Feeling awed by the view from the lookout above the largest canyon in Europe. The thrill of rafting down a turbulent river. The sound of a trumpet being “felt in the stomach”. A sip of local wine. Relaxation in healing spa water. A monumental fresco from an Orthodox monastery. Prehistoric figurines. A stranger who addresses you with “brother” and “friend”. That is what you will experience in Serbia.
From here, the roads lead to cities, villages, spas, rivers, monuments and festivals. Embark on a picturesque journey to regions with preserved nature of immeasurable beauty. Meet an authentic culture that has been going on for centuries. Feel safe and enjoy sincere hospitality. Discover Serbia by tasting it, smelling it, listening to it and touching it.
BELGRADE
There is something exciting and intriguing about Belgrade. In Belgrade, the Sava river unreservedly surrenders to the Danube, and the calm and flat Pannonian plain slowly begins to “wave” and grow into hills and mountains. Located at the crossroads of cultural influences, it is a city that never rests. The secret of its charm is in its acceptance of various, sometimes opposing ideas and world views. You recognise the spirit of Belgrade on its streets, in its architecture, monuments, picnic areas, and above all in the hospitality and openness of its people.
KNEZ MIHAILOVA STREET
Knez Mihailova Street in the city centre is not only a shopping zone, but also a guardian of the city’s identity, with a series of representative buildings, each of which carries a part of the story of Belgrade’s development. The central pedestrian zone and the surrounding streets are full of restaurants, cafes, galleries and boutiques, with street performers completing the fantastic atmosphere.
KALEMEGDAN
Kalemegdan is the largest city park and home to the Belgrade Fortress. In addition to a magnificent view of the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, a walk through Kalemegdan gives you an opportunity to learn about history, from the oman era to the modern day. Here you can find the Victor monument, a city landmark, a Belgrade zoo, the Military and Natural History Museum, Ružica Church and St. Petka’s Chapel. At the foot of the Kalemegdan Fortress, right next to the Sava river, there is Beton Hala, the old customs warehouses now with excellent restaurants.
SKADARLIJA
The old bohemian quarter from the first half of the 20th century still enchants with its romantic atmosphere. In the restaurants, preserved in almost unchanged form, you can enjoy the specialties of Serbian cuisine and music from that time.
NOVI SAD
In Novi Sad, people live peacefully and without haste. And that’s how you should get to know the city – by taking through easy strolls through the galleries, museums, Petrovaradin fortress and its lagoons, river beaches and charming streets that hide lovely restaurants and coffee bars. Whatever they do, they do it leisurely. In Novi Sad, slow is elegant.
The second largest city in Serbia has been declared the European Capital of Culture for 2022. The wide plain through which the Danube casually flows was fertile ground for the creation of a broad-minded city, in which monuments of different cultures and religions are harmoniously intertwined.
NIŠ
If you want to feel the true spirit of southern Serbia, you need to visit Niš. Life with “merak” – taking pleasure from the small things in life, needs to be experienced to be fully understood. Numerous historical traces dating back to the era of ancient Rome, monuments of strong symbolism and testimony to the dramatic reversals of world trends have not prevented the people of Niš from developing a special art of enjoying and finding what is good in the present Roman Emperor Constantine the Great was born in Naissus, today’s Niš, and he is known for passing the Edict of Milan, by which Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The remains of a luxurious suburb from the time of his reign can be seen at the archaeological site of Mediana from the 4th century.
Suva Planina mountain, the Nišava river and the Sićevačka and Jelašnička gorges seem to have been created for an action film. Indulge in rafting, paragliding, hiking and many other activities. In the Sićevačka gorge there is the Hydroelectric Power Plant “St. Petka”, built at the beginning of the 20th century according to the project of famous Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla and his colleague Đorđe Stanojević, which still supplies Niš with elec- tricity to this day. There is a monument to Serbian heroes from the First Serbian Uprising in 1804. on Čegar Hill. After the battle, out of revenge, the Ottomans built a terrifying Skull Tower with the skulls of the killed Serbian warriors. The Red Cross concentration camp and the Bubanj Memorial Park preserve the memory of the victims of the Second World War.
DANUBE – THE RIVER GIANT OF EUROPE
This water giant, the largest in Europe after the Volga, is indeed cosmopolitan – at home in four European capitals and as many as ten countries. It feeds on tributaries of fresh ideas from vibrant cities as it tours the remains of Neolithic culture, Roman cities and medieval fortifications on its shores. On its way through Serbia, the Danube performs incredible stunts: it spills its waters in the Pannonian plain, wanders through the dense forests and marshes of the “Bačko Podunavlje”
UNESCO nature reserve, glides along the sandy banks and rivers, plays around the mountain range of Fruška Gora, and becomes the sea near Deliblatska Peščara sands. The most dramatic transformation of the Danube is near Golubac, where it plunges into the straits of the Carpathian Mountains, creating enchanting scenes
CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL TRENDS
Down the Danube, you sail to the prehistoric era and the cultural centre of the oldest Europe, to the remains of the famous culture of Lepenski Vir, 8 millennia old, and the Vinča culture, more than 7 millennia old. Throughout history, the Danube has been a line of connection, but also of separation, facilitating the exchange of goods and keeping the opposing sides on different banks. Sailing through Serbia, you follow the course of history, in which you can recognise the traces of the Celts, Romans, Byzantines, the first Slavs, the medieval Serbian and Hungarian states, the Ottomans, the Austrian Empire and the modern Serbian state. International cruisers that stop at several ports give you an opportunity to experience this river directly.
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