Serbia Destination Guide
Serbia is back on the tourist map. It is worth visiting now just as it used to be before the strife of 1990. Situated in the heart of the Balkans which is at the crossroads of Central Europe and the Slavonic civilisation, Serbia is home to as many as twenty six nationalities and four major religions. Each of these twenty six nationalities continues to preserve their culture thereby giving Serbia a colourful palette of customs and traditions. This fact is borne out by the traditional feasts of Serbia which are full of music and dance. Serbia highlights also include the many tourist activities like cave exploration expeditions and sports like trekking, rafting, skiing and kayaking.
Serbia offer tourists an eyeful of scenic beauty with verdant mountains covered with prairies, beautiful streams and water currents.
Our Serbia destination guide below along with our Serbia tours give you a range of options of what you may like to explore on your travels in Serbia. Tips and hints for travelling in and our Serbia can be found at our Serbia country guide. You can book your accommodation by checking out the Serbia hotels we have on offer. We have more information on the capital at our Belgrade destination guide.
Things to See & Do in Belgrade
One of the things to see and do in Serbia is to check out its rich architectural and historical heritage that has remained hidden like the monuments and edifices that represent Hungarian, Austrian, Ottoman and Serbian architectural styles. Serbia was, once upon a time, a flourishing part of the Roman Empire. Fortresses built in those times stand tall even today, representing an assortment of architectural styles. There are many orthodox monasteries in Serbia each of which are repositories of fine architecture and painting.
Here are some of the Serbia tourist attractions that we believe you might like to visit:
Belgrade
The capital city of Belgrade has many places that are worth visiting like the Belgrade Fortress which stands at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. The other important landmarks of Belgrade are Saborna Crkva (the Orthodox Cathedral) and, Konak Kneginje Ljubice a Turkish style palace built for Princess Ljubica Konak in 1831.
Dine out at Skadarlija. It is the 19th century bohemian section of Belgrade with many art galleries and Serbian restaurants. Or step into one of the many floating restaurants on the Danube for a hearty meal.
You could also follow one of Serbia’s wine routes. The Palic wine route follows the trail of the wines from the north of Siberia where wine making is a 2000 year old tradition. These wines are called Wines from the Sands. The other wine routes are Vrsac, Smederevo, Oplenac, Zupa and Negotin.
Go bird watching and hiking in the Fruska Gora Hills that lie to the south of Novi Sad. Follow woodland trails and discover hidden monasteries.
The adventurous tourist can take an hour long ride on the Sargan Eight Railway from Mokra Gora near Bosnia and watch the train climb a thousand feet (300 metres) over just two miles (3.5 kilometres).
Tesla Museum
The Tesla museum in Belgrade documents the life and work of Serbia’s most noteworthy son, NikolaTesla. NikolaTesla was a great scientist and inventor in the fields of wireless technology, physics, electrical engineering and magnetic induction. He is credited with many of the things like mobile phones and safe electricity that we take for granted today. Serbia has honoured Nikola Tesla by naming the international airport at Belgrade after him and by printing his image on the 100 Din currency note. The Tesla museum, dedicated to this gifted but eccentric and misunderstood genius, is certainly worth visiting.
The National Museum
The Yugoslav National Museum is home to an exceptional collection of Yugoslav and Serbian art. It also has a fine collection of art representing impressionism and realism by famous European artists. The huge archaeological exhibit in the museum dates back to the Roman and Greek periods. The National Theater at the Republic Square is another landmark and it hosts several operas and concerts. Rates charged for entry are quite reasonable.
The Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Fresco Museum and the Ethnographical Museum are some of the other important museums and galleries worth visiting.
Monastery of Zica
Do visit the restored Monastery of Zica near Kraljevo, where the kings of Serbia used to be crowned. The Ljubostina and Kalenic convents in the same region of Central Serbia are also worth visiting as they are excellent examples of the Serbian Morava School of architecture.
Visoki Dečani Monastery
The Visoki Dečani Monastery (MAHACTИP BИCOKИ ДEЧAНИ), located twelve kilometres to the south of the town of Pec, in Kosovo, is one of the most important Serb Orthodox Christian monasteries. It is dedicated to Christ Pantocrator. The monastic katholikon is one of the biggest medieval churches in the Balkan region with large beautiful frescoes on the wall which are famous around the world. The construction of the church commenced in 1327 and was completed in 1335. The paintings were completed in 1350. The church building was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. The Visoki Dečani Monastery is an important tourist spot.
Nis
Nis, the third largest town in the southeast region of Serbia has many historical monuments of the Ottoman and the Roman empires. The Skull Tower, the Turkish Fortress and the remains of the Roman city of Mediana are worth visiting.
Petrovaradin Fortress
The Petrovaradin Fortress stands on a hill in Novi Sad (Нови Сад) on the Danube River. Recent excavations have indicated that there have been continuous settlements on this site for almost 15,000 to 20,000 years. After the initial settlements and fortifications built in the Paleolithic and Bronze Ages, the Romans built a fort (Cusum) which stood till the Middle Ages. The Turkish, Hungarian and Austrian forces occupied the site alternately from 1235 and a new fort was constructed on the remains of the Cusum. The Austrians laid the base of the existing fortress in 1692 after the previous fortress was destroyed in 1687 in the war against Turkey.
Golubac Fortress
The Golubac Fortress stands on the banks of the Danube, four kilometres downstream from the town of Golubac. This popular tourist attraction which is also known as Smederevo, has five huge towers which were fortified periodically.
Novi Sad
Novi Sad or the ‘Serbian Athens’ is Serbia’s 2nd largest city and stands on the banks of the Danube. It is the cultural hub of Serbia with many libraries, museums, galleries, theatres and churches of various denominations.
Djerdap National Park
Beach Vacations
Beaches offer the tourist a host of options. You could sit back, soak in the sun, enjoy the sea and unwind. Or you could set the adrenaline pumping with water sports like surfing. You could also go snorkelling and marvel at the colourful underwater creatures. Most beaches offer beach gear on hire and tourists are saved the effort of carrying their own chairs or surfboards. 
