PPDP 2012 / LOPSTR 2012: Venue

Principles and Practice of Declarative Programming		Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation
PPDP 2012		LOPSTR 2012

Leuven, Belgium

September 19-21 / 18-20, 2012

Location

Departement of Computer Science
KU Leuven
Celestijnenlaan 200A
3001 Heverlee - Belgie

Travel inside Leuven

The Department of Computer Science is outside the center of the city of Leuven. Most hotels in Leuven are inside the city center. This is a deliberate choice of the organisation, because on the one hand the Department has the best facilities and on the other hand, most of the great restaurants and wonderful pubs of Leuven are situated in the center of the city.
It does mean that most of you will have to travel daily from Leuven center to Heverlee. Don't panic: Leuven is small, distances are reduced.

By bus:	We recommend the use of the city busses. Upon registration you will receive a pre-paid bus card for 10 bus trips in your registration package. This means that you only need to pay for one bus trip: the first day when you travel to Heverlee for the registration. You can buy a ticket on the bus for 2 euro, or buy a ticket in a newspaper shop for 1.20 euro. The recommended bus is bus number 2, destination "Heverlee Campus". You can take it at the railway station or in the city center. There is a frequency of a bus every 5 to 10 minutes. This bus has the Department of Computer Science as its terminal stop. So no need to worry where to get off. The terminal stop is right in front of the conference building. Alternatively, you can take bus number 616, with destination "Parking Noord". Here you will need to take care when to get off. You get off at "Campus Heverlee". You can ask the driver to warn you. * You can use this route planner to check the bus schedule and the intermediate stops. Use this image for guidence on how to fill the form in.
	Leuven bus station (co-located with the train station)	Fochplein - Leuven's center (due to construction work it looks slightly different)	Bus No. 2
On foot:	You can also walk to the Department of Computer Science. It takes approximately 35 to 40 minutes from the city center. This shows the directions (most convenient route) from the city center. If you have a hotel near to the railway station, it will take you an additional 10 minutes to walk Bondgenotenlaan, from the railway station to the city center.
	Leuven center (you can walk on Naamsestraat direction Naamsepoort)	Naamsepoort - one of the exits on Leuven's ring road (walk straight on Kardinaal Mercierlaan direction Arenberg Park)	The Arenberg castle (after you see it on you right, turn right at the next crossroad on Celestijnenlaan)

Travel from Brussels airport to Leuven

There are frequent direct trains from Brussels airport to Leuven. The trip takes about 15 minutes and costs about 10 euros. You can buy tickets at the counter when arriving, but also on machines if you arrive late.
Alternatively you can take a taxi from the airport to Leuven, but this will be expensive: count on about 60 euro for this trip.

Travel by car to Leuven and to Lopstr/PPDP 2012

Leuven is situated approximatelly 30kms east from Brussels and 25kms from Brussels Airport.

Here

you find directions to get from the center of Leuven to the Department of Computer Science by car.

We don't recommend using car in Leuven, due to the small distances, but rather bus or walking.

Eating and drinking

Your registration for Lopstr/PPDP 2012 provides you with daily lunches at the conference.
On Wednesday, 19 September, the conference diner at the Faculty Club restaurant is included in the registration fee of all participants.

On all other days, there is a very rich offering of restaurants and pubs in the city center. It is mandatory for a visit to Leuven to see the city center for its beautiful historic buildings. It is also mandatory to visit the old market (Oude Markt) and the Muntstraat for food and drink.
The Old Market is also know as "the longest beer counter" of the world. It is a big square, almost completely filled with pubs. They offer nearly every one of the over 450 different beers that Belgium produces.
The Muntstaart is a walking street filled with restaurants. You will find a large variety of different foods in this street, and in the surroundings of it.

If you fancy icecream: you must enjoy an icecream at the "Professor".

Both the Old Market and the Muntstraat are within one minute walking distance from the city center.
The map points this locations.

The Old Market (Oude Markt)
with a lot of places to enjoy
Belgium beer.

Stella Artois - one of the most popular
beers around the world
is brewed in Leuven.

The mussles and the "frietjes"
are typical Belgium food
...you need to try.

Restaurants like "Domus"
offer nice meals, own-brewed beer
and pleasant atmosphere
for larger groups.

The excursion: Bokrijk

On Wednesday, 19 September, there is an excursion to the recreation center Bokrijk. The cost of this excursion is included in the registration of all participants.
The Bokrijk Open-air Museum opened its doors for the first visitors in 1958. Spread over 95 ha, more than 100 historical houses and small landscape elements from everywhere in Flanders bear witness to more than 500 years of living and working in the countryside.
The important thing about Bokrijk is that you can just stroll around in that atmosphere, buy an old type of beer, eat a delicious old dish and enjoy the country side.
We go there with a bus. The bus drive will take about one hour. Participants are free to walk around and enjoy for 3 to 4 hours, before the bus will take them to the conference diner.