00 followed by the country code. Spain’s country code is 34. Insurance Neither UNICA nor University of Granada will be liable for any losses, accidents or damage to persons or objects, regardless of the cause. All participants are strongly advised to take out all necessary insurances on their own before travelling. Time The local time in Granada is Central European Time (GMT+1 hour). Entry formalities Do not forget your passport. All citizens from countries outside the European Union might also need a valid visa. Please consult the Spanish Consulate or Embassy in your home country for details of entry regulations and visas, and also the following website: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Informacio nParaExtranjeros/Paginas/RequisitosDeEntrada.aspx UZDOC | Granada Visit Practical Guide 8 About the host The University of Granada (UGR, www.ugr.es) is a public university situated in the historical city of Granada. It was founded by the Emperor Charles V in the year 1531 and is one of the most significant universities in Europe in terms of its historical importance. We also have campuses in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in Northern Africa, making the UGR the only European university with campuses on two continents. The UGR is currently ranked by the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) as the 326th university in the world in terms of its research performance. Furthermore, it has been ranked among the top 58 universities in Spain (ARWU) and is among the top 3% of universities worldwide (ARWU). Moreover, in terms of student satisfaction, the UGR has been voted the number one study destination in Spain by international students, obtaining the prestigious International Student Satisfaction Gold Award from StudyPortals in 2013. 9 Granada Visit Practical Guide | UZDOC Social programme Thursday │ 9 April 2015 20:00 – 00:00 Flamenco performance and dinner at “Peña de la Platería” 20:00 Meeting point at Plaza Nueva 20:30 Dinner at “Peña de la Platería” 22:30 Flamenco performance Address: Placeta de Toqueros, 7, 18010 Granada How to get to Plaza Nueva The meeting point for the social event on Thursday 9 April will be Plaza Nueva, just outside the door of the Santa Ana’s Church. UZDOC | Granada Visit Practical Guide 10 Saturday │ 11 April 2015 On Saturday the meeting will be held at the UGR Rectorate building, located in Cuesta del Hospicio s/n, 18071 Granada. The University of Granada representatives will meet with the participants at the lobby of the Hotel Granada Center at 8h30 and take them to the venue. 11:00 - 12:00 Visit to the Hospital Real 12:00 - 13:00 Walk through the Albaycin neighbourhood 13:00 - 15:00 Lunch at “Carmen de la Victoria” and time for a group photo Address: Cuesta del Chapiz, n. 9 Monday │ 13 April 2015 16:00 - 16:30 Taxi transfer to Alhambra 16:30 - 19:30 Visit to the Palace and fortress complex of Alhambra 20:00 - 22:00 Dinner at “Jardines Alberto” Address: Alhambra, Calle Real de la Alhambra, s/n, 18009 Granada 11 Granada Visit Practical Guide | UZDOC Tuesday │ 14 April 2015 18:00 Tapas farewell reception Venue: Courtyard of Escuela Internacional de Postgrado, C/ Paz, 18, 18071 – Granada Contact For urgent matters during the study visit, please contact: Inmaculada Domínguez Phone: +34 605 928303 Email: inma@ugr.es Marta Pasadas Phone: +34 625 093495 Email: martapasadas@ugr.es UZDOC | Granada Visit Practical Guide 12