Come, explore Serbia, its cities, unique natural beauty, old monasteries, archaeological sites, the remains of the Roman Empire, castles, chateaux, spas, ethno villages and many other things. Indulge your senses with superb Serbian national cuisine. Feel the burst of energy at some of the most exhilarating music festivals in Europe, and experience a unique nightlife that usually lasts until the early morning hours.
This column of the Serbia.com gateway is dedicated to all the places you should visit while staying here in Serbia.
We hope that you will be able to visit all parts of this beautiful country, but even if not, every corner of Serbia will offer you something interesting to see.
Let's start with the fact that you will probably get to know the capital of Serbia first - Belgrade. Belgrade is a city which lies on two rivers, a city that "never sleeps". The view of the river Sava and Danube's confluence from the Kalemegdan in the sunset is simply breathtaking. Try the fish stew on Zemun quay, walk down the Knez Mihailova street, rest on a bench in front of the Temple of Saint Sava, spend the nights in the bohemian neighborhood Skadarlija, listening to tambourines and wine, and then party on a raft from which you will be able to watch the shimmering river... Belgrade will do everything to make you feel like you belong here.
The autonomous province of Vojvodina stretches in the north of Serbia, in the Panonnian Plain. In the calming plains wrinkled only by Fruska Gora's and Vrsac's mountains you can find the multicultural cities with friendly and welcoming people. On the north, near the Hungarian border is Subotica, a city with more than 20 ethnic minorities, fabulous bright-colored buildings and fantastic Palic lake to which you can get by foot from Subotica.
The biggest city in Vojvodina and the second largest city in Serbia - Novi Sad, and the wonderful Petrovaradin fortress, await you together with their arms open wide, right at the foot of Fruska Gora. While in Novi Sad you should tour the Fortress, visit the EXIT festival in July, grab a coffee in the city center or listen to the Vojvodina's tambourines at a local bistro. In the vicinity of Novi Sad is located a town called Sremski Karlovci, which should be included in your route as well. Every corner of this beautiful city is full of history and culture, and is adorned by the beautiful wineries which serve the best wines from Vojvodina.
Following in the footsteps of Serbian heroes, the uphill route will take you out of this small town to the mountain of Fruska Gora. There you can enjoy the oldest national park in Serbia and visit as many as 16 monasteries built between the 16th and 18th century in the Baroque and Moravian architecture style of medieval Serbia.
In Vojvodina, do not miss the cities Vrsac and Zrenjanin, the unique natural phenomenon - flowering of the Tisza River in the early summer, and traditional ranches. Though, every village in Vojvodina will mesmerize you with its flatlands charm and exquisite dishes.
Western Serbia is full of mountains, rivers and canyons that attract a large number of tourists with its beauty. Through Ovcar-Kablar gorge and towns of cacak and Uzice, you will arrive to Zlatibor, one of the biggest Serbian tourism centers with the largest touristic offer in Serbia. Besides the beautiful nature and traditional mountain food, you can enjoy excursions to the ethnic villages with which surround Zlatibor. Do not miss the unusual ethnic villages Drvengrad (Kustendorf) and Sirogojno, or to ride the old train cira.
About 35 miles from Zlatibor to the West, going through the divine nature you will reach the Tara mountain and Tara national park. Tara is surrounded from the north-east side by the emerald river Drina, and its main decoration is the artificial lake Perucac. If you are adventurous, do not miss rafting down the Drina.
The road on the South of Zlatibor mountain over the Zlatar will take you to one of the most beautiful canyons in this part of the Europe - the canyon of river Uvac which belongs to the Special Nature Reserve Uvac. In addition to the unrealistically beautiful canyon, here you can spot the rare and nearlz extinct species of eagle, the Griffon Vulture. The most interesting city in this region is Novi Pazar, known for its multicultural blend, many old mosques and medieval monasteries which are under the protection of UNESCO.
In Serbia, you will often hear that "sumadija is the heart of Serbia". It is located in its central part. This part of the country is characteristic for its tame nature and its large cities Kragujevac, Krusevac and Kraljevo. The center of tourism in this part of the country is Vrnjacka Banja, in whose near vicinity is the Kopaonik mountain, one of the most beautiful mountains in Serbia and its largest winter tourist center.
The Eastern part of Serbia will mesmerize you with its great cultural richness, the remains of the Roman civilization. In the northwest do not miss the largest gorge in Europe- Đerdap gorge. In its vicinity lies the Lepenski Vir, a Paleolithic site located on the Danube's riverbank - the Europe's first urban settlement. Be sure to visit the medieval fortresses along the Danube: Fetislam (near Kladovo), Golubac and the Smederevo fortress, and the remains of the Roman Empire: Traiana board and the remains of Trajan's bridge, fort Diana from the 1st century, and then, close to Zajecar - the late antique castle of Roman Emperor Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximinus - the Archeological Site Felix Romuliana.
In the south of Serbia you can find the city of temperamental, heartwarming and friendly citizens of Nis, which is the hometown of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Even today you can feel the blends of the East's exotics and the elegance of the West. Unusual medieval fortress and delicious southern food will remain one of your best memories of this city. If you find yourself in Nis in August, and you're a fan of jazz, do not miss one of the best music festivals in this part of the Europe, Nisville.
