10 reasons to travel in Serbia

Serbia is an open and friendly country. Anyone who enjoys traveling to unique natural places, appreciates national traditions and enjoys the atmosphere of the country will appreciate Serbia. Serbia is unique, believe me!

Holidays in Serbia are very diverse — there are civilized cities, many natural and historical attractions, a lot of entertainment for outdoor activities: trekking routes, bike trails, places for kayaking, paragliding, mountaineering, swimming, winter sports, unique thermal resorts and beach holidays. By choosing Serbia as a country for your trip, you will appreciate all its beauty: it is accessible and magnificent!

1. Enjoy nature

Serbia is very picturesque. There is a unique nature, stunning national parks, gorgeous relict forests, green mountains and hills, blue lakes and clear rivers full of fish. UNESCO has included two reserves of the country in the program "Man and the Biosphere": Golia Studenica and Bachko Podunavlje. Tara Natural Parks, Uvac Canyon, Kopaonik, Stara Planina, Djerdap Gorge, Lazarev Canyon, Fruska Gora - this is a small list of the most picturesque places in Serbia that are definitely worth visiting on your trip.

2. Improve your health in thermal springs

There are more than 20 modern equipped balneological resorts in Serbia, which have maintained affordable prices compared to the rest of Europe. Hundreds of thermal springs in the south of the country are places where you can improve your health and relax surrounded by beautiful landscapes. In Zlatibor, for example, they do an excellent job with asthenia, help to lose weight, and offer beauty programs. There are seven mineral springs in the Vrnyachka Bathhouse, which are used to treat serious diseases. The Nishka Banya resort, an oasis of peace and quiet, offers more than a dozen types of procedures: from bathing in radioactive water and hydrotherapy to inhalations and psychotherapy.

3. See Belgrade

Belgrade is the capital of Serbia. The most famous landmark of Belgrade is the Belgrade Fortress (Beogradska tvrђava), located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers and Kalemegdan Park near it. One of the tourist magnets in Kalemegdan is the monument "The Winner", which is quite eloquent. Belgrade is able to charm even the most sophisticated tourist who has seen the sights on its endless routes. Belgrade churches, Cathedrals, Museums, monuments, the modern Sava promenade with a bike path, food courts, playgrounds and brutal Serbian architecture attract tourists from all over the world.

4. Nostalgic in Drvengrad

Drvengrad, or Kyustendorf, is a village in Zlatibor district, located near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. This place was created in 2002 for the filming of the film "Life is a Miracle" by the famous Emir Kusturica and is the embodiment of his love for Serbia.

People come to Drvengrad to walk along the fabulous streets, admire the wooden houses and churches. This is one big attraction where you can stay and stay for a few days in a hotel. By the way, Kusturica himself lives here, in one of the houses — although he is often away. There is a mini-cinema in the basement of the Kusturica family house, where films are being shown. The energy of this place is so impressive that tourists come back here again and again to experience its unique atmosphere.

5. See the sights

Petrovaradinskaya Fortress is an 18th—century citadel located on the right bank of the Danube in Novi Sad. The fortress still has many underground tunnels with a total length of 16 km. The fortress is an exceptional example of 18th century fortification engineering — it is one of the largest surviving artillery fortifications in this part of Europe.

An unusual landmark – a house in the middle of the Drina River – is located on the border between Serbia and Bosnia. This house, hanging on a cliff ledge, is just a tourist art object, next to which there is a cozy restaurant with beautiful views of Bosnia. Tara National Park is just a stone's throw away.

6. Sunbathing on the beaches

Everyone knows that there is no sea in Serbia, but even without seaside resorts there are excellent places for cultural recreation by the water. The most popular of them are Ada Tsiganlia, a peninsula on the Sava River; Lido Beach in the Zemun district, Belgrade; Silver Lake, Veliko Gradishte; Strand in Novi Sad; Brioni Beach in Sremska Mitrovica; Zaovine and Perucac lakes, Tara National Park. The beaches are equipped with sun loungers, umbrellas, these are quite modern and civilized places to soak up the sun and have a great time.

7. Make a food tour

Serbian cuisine is close and understandable to a Russian person: a lot of meat and fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh dairy products, cheeses. An interesting wine list and traditional fragrant and strong raki - tourism in Serbia is very exciting and intense. Serbs hold vibrant food festivals with a special ethno-cultural identity, and Serbia will be extremely interesting to any tourist exploring the cuisine of the country.

What you definitely need to try while in Serbia is kaymak — a fatty, spicy and sweet cheese, gibanica is a traditional Serbian pastry made of puff pastry pieces stuffed with cabbage, cherries, pumpkin or poppy seeds and traditional meat and vegetable dishes.

8. Take a ride on the railway

Sharganska Osmitsa is a unique historical narrow-gauge railway running between the settlements of Mokra Gora and Shargan Vitasi. A popular tourist attraction, which is one of the "Seven Serbian Wonders". At the beginning of the 20th century, this road connected Bosnia and Serbia through a mountain pass. After the war, the road was abandoned, and in 2003 this ring route was opened as a tourist attraction. The trip lasts 2.5 hours passing through a mountain serpentine, tunnels, stations where you can get off the train and take a photo.

An interesting fact is that in 2004, the famous Emir Kusturica film "Life as a Miracle" was shot on Sharganskaya Osmitsa — according to the plot, the main character was obsessed with the idea of creating his own railway. Sets were built for the filming, which later became part of this tourist route.

9. Go skiing or snowboarding

Serbia welcomes fans of downhill skiing and snowboarding with modern and well-equipped ski resorts. The largest of them is Kopaonik. From November to May, there is snow here and the weather is suitable for skiing. Kopaonik is part of the national nature Reserve, there are incredible landscapes here. It is also worth noting the Stara Planina resort, which is located on Divchibar, Malena Mountain and Vrnyachka Bath, where the slopes are adjacent to hot mineral springs.

10. Go on a trip by car

Anyone who has been to Serbia will say that there are excellent expressways here, the whole country can be crossed from north to south in just 5 hours. Needless to say, mobility will allow you to see much more sights while driving? Serbia is a country with a compact and convenient infrastructure that allows you to move between points on the map in a short time. Even the most inaccessible places will be achievable if you follow the route that you will make up in advance, giving yourself the pleasure of enjoying the ride behind the wheel of a car.

Have a nice holiday in Serbia!