Serbia Travel Guide
Plagued by years or war and political turmoil, Serbia is now emerging as one of
Europe's tourist destinations. From its growing club scene and entertainment to
its wildlife attractions, Serbia is slowly rising from its war torn past. Serbia
was once part of Yugoslavia, which was dissolved in 1990 and was made up of six
republics including Macedonia and Montenegro which broke off from Serbia in the
year 2006.
Serbia consists of mountainous regions, deep gorges and fertile plains that are
fed by the Danube. Serbia is bordered by
Croatia to the
northwest,
Hungary
to the north,
Romania
to the northeast,
Bulgaria to the east, Macedonia to the south and Bosnia Herzegovina to the
West. The scenery is varied from farmlands, rolling green hills, alpine valleys
to rocky gorges and thick forests.
Visiting Serbia would mean getting off in Belgrade, the country's capital, which
lies along the Danube. Belgrade's arts and culture scenes are one of the city's
top tourist attractions. Visitors can enjoy the many different museums and
galleries the city has or check out some of the first-rate opera and theater
productions. Belgrade's club scene has also been on the rise, just like many
other European countries and the café's and bars are usually open until 3 am.
The Manasija Monastery, built in the early 1400's, may not look anything like
what you'd envision a monastery to be. The view from the outside is that of a
huge block of citadel built by the people fleeing Kosovo because of the Ottoman
takeover of the city. The frescoes that survived through the years are worn out
but its vivid colors are still awe inspiring.
In Vojvodina, North of Belgrade, lies the town of Novi Sad which stretches along
the banks of the Danube. It is a modern and friendly university town with a bit
of Hungarian touches here and there. It is more culturally diverse than Belgrade
and livelier, perhaps because of the students who mostly inhabit the town. Novi
Sad is also known as the ‘Serbian Athens' and plays host to the largest
southeast European music festival, Exit.
The main attraction which dominates the town of Novi Sad is the Petrovaradin
Citadel which was erected between 1699 and 1780. It is huge man-made structure
that was built on a block of volcanic rock and is also known as the ‘Gibraltar
of the Danube'. Tourists can enjoy the beautiful views and serene landscapes by
walking along its walls.
A visit to the scenic town of Sirogojno should not be missed. This mountainside
town offers visitors a taste of an old 19th century reconstruction of a Serbian
village. Furnished wooden houses with high roofs and the smell and atmosphere of
home cooking dominate the scene. A walk along the town will surely make you
hungry and there is no better place to taste home cooked lunch but in a wooden
hut restaurant.
Traveling beyond the cities, one can enjoy vineyards and vast national parks
where 80 percent of all bird species found in Europe can also be found here.