1. Some beginning words

Welcome to the Dormitory Guidebook, which provides a lot of useful information relating to life at the dormitory.

This guidebook was prepared for you by the Dormitory Council. It was usually written in Czech, but in 2022 it was translated into English (thanks to CU Point). Since then, it has been updated by the Dormitory Council several times. However, it is possible that you may find some errors – for example, some links might have a better alternative in English, some information may be a little dated or not accurate for international students. If you come across any deficiencies or have any suggestions for improving this guidebook, we would be grateful if you could reach out to us at the following e-mail address: kr@listopad.koleje.cuni.cz so we can fix it.

Do you want to stay informed about what’s happening at the dormitory, but don’t want to constantly check Facebook (whose algorithm, moreover, shows only some posts)? Sign up for the Dormitory Council’s email newsletters! How

• kr-oznam@listopad.koleje.cuni.cz is a newsletter with important updates from the dormitory management and the Dormitory council;

• kr-akce@listopad.koleje.cuni.cz is a newsletter notifying about featured events within the dormitory and its surroundings.

2. 17. listopadu Dormitory

17. listopadu is one of the dormitories of Charles University, located north of the Prague city centre in the Troja district, in a location with the local name Pelc-Tyrolka. It consists of two tall blocks of flats, the larger of which is designated as building A, the smaller (and further back, by the rock) is building B. The letter C belonged to the old canteen, abandoned for years, which was converted into the Faculty of Humanities (FHS) building a few years ago.

The Troja Canteen, better known as “17. listopadu Canteen” or “Menza” in Czech is located under building A.

A little glimpse of history

The dormitory was built at the end of the 1980s, so it ranks among the newer dormitories, and its facilities and comfort correspond to this (as well as the price of accommodation). Originally, it was supposed to be a part of a larger university campus (and look a little different), but that is long in the past.

Name

The dormitory name “17. listopadu” refers to the brutally suppressed student anti-communist demonstration on 17^th November 1989 (the 50^th anniversary of a violently suppressed demonstration against the Nazi storming of Charles University). The suppression led to the spreading of protests and it started the Velvet Revolution (“Sametová revoluce” in Czech). Although there was no additional violence (“velvet” comes from no violence), these events resulted in the downfall of Communism in Czechoslovakia, liberation from the Eastern Bloc and from occupation by the Soviet Union (today’s Russia). This day (17^th November) is a national holiday with large commemorative events which we highly recommend visiting.

The name of the adjacent “Barikádníků” bridge (barikádník = barricade man) also refers to historical events and the Czech fight for freedom. The Prague uprising took place from the 5^th to the 9^th of May 1945. As WWII was almost over, inhabitants of Prague rose against German occupation. Despite the rough and bloody fighting, which included the construction of barricades to defend Prague against the German army, they managed to relatively liberate Prague (which helped to final liberation of Czechoslovakia).

The bus stop Pelc-Tyrolka has a more prosaic name. It is named after a vanished homestead (manor’s pub) first owned by Pelcl and after by Tyrall.

How to get there

From metro (underground/subway) station C Nádraží Holešovice, take the bus 187 (currently, it does not run on weekends except for Sunday afternoons and evenings; on holidays, it runs in a very limited schedule) to the Pelc Tyrolka stop. Since September 2021, the stop is located directly in front of the entrance to the tunnel under the dormitory.

You can also use the 201 bus to Kuchyňka stop and first walk back along the sidewalk, then walk under the “highway” and straight ahead. The walk is a bit longer from the Povltavská stop, where buses 112 and 234 run, or the nearby Trojská stop, where tram number 17 goes. The only thing you need to watch out for with trams is the fact that you don’t find the tram 17 stop on Nádraží Holešovice on the same side as trams 6/12 and buses (112, 187, 234 etc.). To find the other stop it is easiest to take the other exit from the metro (closer to the railway station Nádraží Holešovice) and turn left. It is also the first stop out of the two stops called Nádraží Holešovice in bus 187.

However, if you have arrived at Nádraží Holešovice and there is no 187, 201, or 112 bus arriving in the next 12 minutes, then the fastest way is to go about 1.3 km on foot over the Barikádníků bridge. Just past the river, the path splits – you can either go left down a spiral path and an underpass (longer), or straight down a narrow path along the road and then climb down and over the stones under the bridge (shorter, but not quite suitable for travelling with a suitcase).

Bus 187 from Pelc Tyrolka can be used for the journey away from the dormitory. Another option is bus 201 from the Kuchyňka stop – go to the stop from the dormitory along the newly reconstructed sidewalk straight and then to the left until you reach the stop. However, connections from Kuchyňka do not run reliably (201 in this direction is usually delayed), so it is often faster to walk to Nádraží Holešovice (around 12–15 minutes) or go to Trojská stop (around 10 minutes).

For more details check Mapy.cz (available as a website and app for Android and iOS3) or Google Maps. However, Czechs also use the following websites and apps for checking connections: Pubtran app (for Android and iOS), Spojení DPP website, IDOS (available as a website and app for Android and iOS) or search within the Lítačka app (for Android and iOS), all of which provide information whether your tram/bus/metro is delayed.

The Address

When sending mail to the dormitory address, it is useful to include the room number, including the bed number (1 or 2 – it’s written on your dormitory ID card) in addition to the name of the person – it saves time and prevents possible mistakes. Since 2022 we have post/mail boxes that are located on the ground floor. To take out your letters, you need to unlock them. You will receive the key to your post box when you move in. This system should prevent any mix-ups, but if someone else has taken your mail or you have mail of someone else, it’s easiest to write in the dormitory Facebook group. The other person will probably contact you on their own then ☺

If your mail ends up in the post office (e.g., because it is a package; or it was a recorded delivery and you weren’t at the dormitory), you must go for it to the post office near the Ládví metro station at Burešova 1663/6.

AlzaBox

Fortunately, since 2024, we now have an AlzaBox located at the northern wall of building A. The AlzaBox is a self-service pick-up box where you can receive orders and parcels not only from Alza but also from other e-shops or from individuals.

It works as follows: when ordering, you select the AlzaBox near the dormitory as the pick-up point. Once your package arrives, you will receive an SMS with a 6-digit code. You (or a friend you’ve asked to pick up your package) will enter the code at the AlzaBox, and the compartment with your package will open (if your order contains multiple items, more compartments may open). You then take out the goods and close the compartment. If you chose to pay on pick-up, you can pay contactlessly at the AlzaBox.

In addition to Alza, the AlzaBox can also be used for packages from carriers such as PPL, GLS, DPD, WE|DO, and Balíkovna. E-shops often call this service “… parcel”, “… parcelshop”, “… výdejní místo/a” or “… pickup” (the name of the carrier itself often means delivery to the address). Different carriers may refer to the dormitory AlzaBox by different names, but the address (Pátkova 2135/1) remains the same, so you just need to search for “Pátkova”.

The AlzaBox can also be used for returning goods or sending parcels. For returning items to Alza, pack your parcel, write the return number on it, click “Send” at the AlzaBox, enter your claim number, and place the parcel into the opened compartment. Currently, sending parcels from our AlzaBox is supported by GLS (see instructions) and Balíkovna (see instructions in Czech), which also offers e-shop returns (see info).

At present, Zásilkovna does not deliver to the AlzaBox. However, it has the two nearest branches located near the north exit of the Nádraží Holešovice metro station, named “RELAY – kasy u vlaků” and “České dráhy – Železniční stanice Praha Holešovice”.

(Telephone) Country code

We remind you that if you dial a local telephone number from a foreign phone, you must start with +420 (Czech country code). Otherwise, you will dial a random person ☺

Phones

Our dormitory has its own telephone system. There is one in each cell. There are also phones at the receptions, the control room, for the housekeepers, in the head’s office, … Calls within the dormitory are free.

Of course, each phone has its own number, written in the dormitory phone book. It is usually four digits long and starts with the number one. The phone book can be downloaded from the Dormitory Council’s website or obtained from the reception desk. A handy option is to call between cells without looking in the phone book. Just dial *1xxxx for building A, or *2xxxx for building B, where xxxx is zero plus the room number. So, for example, *20502 (or *20501) for the phone in cell B501/502. Useful dormitory phone numbers:

Every telephone in the dormitory can be called from outside. Just dial +420 286 02 yyyy, where yyyy is the four-digit phone number from the phone book.

3. What does it look like?

Our dormitory is located on the banks of the Vltava river, on the border between the picturesque town district of Troja and the slightly larger town district of Libeň. A stone’s throw away is a wide expressway called the “Magistrála” (the road is long, its names include Argentinská, Most Barikadníků, and V Holešovičkách). The road is prone to heavy traffic jams, especially in the morning and around 5–6 p.m. Perpendicular to the expressway, the city ring road leads to the Blanka tunnel, which follows the bank of the Vltava River, which is ideal for walking and rollerblading (see Cycling path).

Rooms

At the 17. listopadu Dormitory, almost all rooms are the same – doubles with facilities. There are always two rooms connected by a passage in which there is a kitchenette, toilet, and shower. Together, this unit is called a cell.

On the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th floors of building A and on the 4^th and 5^th floors of building B, there are single rooms, which are structurally the same as the others, but differ in terms of furniture as they have only one bed and one table available in the room, and often newer kitchens and showers. If you are interested in staying in a single room, please visit the accommodation office to request being added to the waiting list. Since there are only 104 single rooms and the demand is high, which is understandable given the price is just under CZK 1200 more per month for year-round accommodation, the wait time is long (estimated at 2–3 years).

In each room, there is one low square table and two of each of the following: beds, desks with drawers, “student” type chairs, cabinets, and bookshelves.

In the hallway, there are a total of three large wardrobes and six smaller cabinets. The smaller cabinets (placed on the ground or on top near the ceiling) are often taken down and moved into the room for additional storage space.

In addition, there are rooms with a second hallway – these are the ones adjacent to the lift shafts. However, their number is very limited (two on each floor), and their inhabitants do not like to give them up.

The fact that the basic layout of the room is one of the worst imaginable is compensated by the fact that you can rearrange your furniture as you please, as long as you put it back to its original position before moving out or arrange with the people who are to move in after you. When rearranging the furniture in the room, you can use the virtual furniture mover instead of moving the beds back and forth.

Kitchenette

The kitchenette is located in a narrow corridor between two rooms. It is equipped with a kitchen unit, a sink, a small refrigerator, a stove with two burners, and several cupboards for dishes of different sizes.

What might surprise you when you move in is the absence of any dishes – you have to bring everything from home (dishes, cutlery, pots, cups, bowls, etc.) or hope that your neighbours will share or that the students living there before you left some stuff behind, which sometimes does happen. The state of that equipment can however be pretty questionable.

It is very useful to have small appliances such as a kettle and a microwave, but you only need one for the whole cell, so discuss with the other roommates beforehand who will bring what, so that you don’t have, for example, three kettles. This is not only unnecessary, but using so many appliances at the same time tends to be too much of a burden on our old and weak (aluminium) electrical wiring, so you risk damaging the electrical system or tripping a circuit breaker. Also you have limited space, so be wise about using it. You can find inspiration for other useful things to bring with you to the dormitory in the Facebook post.

Another thing that usually surprises newcomers is the really small fridge. There are several versions in use, but even in the largest one, four people sharing the fridge sometimes have trouble fitting everything in.

Fortunately, you can replace the refrigerator with your own after agreeing with the head of the dormitory. Or, also by agreement, you can have your own fridge in addition to the one already there, but you need to take into account the monthly electricity fee – around CZK 100.

You are however responsible for your own equipment and electronic devices and any problems or damages caused by them. It is therefore more than recommended to have electronic equipment in good condition with safety guarantees. Devices with large batteries, such as electric bikes and scooters, are completely prohibited in the dormitory due to fire risk.

“Student” type chair

“Student” type chairs are standard furniture in all rooms. They have a faux leather seat and a wooden back, but lack armrests or any lumbar support. We highly recommend buying a quality office chair instead – you’ll be much more comfortable over the coming years, and your back will appreciate it, too. However, if you decide to use the “student” type chair, be sure to stop by the laundry storage room, where they will provide you with free felt pads (to put under the chair legs), thanks to which you will save the floor and your ears when sliding the chair in and out. If the chair breaks, pay a visit to “Hospodyně = Housekeeper” for a replacement.

Lamps

From the edge of time, there were lamps in the rooms. After a revision of electronic devices in 2022, the lamps were removed. However, the students protested persistently and creatively against that decision and the way it was (not) communicated and succeeded at least partly. You are now able to borrow a lamp from Mr. Holub (building B, behind the elevators on the left in the same place as the head of our dormitory, Mrs. Jana Provazníková) for a returnable deposit of CZK 200.

Hot summer guide

It’s terribly hot here in summer, so the Dormitory council prepared a hot summer guide for you.

4. Moving in, moving out, relocating

As a foreign student, you may struggle with the system, especially as some parts of the description below are probably valid only for Czechs / long-term students (and ideally with no visas necessary). The best option for you, if you don’t know what to do or how it works, is to contact the accommodation office (kolej.17.listopadu@kam.cuni.cz) and ask them about it. OR better yet, ask your ERASMUS coordinator for help. Most of the things you should already know as you are supposed to get all necessary information about the stay, moving and accommodation from your Erasmus office.

!!!Do not forget to book your check-in dates with the dormitory at least 3 working days in advance!!! You may not be accommodated without it!

You can find general (for CU dormitories) useful information here: https://kam.cuni.cz/KAMEN-278.html.

Securing a place in a dormitory

For several years now, the easiest way to reserve a room is by using the REHOS system. With this system, you select the accommodation type and length of stay and pay a deposit. If you have been living in a dormitory during a year, there is usually a chance during May to have preferential treatment when securing a place (that is, if you are a student of Charles University). If you plan to stay for the summer (which is not so expensive financially considering that the dormitory fee is CZK 7/day cheaper when you stay in a dormitory for over 300 days a year), it’s best to arrange the contract at the accommodation office before signing (or in REHOS, if it allows you to do this) to extend until September, or even for several years ahead, which will help you avoid the stress of booking accommodation annually for a few years.

Room reservation period

Room reservations (the opportunity to select in a pretty good way where and with whom you want to live) have been arranged by the Dormitory Council for many years. In the last few years, it was done only by the accommodation office out of dormitories regulation. To live with someone you like for the next year, send an e-mail to zamluvy.17.listopadu@kam.cuni.cz during August. Hopefully, the new and long time ago promised accommodation system should be taking care of reservations too in the future.

Moving in

On the day of moving into the dormitory, you must complete the following tasks:

1. CHECK IN – unless said differently, go to building A where you find a table by the entrance. There you should be accommodated. Please, come prepared with all the necessary documents (passport, visa etc. as stated by your Erasmus coordinator/office). If you don’t know what to do, you can also visit the accommodation office (closed during evenings, national holidays and weekends) behind the elevators in building A. If you have student ID card / ISIC take it with you, as you will be using the card for entrance if it would be locked during the night (12:30 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.). If you don’t have it, you will get a chip for a small deposit or you can stop by later. You should also take a passport photo of yourself, as it will be used to make your dormitory ID card, called “Kolejenka” in Czech.

2. You also need some sort of document vouching that you are indeed a student of a university. Czechs find it in their study system (SIS), where you can print it out. It should be available to you too, but we are not certain. The best way to go is to follow the guidelines and rules your Erasmus office told you to.

3. Be prepared to pay for the whole October and part of September (depending on your arrival and check-in date)! You can pay in cash or it should also be possible by card (you need a physical card to insert it into the terminal). The payment should be done in the Accommodation office.

4. You will then get keys for room and post/mail box and a paper called “Závaďák” in Czech, where you write anything that is in a bad shape or broken in your new room – pretty much fill in the state of the room, kitchen, toilet and shower too! Generally, it’s about defects that do not need to be repaired, but do not take it lightly as you may be asked to pay for things that you didn’t break/damage/scratch if they are not on that list! Check the inventory according to the list hanging on the door if all equipment is indeed there. Damaged plaster should be reported in almost all rooms.

5. In justified cases, you could first borrow the key to the room you are moving in to, leave your things there, and then go back and stand in the queue.

6. Laundry storage room: Submit the room status form “Závaďák” even if it is empty, and you will then receive linens, sheets, and a blanket if you wish (all optional). You don’t need to buy a pillow and a blanket or take them with you if it’s not your preference.

7. Anything that needs to be fixed (shower head not working, dripping tap etc.), can and should be reported using a QR code that is stuck to the entrance room door. Do not forget to put there all the important information and choose the correct dormitory and your room number! The system is sadly not smart enough to fill in those things for you.

Moving out

On the day you move out of the dormitory, you must complete the following tasks:

1. Laundry storage room: Return your linens and pick up the room status form.

2. Housekeeper: Give them the room status form and agree on an approximate time to hand over the room. Then you wait in the room for the housekeeper to come and take over the room. The room must be clean, tidy, with the original layout of furniture (unless expressly agreed otherwise). If everything is okay, the housekeeper will lock the room and keep the key – you won’t be able to get into the room again.

3. Accommodation office: Here you handle all financial matters and turn in your dormitory ID card.

Moving to another room

This involves moving into a new room and then moving out of the old room. You borrow the key from the accommodation office, move all of your things to the new room, and then hand over the old room (properly cleaned, the same as for the normal move-out process).

Changes to the planned length of stay

If you want to change the length of your stay (either extending or shortening the stay), you need to calculate how much you would have paid if you had paid for the new shorter/longer period from the beginning (i.e. the price per month will be higher/lower, but the months will be fewer/more). Deduct what you have already paid from this price, leaving the difference, which will be settled at the accommodation office.

If you want to calculate when it is most advantageous for you to end your stay, have a look at the accommodation price list valid for the current year.

If you would like to move out before your contract ends you have the following options:

1. Use REHOS / accommodation office (probably better and easier for you) to end the contract. When it’s done, a 30-day long period of notice starts. So if you want to end the contract by 10^th June, you need to end the contract on 11^th May at the latest.

2. If you realized you need to move out sooner, you can end the contract now and move out as you need, but you will pay for the whole 30 days even if you are no longer here. Meaning, you will be moved out while the contract still holds.

   In this case, if your contract ends sooner than in 30 days, you will only pay until the end of the contract. I.e. if your contract ends on 26^th June and you tell the accommodation office on 10^th June that you need to move out on 15^th June, you will pay for the accommodation until 26^th June (not until 10^th July).

5. Leisure activity rooms

There are a number of rooms in the dormitory that can be used for entertainment or study. To use them, you need to read, understand, and follow the general as well as their specific rules.

In these rooms, you must comply with fire and safety regulations, maintain order, not leave any items here, not consume alcohol (with the exception of the big clubroom) or other intoxicating substances, and not smoke. The location of all rooms can be found on the plans in Annexes A and B.

Big clubroom

The big clubroom was created in the dormitory in 2010. The room contains basic furniture such as tables, chairs, armchairs, and a large sofa, as well as a kitchenette and a toilet.

There are no special types of activities that take place in the room. The most common events here are birthday celebrations, meetings with friends, various parties, and sometimes even theatre performances. However, there is a cleaning fee of CZK 100 for the use of the room; only in the case of very peaceful events is it possible to ask the head of the dormitory for a fee waiver.

Simply put: if you want to organize some sensible event (i.e. not contrary to the rules) and there is no room in the dormitory that would suit you better, then the big clubroom is perfect.

How to rent out the room:

1. Have a look at the room schedule and find a free term.

2. Download the form “Request for party room reservation” (“Zapůjčení velké klubovny” / “Žádost o rezervaci velké klubovny”) and fill in the information (primarily, the date of the event and contact information for the responsible person).

3. Take the completed form to the head of the dormitory (preferred) or to the respective member of the Dormitory Council (contact information for this person can be found on the Dormitory Council’s web pages).

4. Pick up the key for the room at the reception of building B in exchange for the signed form and your dormitory ID card.

You can also bypass filling out and signing the paper form. To do this, make arrangements (via e-mail/Messenger/…) with a member of the Dormitory Council at least two business days before your event and send the member all of the information that you would otherwise provide on the paper form. However, if you would like to request a fee waiver for the Big Clubroom, you must (ideally in person, with the paper form) talk to the head of the dormitory.

The room must be kept in order. The opening hours for the room are until 2 a.m. The approximate capacity of the room is about 40 people and (as opposed to the other rooms) drinking alcohol is allowed here. As in the entire building, smoking is prohibited here.

Small clubroom

As the name suggests, the small clubroom is used similarly to the big clubroom, but of course for smaller events. It is ideal, for example, for board games and small gatherings with friends.

The disadvantage is that it offers less comfort than the big clubroom (there are only chairs, tables and a sofa), but it has a TV set. When comparing it to the big clubroom, there is no kitchen or toilet, and in addition, there is carpet instead of linoleum. On the other hand, unlike the big clubroom, it is not usually cold here and you can simply borrow it at any time by presenting your dormitory ID card, or you can book a date in advance so that no one can take it away from you. The opening hours for the room are until 12 midnight, which may be extended to 1 a.m. in justified cases by a representative of the Dormitory Council.

To make a reservation, do the following:

1. Have a look at the room schedule and find a free term.

2. Download the form “Request for small clubroom reservation” (“Zapůjčení malé klubovny” / “Žádost o poskytnutí malé klubovny”) and fill out the information (primarily, the date and contact information for the responsible person).

3. Take the completed form to the respective member of the Dormitory Council (contact information for this person can be found on the Dormitory Council’s web pages).

4. Take the signed form to the reception of building B.

5. Pick up the key to the room at the reception of building B in exchange for your dormitory ID card.

You can also bypass filling out and signing the paper form. To do this, make arrangements (via e-mail/Messenger/…) with a member of the Dormitory Council at least two business days before your event and send the member all of the information that you would otherwise provide on the paper form.

From June 2023, there is a foosball table in the small clubroom with several types of balls that can be borrowed at reception B. More information in the Facebook post.

Ecumenical room

The room is primarily intended for spiritual purposes and playing board and card games. It is used, for example, by Bible groups. The advantage is the cosiness of the room and its amenities. You can, for example, make tea or coffee here. But beware – drinking alcohol, smoking, and consuming other intoxicating substances is in direct contradiction with the rules of the room! On the contrary, the disadvantage is that it takes some time to get the key to the room, so it is only suitable for regular activities. The small and big clubrooms are more suitable for one-off events.

If you just want to join an existing association or club that uses the room, you can get the contact information from the administrator of the ecumenical room (contact information can be found on the Dormitory Council’s web pages).

If you are interested in renting the room for your own use, you should first contact the administrator, either electronically or in person. Agree on what you intend to use the room for and when, so that there is no clash of dates with other users. Next, write a request to use the room and take it to the head of the dormitory for approval, and then have the administrator register your name on the list at reception B where you can pick up the room key after presenting your dormitory ID card.

The opening hours are not set in advance, so the time of use is determined by the administrator, mainly according to the time schedule of the room.

Study room in building B

Go to building B on the ground floor through a narrow hallway with a door, and to the left of the twin lifts, you will find yourself in a corridor with the Study Room, the Ecumenical Room, and the Office of the Head of the Dormitory.

The study room is usually open all the time, but if it is not, the keys can be borrowed from reception B by presenting your dormitory ID card (no other requirements).

Advantages of the study room:

• It’s quiet there – so please respect it too.

• There is almost always space (though it is not always empty).

• People go there to study, and it is equipped for that.

Thus, if it is impossible to study in your room, it is advisable to go there, and not, for example, to the small clubroom. Eating, drinking any kind of alcohol etc. is strictly prohibited and you can be banned from the room if you do not follow this. If you decide to do that anyway, at least don’t be a jerk and clean up after yourself properly. No one wants to study in the middle of old pizza crumbs and beer cans!

Study room in building A / Computer laboratory (Lab)

On the ground floor of building A, there was a computer laboratory ever since the dormitory was built, but recently, most of the computers have been removed and this room was turned into a study room, accessible 24/7 (keys can be borrowed at reception A by presenting your dormitory ID card).

In contrast to the study room in building B, you can talk quietly about study materials (if you need silence for studying, it may be more appropriate to use the study room in building B) and there are six computers for general use (login was using a Jinonice account; however, it was turned off in the spring of 2024) and a black-and-white printer (but since switching off of Jinonice, we cannot print there).

Music rehearsal room

There is a music rehearsal room in the basement. The entrance to the room is located in the back of the aerobic room. This room, in which there are drums, guitar and bass amps, a sound system, etc., is used by individual musicians as well as bands. For CZK 400 per semester (or CZK 700 per year), you can use the rehearsal room and play at times according to the agreed schedule without fear of disturbing anyone. The funds collected are then used to buy other equipment, musical instruments, etc.

If you are interested in the rehearsal room, visit its web pages, where you can find more detailed information.

Piano music rehearsal room

A music rehearsal room with a piano is located in the basement of building B. There is both a classical and digital piano with the possibility of connecting headphones. The room can also be used for undisturbed practice on your own musical instruments. The opening hours for the room are until 1 a.m.

You can borrow the keys by presenting your dormitory ID card at both receptions. However, there is a lot of demand for the room, so it might be borrowed from the other reception. In that case please be kind and arrange room exchange with the other borrower. Fortunately, the people who come here to exercise have set up TeamUp to coordinate who will be there and when. They also have a Messenger group – write to Magdaléna Gabániová and she will add you.

Oven room

In the basement opposite the laundry storage room, there is an oven room. You can find here two ovens with induction burners, a kitchen unit, a sink, a table with three chairs, and all kinds of tins, pots, moulds, a rolling pin, cutlery, crockery, etc. The keys can be borrowed from both receptions by presenting your dormitory ID card. (Return it the same day!) Reception of building A also lends baking trays (must be returned clean).

Please, be respectful of the devices and equipment! Return whatever you borrow asap and be considerate! It was hard to make this whole idea happen and we would be very happy if all people could use it in the future, not just a few “lucky” ones. Thank you.

6. Services in the dormitory

Doing laundry at the dormitory

Since the end of September 2023, a new type of washing machines (and tumble dryers) is available. The company (Miele) installed them and takes care of them, as well as allows us to use an app (for Android, iOS and the web) for renting them. It is no longer needed to pay a visit to the building A reception. They should also be more durable than the ones we had here before and quicker to be fixed.

After registering in the app, you first need to top up your credit by at least CZK 250. Then, you enter a number of any washing machine in the dormitory. You can either go to one of them – washing machines and dryers are located in both buildings on the 2^nd, 5^th, and 10^th floors in rooms (each with 3 washing machines and 1 dryer) directly opposite room xx01 – or you can directly enter e.g., 50271. Finally, confirm the address “Pátkova 3, 17 Listopadu”.

When you want to do your laundry, check which washing machine is available, go to it, make sure it is empty (if someone else’s laundry is inside, please choose another machine¹), select and start the machine in the app, place your laundry and detergent in the washing machine, choose the program, and press the “Start” button on the washing machine. After the washing is finished, you should receive a notification and an email. Come to the machine, press the “Stop” button, and take out your laundry. Don’t forget to leave the washing machine door open to allow ventilation.

You can start the washing machine in the app earlier (for example, if you are not using the app but are starting it from a computer browser) or later. You can borrow multiple washing machines and dryers simultaneously. Please make sure to take your laundry out of the machine as soon as possible after it’s done, especially during busy times.

It is possible to borrow a drying room at reception A as well as an iron and an ironing board. Drying rooms are located in the same rooms as washing machines, just on different floors. Drying rooms tend to be occupied, especially on weekends. That’s why it pays to do laundry on weekdays when many people don’t have time to do laundry. If you have borrowed a laundry room, please be considerate and return it as soon as possible so that others can use it.

Drying rooms and ironing boards are free for two days even without renting an iron or washing machine.

Malfunctions and defects

Sometimes malfunctions appear here. Perhaps your faucet is dripping. Or there is no electricity. Or the dorm phone doesn’t work.

An electronic book of defects will save you from such a difficult situation. You can access this book from the comfort of your own room using the link for reporting defects or the QR code attached to your door.

In emergency situations (massive water leaks, blown fuses, …), it is advisable to call or go to the reception or control room (Velín).

For a broken light bulb, just unscrew the bulb and take it to reception B where they will replace it for you right away. This does not apply to fluorescent lights. These are reported in the electronic book of defects and will be replaced as soon as possible. However, if you can’t change the light bulb yourself, you can also report it in the book of defects. If a staff member has entered your room without you present in it, you should find a little note about it and the reasoning for an entrance. However, sometimes they forget, so do not panic. It is okay.

Reception areas

Reception areas are located on the ground floor of both building A and building B. These are the glass windows you walk past every day. They provide a wide range of services that are slightly different in both buildings. Here’s an overview:

Reception in building A

• Sells baguettes, sandwiches, chilled microwave meals and beer.

• Lends vacuum cleaners, irons, ironing boards, bicycle tire pump, ball pump, ping-pong bats and balls, thermometers, and luggage scale (mechanical).

• Lends keys for drying rooms, the WC on the ground floor, the study room / computer lab in building A, aerobics, ping-pong, the music rehearsal room, the oven room (including baking trays), the gym, and the piano room.

• Phone number: 1211.

Reception in building B

• Lends vacuum cleaners, irons, ironing boards, bicycle tire pumps, sports equipment (see Borrowing sports equipment), and luggage scale (digital).

• Lends keys for the small clubroom, the big clubroom, the ecumenical room, the oven room (excluding baking trays), the gym, and the piano room.

• Phone number: 1421.

There is also a freely accessible dormitory phone at both receptions.

You can pay for food and drink at the reception in building A with student ID card / ISIC at subsidised prices or with a card/cash at full prices. It is also possible to top up your student ID card / ISIC credit by card/cash here. At both receptions, services (borrowing of vacuum cleaner, etc.) can be paid for with cash only.

The receptionists are on duty during nights as well, but there is a night-time quiet rule, so they don’t particularly like to lend vacuum cleaners after 10 p.m. Around 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., there is a shift change, at which time some services may be limited (especially due to counting money in the cash register) which can sometimes take quite a long time. So it’s generally a good idea to account for the delay and come before or after the shift change.

“Velín” (Control room)

This is a room buried underground in the dormitory – if you come from building A into the hallway where the laundry storage room and ping-pong are located, you’ll see iron protective bars on your right. A few metres behind them on the right side is the control room with 24-hour service that you can call, for example, in the event of an emergency.

Don’t call them because of a dripping faucet or peeling plaster – such things are reported in the books of defects. However, if your toilet has a serious leak, pipes have burst, fuses have tripped, etc., contact them immediately. Electronic waste can also be left there.

The control room can be reached via the dormitory phone (1453).

Laundry storage room

The laundry storage room is located underground between buildings A and B. If you borrowed bed linen when you moved in, you can go there to exchange it for clean, washed linen. You can exchange linen “piece for piece”.

In addition to bed linen, curtains can also be changed there, and possibly new brooms, dustpans and brushes, shower curtains, or trash cans can also be obtained. However, they have very few new items, so we would recommend asking for new ones only if your old items are broken or lost. But what they do have in abundance and give out for free are felt pads for “student” type chairs. You will save not only the floor, but also your hearing and the hearing of residents under your room. They also issue sets of bags (paper, glass, plastic) for sorted waste free of charge in the amount of one set per cell.

In the laundry storage room, you can also borrow a moving cart when presenting your dormitory ID card, which comes in handy if you are moving from one place in the dormitory to another. However, there are not many of these carts and lending them is based on the willingness of the ladies in the storage room – so be nice to them.

Accommodation office

This room is a generally useful office that you will come across in your dormitory life, whether you like it or not. They handle things like changing the duration of your stay, moving, room keys when you move in, etc.

You can also visit the accommodation office if you want to get a gym card, sign a parking contract, sign up for the waiting list for single rooms, activate your student ID card / ISIC to open the entrance door to the dormitory or generate a password for the Wi-Fi uk-guests.

The office is located on the ground floor of building A in the corridor just behind the lifts.

Housing assistant

A housing assistant is a person who helps with accommodation, but more in the general sense (it is not an accommodation office), especially useful to foreign newcomers as she/he can assist you e.g. with orientation in the dormitory, when you don’t know where to find washing machine etc. You can write to their mail ha.dorm.17listopad@gmail.com or check the website for more info.

Psychotherapist

The office of the Faculty Counselling Services Coordinator, Veronika Jonáková, is located on the ground floor of building A in the corridor immediately behind the lifts, to the right of the maintenance manager. She mediates psychological and psychotherapeutic assistance primarily to students and employees of Matfyz (Faculty of Mathematics and Physics). She is also the contact person for students with special needs. However, do not be afraid to go to her or contact her if you have a crisis / acute problem and you are not studying at Matfyz. More info on the website.

Printing and scanning at the dormitory

If you need to print or scan something at the dormitory and don’t have your own printer in your room, it is now worse than it was. There was Robocopy, and we are looking forward to replacement in near future. Also there is a printer in the study room / lab on the ground floor of the building A; and now, there is a cable, which works (when you bring papers).

For scanning and black and white printing, you can also use the printer in the library in the building of the Faculty of Humanities (FHS). You need to have a JINONICE account, which you gain in CAS, through which you log in after attaching the student ID card / ISIC to the printer. For printing and copying, you need to have a student ID card / ISIC credit (different from the one in the canteen), which you can top up at the rental desk. The library is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (to 5 p.m. on Friday) during the semester and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during holidays. More information on the website.

You can also print in the computer laboratory LabTF in building T of Matfyz in Troja (V Holešovičkách 747/2, the southernmost building). It is located in the room immediately to the left of the building’s entrance; during weekends, the building is locked, so you will need to knock on the window of the room. In addition to regular printing, you can also use the Prusa MK4 3D printer there at very affordable prices. Printing is paid in cash to the laboratory service. For more information, including opening hours, visit the website.

In the era of smartphones with good cameras, it turns out to be a good option to use a high-quality app for scanning. One of the best free ones is Notebloc (for Android and iOS).

Probably the last option is to ask the dormitory group if anyone happens to have a printer or scanner. Other dormmates tend to be willing and will usually offer you printing for free or for a few crowns or some goodies.

Grill and tool borrowing

If you want to organize a barbecue but don’t have a grill, contact someone from the Dormitory Council. We have a grill, charcoal, and solid and liquid fire starters to lend. Please return it in as clean (or cleaner) condition. We would also appreciate a small donation for charcoal used.

If you need to hammer a nail into the wall, but you have found that it does not go very well into the hard walls of the dormitory, you can also contact us. We have (for those who know how to use them) a drill screwdriver and impact drill to borrow, and possibly even a hammer and extra nails and screws.

7. Internet access

We have a fast and high-quality cable connection at the 17. Listopadu Dormitory. But since the dormitory got access to a Wi-Fi network in 2017, many people no longer use the cable connection due to its more complex configuration and because, unlike Wi-Fi, you had to pay for it. However, this changed in the summer of 2019, as the dormitory network, which was previously managed by the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, is now under ÚVT UK². If a slightly more stable connection is worth about 15 minutes of configuration, you can try it. The access data are similar to those for eduroam, but the login name is in the form of personalnumber@cuni.cz and the password is the same as what you set for eduroam, see below. You can find the current version of the manual on the Dormitory Council’s web pages, see file win101.

If access to Wi-Fi is enough for you, you again have two options.

eduroam

If you are a student at any university that offers its students access to the eduroam network, your login details will also work for you at our dormitory. The access password for CU (Charles University) can be generated via CAS. Tutorial can be found on the ³https://uvt.cuni.cz/UVTEN-60.html.

uk-guests

If you can’t get access to eduroam, for example, because you are a graduate, the uk-guests network will come to your rescue. They will be happy to provide you with your login information at the accommodation office.

If you suspect that the Internet is down in the entire dormitory, the Pasnet map can sometimes help you confirm it. Pasnet is an academic network that our dormitory is connected to as well.

Devices unable to connect by the previous options

If you cannot connect with the previous options (for example with PlayStation or Xbox), send an e-mail to the service desk, and you will get cable access with the MAC address of your device.

8. Sports at the dormitory

Borrowing sports equipment

Would you like to play volleyball, football, ping-pong, or basketball, but don’t have any equipment? No worries. They lend out sports equipment at the receptions.

You can borrow football, basketball, net + balls for volleyball at reception B. You can also borrow a pump for balls or a bike.

You can borrow table tennis bats and balls as well as a pump at reception A.

You can borrow all the equipment for free by presenting your dormitory ID card. You are not allowed to take the equipment outside the dormitory campus, and the borrower bears full responsibility for any loss or damage.

Aerobic room

There is a large room located in the basement of building A (right behind ping-pong) used not only for practicing yoga or aerobics. The room has horizontal bars, mirrors, and steps that can be used for aerobics. The floor is made of PVC and there is a dancing surface (baletizol) in part of the room. Keys can be borrowed at reception A by presenting your dormitory ID card. Regular exercise sessions are also held here. The schedule is available on the Dormitory Council’s web pages.

Table tennis

The table tennis room is located in the basement of building A (see Map of basement spaces). The keys can be borrowed at reception A by presenting your dormitory ID card. There are two table tennis tables. As for bats and balls, you can bring your own or borrow them from reception A.

Gym

Since 2016, the dormitory has had a functioning gym in the basement under building B near the lifts. To use the services, you need to arrange a gym card, which costs CZK 200 for six months, or CZK 350 for a year. The accommodation office handles this (but do not burden them with this during the move-in period, i.e. until the end of September). The opening hours for the room are until 1 a.m.

The gym equipment includes: calibrated powerlifting and weightlifting (bumper) plates; powerlifting bars; power rack and combo rack for squats, bench press, and other exercises; multi-functional exercise machine; hyperextension bench; abdominal bench; elliptical trainer (the power supply is broken, but it can still be used without electricity); dumbbells up to 25 kg; shock-absorbing plates, ideal for deadlifts and other exercises.

For easier communication, sharing workout tips or plans, and reporting any issues with the equipment, you can join the dormitory gym “Discord server”. You can also suggest changes or improvements to the gym to ensure it meets the needs of all users.

Bike rooms

The bike rooms are small rooms in both buildings A and B, always adjacent to the short wall of the dormitory towards the river. We have a total of 13 of these rooms, each with a capacity of approximately 8 to 12 bikes (so room for over 100 bikes in total).

Each resident can place a bicycle in a bike room. You just need to contact the relevant administrator and, if there is a place in the bike room, you can agree with them to borrow the keys (for the deposit CZK 200). You keep the keys for as long as you have the bike stored there. An up-to-date list of bike room administrators can be found on the Dormitory Council’s web pages.

Some bike rooms even have bike racks installed. Stands can also be found next to the entrance to building B and installed on the wall between the entrances to building A.

In every case, we encourage students not to leave their bikes (especially more expensive ones) unattended outside or in the hallway on their floor, as theft sometimes occurs here.

Parallel bars and pull-up bars

In front of the dormitory, near the wide stairs and towards the river, you will find a freely accessible pull-up bar and parallel bars. These pieces of equipment were built by the residents of the dormitory themselves and offer a great opportunity to train your body outdoors whenever you feel like it!

Football, Basketball

Before the construction of the Faculty of Humanities, there used to be fields for football and basketball, but they do not currently exist, only two old basketball hoops remain next to building B to the west. However, we were promised that, during stage B of the faculty construction (development of the surroundings, etc.), they would make a field for us, but it won’t be any time soon. Fortunately, there is a nearby field at the Salesians (two tram stops from Trojská) for playing football on Monday evenings.⁴

Cycling path

A beautiful and long cycling path winds along the right bank of the Vltava. You can go for walks, jog, in-line skate, and cycle right here. A suitable diversion are kayakers in the Troja channel. It is most convenient to get there by taking the underground passage a short distance from the dormitory in the direction of the Trojská stop.

If you’re in good shape, you can run all the way to Prague-Řež, but keep in mind that the farthest point from where you can then be transported back by Prague public transportation is the Zámky bus station. The road for skating also ends at the Zámky stop (from the tennis courts to the end of the road, it is approximately 7.5 km). On the way, you will also meet two ferries that are part of Prague’s public transportation system (they will let you board after showing your Lítačka transportation pass).

Stromovka park

There is a large and very nice park, Stromovka, not far from the dormitory. It can be reached either by going to the Výstaviště stop, or by walking – along the river and then crossing to the other side via the Trojská bridge or the newly built Troja footbridge, standing on the site of the old footbridge, which fell in 2017. But don’t worry, the new footbridge has a life expectancy of at least 100 years.

You can do a number of different activities there, such as running, cycling, roller skating, or a street workout (there is at least one workout park), as well as group activities, such as badminton, frisbee, and barbecuing at places with a grill, or simple strolling, reading, or studying. There are also several bistros and restaurants.

Swimming pool

The nearest swimming pool is at Výstaviště in Prague-Holešovice (tram stop Výstaviště). The pool is 25 m long, 12.5 m wide and has six swimming lanes. The depth is 1.2 m to 3.8 m. The entrance fee for students is CZK 105 for 60 minutes. But be careful of the opening hours for the public (they can be found on their website).

Aquacentrum Šutka is also nearby, which is located opposite the Čimický háj bus stop, and as the name suggests, there are more pleasures than just a simple pool. Unfortunately, this is also reflected in the price, which is about CZK 140 per hour.

Boulder

We have good news for fans of wall climbing – there is a bouldering wall near Výstaviště. Information is available on their website.

Laser Game

At a relatively accessible distance (Jankovcova 1569/2c), there is a modern laser tag arena with lots of game modes since 2022. Laser tag is an entertaining movement game for groups of people. The price for one game for one person is around CZK 135. More information is available on their website.

TJ Sokol Troja + water sports

The TJ Sokol Troja section operates not too far away from the dormitory, which has divisions for canoeing, football, orienteering, and others. The complexes (football field, gymnasium, dockyard) are located near the Troja channel. You can find information on their website.

If you are specifically interested in water sports, you can also rent a kayak or canoe – there are many rental shops near the Troja channel. It is even possible to pay for courses suitable for beginners and advanced students, e.g. Vodácká škola.

Baseball and softball

We have good news for baseball and softball enthusiasts – the SaBaT Prague club plays and trains on a field near the dormitory.

Tennis

Right across from the dormitory by the river there are tennis courts, which you can rent for CZK 250 per hour (regardless of the number of people), or for a significantly discounted price if you purchase an annual membership. They also offer tennis racket rental, spacious changing rooms and an outdoor covered terrace with refreshments. More info on the website.

Bowling

There is a place offering to rent two bowling alleys within walking distance (around 10 mins close to Kuchyňka stop). For more information see the website of Castle residence.

Ultimate frisbee

Usually, once a week on Fridays in the grassland west of the dormitories, people play Ultimate Frisbee. If you want to play with us, join the mailing list. Every week you will receive an e-mail with information about what time we will meet and a table where you should mark your participation if you plan to come. The events are also for beginners. You don’t have to be afraid to come, the rules will be explained there.

9. Culture

When you are tired of playing sports, it will certainly come in handy to refresh yourself with a little bit of culture, or (for the more spiritually oriented) a religious experience. Here is an overview of clubs, rooms and cultural events that take place at our dormitory:

Sci-fi & fantasy library

The library is located on the 20^th floor of building A. It has over 1,000 books exclusively oriented to science fiction and fantasy genres. The librarians are students who work for free and in their spare time. This corresponds to the opening hours, which are only two hours per week in the evenings. Lending fees are reasonable, and the money collected goes to buy new books. More information can be found on the library’s website.

Singing on the stairs

The tradition of group guitar playing and singing on the stairs is perhaps even older than the dormitory itself. People gather by the stairs (usually building B around the 13^th floor) and spend their evening singing, chatting and playing instruments, but not only guitars are played – when a larger group gathers, you can also hear flutes, violins, clarinets, drums, …

When the weather is good, people also gather outside on the steps in front of the dormitory. However, information about the organized event is spread mainly through an e-mail conference and it is happening very irregularly. You can also join this conference, but sometimes it’s enough just to walk down the stairs if you hear them play. Anyone can join in!

Playing board games

Fans of board games, unite on the Discord server! Here you can find important information about the schedule, find players for a specific game in advance, try to borrow a game etc. It is usually organized in the Small clubroom in building B.

Bible groups

There is a group of Christians at the dormitory who meet to experience their faith together. They gather together to study the Bible, pray, or organize the Three Kings Day carolling in the dormitory. At the beginning of the semester, there is usually an introductory meeting where the time and date of the groups will be agreed upon. You can find all the necessary information on their website. They are happy to welcome you among them, so don’t be shy if you feel like visiting them.

Drama club

The dormitory does not have a drama club, but the adjacent Faculty of Humanities does. You can ask v.blumentritova@seznam.cz.

Walks for new friendships

If you would like to blend a little bit more with the Czechs and other people staying here, we are doing Dormitory walks. It started very simply – people didn’t want to go for walks alone. Now there is a public chat within the dormitory Facebook group anyone can join!

Usually, the walks were happening on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but anyone can gather people at any time. It is also normal that the group splits off into smaller ones based on the time availability etc. So don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be about fitness if you don’t want to! As long as you join for the right reasons and are kind, you are welcomed with open arms.

Swap

If you wish to do something for the planet, you can help organize/attend our dormitory swaps. Just bring something you no longer need and exchange it for something else you do have a use for. It is happening so far quite irregularly, but we are hopeful that with more people interested it could change. Therefore, please let us know if you would be up for it and keep following the dormitory Facebook group!

Book / Discussion club / ART club

Since the academic year 2023/24, there exists an initiative targeting those who enjoy discussions, like to read, and/or are of an artistic creative nature. We see this as an important part of helping our dorm reach a new potential and we would be glad to support not only amateurs in their work. We would also love to help you organize some sort of art exhibitions, poetry evenings, concerts of students, etc. If this is something you would be interested in (just one interest out of those listed above is enough), please send a PM to Nikoleta Anderlová.

10. Food, drink, and shops

Dormitory shop

In the spring of 2012, a dormitory shop was opened on the ground floor of building B, on the site of the former smoking room. However, it was closed in December of 2024, and since 2025, there is an automatized 24/7 shop.

For access you need a telephone with Android or iOS. Registration requires an identity document, selfie, and some time (days) for their approval (and sometimes a message to support).

The shop contains not only food, but also drugstore items (such as toothbrushes, shampoo, and toilet paper) and stationery items (pens, glues, scissors). They have mainly non-perishable food (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, canned goods, sweets/savories, instant meals), but they also have eggs, small ice-creams, and soon (October?) hopefully even fruit, vegetables, and fresh bakery products.

Baguettes, chilled food and beer at the reception

Food and drinks can be purchased at the reception in building A. The current offer is displayed in the fridge opposite the reception.

Baguettes and sandwiches cost around CZK 52–63, and they are delivered at night before Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It happens that they sell out the day before the delivery.

Chilled meals are delivered by the canteen on Friday around 5 p.m. (except summer). The meals are meant to be heated in the microwave and have a shelf life until Tuesday (thanks to the cold shock technology). There’s usually a selection of several types of meals, which are typically sold out by Sunday or Monday. The portions are large (about 1.5 times bigger than in the canteen) and cost around CZK 75.

The beer is Matfyz’ Pěkný číslo (“Nice number”). It is sold chilled in half-liter bottles, contains an above-average 2π % alcohol, and costs CZK 31 plus a CZK 3 refundable deposit for the bottle.

Food and drinks can be paid for using a student ID card / an ISIC card at subsidized prices, or by card/cash at full prices. You can also top up your student ID card / ISIC credit here using card or cash. Services (such as borrowing a vacuum cleaner, etc.) can be paid for with cash only.

Vending machines on the ground floor

On the ground floor of both buildings, you can find several vending machines for drinks. Currently, building A has a coffee machine, a drinks machine, an energy drinks machine, and a (long-term out-of-order) ice cream machine. In building B, there is a coffee machine and a machine for drinks and energy drinks. The vending machines accept cash as well as contactless card payments.

Lokni water fountains

We have water fountains in both buildings, where you can get filtered sparkling or still water. It used to be free and completely unlimited, but Lokni (formerly Filtermac) decided to introduce restrictions during the corona crisis. Now you must scan a QR code from the app before getting water, and there is a limit of three litres per day. The Lokni app is available for Android at Google Play and for iOS at the App Store. After registering in the app, you need to select the “University” tariff. If you don’t have a smartphone, try writing to their email address info@lokni.cz and asking them to generate a QR code for you.

Canteen

Canteens are dining facilities for students and employees of universities. One of these can be found in our dormitory. It is officially called Menza Troja and is located in the basement of building A.

The quality of the food is not up to the standards of top restaurants (but definitely better than high school cafeterias), but as the closest source of food, it is quite popular. There is usually a choice of five different meals, one of which is vegetarian and one is vegan. As in other CU canteens, food prices are around CZK 22 for soup and CZK 80–120 for a main dish. In addition, our menu offers a selection of salads, desserts, pizza slices, draft soft drinks and non-alcoholic beer, other cold drinks or ice cream. Since 2022, it is also possible to get a nice, fresh pizza for a fraction of the price on the market, which you can also take with you in a pizza box.

You can also buy⁵ “Rekrabička” – a box that can be used over and over again; hygiene forbid to use own box.

You can also buy more than one meal – we have two warm meals (including pizza) available with the student discount per day, so you can e.g. buy one meal for lunch and take another for dinner.

The canteen is open only on school days from 10:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. (on Fridays from 10:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.). It is usually closed on holidays. You pay with credit charged to your student ID card / ISIC card. This can be topped up directly in the canteen, at reception A (even outside the canteen’s opening hours), at housekeepers, or on the website after logging in (on request, they will generate a password for you at the cash desk in any canteen) in the section Account management → Payments.

You can order food in advance on the website (where you can also see the menu without logging in), in the MobilKredit 2 app (for Android and iOS) or directly at the canteen. For each meal, in addition to the ordered meals, a certain amount of freely available servings are also cooked, so ordering is not necessary. Before 12 noon, there are usually dishes available for all meals on the menu, but around 2 p.m., we would definitely not count on it.

Café at the Faculty of Humanities

Since 2020, after the opening of the newly built Faculty of Humanities, a café/buffet has also been in operation in its building. The café is accessible from the outside, opposite the entrance to building A. They offer a relatively wide range of buffet food and drinks – baguettes, sweet pastries, coffee, hot chocolate, soft drinks, Matfyz beer Pěkný číslo, and others. It offers quite pleasant (and, thanks to several couches, comfortable) sitting indoors, and in good weather, wooden benches and tables outside (however, smoking is strictly prohibited there). There are also discounts here:

• with the dormitory ID card: 5 % discount on coffee and hot chocolate;
• when paying with student ID card / ISIC: discount on baguettes (circa CZK 8);
• after 6:30 p.m. happy hour: 10 % on food of their own production (bagel, croissant, fitness sandwich, ciabatta);

and maybe there will be special menus (Halloween, Erasmus day, …).

Shops (not only) in the vicinity

Port7

On the other side of the river, between the train station and the riverbank, there is complex Port7. Besides a canteen with a small cake shop, and a café, there is a pharmacy, an optician, and a gym.

A Small grocery shop in Holešovice

When you arrive at Nádraží Holešovice by bus and cross the road with the tram tracks, turn right. The first door you come across leads to an Asian minimarket with reasonable opening hours.

Small shops at the metro (subway/underground) station

On both sides of the metro entrance, there is an opportunity to buy food – on one side, there is McDonald’s and Relay, on the other Minit, two bakeries, two Relays, Pizza Merlo, and more. There are also several ATMs here and two branches of Zásilkovna – in one of the Relays and at the ticket office by the trains.

Smaller supermarkets in the vicinity

Albert and Billa at Florenc – Billa is right next to the metro entrance (on Křižíkova street), Albert is across the street. Both are average in size and have all the typical features.

Albert on Komunardů – Classic Albert with all the advantages and disadvantages, a short distance from the dormitory at the stop Dělnická (trams 6 and 12 direction Palmovka / Sídliště Barrandov). Albert is hiding in the building of an old brewery, and you have to go back a bit from the stop. You will see it behind the gate to the courtyard on the right side of the street (next to the DM drugstore). On the way back, you can use the stop U Průhonu, which is even closer to the store.

Billa on Argentinská – This classic Billa is located on Argentinská street (part of the “Magistrála”). You can get there by bus 156 from Nádraží Holešovice or Strossmayerovo náměstí (it goes in a circle).

Albert and OC Stromovka on Veletržní – If you go down the street to the left after arriving at Veletržní palác (trams 17 and 6), you will come across Albert. If you go to the right, you will come to the Stromovka shopping centre with many different shops, such as Lidl, Delmart, DM, a stationery shop, Datart, Sportisimo, but also the interesting concept “PARKet” – a floor dedicated to gastronomy, bars, cultural events, and other things. You can find more information on their website.

Albert at Kobylisy – The supermarket has only a basic assortment, and completely lacks, for example, packaged sausages and cheeses, but it is open until 10 p.m. You can find it right behind the escalator from the metro at the tram stops. You can get there either by metro or by tram no. 17 from the Trojská tram stop.

Albert at Ládví – Classic Albert with all the essentials. You can get there from the dormitory by metro or tram with a transfer at Kobylisy.

Billa on Letenské náměstí – This classic Billa is located on Letenské náměstí. You can get there by tram no. 12, Letenské náměstí stop. Used mainly by students from Malá Strana, who can return to the dormitory via Letenské náměstí.

Prague “Holešovice” Marketplace – There is an abundance of merchants in the complex, Penny and Norma supermarkets, and in Hall 22, a market with vegetables and fruits. You can get there by tram no. 12 (Tusarova stop) or no. 6 to Dělnická and walk a short distance and take the first street to the right, past Alza, until you reach the market.

Kaufland at Libeňský most

Kaufland is located a short distance from the Libeňský most tram stop. They are open until 10 p.m. You can also get there by bike in no time (it’s about 3.5 km) on the bike path leading directly from the dormitory.

Tesco in Letňany

Tesco is open non-stop in Letňany. The 201 bus goes there from the Kuchyňka stop during the day (until half past twelve and from about half past four) and the 911 bus at night. It is a longer journey, suitable for larger purchases. Get off at Tupolevova (about 4 minutes from the Letňany stop), cross the street and through the nearest entrance to the shopping centre, which you pass by keeping to the left.

Food delivery and shopping services

Services that deliver food to your dormitory have recently become more and more popular. Among those delivering ready meals from restaurants, the most popular are Foodora (formerly Dáme Jídlo), Wolt, and Bolt Foods, each with its own restaurant menu and other specifics. Rohlik.cz, Košík.cz, iTesco, Billa and other stores make it possible to buy primarily food items and have them delivered to you.

Pubs and restaurants

Cross club

On the corner of the “Magistrála” and Plynární (that’s where the trams run), there is an absolutely exceptional facility, an architectural work of art. You pay for the beer at the counter and take it to one of the rooms, or there is also a disco. On the first floor, compared to the rest of the building, there is a slightly quieter café. They have a wide selection of drinks and food, but the prices are rather high. You can often smell weed here and meet the corresponding individuals.

Restaurant Loděnice

The restaurant is located right on the Troja Channel. Although it has slightly higher prices, they cook well. Those who are not fond of alcohol will certainly welcome a draft Kofola.

Castle residence

A stylish restaurant with two bowling alleys is located a little to the east of the dormitory. You can get there by a path leading from the parking area. The environment there is very nice, though the prices are expensive, except for the lunch menu, which has a choice of four dishes in various price categories.

Family restaurant of Vietnamese and Thai food at Rokoska

A short distance from the Rokoska bus stop (the first stop after Kuchyňka in the direction of Holešovice; after getting off, go back about 50 m in the direction of Kuchyňka) is a classic Asian restaurant cooking from semi-finished products with traditional prices.

Other places and services

The list is certainly not exhaustive. Due to the limited scope of the guidebook, we want to stress the importance of not being afraid to look for the best offers and good places yourselves using Mapy.cz or Google maps using a keyword “restaurants”, “občerstvení” or “hospody” or even asking your fellow students, your friends or neighbours.

Speaking of neighbours and places to go, we also have some cool bars and dancing places in Prague as the city night life is quite famous. One of such places is the boat Altenburg 1964 that sometimes can be found on the Vltava river during the summer right next to our dorms. Sadly, their concerts (although amazing, we are sure of it), tend to be very very very loud. So loud you may struggle to fall asleep even with the windows closed. We therefore recommend investing in nice sleeping earplugs (not all of them are good for sleeping!).

The earplugs are also going to save you from what sounds like an apocalyptic concert rather than cooking of your neighbour in the early morning, the people sitting and chatting on the dormitory stairs, not knowing when to go to bed, or fun and always loud “Blanka” tunnel… Personally, we can recommend https://www.earplugs.cz website as they have a lot of types (suitable for small and big ears as well) and some other interesting options.

11. People and organizations

Dormitory Council

The Dormitory Council is a group of several students (five in our case) representing the interests of the residents in matters with the dormitory management. If you have any problem or suggestions for improvements regarding the dormitory, do not hesitate to contact us! Our e-mail address is kr@listopad.koleje.cuni.cz.

About once every two months (except holidays), we organize public meetings. Both the dormitory management and all the residents who are interested in attending are invited.

Examples of our activities:

• We created this guidebook ☺

• We lend leisure activity rooms.

• We administer managers of bike and luggage rooms.

• We arranged (in the past) the room reservation period.

• We enforced better service of the bus 187.

• We continually try to improve the dormitory (bike racks, single rooms, recreational spaces, gym, oven room, outdoor picnic tables, foosball).

• We run web pages with a lot of useful information.

• We keep you up to date with the latest news in the dorm Facebook group.

• We organize different events, support the initiatives of our fellow accommodated students and help you achieve the best dormitory experience!

We’re here for you!

Head of the dormitory

The head of our dormitory is Mgr. Jana Provazníková. Matters under her management include approving pets, renting out the big clubroom (in cooperation with the Dormitory Council), or resolving complaints relating to breach of the accommodation contract or complaints about dormitory staff. You can also submit wishes and complaints to her regarding the operation of the canteen.

The office of the head of the dormitory is located on the ground floor of building B, in the corridor behind the lifts.

Accommodation assistants

Accommodation matters are taken care of by the ladies from the accommodation office. Ms. Vojáčková is in charge of building A and parking and Ms. Gregorová is in charge of building B. However, this division is not set in stone and exists mainly due to mass arrivals and departures (so if one of the offices is closed, feel free to go to the other one).

Housekeepers / dormitory post office

Other activities in the dormitory fall under the housekeepers. They are the nice ladies who take care of e.g. moving out, painting, and replacing your broken “Student” chair. The housekeepers also collect the mail. Unfortunately, since 2018, they have been operating in the following mode:

• They take regular letters and put them in the recipients’ mailboxes.

• In the case of registered letters, they call the dormitory phone to see if the recipient is not in the dormitory, and if they are not, they leave a request in the mailbox to pick up the letter at the post office (usually the one near the Ládví metro station at Burešova 1663/6).

• They do not take packages at all.

If you behave politely, you can get along with them quite well.

12. What didn’t fit in elsewhere

Pests at the dormitory

Dormitories are big buildings and many people live here. So we can’t fully prevent the occurrence of pests (bed bugs, cockroaches, mill moths, ants, even rodents, and more). Please, maintain cleanliness (especially in the kitchen). If you see pests, report them to the dormitory. Nobody will persecute you for bringing them here (mostly, you cannot know if it was really you). On the contrary, other occupants and the dormitory will hate you for trying to cover pests up.

Visitors

If a visitor comes to see you, they should be registered in the visitors’ book at the reception and should not move around the dormitory without your presence at the dormitory (and between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without you accompanying them). If they also plan to sleep in the dorm, you should take the following steps:

1. Fill in the form “Visitor in the student rooms” (“Návštěva na studentských pokojích”). The signatures of all roommates from the cell and the signature of the person offering their bed for the visitor to sleep on are required.

2. Take the completed form to the accommodation office, and for CZK 50, you can pick up clean bed linens. Return the linens on the following day.

3. If the person who wants to sleep over is a resident of another CU dormitory in Prague, they are entitled to one sleepover per month free of charge.

Only six overnight visits per month are permitted, of which a maximum of three consecutive nights (for details, see the Accommodation Code, Article 8).

Overnight visitors who do not sleep in a roommate’s bed do not exist under current regulations. In practice, nobody really cares that much. However, your neighbours might, so it is always good to follow the rules and ask them in advance! We wouldn’t like the administration to make our lives a living hell. So, please, be considerate, kind and always treat others with the respect you want to get from them.

Entrance locking

Since 2025, the entrance to the dormitory (glass doors) is locked all day (except for building A during the opening hours of the canteen). During moving in, they add your student ID card / ISIC to the dormitory system (or you can get a chip at the accommodation office) so you can unlock the entrance. You can test it by using a chip reader next to the entrance at any time (it will light up green or red). If your student ID card / ISIC doesn’t work, visit the accommodation office.

If you reach a locked entrance and cannot use your student ID card / ISIC / chip, you can ring at reception (however, do not expect a hearty welcome).

Room locking

However, it is necessary to lock your door at any time of the day. Especially during the evening/night, even if you are just going to take a shower (it cannot be heard). You could also lock the kitchen door if you think the room next to you fails to lock its door. You never know who may be wandering the corridors, and although the Czech Republic is generally a very safe place to live (no need to freak out), thefts sometimes happen even here, and bad people can be found in every state. Please, be careful!

Also, try not to lose your keys as the exchange of the lock can cost you a serious amount of money (more than CZK 2000).

Parking

The parking area at the dormitory was closed for a long time due to construction. Since autumn 2023, there are 20 paid parking places only!

The reserving of the parking spot takes CZK 300 per month and is done through the accommodation office (building A). There you will make a contract and get a chip for opening the gate. Short term parking (getting accommodated, delivery services etc.) needs to be ringed in using a bell at the gate, stating reasons for entry. Do not lie! There are cameras in the front ☺. The exit of the space is done automatically.

For longer-term parking, you may also use the (also unguarded) car park just in front of the entrance to the area.

Shared transportation

Shared transportation has recently become popular and available. This usually works on the principle that you go to the vehicle in question, unlock it in the app, and then set off on your journey.

Probably the most interesting are the shared bike services Rekola and Nextbike, which have stations near the dormitory (next to building B and by Pelc Tyrolka bus stop). In addition, both companies offer twice a day the first 15 minutes free of charge with your Lítačka card, which means you can get to Trojská, Nádraží Holešovice, or even to the Stromovka shopping centre and back quickly and for free. Alternatively, if you’re extra lazy (or in an extra hurry), you can ride to the Matfyz buildings on Troja (where Nextbike even has three stations compared to Rekola’s 1).

In addition, shared electric bicycles, electric scooters, scooters, and cars operate in Prague. You can find complete information about shared transportation in a comprehensive Facebook post.

Recycling

You will want to recycle your waste while at the dormitory. On the one hand, it’s ecological, and on the other hand, it’s convenient – recycling your waste really only takes a few moments (and there are containers for recycling waste right next to the dormitory). It’s also practical – the more waste bins for recycled waste you have in your room, the less often you have to take out the waste.

For general information on how to sort waste in the Czech Republic see our leaflet.

In the laundry storage room you can ask to get a set (paper, plastic, glass) of recycling bags (from EKO-KOM company). One set per cell of rooms (meaning per one shared area of the accommodation) is for free.

We currently have containers for mixed waste, paper, plastic (and beverage cartons), glass, metals, and bio-waste (what exactly does and does not belong in bio-waste containers can be found on the city website). Bio-waste can also be taken to the compost in the “jungle” (the small forest just south of the college) set up by the Pučmeloud Beekeeping Association, or to the Community Garden Kuchyňka.

Used edible oils and fats placed in resealable plastic containers can be taken to the special recycling containers. The nearest one is at Na Truhlářce 2, see the map. Used batteries can be thrown out to the small white boxes located close to the receptions or elevators in both buildings. You can take electronic waste to “Velín” (Control room).

Pets

Pets are not allowed in the dormitory. An exception to this rule may be granted by the head of the dormitory. To do this, you need to fill out the “pet permit” form (“Povolení chovu zvířete”), have it confirmed by your roommates in the cell and a representative of the Dormitory Council, and take it to the head.

Allowing a pet depends only on the head’s decision, so don’t expect a permit for rats, mice, snakes, spiders, scorpions, or birds. There is usually no problem with fish, and a vaccination certificate is required for dogs and cats.

Noticeboards

There are a considerable number of them placed around the dormitory. Anyone can post things on the noticeboards on the floors opposite the lift, in building A on the stairs leading to the canteen, and on one bulletin board near the reception in building B (see the Facebook post about rules for posting flyers), but it is polite to take down the flyers again when they are no longer current.

Opposite the reception in building A and next to the lifts in building B, there are noticeboards for the Dormitory Council, where minutes and current announcements are posted – everything that is on the noticeboards can also be found on the web pages.

A little closer to the lifts in building A and near the water fountain in building B, there are noticeboards for the Matfyz association, where you can find out about various events organized by the association, and there are also usually QR codes for Facebook groups mainly relevant for Matfyz students.

The other noticeboards are used by Dormitories and Refectories, who occasionally also stick leaflets on walls or in lifts. Residents are prohibited from posting flyers here or in the elevators, except by explicit agreement with the head of the dormitory.

If you’re selling or looking for something, the dormitory Facebook group is usually a more effective (and easier) way to post your ad.

Luggage rooms

Part of the drying rooms (usually about two; it depends on how many administrators sign up) are traditionally turned into luggage rooms during the holidays (and also during whole year).

Students who move out in June and return in September can store things here free of charge that they were not able to take with them. There is also a year-round luggage room for depositing outside of holidays.

How to get to them? Just follow the dormitory Facebook group at the end of May and in June. Using the same procedure, you can also become a luggage room administrator, which is both advantageous for you (access at any time) and, on the other hand, is a highly respected position.

Another option is to monitor the luggage room page on the Dormitory Council’s web pages during June. There you can find the rules and information on the currently operated luggage rooms.

Jungle and fireplace

In the jungle (the small forest just south of the college), there is a nice place to be, bees and compost (see the association Pučmeloud). There is also a fireplace, which you can use, if you get your own wood, clean up after yourself, and report the fire to the fire department. Unfortunately, the form is only available in Czech, but someone should be able to assist you with it. Or you can borrow a grill (see section Grill and tool borrowing) from the Dormitory Council.

Night-time quiet

Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., you are obligated to be quiet, especially outside (because every sound from the surroundings is heard in the dormitory). Also parties from boat Altenburg or other places can disturb, see Facebook.

13. Smoking in the dormitory

Unfortunately, the problem with smoking in the dormitory has reached such a level that we have to devote a separate page to it, although we are not happy about it. Whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, you will find in the following text important information about where you can smoke, where you can’t smoke, and how to protect yourself from second-hand smoke.

Where is smoking allowed?

Smoking is allowed at the exit of building A which is currently closed – from the outside, of course; in the future it may be moved around the corner of building A due to smoke rising into the windows of rooms on the lower floors of the building. The second, non-conflicting place is an area with a shelter next to the entrance to building B (note: it is out of service until stage B of the construction of the Faculty of Humanities is completed). Not directly in the entrance! Both places are marked with signs that permit smoking.

Where smoking is not allowed

Anywhere outside the designated areas (see above). Specifically, it is prohibited to smoke in the rooms, on the stairs, in the corridors, in the lifts, and in all common areas (i.e. also in the large and small clubrooms, the gym, and the vestibules). Yes, that’s right – you’re not even allowed to light up a cigarette in your own room. If you are not comfortable with this and cannot accept this rule, please move somewhere else.

Why is smoking banned?

The first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is probably the fire regulations. The dormitory is a building with a high fire risk, and you need to behave accordingly. However, a much bigger problem is bothering other residents of the dormitory with cigarette smoke. When you smoke out your window, your neighbours’ rooms downwind smell of cigarette smoke. When you smoke anywhere inside, the ventilation system spreads the stench of cigarettes throughout the building – practical observation shows that if you smoke in a room, even a room six floors away can smell like an opium den. In addition, there are people with asthma and other people in the dormitory who are not only bothered by smoke, but could have serious health problems due to the smoke.

What about smokers who ignore the ban?

The first step is identification. If you see a smoker on the stairs, take a photo of them. Or find the room where the smoke is coming from. It’s ideal if you have someone else with you as a witness. The second step should be to politely warn the smoker that they are violating the accommodation contract and making your life unpleasant with their behaviour. If that doesn’t work, contact the Dormitory Council and the head of the dormitory – provide as much information as possible about the situation.

14. Important links

Dormitory Council’s web pages: https://listopad.koleje.cuni.cz/

Here you will find news about the dormitory, minutes of the meetings, and important documents. The web pages also provide the current leisure room schedules and the online version of this guidebook. You can also write us at the following e-mail address:

Dormitory Council’s e-mail: kr@listopad.koleje.cuni.cz

Facebook group: https://fb.com/groups/koleje/

Do you need to borrow a can opener, are you missing one potato for your soup, do you want to ask something or, on the contrary, share that someone forgot to turn on the water in the washing machine or that you are having a party, or other things? Then the Koleje 17. listopadu student Facebook group is for you. It’s also the best and fastest source of information and notices about current situations relating to the dormitory.

Web pages of Dormitories and Refectories (KaM UK): https://www.kam.cuni.cz/

Among other things, you will find here most of the binding regulations that relate to living in the dormitory. First of all, these are general accommodation terms and conditions, accommodation rules, and various measures of the director (these are issued more often during the year as well).

REHOS: https://rehos.cuni.cz/crpp/

You can book your accommodation here.

Accommodation scholarships: https://is.cuni.cz/webapps/

You can apply for scholarships here. E.g. almost every CU student studying in Czech who does not have a permanent residence in Prague is entitled to an accommodation scholarship. You can also use the Helpdesk in certain cases (e.g. if you have technical problems when creating an account on the Jinonice domain).

Carolina Centre Counselling: https://centrumcarolina.cuni.cz/CC-40.html

The Carolina Centre offers several different types of counselling services (psychological, socio-legal, career, coaching, and others) intended for all employees and students of Charles University. Services are provided free of charge.

CU student card centres: https://cuni.cz/UK-3249.html

A list of locations where you can obtain student ID cards / ISIC cards.

Facebook page for Dormitories and Refectories: https://fb.com/kolejeamenzyuniverzitykarlovy/

You can find here current information relating to canteens and dormitories.

Important contact information for Dormitories and Refectories: https://kam.cuni.cz/KAM-15.html

Contact information for people from Dormitories and Refectories, as well as individual dormitories (in the Dormitories and Refectories directory).

Board of dormitory councils: https://gremiumkr.cuni.cz/GKR2-63.html

A body made up of representatives from the Dormitory Councils. They meet several times a year with the management of Dormitories and Refectories and resolve current issues, often concerning our dormitory.

17. listopadu Dormitory on the web pages of Dormitories and Refectories: https://kam.cuni.cz/KAM-307.html

Matfyz Wiki: https://wiki.matfyz.cz/

The wiki with a lot of useful information primarily for Matfyz students, but you can also find here generally useful information for getting around in Prague. Including a page about the dormitory: https://wiki.matfyz.cz/Kolej%2017.%20listopadu

A. Map of basement spaces

Note: In order to save space, the map had to be slightly distorted, so don’t be surprised by the discrepancies in the dimensions of the rooms.

B. Maps of the ground floor

Groud floor, building A

Groud floor, building B

C. Opening hours

Accommodation office

Dormitory post office / housekeepers

Laundry storage room – exchange of linens

Laundry storage room – moving in/out/between rooms

Canteen

Café at the Faculty of Humanities

Study room in building A / Computer laboratory

D. What you can borrow