Cell biology of the nervous system: Long-term resilience and vulnerability

Participants that will register for a Shared Double room, if they do not indicate a specific roommate, will be matched with another participant by the conference organizers.

Getting to Heraklion

By Air: The principal airport in Crete is Heraklion International Airport, “Nikos Kazantzakis” (airport code: HER). It is located about 5 km east of the city center of Heraklion and is directly connected to Athens International Airport (airport code: ATH) with several daily domestic flights run by Olympic Air, Aegean Airlines, and Skyexpress.

The flight duration from/to Athens is about 45min. There are also other direct scheduled airline connections from major European cities as well as many charter flights from most European countries.

By Boat: It is also possible to arrive by boat from Piraeus (a major port of Greece) to Heraklion Ferry services are operated daily on the line Athens-Heraklion (Heraklion Port). Minoan lines and ANEK lines provide daily service from and towards Crete. At least two ferry boats sail daily to Heraklion from Piraeus. The boats sail in the evening (usually around 9-10 pm) and reach the destinations early in the morning (around 5:30-6:00 am) after an 8-9 hour journey.

From Heraklion to Venue

Participants will have to use a taxi or public bus service from/to the airport and venue.

Private Transfer Offer with Taxi or Minivan: You can order a private taxi/minivan for your transfer to the venue. The driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name, so you can meet him.

Taxi: A taxi can take up to 4 passengers depending on their luggage. The special rate for the workshop participants from Heraklion Airport to the venue is 60 € per taxi each way.

Minivan: A minivan can take up to 8 passengers and has a lot of space for luggage. The special rate for the workshop participants from Heraklion Airport to the venue is 90 € per minivan each way.

The private transfer service will be available and confirmed for bookings received by email at embo-neuro2023@ccbsgreece.gr until May 1st, 2023.

Payment method with credit card (Visa or Mastercard) online via Livepay by following this link.

Please note that the private transfer service is non-refundable.

Once the payment of the transfer service is received, we will email you with a final confirmation of the transfer as well as the contact number of your driver.

Book your transfer here

Please note that Crete has two major airports.
Heraklion airport (HER) is 28 km from and is the closest one to the venue.
Chania airport (CHQ) is 134 km from the venue.

Fodele village, 3 km away from the venue, is an idyllic village, which extends in a verdant oasis full of orange and lemon groves, colourful flowers and running waters. The fertile valley of Fodele is crossed by the river Pantomantris and is surrounded by mountains with high wild trees and caves. Historians suggest that Fodele Bay was the original site of the ancient town of Astali, which was the port of ancient Axos. Here, too, the famous Greek painter, Dominicus Theotokopoulos (better known as El Greco) was born in 1545.

Heraklion: Heraklion, located 25km from the Venue, is the capital of Crete, the largest urban centre in Crete and the economic centre of the island with approximately 200,000 people. The town of Heraklion is a vibrant small metropolis and combines urban scenery, archaeological and cultural heritage with natural beauty.

The first European civilization, the Minoan civilization, flourished on this land 5000 years ago and can still be experienced today by visiting the ancient palace of Knossos Archaeological Site and the Archeological Museum of Heraklion.

During the last 20 years, the city has also made remarkable advances in the academic and technological fields as it hosts the University of Crete and the Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas.

The island of Crete

Crete is the most southern region of Greece and Europe, separating the Aegean Sea from the Libyan Sea it marks a physical boundary between Europe and Africa. It is the largest Greek island and one of the largest in the Mediterranean basin, with a total surface of 8,336 km², 1,100 km of coastline and approximately 623,000 inhabitants.

The island of Crete boasts a long and turbulent history and a fascinating culture. Cultural influences from other civilizations of the West and the East, as well as the remains of the glorious Minoan civilization (c. 2700–1420 BC), are found across the island. This mix of civilizations has marked contemporary Cretan culture, which is still vibrant and distinctive as it has always been.

The Cretan land encompasses an amazing variety of landscapes and landforms. Crete is renowned for its breathtaking mountain ranges, fertile valleys, plethora of caves, gorges and plateaus of exceptional beauty as well as for its long sandy beaches and clear blue seas. Historic and cultural attractions, Cretan traditions, traditional settlements, monuments, archaeological sites, social mores, the local proceedings, the Cretan cuisine, the natural environment, folkloric richness, remarkable ecosystems and unique landscapes are waiting to be discovered.

The climate of Crete is characterized as mild and Mediterranean with four distinct seasons. It is mild Mediterranean – dry and warm, which means high sunshine all year round, very small seasonal changes in temperatures and no extreme weather phenomena. The average year temperature is 19°C. During October, expect the temperature to range between 15°C (at night) to 25°C, with occasional rain.