Location. The Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences is located on the western part of North Caucasus in Karachaevo-Cherkesskaya Republic. The administrative centre, library, scientific laboratories, computer centre, hotel and apartment houses of the Observatory are located in the Observatory campus called as settlement Nizhnij Arkhyz, which is in 25 km to the south from village Zelenchukskaya. Nizhnij Arkhyz (local people's name is Bukovo because of the beech ("book" in Russian) forest surroundings) is located in a valley of river Big Zelenchuk at height 1300м above sea level. The observational optical base of the Observatory is in 17 km from the campus on mountainside of mountain Pastuhova at height of 2100 m in a zone of the Alpine meadows and includes the largest in Europe telescope with 6 m main mirror diameter (the Big Telescope Azimuthal - BTA), and also small telescopes with 1 m and 0.6 m diameter of the mirrors.
Radio telescope RATAN-600 is located in 25 km from Nizhnij Arkhyz on southern side of Zelenchukskaya village. It has an original design of array with a variable structure of the reflecting surface executed in the form of a circle with diameter 600m. It is the largest tool in the world within this class of radio telescopes. A parabolic dish array of 32 m diameter is located between RATAN-600 and Bukovo. This radio telescope belongs to St.-Petersburg Institute of Applied Astronomy.
Transport. It is possible to reach Nizhnij Arkhyz only by motor transport. The asphalted highway connects it to Krasnodar (320 km), Nevinnomyssk (130 km), Stavropol (210 km), Cherkessk (100 km) and Mineralye Vody (200 km). There are railway stations in these cities. The nearest airport is in Mineralnye Vody. SAO RAS organizes motor transport for delivery and departure of conference participants.
Settlement. The settlement of astronomers is located in a picturesque place, in a beech woods. An ancient town is in 3 km from settlement with the temples of X century, which are the most ancient Christian monuments in Russia. Nizhnij Arkhyz is neighbourhood with well-known tourist and mountaineering places Arkhyz, Dombay, and Teberda.

Moscow airports:

• Sheremetyevo Airport
• Domodedovo Airport
• Vnukovo Airport