Serbia is a country located in south-eastern Europe and a famous tourist destination. Serbia is a country that has attracted travellers worldwide for being a country of joyful and hospitable people, traditions and cultural heritage. The country is so alive with its urban attractions, peaceful towns, villages and splendid countryside. Belgrade is the capital city of the country with an arresting mix of an old and new culture, style in its every day to day life.
Serbia
After the arrival of the Serbs in the Balkans in the 7th century, several medieval states were formed, which evolved into the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. By the 16th century, Serbia was conquered and occupied by the Ottoman Empire, at times interrupted by the Habsburgs. In the early 19th century the Serbian revolution re-established the country as the region’s first constitutional monarchy, which subsequently expanded its territory and pioneered the abolition of feudalism in the Balkans. The former Habsburg crown land of Vojvodina united with Serbia in 1918. Following World War I, Serbia formed Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples which existed in several forms up until 2006, when Serbia regained its independence. In February 2008 the parliament of UNMIK-governed Kosovo, Serbia’s southern province, declared independence, with mixed responses from international governments.
The Serbian gastronomy is a mix of oriental, central European and Balkan cuisines, offering an overwhelming variety of meals. Besides in restaurants and kafanas (something like a tavern), Serbs tend to eat lots of fast food, especially grilled for lunch, and pastry for any other meal. Serbia has a lot to offer to hedonists and eating out to catch local flavors is an unforgettable experience and a highlight for many visitors. When spending time in Belgrade or elsewhere in Serbia, make sure you try the local dishes. Local favorites are ćevapčići (small rolls of mixed minced meat), which are eaten with plain onions and warm bread. Pljeskavica, another extremely popular and tasty dish, is the actual ancestor of the hamburger. It is made of minced meat sprinkled with spices and grilled. You will come across all kinds of grilled meat, sarma (minced beef and pork with rice enveloped in pickled cabbage or vine leaves), stuffed peppers, Serbian beans, podvarak (roast meat in sauerkraut), musaka (minced pork or beef mixed with eggs and potatoes and then baked), gibanica (pastry sheats with eggs, cheese and then baked), proja (corn bread), etc. Famous local spirits are šljivovica (plum brandy) and lozovača (grape brandy).
The best way to learn about a nation’s history, culture and art is to visit its museums and galleries and Serbia’s museums will truly take you on a journey through time and space.
Whether you’re interested in learning about history, art or culture there truly is something for everyone…
For baking aficionados, a visit to the Museum of Bread is a must.Aerophile’s should pay a visit to the Aeronautical Museum.
Or if your little ones are keen to learn more about dinosaurs, be sure to visit the Natural History Park.To learn more about the culture and history of the different regions of Serbia, the museums of Vojvodina, Toplica, Kikinda and Sombor are ideal.
In Belgrade, the Gallery of Frescoes, included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Registry, is the place to see some of the finest medieval frescoes all in one place. Also, well worth a visit is the Nikola Tesla Museum, dedicated to honoring and displaying the life and work of the famed scientist.
The City Museum of Sombor
The City Museum of Sombor preserves the archaeological, ethnological and historical treasures of the Bačka region, as well as numerous works of visual and applied arts from across Serbia.
The Museum of Illusions
The Museum of Illusions is a fantastic spot at the heart of the central area of Belgrade where nothing is what it seems. It will make you question your senses and learn why the eyes see things the brain doesn’t understand.
National Museum in Kikinda
The diverse collections of the National Museum in Kikinda contain tens of thousands of exhibits which will take you on an exciting journey through time.
Museum of Yugoslavia
The Museum of Yugoslavia is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the complex Yugoslav heritage.The museum displays exhibits from all stages of development and subsequent decline of Yugoslavia – from the emergence of the idea of a joint state of South Slavs through the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia to the eventual breakup of the country and the accompanying phenomenon of Yugo-nostalgia.
Lepenski Vir Museum
Lepenski Vir Museum was built to protect the eponymous archaeological site and hosts artefacts dating back to 7000–6500 BCE.
Old Village Open-Air Museum
Situated in the village of Sirogojno on the plateau of Mt. Zlatibor, Old Village Open-Air Museum features authentic buildings constructed in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Log cabins, houses and cottages provide a faithful depiction of the traditional rural architecture of the time.
Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art
Recognisable for their bright colours and great amount of detail, the works of self-taught naïve artists are an authentic expression of a creative energy that does not heed any restrictions or rules. The Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art in Jagodina aims to preserve and promote this type of art by collecting, researching, displaying and publishing it.
Nikola Tesla Museum
Nikola Tesla, the illustrious American scientist of Serbian descent, gave an immensurable contribution to humanity’s technological progress.
Felix Romuliana
Gamzigrad, near the city of Zaječar, is the site of the remains of the ancient imperial palace Felix Romuliana, built in the late 3rd and early 4th Centuries CE.
National Museum of Toplica
Originally conceived as a museum displaying exclusively historical material and exhibits from World War II, the National Museum of Toplica soon developed into a complex institution, with archaeological, ethnological and art collections in addition to its original historical exhibits.
Fresco Gallery
The Fresco Gallery in Belgrade displays more than 1,300 copies of major frescoes, architectural decorations and gravestones created in the Serbian state from the 11th to the 15th Centuries.This period is considered to be the “golden age” of fresco painting in Serbia. It was a time when our country produced some of the greatest masterpieces of European art.
“Jeremija” Museum of Bread
In the village of Pećinci, in the fertile plains of Vojvodina, stands a museum dedicated to bread, the only of its kind in Serbia.
The Serbian Museum of Bread “Jeremija” covers approximately 1,200 square metres and features more than 2,000 different types of bread and items used in the production and processing of wheat.The step by step display follows the progression of wheat grains, from seed to finished product.
Museum of Contemporary Art
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade is a must for any art lovers visiting Serbia.
Museum of Vojvodina
With more than 400,000 exhibits depicting 40.000 years of history of Serbia’s northern province, the Museum of Vojvodina is one of the largest museums in the country.
The main building in Novi Sad, more than 3,000 square metres, displays more than 6,000 archaeological, historical and ethnological exhibits. In addition, it is the only museum in Serbia with an archaeobotanical collection, containing more than 140,000 charred seeds and fruits.Here, you can see three gilt helmets from late antiquity, matchless archaeological finds in Europe, which have become the museum’s symbols. You can also stroll along a reconstructed early-20th Century street complete with authentic shop windows, including for a pharmacy, a photographer’s studio and a tailor’s shop.
Natural History Centre of Serbia
The area covered by the Natural History Centre of Serbia in Svilajnac comprises nine thematic exhibitions, which will transport you thousands of years back through time, all the way to when the Earth itself was just formed.If you ever wondered how the world was created and how mankind came to be, visit the thematic exhibition Geological Time Machine, which will take you through the formation and development of planet Earth, from its beginnings to the time when modern humans first appeared. The display Stones of Heaven will take you through the fascinating world of meteorites. Here you can also see the replicas of three meteorites which fell to Serbia.
The National Museum
The National Museum in Belgrade houses some of the most valuable archaeological, artistic and numismatic artifacts that represent rich multicultural heritage of Serbia, but also of other parts of Europe and the world.
The National Museum’s permanent exhibition is chronologically comprehensive, aesthetically appealing and easily understandable to the visitors and gives the opportunity to get face to face with artifacts of great historical, cultural, scientific and symbolic value.
Aviation Museum
The Aviation Museum is situated near Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. Its rich collection of original aircraft, radars and aircraft engines, both inside the museum and in its yard, bears witness to more than a hundred years of aviation development in Serbia and its neighbouring countries.
Modern-day Serbia boasts some of Europe’s oldest archaeological sites.The Lepenski Vir site is believed by many archaeologists to be the cradle of European civilisation, architectural remains and artefacts found here have been dated to between 7000 and 6500 BCE.
Traces of the Starčevo culture, an Early Neolithic society, can be seen on the Starčevo site on the left bank of the Danube, while the remains of the slightly younger Vinča culture are found in the village of Vinča across the river. The prehistoric humans from the period of the Starčevo and Vinča cultures have left behind dugout houses, stone statues, tools and weapons, as well as exquisite ceramic vessels.
Ancient Rome buffs will enjoy visiting the territory in which as many as 16 emperors of the mighty empire were born. Five of them were born in Sirmium, one of the four capitals of the Empire, the remains of which can be seen to this day underneath the modern-day city of Sremska Mitrovica in Nothern Serbia.
Eastern Serbia boasts Felix Romuliana, an archaeological site with remains of ancient Roman architecture from the Tetrarchic period and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tabula Traiana and Diana and Pontes fortresses were erected in anticipation of the Dacian Wars and their remains still rise from the banks of the Iron Gate gorge.
Another site near the Danube is Viminacium, once a military camp and today a major archaeological site with the remains of amphitheatres, monumental buildings, Roman thermae and urban infrastructure. If your travels take you to Southern Serbia be sure to visit Mediana, a site of the remains of a 4th-Century luxury suburb, the remains of Empress’ Town which was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian and Ulpiana, the remains of a 2nd-Century Roman city.
Empress’ Town
Roman Emperor Justinian I, born in the south of present-day Serbia, wished to build a city in his home region that would be named after him. Thus, in the 6th Century CE, Justiniana Prima was born and became one of the most important Byzantine cities in the Balkans.Also known as Empress’ City (Caričin grad in Serbian), after the nearby Caričina river, it was erected on a stepped plateau at the confluence of two rivers. The town of Justiniana Prima lies on the gentle slopes which descend from Radan mountain towards the Leskovac basin, in an area outside of major roadways.
Mediana
In the former Naissus, the birthplace of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, a luxury community named Mediana was built in the early 4th Century.In this classy suburb Roman emperors spent their time enjoying luxurious palaces, spacious thermae and delicious wines from the nearby cellars. The residential buildings dating back to 4th century CE used to be occupied by Constantine the Great and his heirs. Today, their remains stand as mute witnesses of the lavish lifestyle of the wealthiest class of the time.
Starčevo
On the left bank of the Danube, not far from the city of Pančevo, lies the oldest archaeological site of Neolithic culture in Serbia. This culture, whose beginnings have been dated to 5,000 BCE, was later succeeded by the more advanced Vinča culture, the remains of which can be seen in the village of Vinča, across the river.
Gamzigrad
The mighty ramparts and towers of the imperial palace Felix Romuliana are evidence of the immense power wielded by its founder, Roman emperor Galerius Maximianus.The emperor, born in the area of the present-day city of Zaječar, chose to build the monumental palace near his birthplace to honour his mother Romula, after whom the edifice was named Felix Romuliana.
Lepenski Vir
Lepenski Vir, an archaeological site with remains of a culture dated to between 6500 and 5500 BCE, is situated on the right bank of the Danube, in the area of the Iron Gate gorge. Dubbed “the cradle of civilisation”, Lepenski Vir boasts some of the oldest known artefacts, tools, weapons and sculptures, as well as traces of one of the oldest settlements in Europe.
Pontes
The remains of Trajan’s Bridge on the Danube and the Roman castrum Pontes, were built on the route which Roman soldiers traversed in ancient times in order to wage a war on the Dacians. The magnificent stone bridge was built between 103 and 105 CE at the behest of Emperor Trajan, according to a design made by the Syrian architect Apollodorus of Damascus.
Tabula Traiana
Tabula Traiana, an inscription carved in a rock on the bank of the Danube, is one of the many building feats of Roman Emperor Trajan.It is situated in the Djerdap Gorge, at the least accessible spot of the Roman road carved by Emperor Trajan in the rocks above the Danube. This was the road the Emperor and his warriors travelled in their campaign against the Dacians.
Ulpiana
The remains of the Roman city of Ulpiana were discovered at the Gradina archaeological site, a mere kilometre away from Gračanica monastery. It is the most important archaeological site of the Roman and Early Byzantine periods in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.It is believed the city was founded during the reign of Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, who ruled from 98 to 118.
Diana
Emperor Trajan is known for his lasting and praiseworthy building feats.In anticipation of the war against the Dacians, Trajan carved a path in the rocks by the side of the Danube and erected a bridge over this major European river. To enable normal sailing on the Danube, he also dug out the Sip Canal in 101. And to better control the entry and exit of ships to and from the Iron Gate and their sailing through the gorge, he built Diana Fortress on a towering rock above the Danube.
Sirmium
Sremska Mitrovica, a city in Northern Serbia, preserves the ruins of the ancient city of Sirmium underneath its streets and squares.
Once a major commercial hub and one of the Roman Empire’s capitals, Sirmium was the birthplace of as many as 5 Roman emperors: Traianus Decius, Aurelian, Probus, Maximianus Herculius and Gratian.This once-powerful Roman city, founded in the 1st century, was host to many Roman emperors over the centuries of its existence including Domitian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Maximinus Thrax, Claudius II Gothicus, Probus and Diocletian.
Viminacium
Viminacium, one of the most important Roman towns and military camps in these parts, thrived between the 1st and 5th century, near the present-day town of Požarevac.
Vinča
Just 14 kilometers southeast of Belgrade lies Vinča, one of the largest prehistoric settlements in Europe.
Named after the eponymous village in whose area it was excavated, this archaeological site preserves the ruins of a human settlement, as well as artefacts created between 5300 and 4300 BCE when the Early Vinča culture emerged and replaced the Late Starčevo culture.
Serbia boasts five national parks: Fruška Gora, Đerdap Gorge/Iron Gate, Tara, Kopaonik and Šar Mountain.
In the national parks, you can set out on a quest to find some of the most endangered species of flora and fauna, enjoy breath-taking views or collect medicinal wild herbs and mushrooms.
From the slopes of Mt. Fruška Gora you will experience a unique view of the undulating Panonian plain, while Đerdap will stun you with views of the deepest gorge in Europe.
On Tara Mountain you can see the endemic Serbian spruce (Picea omorika); Kopaonik Mountain entices you with its lush of flora and fauna, while Šar Mountain beckons with the surreal beauty of its glacial lakes.
Once you’ve experienced all that nature has to offer, you may wish to rest a little and take a break nearby at one of the historical monuments, some of which date back to Prehistoric times.
Whichever activity you choose to engage in, the national parks of Serbia will always welcome you with open arms.
Kopaonik National Park
Kopaonik owes its name to its abundance of mineral resources. To this day, ores of iron, lead and zinc, as well as silver and gold, can be found in the bosom of the mountain.Today, Mt. Kopaonik is the number one ski resort in Serbia and the wider region, attracting those who pack uo their gear and hit the road at first sight of snow, on the hunt for the adrenaline rush they are sure to get from Kopaonik’s slopes, even if just for the weekend.However, Kopaonik is equally bustling with life in the summertime. Because of its plentiful annual sunshine, it has been dubbed “the sunshine mountain”. Still, ski enthusiasts need not worry: the peaks and valleys of Kopaonik are covered with snow from November to May.
Šar Mountain National Park
Šara, the mountain situated on Serbia’s southern border. Its present-day name derives from the Serbian word “šareno“ (colourful) – a testament to the magnificence of its alpine landscapes and the range of vivid colours it displays.
Tara National Park
A sharp bend in the bed of the river Drina hides one of Serbia’s most beautiful mountains – Tara. Together with the town of Zaovine and the Šargan/Mokra gora nature park, it provides visitors with an unrivalled opportunity to enjoy the natural and cultural landmarks of the region.Tara’s highest peaks tower at more than 1,500 metres above sea level and the rivers Drina, Rača, Brusnica and Derventa add a special touch to its magnificence.
Djerdap National Park
All those whose who happen to visit Eastern Serbia have an opportunity to marvel at the magnificent Djerdap Gorge, Europe’s longest and highest gorge, stretching for 100 whole kilometres of the Danube’s course along the border with neighbouring Romania.The gorge is entered through the Iron-Gorge, situated where the Danube begins to meander after passing through the Serbian plains, as if gathering strength to break through the mountain ranges and reach its goal.
Fruška Gora National Park
Just half an hour’s drive from the city of Novi Sad and an hour and a half from Belgrade stands one of Serbia’s most beautiful and also largest national parks, Fruška gora.A favourite picnic area of locals, it stretches along the bank of the Danube like some sort of a green island, ideal for an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
