Brief information
Serbia can be considered a kind of “crossroads” of Europe. The shortest roads connecting Western Europe and the Middle East run through this country. A large number of national parks, mountains, rivers make Serbia a great place for outdoor activities. However, Serbia also has a large number of unique attractions and several popular spa resorts.
Geography of Serbia
Serbia is located at the crossroads of Central and South-Eastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Serbia borders Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, Macedonia to the south, and Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro to the west. The total area of this Balkan country is 88,361 sq. km, and the total length of the state border is 2,397 km.
The autonomous region of Vojvodina occupies the Pannonian Lowland, while the rest of Serbia contains the Dinaric Alps, the East Serbian Mountains, as well as the Carpathian Mountains and the Stara Planina. The highest peak in Serbia is Mount Jeravica (2656 m).
The Danube flows through the entire territory of Serbia, the longest river in this country. The largest tributaries of the Danube are the Sava and the Tisza.
Capital
According to itypejob.com, the capital of Serbia is Belgrade, which is now home to more than 1.2 million people. Historians believe that the first settlements on the site of modern Belgrade were founded by Celtic tribes.
Official language
The official language in Serbia is Serbian, which belongs to the South Slavic subgroup of the Slavic group of Indo-European languages.
Religion
Over 82% of Serbia’s population are Orthodox Christians (Greek Catholic Church). Another 5% of Serbs consider themselves Catholics, and 2% – Muslims.
State structure of Serbia
According to computerminus.com, Serbia is a parliamentary republic. The President is elected by direct universal suffrage. Legislative power belongs to the unicameral Parliament, which has 250 deputies.
The main political parties in Serbia are the Serbian Progressive Party, the Democratic Party of Serbia, and the Socialist Party.
Climate and weather in Serbia
The climate of Serbia is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic Sea, and various mountain systems. In the north of the country the climate is continental with hot, humid summers and cold winters, and in the south – temperate continental, with elements of the Mediterranean climate. The average air temperature in July is +22C, and in January – about 0C. The average monthly rainfall is about 55 mm.
Average air temperature in Belgrade:
- January – -3C
- February – -2С
- March – +2С
- April – +7С
- May – +12C
- June – +15C
- July – +17C
- August – +17C
- september – +13С
- october – +8C
- November – +4C
- December – 0С
Rivers and lakes
The Danube flows through the entire territory of Serbia, the longest river in this country. It has tributaries the Sava, Tisa, and Begey. In addition, there are other rivers in Serbia – Velika Morava, Tamish, Western Morava, Drina, Ibar, South Morava, Timok and Radik.
There are several large natural and artificial lakes in Serbia – Lake Djerdap, White Lake, Palic, Borsko, Srebrno, Zlatarsko and others.
History of Serbia
The Slavs settled on the territory of modern Serbia in the 17th century AD. After some time, Serbia fell under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. In the middle of the 10th century, an independent Slavic principality was formed in western Serbia.
In 1170, the Nemanjić dynasty began to rule in western Serbia. In 1217, the Pope presents the crown to King Stefan Nemanich. The heyday of the kingdom of Serbia came in the XIV century, when the country was ruled by Stefan Dusan.
However, in 1389, the Serbian army was defeated by the Turks in the Battle of Kosovo, and gradually the Ottoman Empire began to conquer the lands of Serbia. From 1459 Serbia became a province in the Ottoman Empire.
Only in 1878 Serbia became independent, and in 1882 the Kingdom of Serbia was proclaimed.
The First World War in 1914 began after the invasion of Austrian troops into the territory of Serbia. In December 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, which then became known as Yugoslavia.
After the end of World War II in 1945, socialist Yugoslavia was formed, led by Josip Broz Tito. The 1974 constitution was one of the reasons for the expansion of Croatian, Slovenian and Albanian nationalism.
Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991-92. Almost all of the 1990s, Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia) was at war with its former republics. The Serbs had a particularly difficult time in the war in Kosovo after NATO intervention. As a result, Kosovo seceded from Serbia.
In 2003, the state of Serbia and Montenegro was formed, which existed until 2006. Now the Republic of Serbia covers an area of 88,361 sq. km, and has no access to the sea.
Culture
Serbs have been careful about their culture for many centuries, because. in this way they maintained their identity under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Until now, the Serbs annually celebrate various holidays, the history of which dates back to the early Middle Ages. The most popular Serbian holiday is Vidov Dan (the local version of St. Vitus Day).
Serbian cuisine
The formation of Serbian cuisine was greatly influenced by the neighboring countries of Serbia. Turkish influence is especially noticeable, because Serbia for a long time was a province of the Ottoman Empire.
For tourists in Serbia, we definitely recommend trying “ćevapčići” (small minced meat rolls), “Pljeskavica” (cutlets), “musaka”, “podvarak” (fried meat with sauerkraut), “proja” (corn bread), “gibanica » (cheese pie), etc.
Traditional strong Serbian alcoholic drinks are šljivovica (plum brandy) and Lozovača (grape brandy, brandy).
Sights of Serbia
Serbs have always carefully treated their history, and therefore there are a lot of interesting sights in this country. The top ten attractions in Serbia, in our opinion, include the following:
- Belgrade fortress. Once upon a time there was a Roman military camp on the territory of the Belgrade fortress. Only in 1760 did the Belgrade fortress acquire its final form, which it still has.
- “Damn City”. “Devil’s City” is located in Southern Serbia on the banks of the Tuta River. Represents 202 stone pyramids 2-15 meters high, which are formed due to erosion processes. In 1995, Djavolja Varos was declared a natural monument.
- National Assembly building in Belgrade. The construction of the building of the National Assembly in Belgrade began in 1907 according to the design of the architect John Ilkic. However, after the death of John Ilkich, the construction stopped, because. blueprints were lost. Only the son of this architect was able to complete the National Assembly in 1936.
- Gamzigrad-Romuliana. This Roman palace is located in eastern Serbia. It was built by order of the Roman emperor Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximian. The Gamzigral-Romuliana complex includes a palace, fortifications, a basilica, temples, hot baths, and memorial buildings.
- Zica Monastery. This monastery was built in 1206-1217. Now it has three unique medieval frescoes.
- Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad. The Petrovaradin fortress was built by Austrian engineers at the end of the 17th – beginning of the 18th centuries. It has 16 kilometers of corridors. The Petrovaradin Fortress is considered one of the main tourist attractions in Serbia.
- “Tower of Skulls” The “Tower of Skulls” in Nis was built in 1809 by a Turkish pasha to intimidate the Serbs. In this tower there are 952 human skulls, which belong to the Serbs who rebelled against the Turkish authorities.
- Palace of Princess Lubice. The Palace of Princess Ljubica was built during the reign of the Ottoman Empire in Serbia. Now this palace is a museum.
- Temple of Saint Sava. This Orthodox church in Belgrade was built in 2004, although its construction began in 1935.
- Tara National Park. Tara National Park is located in the west of Serbia, it covers an area of 19,200 hectares. The nature of this park amazes all tourists with its beauty.
Cities and resorts
The largest cities in Serbia are Novi Sad, Nis, and, of course, Belgrade.
Serbia has no access to the sea, but in this country there are a lot of balneological resorts. The most popular of them are Soko-Banya, Bujanovachka-Banya, Vrnjacka-Banya, Banya-Koviljaca, and Nishka-Banya.
Souvenirs/Shopping
We advise tourists from Serbia to bring heart-shaped gingerbread, handicrafts, folk Serbian hats, embroidered shirts, traditional folk trousers, traditional folk shoes, folk Serbian jewelry (bracelets, beads, necklaces), wine, slivovitz, as well as folk Serbian musical instruments (frula, gusle and dvojnice).
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Fri: 09:00-17:00
Sat: 09:00-13:00
Shops:
Mon-Fri: 06:00 to 20:00
Sat: 06:00 to 18:00
Some grocery stores are open 24/7.
Visa
Ukrainians need a visa to enter Serbia.
Currency of Serbia
The Serbian dinar is the official currency of Serbia (RSD). 1 Serbian dinar = 100 par. All major cards are accepted, including Visa, Visa Electron, Plus, MasterCard, Eurocard, Maestro, and Cirrus.
Customs restrictions
You can import (or export) currency into Serbia without restrictions, however, with an amount of 2,000 euros or more, there are certain rules that should be clarified with the travel agency.
In Serbia, as in other countries, it is forbidden to import firearms, drugs, pornography.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
The address of the Embassy of Serbia in Ukraine:
Index – 04070, Kiev, st. Voloshskaya, 4
T: (044) 416-6060
F: (044) 416-6047
Address of the Embassy of Ukraine in Serbia:
Postal code – 11040, Beograd, ul. Paje Adamova, 4
T: 381 11 367-2411
F: 381 11
367-2413 e – mail: [email protected]
Emergency numbers
192 – Police
193 – Fire brigade
194 – Ambulance
1987 – Roadside assistance
112 – All emergencies
Time
The difference with Ukrainian time is -1 hour. Those. if in Belgrade, for example, in the summer it is 9:00 am, then in Kyiv it is 10:00 am.
Tips
Tipping in restaurants in Serbia is not required, however, if tourists are satisfied with the service, they often leave 10-15% of the bill for “tea”.
The medicine
No special vaccinations are required to enter Serbia, but health insurance is required.
Security
Serbia is a safe country for tourists, at least as safe as any other country in Europe. In Belgrade, fewer crimes are committed against foreign tourists than, for example, in Paris or Amsterdam.
In general, Serbs are very hospitable, especially towards guests from Russia and Ukraine.
