Practical Info
Travel info
Petnica Science Center (PSC) is located in western Serbia, 7 km from Valjevo (around 90 km southwest from Belgrade). If you land in Belgrade, the fastest way to get to Petnica is to take a bus to Valjevo. Here we give some more details. If you ever have any doubts or questions feel free to contact the organizers.
By plane: The closest airport is Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade. If you land there, you can take a bus number 72 or A1 minibus that will bring you close to the train and the bus station in the city center (for more information klick the following link). The ticket for the bus is approximately 3.5 Euros and the bus ride takes approximately 30-40 minutes. Alternatively, you can take a cab to the city center for a typical price of around 25 Euros. By the airport exit there is a Taxi information desk, where you can order a taxi and get a voucher with a fixed price. Once you reach the city center, the easiest option is to take a bus from the central bus station to Valjevo.
By car: If you are coming by car from Belgrade, the fastest way is to follow the road E-763 (Miloš the Great Motorway) in the direction of Lajkovac (around 60 km southwest from Belgrade) and then continue towards Valjevo. Once you are there you can ask for PSC or just follow the signs. If you are entering Serbia by car from the west, it is faster to go straight to Valjevo. In that case please check the maps before the trip to find the easiest option.
By bus or train: You can easily reach Valjevo from the central bus station in Belgrade. The buses typically run every two hours during the day. The tickets are around 10 Euros (in one direction) and it takes a bit less than 2 hours to reach Valjevo. The other option is to take a train from Železnička stanica Beograd–centar („Prokop“). Ticket is around 5 EUR and it can be bought on the train (in RSD).
Currency exchange
The Serbian currency is "Dinar" (RSD). The typical exchange rate is 1 Euro = 117 RSD. You can exchange most of the foreign currencies in many exchange offices that you can easily find. Almost all of them offer very good prices and they are typically better than the one you can get in banks.
Traveling in Serbia
Western Serbia is quite nice and has several places worth visiting. To find more information please visit the website of National Tourism Organisation of Serbia.
Food/accommodation
Meals and accommodation are provided at the PSC canteen/dormitory. You will stay in shared rooms with a toilet and shower (towels are not provided, so make sure to bring your own!). Do not plan to spend a lot of time in the room -- you will benefit the most from interactions with other participants.
Most of the area is covered by wi-fi (inside and outside). There are also network plugs in most of the rooms.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at 09:00 - 09:30, 14:00 - 14:30 and 20:00 - 20:30, respectively.
People with specific dietary requirements should contact us no later than a week before the beginning of the school.
In a cafe-bar close to the restaurant you can buy coffee, drinks, or small snacks. The bar is open from 09:00 to 22:45. Cafe-bar also provides basic hygiene products, although it is recommended that participants obtain these products in Valjevo/Belgrade before the school as the options are limited and can vary. Note that Petnica cafe-bar doesn't accept card payments so it is useful to withdraw some cash before coming to Petnica.
Closest supermarket to PSC is 20min on foot.
Lectures and other activities
Most of the lecturers are postdocs and senior PhD students. They will give detailed and in-depth lectures, mostly on the whiteboard. Make sure to have plenty of paper/notebook (you can’t buy them at the cafe-bar).
Each evening will be reserved for joint discussion, or for some activity you can arrange with lecturers during the day.
The program is rather intense and it is unlikely that you will have time to work on other private stuff during the school.
The policy of PSC is to ask questions whenever you like (during the lecture) and you are encouraged to do so. Discussions with lecturers during free time are also encouraged.
You will have some organized free time in Valjevo and at the nearby swimming pool. One day is reserved for a hiking trip, most probably along the Gradac river. Make sure to bring appropriate sandals, sneakers or running shoes that can dry easily. The walk will partially go through the river and you will most certainly get wet.