Location of the Symposium
The conference will take place in "Haus H" on the Telegrafenberg (telegraph hill) in Potsdam, Germany. The Telegrafenberg is within walking distance from central Potsdam, and hosts a campus of research institutes including old observatory buildings, the Einstein Tower, and the Great Refractor. Potsdam has significance in Astronomical history (the Leibniz-Institute for Astrophysics, AIP, is the successor institute of the Berlin observatories, the planet Neptune was discovered here in 1846).
Here is a map of conference-related locations (blue pin: venue, yellow pins: the two hotels with conference rates, green: social event locations).
Travel to Potsdam
Potsdam is located next to Berlin, the German capital, with regular train service connecting the two cities every 10 minutes, and a typical travel time of only 30 minutes between central Berlin and central Potsdam. Berlin is well connected by long-distance trains to Germany and central Europe. The closest international airport is the Berlin-Brandenburg airport (BER). Especially from overseas there might be no direct flights, and one should check flights via Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or London-Heathrow.
The main train station in Potsdam ("Hauptbahnhof" in German) is located in central Potsdam and most hotels are nearby. From BER, there is both a direct train connection (RB 22, check for connections on bahn.de; link for an example query) as well as an airport shuttle bus (https://www.vbb.de/en/driving-information/ber-airport/airportshuttle/), both arriving at Potsdam central station.
Public Transport
Both the Berlin (BVG) and Brandenburg region (VBB) transportation networks provide smartphone apps that one can use for route planning and for checking time tables. Potsdam is part of the ‘Berlin ABC’ fare zone, but for travelling within the city limits, buying a ‘Potsdam AB’ ticket is sufficient. A single-fare ticket remains valid when changing the form of transportation (i.e., bus, S-train, tram, regional train). Ticket machines can typically be found at S-train stations and on-board buses and trams. Payment can be normally done either with cash, credit/debit card, or even using contactless payment.
It is also possible to rent a bike at various places in the city, but note that tram tracks and cobblestone roads can make this a bit of a challenge should you not be a regular cyclist.
Getting to the Venue
From Potsdam's central station it is only a 20-minute walk up the hill to the venue. There also is a bus service (route 961) connecting the station to Telegrafenberg, with the final stop right in front of the venue in Haus H. Enter the Telegrafenberg research campus through the gate, follow the street on the left, and you find yourself walking towards Haus H, which you can enter through the doors under the blue glass roof (see pictures below).
