Serbia has connected West with East for centuries – a land in which civilizations, cultures, faiths, climates and landscapes meet and mingle. It is located in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula, in southeastern Europe. The northern portion belongs to central Europe, but in terms of geography and climate it is also partly a Mediterranean country.
Serbia is landlocked but as a Danube country it is connected to distant seas and oceans. Serbia is acrossroads of Europe and a geo-politically important territory. The international roads and railway lines, which run through the country’s river valleys, form the shortest link between Western Europe and the Middle East.
The cultural and historical heritage of Serbia begins with prehistoric archaeological sites and its legacy from classical antiquity. Perhaps its greatest riches, though, are in the many medieval Serbian churches and monasteries, some of which are included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
All year round, numerous cultural, entertainment, traditional and sporting events are held in Serbia, demonstrating the creative power and spiritual vitality of this country. Today, Serbia is a modern, democratic European country, on the path to membership of the European Union, which a diverse range of visitors – from young backpackers to participants in congresses and fairs – visit every day.
One of the most visited destinations in the country is the Capital itself – Belgrade ( White city ) one of the oldest cities of Europe and has since ancient times been an important crossing of the ways where the roads of eastern and western Europe meet. The city lies on two international waterways, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, which surround it on three sides. Because of this position, Belgrade is fittingly referred to as the Gateway to the Balkans and the Door to Central Europe.
Second biggest city in Serbia is Novi Sad. In the Serbian language, the synonyms for the word ,,sad,, (plantation) are: garden, yard and bed of flowers. One of the first impressions the city makes is that it is a city of well-tended beauty.
Its architecture and spirit have been shaped by many a nation.Easy-going and surrounded by fertile lowland, Fruška Mountain and the Danube, the capital city of Vojvodina is a pearl amongst the Serbian cities. It is also called the ‘Serbian Athens’, the Danube River Gibraltar and is home to south-east Europe’s largest music festival, EXIT which has earned a global reputation for its diversity.
The Fortress of Petrovaradin, with its monumental architecture, its underground galleries and miraculous maze of tunnels, is one of the symbols of the city. From the Clock-Tower plateau, one can have a panoramic view of Novi Sad and the Danube. Within the compound, can be found the City Museum, the Planetarium, and a line of art ateliers.
Sremski Karlovci is small town in Serbian region of Srem, just 10 km south of Novi Sad. It is one of the most beautiful places in Serbia, important for history and culture of the country.
The World Heritage list includes almost 1000 properties of cultural and natural value, from all over the world, deemed by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to be places of outstanding universal value. In selecting the properties which Serbia put forward for inclusion in the World Heritage List, an emphasis was placed on Serbia’s medieval heritage, particularly monasteries and royal mausoleums belonging to the Byzantine sphere of cultural influence, but with recognizable national characteristics.
The Tara National Park in the mountainous region of western Serbia was designated a national park in 1981. The 19,200-hectare park, with administrative offices in Bajina Basta, is spread out over a group of mountain peaks in the Tara, Crni vrh, Stolac and Zvezda ranges, the Canyon of Drina with Perucac and outskirts of Bajina Basta. National park covers a large bend in the Drina River bordering Bosnia.
Known for its beautiful peaks, thick forests, and deep caves, the park’s highlight is the massive Drina River Gorge, where rafting and boat trips are organized. The park is home to the rare Pancic Spruce, which dates to the pre-historic Tertiary era. Also in its forests are many varieties of wild animals.
One of the most beautiful waterfall in Europe is Sopotnice waterfall in southwestern Serbia, on the river Sopotnica, on the western slopes of the mountain of Jadovnik. The river Sopotnica, a tributary of the Lim, is characterised by the large difference in elevation between its mouth at 465 m above sea-level and its highest source at 1150 m.
Uvac river gorge is unique formation of meandering river in western Serbia that attract many visitors.
These meanders are a natural convolutions that are made due to many years of the river punching trough the limestone rock.
Meanders of the river Uvac resemble a maze, and in some places turns at an angle of 270 degrees. They seem unreal, like all the works of the patient builders, from which the nature is the very best.
Krupaj springs in eastern Serbia is a true fairy tale destination. The water, blue and green in color, with varying nuances, cant help itself but hypnotize the beholder.
Wooden town of Mećavnik in western Serbia is beautiful example of traditional Serbian architecture set in amazing nature. Mećavnik is a town of dreams, a town which has turned an image of utopia into reality. Its cultural scene is like no other, with one festival after another, just like the seasons. The first of these was ‘Kustendorf’, a film and music festival, where young filmmakers compete and the most eminent actors from the film world visit.
Since the moment its photograph found itself in the Daily Mail and theNational Geographic, the Drina House hasn’t ceased to intrigue the world and attract curious travelers from across the globe. Some may wonder who lives in it, others how it’s been built, while the rest simply enjoy the sight of it.
