Advanced Scientific Programming in Python

© 2010, Mike Rowe, http://www.flickr.com/photos/babomike/5269602189/

Split is the city in the Croatian region of Dalmatia, situated on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is by far the largest city in Dalmatia and the second-largest Croatian city. Split is also one of the oldest cities in Dalmatia - it was founded as the Greek colony Aspálathos in the 4th century BC.

The most prominent landmark of the city is the Diocletian's Palace, built by the Roman emperor Diocletian in preparation for his retirement at the turn of the fourth century AD. This massive palace which lies in the city center, together with the historic city of Split built around it, was included in the register of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in November 1979.

The city is located in the area of almost ideal climate, with 2,800 hours of sunshine each year. It takes one walk along the Riva, the wide palm-lined boulevard between the sea and the towering palace walls, while breathing in the fresh Mediterranean air to fall in love with the city. Just a few minutes walk from there, the streets become so narrow, so that some of them only one person can enter at a time, with purple bougainvilleas dripping down the walls.

In addition to that, one must mention Split's famous beaches and the Marjan park. The most popular sand beach Bačvice is located in the eastern part of the city, while Marjan, a large hill covered in dense pine forest, offers panoramic views, hiking trails and public beaches in the western part.

Split offers a wide variety of the authentic Croatian Mediterranean cuisine. Its location on the coast makes it a great seafood destination, with specialties including black (squid ink) risotto, octopus salad and grilled lobster.

Please check if you are required to have a visa to enter Croatia. In case you do, remember to apply soon enough ;)

The most common way to reach Split is by plane to the Split airport, Zadar airport, Dubrovnik airport or Zagreb airport.

If you're flying to the Zadar airport, take the bus line Liburnija Zadar to the Zadar main bus station, with the bus timetable available here. From there, take the intercity bus to the Split main bus station. The timetable and the prices of the intercity bus can be seen here. The price range is between 80,00 HRK (~11 EUR) and 144,00 HRK (~19 EUR). The buses operate throughout the entire day, with the lines departing every hour. The average travel time is 3 hours.

If you're flying to the Dubrovnik airport, take the airport shuttle bus to the Dubrovnik main bus station, with the bus timetable available here. From there, take the intercity bus to the Split main bus station. The timetable of the intercity bus can be seen here, after you've chosen Dubrovnik as your starting point and the appropriate date. The buses operate throughout the entire day, with the lines departing every hour. The average travel time is 5 hours.

If you are flying to the Zagreb airport, first take the bus line Pleso prijevoz which will take you to the Main Bus Station in Zagreb. From there, choose one of the numerous bus lines that are connecting Zagreb with Split, for which the tickets can be bought at the station. The price range is between 146,00 HRK (~19 EUR) and 196,00 HRK (~26 EUR), depending on the bus company. The buses operate throughout the entire day, with the lines departing every half an hour or so. The average travel time is around 5 hours, provided there are no intermediate stops at the other cities. For more information, you can visit the website of the Main Bus Station

Upon arrival to the Split airport, there are 3 options to get to the city center:

• with the direct bus line Pleso prijevoz
• by using a regular public transport bus line Promet Split (continue line ;))
• by taxi, which are parked in front of the airport or order one on ++385 (0)21 895 237

The main bus station (Kolodvor) is located in the city center and is used for regional and international connections. To reach to school venue you need to use the local bus lines.

When you arrive at the main bus station (Kolodvor) walk to the bus station with local lines (station Tržnica). This station is just a couple of minutes away from the main bus station on foot (walking instructions). At Tržnica, wait for the bus line number 18 direction Brnik (eastbound). The map also shows when to leave the bus - your station should be the fifth after Tržnica, but buses sometimes don't stop at all the stations so make sure to get off after the bus passes under the bridge (again, see the map). One way bus ticket costs 11 HRK (~1.5 EUR) and you can get it from the driver when you board the bus. While getting the ticket, you can try to tell the driver to notify you when the bus reaches the university campus. In that case, be prepared to be creative if your bus driver doesn't speak English :). This is a map of the network of the local buses in Split. The bus line 18 operates every ~30 min on Sunday (the day when you'll most probably arrive in Split), but the specific times of operation are still a big unresloved mystery, even to the locals . So, make sure you have something to read in case you have to wait for the bus. Once you leave the bus, follow the instructions to reach the dorm. The student dorm will be very hard to miss, due to the peculiar appearance of the building.

If you follow the walking instructions given above, you'll reach the dorm from the southern side. Walk to the top of the paved pathway and the reception will be on your right.

You can also decide to walk from the bus station to the campus (min. 40 min), but if you don't have a map of that area and you have a heavy luggage that might not be the best idea.

If you have any questions, just contact our lovely local team for further information.

The summer school is hosted by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FESB) of the University of Split. The building is located in R. Boškovića 32, 21000 Split. This map contains all the relevant locations for the participants, including the school venue.

There are many bars, bakeries and fast-food restaurants (serving sandwiches, pizzas, salads) just across the campus in the Ruđera Boškovića street. In the same street, the big supermarket where you can everything you need is called Tommy and is located next to the bar where we meet on Sunday. There are also several smaller stores.

• Breakfast: There is an option to have breakfast in FESB student restaurant (in Croatian called “Menza”, the same one where the lunch will be served). If you want to have your breakfast there, pick up the breakfast vouchers at the reception when you check-in. Then, you can pay for them at the check-out. On Monday morning, we will meet in the dorm lobby at 7:30 and go to the Menza together. Alternatively, you can get snacks and bakery products from other cafeterias on campus: there's one bar at FESB where we will have our coffee breaks (which is in the ground floor at the entrance, and is different from Menza), or a cafeteria in the ground floor of main university library, which is a building next to FESB.
• Lunch: Will be in the student restaurant (Menza) at FESB, but you can also decide to grab something from fast-food restaurants in the R. Boškovića street.
• Dinner: Quick and cheaper dinning options can be found in the R. Boškovića street, and for nicer dining options you can head towards the Split city center. On Tuesday and Thursday dinner will be provided by the school as part of social event activities.

Restaurant Velo Misto

We will have two social events:

• On Tuesday (Sep 9) we will have a Split sightseeing tour at 19:00, followed by a dinner (meal and one drink are paid for)in the Split city center. The lectures end at 17:00, and we meet at Riva at 19:00. Riva is the main promenade in the city center and we meet here. On foot along the coast takes around 30-40 min (depending on the walking pace), or with a bus (18,11,17 all are just below the campus and going to the city center) 10 min but they are pretty random, so count in some buffer time :)

• On Thursday (Sep 11) there will be a trip to Radmanove Mlinice.

Details about the social events and the closing party will be announced during the school.

The closest beach to the school venue is 10 min away on foot from the campus. You can reach it by walking south, along R. Boškovića street and then Trstenik street. In Split, it is possible to walk along the coast all the way to the ferry harbour and the city center, so the whole seafront can be seen as one big beach and you can jump in the water wherever you like :) There are also several other famous beaches in Split, but they are further away from school: Bačvice and Žnjan.

Students will be offered the possibility to stay in the newly-built student dormitory directly on campus. Check-in date is Sunday 7 September and check-out Sunday 14 September. The advantage of the dormitory over other types of accommodation is that the dorm building is right next to the school venue. That means you would be able to spend more time together and sleep longer in the morning, since the lectures start each morning at 08:30 . In addition, all faculty members and some of the organizers will be staying in the dorm, so it's a nice opportunity to hang around together. The rooms feature two separate single-sized beds and a private bathroom (see the pictures below).

Sheets and towels will be provided and exchanged regularly. On every floor there is a small kitchen and common spaces that can be used.The price per person for one night in a room with 2 beds is 167,00 HRK (~23 EUR). You can choose to have breakfast in the cafeteria on the campus (which is close to the dorm), and in that case the price for the bed and breakfast is 189,00 HRK (~25 EUR).

If you decide to book the room with us, you'll be sharing it with another school participant of the same gender.

If you would like to come a few days earllier or leave a few days later, let us know and we will try to arrange that for you.

There's just one reception at the dormitory and that's where you're going to check-in. At the reception you'll need to show your ID/passport for the identification. There, you will get your name badge and the info leaflet which you will need for Monday morning. Also, if you decide for breakfast provided by student restaurants on campus at the reception you can get breakfast vouchers for which you can pay upon check-out.

The payment for the accommodation and breakfast vouchers (if you got them) will be done at the dorm reception at time of the departure (i.e. when you check-out). It is possible to pay in cash in local currency (kuna, HRK) or with any major credit/debit card.

If you decide to book the accommodation on your own, you might want to find a place close to the school venue so you don't depend on the public transport. Buses in Split might be unreliable sometimes because operating hours might not overlap with those written on the schedule. Good and budget-friendly places to stay with locals in Split can be found on airbnb. You can also take a look at numerous private apartments, which might be a good option for larger groups of people, or hotels and hostels. If you have any questions, or need help with finding a place, don't hesitate to contact our lovely local team!