Serbia Information

Used by permission of copyright holder Aleksandar Cosic

Serbia 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.

Cities

    * Belgrade - Belgrade is the capital of the Republic of Serbia and is, as such, the country's largest city with a population of about 2 000 000 people. It lies on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The city has a long history, dating back to the 4th century BC, when the area was settled by Celtic tribes. The often violent history and outside influence has colored much of Belgrade's evolution, which is evident in its culture and architecture. Often caught between the hammer and anvil of clashing empires, the city has taken on a unique character, reminiscent of both Austrian and Turkish influences, with a unique set of Communist elements thrown in as Yugoslavia was expelled from the Eastern Bloc in 1948. Yet, the city has its own spirit, and in it can be found some not only very unique features, but also a healthy joie de vivre in its café culture, nightlife and often Mediterranean flavor in its view of life. Belgrade is an energetic city re-discovering its tourism potential. However, bear in mind that the tourism facilities are still very underdeveloped.

    * Niš - The third largest city in Serbia. Niš (pronounced: 'neesh') is an important crossroad between central Europe and the middle East, and assumes the central position in the Balkan peninsula. It is located in Niš Valley and surrounded by a number of mountains, two rivers, two beautiful gorges, and numerous sites of historical importance from various periods. Niš is a must see historical city for any traveler passing through on his way to Greece or the Middle East. Niš is the venue of a number of national and international festivals.

    * 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). Situated on the Danube River between Budapest and Belgrade, it is a treasured regional and cultural centre.

    * Pristina - Largest city in Kosovo. If you like coffee, and have a massive amount of time on your hands, Pristina is the city for you. There are cafes absolutely everywhere, and most of them are packed through the warm season with fashionably-dressed young people, dropping a euro a day to keep themselves amused. What to order? "Macchiato" (espresso with hot milk, similar to the American latte) is the catch-all term for "coffee" throughout Kosovo.

Other destinations

    * Palic -  The lovely lake in North Serbia. Baroque parks, the monuments of art nouveau architecture and long tradition in catering made it fashionable summer resort.

    * Staro Selo - 3 kilometers south of Velika Plana, it has an all wooden 19th century church, build by Vujica Vulicevic, with then ruler of Serbia, prince Miloš Obrenovic, in repentance for their role in the death of Ðorde Petrovic Karadorde 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.

    * Guca - a village in Dragacevo district (about 20 km from Cacak) where a famous brass music festival is held annually.

    * Zlatibor is a very famous mountainous tourist site and ski-resort in South-Western Serbia. It is bounded on the north by Mount Tara, to the east by the Veliki Rzav River, to the south by the Uvac River and to the west by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Highest peak is Tornik at 1496 meters (4908 feet).

    * Kopaonik National Park as well as the ski-resort in the Kopaonik Mountain in southern Serbia. The highest peak of Kopaonik, Pancic's Peak, is 2,017 metres above sea level. Kopaonik was declared a national park in 1981. The area of the Kopaonik National Park is 118.1 km². The tourist resort on the Kopaonik mountain includes hotels, rest houses, ski lifts, excellent ski slopes and many other tourist facilities. The Kopaonik mountain range is characterised by extraordinary natural beauty with vast expanses of grassland, picturesque forests composed of a wide variety of tree species, beauty spots and deep river gorges. Deciduous forests and native coniferous woodland make up most of the forested land on Kopaonik. The flora is characterized by a large number of autochthonous plant species like the Balkan beech, fir, spurce, yew, several kinds of maple, pine and oak. The fauna is also diverse but its concentration varies, depending on the quality of the habitat. Kopanonik has many species of birds, such rock partridge, scops owl, red-backed shrike, and the wood lark. Soil erosion poses no threat as there is no logging and deforestation in the park.

    * Petrovaradin fortress, one of the greatest and preserved XVIII century fortress in Europe.

    * 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. The city has many great examples of Hungarian architecture, and a lively student scene.

    * 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.

Driving in Serbia

The Speed limits in Serbia are:  City 37mph/60kph, Country 62mph/100kph and on the Highway 74mph/120kph.  When driving you must travel on the right hand side of the road.  There are some toll highways located in Serbia.  As there are few Fuel Stations located outside of the major cities we advise keeping a close eye on the fuel level.

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.