TWG OECD MEETING & EC WG ON FRM
April 25 – April 27, 2023
Back-to-back meetings of the TWG /OECD Scheme for Forest Seed and Plants/ and EU Working Group on Forest Reproductive Material will be held in Hotel Bôrik, Bratislava, Slovakia. Field Excursion will be organized for the participants of both meetings on April 26.
This file provides information about the Venue, Local Transport, Accommodation and Meals.
Please check “Registration”, “Field Excursion” and find “Full Printable PDF Document” in separate files next to this one.
VENUE
Hotel Bôrik*, Bôrik 15, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovakia
https://www.hotelborik.com/ tel. + 421 2 209 25 000
Hotel Bôrik is located in the neighbourhood of the historic centre of Bratislava, and it takes about roughly 10 minutes by taxi and 30 minutes by bus to get there (from the Central Bus Station).
In addition to Hotel Bôrik, we recommend for your stay in Bratislava hotel Crowne Plaza and Beigli Hotel & Garden. More information about hotels and booking follows in section ACCOMMODATION.
*Note: Hotel Bôrik is managed by the Government of the Slovak Republic. It has its own conference facility while accommodation is provided in a limited number of rooms and apartments.
Hotel Bôrik, Hotel Crowne Plaza ① and Beigli Hotel & Garden ② by the shortest public transport route from Central Bus Station:
1. TRAVEL TO BRATISLAVA AND LOCAL TRANSPORT
From Vienna International Airport to Bratislava
We recommend to take a bus from the Airport to Bratislava Central Bus Station („Autobusova stanica AS Mlynske Nivy“). There are several busses per hour from 07:40 till 22:50, and travel to Bratislava takes 45-55 minutes. Bus Terminals are located immediately at the Arrivals Hall of the Airport: https://www.viennaairport.com/en/passengers/arriving_passenger
Buses bound to Bratislava are operated by the Slovak Lines, FlixBus and StudentAgency (https://www.viennaairport.com/en/passengers/arrival__parking/bus_connections).
For individual connections and tickets from Vienna (Schwechat) Airport to Bratislava Central Bus Station (= AS Mlynske Nivy, Nivy Bus Station), please consult the websites: https://www.slovaklines.sk/en/, https://www.flixbus.at/ , https://www.studentagency.eu/en/. Tickets can be purchased also at the bus and paid in cash or by card (FlixBus tickets cost obviously more in such case, however).
At the Central Bus Station Bratislava
When arrived at Bratislava Central Bus Station, move from Level -1 to the ground floor (0) and follow direction „Východ/Exit ulica Mlynské Nivy“ for Bus Stop A or „Východ/Exit ulica Páričkova“ for TAXI.
For local public transport, Google Maps works quite well in Bratislava: www.google.com/maps/dir///@48.1459994,17.1211175,14.25z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e3?hl=en-EN |
From Central Bus Station to Hotel Bôrik by TAXI
When arrived at Bratislava Central Bus Station, move from Level -1 to the ground floor (0) and follow direction „Východ/Exit ulica Páričkova“, from where we recommend a taxi to be called by phone.
Taxi networks with a fixed-rate fares at their web sites are recommendable in Bratislava, e.g.: – Easy Taxi http://easytaxi.sk/bratislava/ – operator +421 918 555 555, +421 907 440 440 – Green Taxi https://www.greentaxibratislava.sk/ – operator +421 905 660 660, +421216660. |
Their rates within the Central Zone (Staré Mesto) are 5 €, and 6-7 € from Central Bus Station to the hotels including Bôrik. Transfers to/from Bratislava Airport cost 9-10 €.
From Central Bus Station to the Old Town of Bratislava (Hodžovo námestie) by Public Transport
Outside the Central Bus Station (Východ/Exit ulica Mlynské Nivy), walk to the bust stop Autobusová Stanica „A“ (photo), buy basic 30´ticket for 0,90 € in a machine, take trolleybus line 42 and leave it at the stop „Hodzovo namestie“.
At the stop Hodzovo namestie, you are almost across the street to the hotel Crowne Plaza and 0,5 km from the Beigli Hotel & Garden.
From the Old Town (Hodžovo námestie) to Hotel Bôrik by Public Transport
Hotel Bôrik is available by the bus lines 44 and 47 running in 10-minute intervals from the stop „Hodzovo námestie“close to Hotel Crowne Plaza. The transfer including a walk will take 20 minutes.
From Main Railway Station to Hotel Bôrik, Crowne Plaza and Beigli
To Hotel Bôrik, we recommend a taxi. Please follow a guidance provided in the previous section.
Hotels Crowne Plaza and Beigli can be reached by public transport: Leave the Main Railway Station following the plan below and buy basic 30-minute ticket for 0,90 € in a ticket machine. Take tram no. 1 for 5 stops and leave it on „Poštová“ as shown on the map. >>>
2. ACCOMMODATION
The participants are expected to arrange their accommodation and cover their expenses themselves.
We have pre-booked a limited number of rooms for particapnts of both meetings in Hotel Bôrik , Hotel Crowne Plaza, and Beigli Hotel & Garden between April 24 and 27. Pre-booking is valid till March 25.
Hotel Bôrik*
Address: Bôrik 15, 811 02 Bratislava
Hotel Bôrik, the venue of both meetings, is operated by the Government of Slovak Republic and has thus some limitations. Its website is in the Slovak language. A limited number of rooms is reserved for participants in this hotel.
Please send your reservation request by e-mail to karolina.bednarova@land.gov.sk before March 25. Include the „OECD – EU FRM Meeting“ in the subject.
Along with the Guest Name, Arrival & Departure and Billing Address, indicate the type of room you would prefer in your message.
Room types: *Standard Room (2.5/3* standard) and *Smaller Apartment at the rate of 70 and 120 €, respectively, breakfast included.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the SR recommends also the following hotels:
Crowne Plaza Bratislava
Address: Hodžovo námestie 2, 816 25 Bratislava
Ministry has arranged a limited number of rooms for the participants in this hotel, which is valid till March 25. Please make a reservation via this web link till March 25: OECD
Beigli Hotel & Garden in the Old Town
Address: Baštová 4, 811 03 Bratislava
Ministry has pre-booked 6 standard roms (80-90 € incl. breakfast) and 2 plus-size rooms (100 € incl. breakfast) for the participants till March 25.
Please make reservation via e-mail to <office@hotelbeigli.sk>, mention the OECD – EU FRM meeting.
Loft Hotel
Address: Štefánikova 4, 811 05 Bratislava
For reservation via their web page, use promo code: webspecial
If looking for alternative accommodation, please consider transport to the meeting venue and in connection with the field trip.
3. LUNCHES & SOCIAL DINNER
Lunches during the OCD TWG Meeting and EU FRM Meeting will be held at the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic (just additional drinks and beverages paid separately).
Lunch during the field trip will be provided in kind by the state forest enterprise LESY SR, š.p.
Please indicate your dietary restrictions /preferences in the online registration |
Social Dinner will be organized on April 25, 7:00 p.m. in the Hotel Bôrik at the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic. Dress code: casual.(
Participants are kindly requested to fill in and send to the organizers a short registration document available under this link “https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduqhLcxnTrIbHj8jEog2pK5YExMa48NxP7ZSAvJIUgT7eh_w/viewform?usp=pp_url”.
The purpose of our request is to keep organizers informed about the participation in the TWG OECD and EC FRM meeting(s), and in the Field Trip.
Any personal data you provided during registration will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This registration will be open until April 7, 2023. For requests after the indicated date as well as when assistance is needed, please contact local organizers: roman.longauer@nlcsk.org, +421 908 160 968 and karolina.bednarova@land.gov.sk.
VISA INFORMATION
Participants are responsible for checking visa requirements and making their own visa arrangements. For information about visa requirements please visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic: http://www.foreign.gov.sk/web/en/consular_info.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will provide related assistance when needed.
Field Trip Programme TWG OECD – EU WG FRM Back to Back Meeting
April 26, 2023
Planned duration of the field trip is from 8:00 till 19:00 (full programme) with a possibility to skip the last sight-seeing stop Devínska Kobyla.
On request, the organizers will provide a car transport for those participants which may need to leave the field trip earlier due to their return travel from Bratislava/Vienna Airport.
Time schedule | Annotation | |
08:00 – 09:00 | Bus drive from from Hotel Bôrik with a stop at the Crowne Plaza to the forest nursery in Trstice | |
09:00 – 10:30 | ① Forest Nursery Trstice | Established 1982 Nursery area and infrastructure: 41,10 ha, of which 31,27 ha is production area /30.48 ha is meliorated and under irrigation/. Stoolbeds of poplars: 2.71 ha. Refrigerated plant space and manipulation room. Seed orchards of common ash & narrow-leaved ash, and black alder in the vicinity. Purpose: Production of the planting stock of fast-growing and broadleaved tree species for riverine and lowland forests: 34% fast-growing, mostly improved poplars, 6% pedunculate oak 60% other native broadleaves, mostly native poplars, Norway maple, sycamore maple, common and narrow-leaved ash. Bare-root plants of only those species which tolerate alkaline soil (pH of 8,2+) can be cultivated. Growing of Scots pine on substrates in Dunemann beds is right under preparation. Growing stock: 800 th. plants used to be grown in the nursery before nature conservation law blocked planting of improved poplars in forest and farmed lands on a pre-emptive basis. As a result, the growing stock dropped to 265 ths. plants in 2022. Output: Till 2021, 413 th. plants were delivered to Lesy SR and 25 th. to other subjects. In 2022, only 250 th. plants were delivered to the parent company Lesy SR and 28,6 th. plants marketed to other subjects. Personnel: 1 manager, 1 technician, 3 permanent nursery workers. |
A refreshment including a tea, coffee and snack. | ||
10:30 – 12:10 | Bus transfer | Bus drive from Trstice to the Forest Nursery Lovce – Hladomer near Zlate Moravce. |
12:10 – 13:45 | ② Forest Nursery Lovce | Established 1982 Nursery area and infrastructure: Total area 18,88 ha, of which 12,30 ha is for production / 6.38 ha meliorated and under irrigation/. Two PE greenhouses 2100 sq. m from 2018. Refrigera-ted plant and seed kilns, large indoor manipulation rooms to be equipped with container filling & sowing line. An orchard of European (Sudetic) larch /deregistered in 2022/ in the vicinity. Purpose: Production of the planting stock of broadleaves. Species structure: common beech 35%, oaks 6%, spruce 28%. Container-grown plants 7%. Local luvisols are rather heavy due to clay accumulated relative close to the surface, suitable for bare-root open-air production of broadleaves only. Growing stock 2022: 5,9 million plants, of which 0.42 M were in containers. Output – Forest Reproductive Material: 1,4 million plants for the state forest company Lesy SR while 0,5 million plants marketed to other forestry and non-forestry subjects (2022). Production of container plants shall be increased to over 1 M per year. Output –other: ~150 ths. ornamental woody plants and saplings for Christmas tree plantations. Small production of Christmas trees (0,20 ha). Personnel: 1 manager, 1 technical manager, 14 fulltime operators and workers, 7 seasonal workers, some external service contracts. |
14:00 – 15:30 | ③ Topolčianky | Lunch combined with the presentation of the state forest company LESY SR aimed at the forest regeneration, nursery production, conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources. |
15:45 – 16:20 | ④ Zlatno | European Bison Enclosure founded in 1958 to save the species then represented by no more than 150 individuals and „extinct in the wild“. More than 200 animals in had been raised and found their way back to the nature, first in the crossborder Biesczady (PL) – Poloniny (SK) -Uzhansky (UA) National parks. /more information, e.g.: https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20746502/orava-to-have-its-first-european-bison.html / |
16:20 – 18:00 | Bus transfer | Topolčianky – Bratislava – Devínska Kobyla |
18:00 – 19:00 | ⑤ Devínska Kobyla | A small mountain with a sightseeing tower which represents the SW edge of the Carpathian Mountain Arc at the entry of the river March into the Danube, which overlooks Bratislava (E), Vienna-Hungarian Gates and Danube Plain (S) and March Field (W),. Concrete structures of the former ballistic rockets silos are (still too much) present around. The mountainsides are the Site of Community Importance (SKUEV0280, 643,20 ha) with a strict nature reserve created in order to protect local xerothermous vegetation. This excursion point will be skipped for time reasons. |
19:15 – 19:20 | Hotel Bôrik and Crowne Plaza | |
