The Velemín Field Station of the Faculty of Science is managed by the CUFS Department of Botany. It is located at the southwest end of the village of Velemín near motorway E55 (8) which runs from Prague to Teplice. It is a yellow building on the left side of the road, just past the turn for the blue hiking trail towards Milešovka. There is a front entrance and a rear entrance through the garden gate.

The station is used for field trips of the faculty, or other universities, graduates and doctoral students working in the Bohemian Central Mountains, workshops and meetings, in free capacity and recreation of faculty staff and their family members.

The capacity of the station is 20 beds in 4 separate rooms, the building has a kitchen equipped with stove, microwave and kettle, refrigerator; dining room, 2 showers, 2 toilets. Visitors must bring their own sleeping bag and slippers

Transport

Since the opening of the D8 motorway in the direction of Ústí nad Labem, there is no direct bus connection from Prague to Velemín, all buses in the direction of Teplice run along the motorway and bypass Velemín.

Transport is, therefore, possible by train to Lovosice with a transfer to the bus Lovosice - Milešov or to an alternative bus transport ČD Lovosice - Radejčín. Both connections stop in Velemín, even though it does not have a railway station; when using ČD alternative transport, it is necessary to have purchased a ticket to the next Chotiměř station. Buses in Lovosice are waiting for connections from Prague!

By car on the D8 motorway to exit 52 Velemín; it is possible to park by the garden fence.

Information

There is a store in the village (open from 6 am – 8 pm) and two restaurants. There is a petrol station at the end of the village towards Milešov.

The faculty caretaker of the field station is doc. Lubomír Hrouda (hrouda@natur.cuni.cz, +420 728 742 830), who takes reservations for overnight stays. Keys can be picked up by calling the Dudový family (+420 725 185 662), who live at Velemín no. 120, on the left side of the road about 100 m before the field station; the keys are also returned here.

It is also possible to pick up the keys from the secretary of the Department of Botany, Mgr. Viera Mrázová during the working hours of the secretariat.

Price of accommodation at the Department of Botany Research Station in Velemín

The price of accommodation per night varies depending on one’s relationship to the faculty and the nature of the stay.

Price of accommodation for conducting teaching and research activities

  • Charles University Faculty of Science faculty: 150 CZK per night per person
  • Charles University Faculty of Science students: 50 CZK per night per person
  • other teachers: 250 CZK
  • other students: 75 CZK

Price of recreational stays for

  • Charles University Faculty of Science employees, family members and friends: 200 CZK
  • children aged 6-15: 100 CZK
  • children under 6 free
  • People outside Charles University Faculty of Science 250 CZK (children 6-15 years 125 CZK)

The accommodation may be paid in cash or by bank transfer to account number 1200-600-111200; a receipt (with the department stamp) will be issued for recreational stays of students and teachers from other schools. An invoice may also be issued.

Each visitor must sign in to the field station guest book and record the date of arrival and departure, the purpose of the stay (excursion, research stay, recreation); any scientific findings or observations are welcome, along with possible complaints.

This price list is valid as of 1. 4. 2023.

doc. Ondřej Koukol, Department Head

doc. Lubomír Hrouda, Faculty Caretaker

Instructions for stay

Some things about the station have changed following the renovations at the end of 2015, so please study the instructions below, even if you have been here in the past.

Layout and rooms

  • On the ground floor there is one common room (1) that can be used as a dining room, lecture or seminar room, or even as an evening lounge. The main thermostat regulating the temperature in the building is located here; bunk bed room (2) (former dining room) with 4 beds; kitchen (3) with main refrigerator, stove and microwave oven; downstairs shower (4); WC (5).
  • On the first floor you can find the blue room (6 beds), the wooden room (4 beds), the red room (6 beds), a kitchenette with a refrigerator and microwave oven (but the dishes must be washed in the downstairs kitchen!!), and the upstairs shower with washbasins.
  • On the mezzanine there is a room for the Faculty Caretaker of the station and a veranda.

Heating

Heating is turned on remotely by texting the Czech word “Teplota” followed by a space and then a number indicating the temperature in degrees (e.g. Teplota 21) to the telephone number +420 736 487 788. You can turn the heat on yourself or contact Mr. Duda (tel. +420 725 185 662, only in Czech) or myself (+420 606 569 557) and we will turn the heat on. In the winter it is advised to turn the heat on the evening before you arrive. Instructions for the heating (as well as all other instructions) are kept in the drawer by the modem and telephone. Upon departure please send an SMS to turn off the heat, ideally to “Teplota 10”.

Note: it is possible that someone before you could have switched the thermostat from MANU (remote) to AUTO (this can only be controlled manually and requires a study of the manual)

Note 2: the temperature is set for the largest room; it therefore may be too hot in the smaller rooms, especially upstairs. In this case, regulate the heaters – on the top right there is a switch to turn the heater on, there is temperature control on the bottom (if you want full heating, push both “buttons” together with your thumb and forefinger).

Hot water

Hot water is heated in boilers: a large boiler for showers and a small boiler under the sink in the kitchen for dishes. When the station is unoccupied, both boilers are turned off by switches in the fuse box on the bottom right row (the “Bojler” switch – for the upstairs boiler) and the through-flow water heater (in the kitchen – mistakenly labelled “po staru”). Upon arrival both must be turned on by switching them to the up position. Water for washing dishes will be hot in about half an hour, the water for showers will take about 5-6 hours! Upon departure, unless you know someone is coming after you, please turn both boilers off by moving the switches in the fuse box to the down position so that the water is not needlessly heated.

During your stay you will need a sleeping bag, sheets and slippers; please leave all shoes in the hallway or foyer on the ground floor. During the spring a shoe rack will be installed.

Keys to the station

Pick up the keys from the local Caretaker Mr. Duda – Velemín no. 120, about halfway between the store (or motorest) and the station. You will have to call in advance to pick up the keys (tel. no. +420 725 185 662).

Stay requests

Requests to stay at the station are submitted via e-mail (in exceptional cases by telephone) to the Faculty Caretaker doc. Lubomír Hrouda (hrouda@natur.cuni.cz). Mr. Hrouda may also be contacted if you are unable to get in touch with Mr. Duda (Mr. Hrouda’s mobile no. is +420 606 569 557, call only in Czech).

A list of prices and other conditions for staying at the station can be found above. You can pay by bank transfer or in cash remitted to the secretariat of the Dept. of Botany during regular working hours. Payment will not be accepted be either the local or faculty caretaker.

Visitors must sign in to the guest book by the telephone. The appropriate columns will be filled in by the research or trip leader, including the price to be paid by the visitors – an example of how to fill in the information is given at the beginning of the book. We appreciate this because it makes the department bookkeeping easier. There is also an old guest book there, which you can sign and write any thoughts, praise or criticism, including pictures. We are always thankful for any suggestions on how to make things better!

Visitors must clean all the rooms which they have used; kitchen, showers and hallways only need to be mopped (especially during rainy weather). Please empty all trash receptacles into the bin by the front entrance and put organic waste in the compost pile!! Glass (non-refundable) and PET bottles need to be placed in the recycling containers by the store (trash collection will not take them!). Please spread any wet rags out to dry, do not leave them wet in a bucket.

Velemín, 12 March 2016

Lubomír Hrouda, Faculty Caretaker