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EGG IN NOVI SAD
Getting to Novi Sad
Visas?
Novi Sad is located in the Republic of Serbia. Although it is not a member of the EU, Serbia is one of the countries listed in the Annex II of the Schengen Agreement containing the list of countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter the countries of the EU. By reciprocity, people from EU countries (including the UK), do not need visas to enter Serbia. Visa is also not required for the citizens of the US, Russia and China, which suggests that there is a long list of countries whose citizens can travel to Serbia without any additional documents other than their passport. If you’re coming from a non-EU country other than the US, Russia and China, it is, nonetheless, a good idea to check whether you will need a visa to enter Serbia using this link. Needless to say, if you need an invitation letter or some other documents in order to obtain a visa, in case you need one, the organizers will provide them for you. Contact: aleksandra.mirkovic@ff.uns.ac.
By plane?
Novi Sad does not have an airport and the closest one is in Belgrade (the Serbian capital) about 80 kilometers away from Novi Sad. The airport is called Nikola Tesla and it is fairly well-connected with most major European cities as well as numerous larger cities in the world. There is one more commercial airport in Serbia and it is located in Niš. This airport is significantly farther away (some 320 kilometers), but it is worth considering as the flights are much cheaper. Of course, the Niš airport is not as well-connected as the one in Belgrade but it has regular flights to and from several major European cities. Other airports that are not very far from Novi Sad are in Timisoara (c. 170 kilometers), Budapest (c. 280 kilometers) and Zagreb (c. 380 kilometers).
By train?
One can get to Novi Sad by train from many European cities. The website of the Public Railway Company of Serbia is not particularly user friendly so we suggest you check whether a larger train station that is close to you has a line to Novi Sad. Due to a major railway reconstruction project that is under way, it is currently impossible to travel from Belgrade to Novi Sad by train. The Novi Sad train station is located about 3.5 kilometers away from the Faculty (and the dorms) and some 3 kilometers from the city center.
By bus?
The main bus station in Novi Sad is located right next to the main train station. It is connected to a large number of European cities so it will probably be a very convenient option for most participants. Also, if you are flying into Belgrade, you will most likely be thinking of taking a bus to Novi Sad. That is certainly an option; however, the Belgrade Airport is quite far away from the main bus station in Belgrade so making the trip from the Airport to Novi Sad by bus would include using public transportation or a taxi to get from the Airport to the main bus station in Belgrade. Taxi vehicles are available outside the Airport, and the Airport offers some official information and advice about them here. When it comes to the public transportation from the Airport to the main bus station, the best option is to use A1 minibus or the bus number 72.
For those who find all this too complicated, there are private shuttle buses and taxies that would take you from the Belgrade Airport directly to Novi Sad. They are a much more convenient but also somewhat more expensive option. Websites of the companies that offer these services are not very helpful as they are usually in Serbian (e.g. here) so it is best to contact them directly via email (here is one: info AT prevoznovisadaerodrom DOT com).
Getting by in Novi Sad
Getting to the dorms & the Faculty
The main bus station and the main train station in Novi Sad are right next to one another so regardless of whether you are arriving by bus, by train or by plane via Belgrade, you will find yourself on this location. The station is about 3.5 kilometers away from the dorms, which is, perhaps, a walkable distance, but with your luggage and all, you will probably want to take some form of transportation. There is city bus stop right in front of the main train station. You should look for the bus number 4b there. You can also take the bus number 11b, which starts from the bus stop across the street from the bus station. With the bus number 11b, you will get off at the 10th stop, and with the bus number 4b you will get off at the 6th stop (Faculty of Sport and Physical Education). The price of a bus ticket is around 0.5 euros and it can be bought from the driver. The local currency is Serbian Dinar (RSD), and everything is paid in Dinar. The exchange rate does not fluctuate very much and stays around 118 dinar per euro. Most buses, including 4 and 11, go on every 15 to 30 minutes from 5 AM till midnight with higher frequency during the working hours (6-17) and lower frequency in the evening.
Once you are at the campus bus stop next to the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, you should see a tall red brick building surrounded by several smaller red-brick buildings across the street. These are the dorms and the Students’ Restaurant. There is a pedestrian crossing some 100 meters from the bus stop directly across the street from the red buildings. Once you cross the street, you will see two pedestrian paths, the one on the left leading in the direction of a building with the inscription saying “RESTORAN” above the door (that’s the Students’ Restaurant) and the one on the right leading towards a short long building (this is the dorm). Walking along the path on right, you will reach the Veljko Vlahović dorm. The entrance to the dorm will be to your right as soon as you pass a small convenience store, which is part of the dorm building.
Another option to consider is taking a taxi. Taxies are quite cheap in Novi Sad, and chances are most of you will use them on some occasion. A ride from the main bus/train station to the campus will cost you around 3 euros (360 RSD). If you are able to share this cost with one or two people, this will be almost as cheap as the bus ticket. You should pay attention not to enter a non-licensed vehicle, because they might try to overcharge you. Red Taxi, Lux Taxi, City Plus Taxi, Delta Taxi and Novus Taxi are the names of several licensed taxi companies, and if you see one of those labels on a vehicle, you will know that you will be charged fairly.
If you choose to go by taxi, the best destination point for you is the Main Students’ Restaurant/Students’ Mensa inside the campus (In Serbian this is “Glavna menza na kampusu”, in case the driver does not speak English). Once you leave the taxi, you should be in front of this place. That’s the Main Students’ Restaurant building. You will spot a pharmacy in the corner of the Students’ Restaurant building. That’s where you should turn right and you will see one long dorm building to your left. The Veljko Vlajović dorm, which is the one you’ll be looking for is bit further down. Walking along the long dorm building to your left, you should see a small fountain on the right hand side. The entrance to the Veljko Vlahović dorm will be in front of you once you pass the fountain.
Dorms
The dorms will probably be your first stop after you’ve arrived in Novi Sad. The dorm is called Veljko Vlahović and it is located on Dr Sime Miloševića Street 8, which is inside the campus. All the rooms in this dorm are double rooms. Two rooms share a bathroom and a kitchen with cupboards and a sink while 8 rooms share a shower. However, we will arrange it so that only two double rooms are filled in each shower block (i.e. there will be one shower per two rooms/four people). A stable internet connection is available in the dorms, WI-FI and cable, but you should bring your own cable if you want to use the cable connection. You can, of course, choose your roommates by emailing your preferences to Peđa Kovačević (pedjakovacevic90@gmail.com). You should do this by July 15.
The School starts on August 3 and it ends on August 14. Your tuition fee will cover 13 nights from August 2 to August 13. This means that you can arrive on August 2 and Leave on August 14. If your plans include arriving earlier than August 2 and/or leaving later than August 14, you can pay for those extra nights yourself. One extra night will cost you 7 euros. You should, however, notify us (Peđa Kovačević) about the extra night(s) you would like to include in your stay so we can arrange that for you. This should be done by July 15.
Faculty Building
This year’s EGG School will take place at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad. The Faculty building is located on Zorana Đinđića Street 2, which is inside the campus. The walk from the dorm to the Faculty building should take 2-3 minutes. As you leave the drom, you should walk past the fountain, and turn left once you reach the Pharmacy in the corner of the Students’ Restaurant Building. You will see a pedestrian crossing some 50 meters ahead. Having crossed to the other side of the street, walk straight ahead. You will pass by the Faculty of Technical Sciences and the Faculty of Law on the right, while the Faculty of Agriculture should be to your left. Once you reach the outer edge of the campus, you will see a black glass building, which is the Rector’s Office, across the street, and find yourself in front of a fork in the road. Take the path on the right. The Faculty of Philosophy will be to your right. The entrance to the Faculty is facing outside the campus. There is a big park across the street from the Faculty, and there is a river (the Danube) on the other side of the park. WIFI is available inside the Faculty building.
The School
The School itself takes place over the course of two weeks (Monday through Friday). The classes are divided into two blocks, one in the morning and the other one in the afternoon. There is a lunch break in the middle. The classes are divided according to discipline (Syntax, Semantics, Phonology), and level (Introductory, Advanced). You cannot attend all the courses even if you wanted to because many of them run in parallel. You should pick those courses that you are truly interested in and try not to overwhelm yourself. Find a pace that suits you best. All the courses are taught in English. The evenings and the weekend are devoted to social activities and entertainment.
City Center
The center of Novi Sad is some 1.5 kilometers away from the dorm and the Faculty building. This is definitely a walkable distance, and the walk from the Faculty or the dorm to the city center is quite pleasant. You can also take a bus. The bus leaves from a bus stop on the corner of Stražilovska Street and Cara Lazara Boulevard across the street and to the right from the Students’ Restaurant. You should look for the bus number 8 and get off the bus on the third stop in front of the Serbian National Theatre.
Contact for the local organizers
If you have any further questions concerning the local organization, contact: pedjakovacevic90@gmail.com