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TravelTips24 : Europe : Balkans : Serbia

Serbia

Serbia Serbian: (Srbija / Србија) [1] is a country that was a founder and one of six republics forming the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is located in the Balkans, in Southern Europe. It is surrounded by Montenegro, Albania to the south, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west, Bulgaria to the southeast, Croatia to the northwest, Hungary to the north, Macedonia to the south, and Romania to the northeast. It controls one of the major land routes from Central Europe to Turkey and further on to the Near East.

Regions

  • Central Serbia - main region
  • Vojvodina - autonomous northern province (autonomna pokrajina / аутономна покрајина)
  • Kosovo - southern province that declared independence from Serbia in early 2008, but is only partially recognized.

Cities

  • Belgrade (Beograd / Београд) - Capital
  • Niš - The third largest city in Serbia.08
  • Kragujevac - The first capital of modern Serbia, industrial hub and the 4th largest city in Serbia.
  • Novi Sad - Provincial Capital of Vojvodina and second largest city (after Belgrade)
  • Vršac - One of the most beautiful cities in Serbia
  • Pristina - Largest city in Kosovo.

Other destinations

  • Staro Selo 3 kilometers south of Velika Plana, it has an all wooden 19th century church, build by Vujica Vuličević, with then ruler of Serbia, prince Miloš Obrenović, in repentance for their role in the death of Đorđe Petrović Karađorđe in the near vicinity, the commander-in-chief in the first phase of the War of restoration (First Serbian uprising)against the Ottoman empire. The reason for its wooden structure is so that in the oncoming attack of the Turks, it could be easily dismantled and moved to a safer location. Regarded as national Serbian treasure.
  • Guča a village in Dragačevo district (about 20 km from Čačak) where a famous brass music festival (Трубачки фестивал) is held annually. (http://guca.co.yu/)
  • Petrovaradin fortress, one of the greatest and preserved XVIII century fortress in Europe.
  • Sokobanja, the road to Sokobanja detaches on 200-th kilometer of the motorway Belgrade - Athens. Sokobanja is situated in basin between the mountains Rtanj(1,560m) and Ozren(1,117m), 400m above the sea level. Sokobanja is a famous spa and tourist place in Serbia for its moderate continental climate and immense surfaces of woods, fresh air and a lot of thermo-mineral sources. They all make Sokobanja an exceptional place in Serbia.
  • Subotica has been rated as one of the most beautiful cities of Serbia. It is located in North Serbia, and is the closest city to Palic. Main languages are Serbian and Hungarian.
  • Sremska Mitrovica is one of the oldest cities in Serbia and in Europe. Known as Sirmium in Roman Empire, it was one of the four capitals during tetrarchy period.

Negotin- one of the smallest but very beautiful and small

General

Serbia is a lovely country, open for tourism all year round. In summer tourists love spending their time in Belgrade and enjoy the nature of many national parks throughout the country. In winter tourists are warmly welcomed to mountain resorts (one of the most popular being Kopaonik [featured on BBC as one of the best ski destinations in Europe]). There are also many spa resorts such as Sokobanja, Niška Banja and Vrnjačka Banja.

Serbs are warm people especially towards tourists. Most Serbs speak some English (seniors, however, are more likely to speak German and/or French), so you will be able to find your way around by asking directions. Most tourists come to Serbia in the summer and you will often hear German, Italian, French and English on the streets of Belgrade due to the number of tourists.

Climate

In the north: continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion: moderate continental climate; to the south: hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall.

Terrain

Extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills. Although the region around the town of Mionica has been known for some earthquakes in recent years, these were by no means destructive.

Highest point 
Đeravica 2,656 m

History

The first Serbian state was formed in the early 11th century, expanding by the mid 14th century to an empire comprising most of the Balkans. In 1389, Serbs lost a decisive battle in the Kosovo field against Ottoman empire. Serbia managed to preserve its autonomy for another seventy years only to be finally overwhelmed by the Turks in 1459. An uprising in the early 1800s that grew in the full scale war (War of Restoration) led to the restoration of Serbian independence in 1815.

The 1914 Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia following the asassination of Archduke Ferdinand by an ethnic Serb high school student precipitated the first World War. In its aftermath,in 1918, victorious Serbia gatherd all south Slav lands (Croatia, Slovenia, Slavonia, Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegowina, and Montenegro)into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes; The country's name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany and Italy in 1941 was resisted by Yugoslav Army in fatherland (Chetniks), commanded by Lt.-Gen Dragoljub Mihajlović and communist led guerilla (partisans) who eventually started fighting each other as well as the invaders. The partisans, commanded by Field-Marshal Josip Broz Tito emerged victorious and formed a provisional governement that abolished monarchy and proclaimed republic in 1946 after a dubious referendum. At the end of the war nearly all ethnic Germans left the country. Although pro-Communist, J.B. Tito's new government successfully steered its own delecate path between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half decades.

In the early 1990s, post-Tito Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia all split from the Yugoslav Union in 1991; and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. All of efforts to preserve Yugoslavia were ultimately unsuccessful and bloody civil wars broke out in Croatia and in Bosnia. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (FRY) in 1992. Slobodan Milosevic was elected the first president of Serbia. In the late 1990s, the conflict with the Albanian separatist movement in Kosovo led to a NATO bombing campaign and direct intervention, which left the placement of Kosovo under UN administration. Slobodan Milosevic, by this time elected for the president of the federation, lost Federal elections in the fall of 2000 to Vojislav Kostunica. The country reestablished its membership in the OUN and started preparations to join the EU. In 2002, the republics of Serbia and Montenegro began negotiations to forge a looser relationship, which led first to the name change of the nation to "Serbia and Montenegro", then culminated in Montenegro declaring independence in June 2006. More recently Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence, however this act remains unrecognised by Serbia and most of the other countries.

Independence 
4 February 2003 (when changed from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to State Union of Serbia and Montenegro), 5 June 2006 (from State Union of Serbia and Montenegro to Serbia)
National holidays

January 1 - 2 (New Year's Day), January 7 (Eastern Orthodox Christmas), January 14 (National Holiday (Orthodox New Year), January 27 (Saint Sava's feast Day), February 15 (Sretenje / Groundhog Day (Candlemas) / Serbian National Day), May 1 - 2 (Labour Day), May 9 (Victory Day), June 28 (Vidovdan / St Vitus Day)

Money

Serbia's official currency is the Serbian Dinar (RSD). The Serbian dinar can be exchanged in most of the banks throughout the Europe. However, it is best to convert at the airport (even though the rate there tends to be a bit higher) or in the banks located in the towns or in the numerous and visibly marked authorized exchange offices. Euro is occasionally being accepted, but prices are often overestimated when directly compared to the Dinar. Belgrade is typically on pair with many European cities prices, however, outside the capital prices of almost any item are lot lower when compared to the capital. Typically, 120 Dinars for a coke in a Belgrade bar, and 150 Dinars for 3 cokes in a bar outside the capital. On October 24th, 2008 there were 65 Serbian Dinars (RSD) to the USA Dollar, and 83 Serbian Dinars to 1 Euro.

Travel to Serbia & Visa Requirements

Getting into Serbia does not constitute a problem for most European nationals. You don't need to obtain a visa for entering. Citizens of USA, Canada and Australia and the European Union do not need visas either. Citizens of Bosnia need only ID. Check with your nearest Serbian embassy for current and detailed information.

Flights and airtickets to Serbia

TIP: Licensed taxi service fare from the airport to the city has a flat rate of RSD 800 (€10). Travel time to the city centre is approximately 20 minutes. Incoming taxis have constant radio communication with airport authorities. This ensures passengers a better alternative. Should there be any problem finding taxi you should address the staff of the Tourist Organisation of Belgrade in the Arrivals Hall to call a taxi for you. All taxis working at the airport are comfortable limousines in top-notch condition.

Using taxi services for destinations outside metropolitan Belgrade is unwise, as prices are unreasonably high. All licensed taxi drivers have a badge, an oval blue license plate with a serial number, and the Belgrade Coat of Arms displayed on the roof. Make sure that the taximeter is switched on. Tarif 1 is the correct one Monday to Saturday from morning till 10 am. Tarif 3 is the 'trick' fare used to scam out of obscene amounts of money. Or better take one of the several bus lines, check the Belgrade section.{br}

  • Niš - Serbia's second international airport is in Niš - Niš Constantine the Great International Airport (INI). It's connected with Zurich as well as some other European cities during the winter months, serving as the airport for the near by ski resorts at Kopaonik. The following airlines operate to and from the airport: Jat Airways ( Basel /Mulhouse), Tivat , Zürich ), Montenegro Airlines( Tivat ),and Thomsonfly ( London - Gatwick Airport [seasonal])

By train

Several international trains from Belgrade to Budapest and Vienna and to Zagreb-Ljubljana-München/Zurich. Usually, they should not be too late (seldom more than 1/4 of an hour). The night train to Budapest was very regularly overcrowded in summer 2005 (only 1 sitting car). Furthermore, there are direct (day or night) trains from Belgrade to Skopje - Thessaloniki (Belgrade-Thessaloniki 30 euro/seat+20euro/bed one way at 2 beds compartment). Trains to Sofia and Bucarest however tend to be often quite late (about an hour). Trains to Macedonia (Greece), Bulgaria and Romania are allegedly reported to oftenly consist of old, not very comfortable, cars.

By car

Be sure your Green Card has an uncancelled "YU" or "SRB" box. Coming in from Hungary, the Szeged/Horgos border crossing is notorious for its congestion. If crossing the border from Hungary, try the Tompa/Kelebija crossing point, about 20km west.

On the two-lane E75 between Szeged, Hungary to Belgrade, please note that cars over-taking will often use the unofficial "middle-lane". Exercise caution and pull over to the hard shoulder on the right to let them through safely. The dual-carriageway should be completed in 2009 to eliminate this risk.

Police are generally stationed at major junctions or at underpasses to control traffic and speed. Drivers commonly warn others of a police presence by flicking the high-beams on two or three times.

Buses to Serbia

Vienna - Buses leave from Südbahnhof station almost every day. For destinations south of Belgrade, Zoran Reisen coaches leave at 3pm on Friday, and charge around 45 euros for a one-way trip (as at August 2007).

Hungary - When you take an international bus from Belgrade towards Germany, don't surprised when a collection is held inside the bus for paying the Hungarian border guards a fee to let the bus go faster over the border. This is what you would call a bribe. On your way into Serbia it seems 'cheaper', though the Hungarian border guards will demand all passengers sign a form declaring they 'offered no gift, cash or otherwise, to Hungarian border police' whether they paid a bribe or not.

By boat

There are boat tours, which pass through Belgrade. These are English Trafalgar Tours which cruise along the Danube and have a two day stopover in Belgrade.

By thumb

Hitchhiking across Serbia is still acceptable and most drivers will treat you like a friend. However, necessary precautions should still be taken. Generally, it is easy to hitchhike through Vojvodina and it's much more difficult to hitch a ride from Belgrade to the south, in the direction of Kosovo, or Macedonia and Montenegro. The Hitchhiker's guide to Serbia offers a collection of hitchhiking tips for a number of cities and towns in Serbia. It was made by the members of the Serbia Travel Club, an association of independent travelers from Serbia, and is available in English and Serbian.

Talk

Languages: Serbian (the majority), also Hungarian in the north.

English is commonly spoken throughout Serbia and the younger people tend to have excellent command. They are also quite willing to practice it with foreigners. Also you can try with young people talking German, Franch or Spanish which are learned in Serbian schools.

The Serbian language is identical with Croatian and Bosnian. Before the era of nationalist linguistic policies and the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, they were all known as Serbo-Croatian. Today people in the former Yugoslavia no longer use this general term for what remains a common language.

If you speak Russian it can prove to be occasionally helpful for you. Even though Serbia has never been politically involved in any way with Russia, the two languages have some similarities. This also includes all other slavic languages, especially Bulgarian and Macedonian.

In Vojvodina most people speak Serbian, but other languages are also used. In some towns near the Hungarian boarder you are more likely to hear Hungarian. There are many smaller minorities, like the Slovaks, the Romanians, and the Rusyns, etc. who often speak their native languages as well.

Serbia attractions and sightseeing

There are two rivers which go through Belgrade: The Sava and Danube. There are a lot of old buildings on all four banks, including a huge fortress (Kalemegdan), that has been built, modelled and remodelled by Celts, Romans, Byzantins, Serbs, Austrians and Turks over more than 2,000 years. It has a multitude of various towers and ports, and two long walking/biking paths along both rivers.

Medieval orthodox monasteries – Studenica, Manasija, Žiča, Ravanica. Excellent opportunity to see part of Serbian history. If you are interested in art, there are excellent fresco masterpieces. Recommendaion – “Beli Anđeo” (White Angel) fresco in Mileseva monastery.

Serbia city tours

Belgrade night life – Belgrade is very famous for its whole-night-party clubs. It depends from musical taste, but if you are in search of place to feel local atmosphere and good vibes, visit bohemian street “Skadarlija”, although this street is the haunt of domestic tourists wanting folk music and traditional Belgrade dining. It tends to be full of ill educated nouveau-riche businessmen getting blearily drunk and is not really of any interest to foreigners, particularly younger ones.

For younger population club Plastic is the place to go. It offers a variety of electronic club music and often hosts very popular international DJ's as well as the best of Serbian DJs. For more info (http://www.club-plastic.com/)

Coffee Bar "Dali" in Hilandarska street is one of the hot spots of young urban Belgrade, although very small it is always full and offers great atmosphere and good music usually selected by some of the best Belgrade DJs. Style's vary from Hip Hop, Soul, Jazz, Electro, Drum n Bass to Bosanova, Nu Funk and RnB. And if you like "Rakija", on Fridays this bar has a theme night called "Rakijanje" (Drinking Rakija in Serbian slang).

Jazz lovers should visit "Ptica" (the Bird) in Šantićeva street. Fridays and Saturdays live jazz music. Club also has a CD shop dedicated only to jazz music.

Also, don't forget to visit "Tramvaj" at the corner of Ruzveltova and 27. Marta street. Live music, young people and excellent atmosphere.

Ada Ciganlija is also an excellent place to kick back and relax during summer. It is as locals call it the sea of Belgrade. A lot of sport fields and courts (soccer, basketball, golf, volleyball, etc.). Cafes serving ice cream and beer abound on the banks of this lake-beach park.

Favorite leisure activity in Belgrade is drinking coffee in numerous bars, bistros and cafés (especially in Strahinjića Bana street, which is known locally as Silicon Valley as it is frequented by loud, vulgar and surgically-enhanced folksingers along with their hangers-on and wannabes). It is very strange, but most of places are occupied all day long - ie, within working hours. You should check: Downtown café, Buka bar, Movie bar, Iron café, Biblioteka café, Monza café-boat, Bibis café-boat, and many more; People who are not in the folk and MTV music, and don't like to drink overpriced coffee, should avoid this street. There are coffee bars on almost every corner in Belgrade, which offer more relaxed atmosphere and are designed with more taste that those in Strahinjića Bana street.

EXIT festival – Biggest music festival in SE Europe, that is happening in the beginning of July, in Novi Sad, on Petrovaradin fortress. (http://www.exitfest.org/)

Serbia souvenirs & shopping

Downtown Belgrade is populated with many high-end as well as midrange shops. "Knez Mihailova" is the biggest shopping street, but there are also quite a few shopping malls, such as Delta City. Imported western food is available in many supermarkets, especially in the Croatian-owned "Idea".

Serbia Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

When ordering a burger ask for 'pljeskavica' (pronounced: pl-yee-eska-veetsa) ask for kajmak (like mildly sour cream) (pronounced: kay-mahk) it tastes way better than it sounds. Stepin Vajat and Duff at Autokomanda, Loki in downtown area and Iva in Žarkovo are the best grill fastfood restaurants in town. Also try ćevapcici (pronounced: tse-vaptsitsi), they are small parcels of minced meat, grilled with hot spices. It is considered a local fast food delicacy. Highly recommended to carnivores.

Burek (pronounced Boor-ek), sometimes decribed as the Balkan equivalent of McDonalds due to its being sold everywhere, is very delicious. It is made with a range of fillings including meat, cheese, spinach, apple, cherry....... Not for dieters as it is quite oily. Morning is definitely the best time to eat this (sometimes sold-out by afternoon).

  • Kiflice (kee-flee-tse)are lovely little crescent rolls.
  • Paprikas (paprika-sh) - stew with paprika often with chicken
  • Gulas - stew with paprika with beef
  • Sarma - cabbage rolls, similar to dolmades but made with sauerkraut instead of vine leaves
  • Gibanica -(ghee-ban-eetsa) - phillo pie with spinach and cheese or just cheese (like spanakopita or tiropita in Greece)
  • Punjene Paprike - stuffed peppers (Poony-eenay Pap-reekay)
  • Pasulj - (pas-ool-y) - beans-a national specialty. Often cooked for a long time with onion and paprika. Delicious.
  • Riblja čorba - (reeblya-a chorba) Fish soup using freshwater catch.
  • Roštilj (barbecue) - the most delicious food in the world

Serbia nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

  • Rakija (exellent brandy that has many flavours, like plum (pronounce like she-lyee-va), quince (dun-ya)... - You should know that some prestigious brand of rakija can be extremely expensive.
  • Loza (from grapes, a type of rakija)
  • Voda = Water
  • Slivovitza (the national brandy of Serbia, and the most common type of Rakija, very popular, variably strong alcoholic beverage)
  • Beer. I believe that Jelen (Deer) and Lav (Lion) are the two best varieties of Serb beer, although Niksicko from neighbouring Montenegro also seems very popular.

Tap water is perfectly safe to drink, and mainly of a good quality, too. There are also many springs and fountains with excellent-quality drinking water - the most popular ones being the fountain on Knez Mihailova in Belgrade, and the many fountains in the city of Nis.

Stay safe

Serbia is generally a very safe place to visit. The locals are incredibly polite and helpful in case you require any assistance. However, you should always be aware of pickpockets, mainly in crowded tourist places and on public transportation. Street robberies, murders, or attacks are highly unusual even in dark or remote parts of the city. One should always watch out for drivers, who can be very rude to pedestrians or cyclists.

Respect

Since many Serbs feel nationally frustrated by the defeats in recent historical events, it is best to avoid discussion of the 1990's Yugoslavian Wars, the NATO bombing of Serbia, and president Milosevic's administration. If someone brings the topic up, try to avoid giving any strong opinions until you can assess your acquaintance's views. Do NOT mention Kosovo. Due to the US's vocal support of Kosovar independence, in addition to the 1999 air strikes, there is some ill-will directed towards the West, particularly towards the USA (though unlikely on a personal level). On the other hand, talking about Socialist Yugoslavia and Tito will not raise as many eyebrows; as most will not hesitate in talking about it and some may even approach it with a strong degree of affection towards that more stable and peaceful era. Remember Serbia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, but does maintain relations with Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. Relations with Bulgaria have bittered over Kosovo as well.

When toasting in Serbia, as in the most of european countries, make sure you make eye contact. You may be invited to drink gallons, but are expected to be able to hold your drink. Being obviously drunk is a sign of bad taste, lack of character, and worse. It is always nice to toast in your companion's native tongue. Cheers is živeli in Serbian, gëzuar in Albanian (Don’t confuse these two!) and egészségedre in Hungarian.

The word molim is key to polite conversation in Serbian. It basically means please, but is also an appropriate response when somebody thanks you (and says hvala). It also means, What’s that? if you didn’t understand some word. Just saying Šta? (What?) can sound rude. It may be said that the use of the word molim is similar to the use of bitte in German.

Like most European languages, has the formal and informal way of saying you (Vi and ti). Use the formal Vi version when addressing older people. People are normally not addressed or referred to by their first names, unless among friends or relatives.

Serbian greetings are: Dobro jutro = Good morning | Dobar dan = "Good day" indeed to be used most of the day | Dobro veče = Good evening | Doviđenja = Bye | Laku noć = Good night (only when going to sleep, otherwise Dobro veče) | Zdravo = The most common informal greeting, used both when coming and leaving.

Contact

There are three mobile phone networks in Serbia: MTS, Telenor and Vip. Prepaid SIM cards cost 200 dinars. In Vip stores you can buy a Vip 226 (rebranded Sagem my220V) phone with prepaid SIM card for 1999 dinars.

This page was last edited at 18:39, on 14 November 2008 by Peter Fitzgerald. Based on work by Stefan Ertmann, Marko and Nebojša Miskovi?, Wikitravel user(s) Doperty and Episteme, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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