planning a trip to
Serbia
Here is what you need to know: Serbia Travel Guide
Serbia is the homeland of Tina and as mostly unknown to Western European has an amazing history and culture.
In its culture you can find parts of the Slav’s ideal and Ottoman’s lifestyle.
Its land is gorgeous, with wild mountains and untouched area. In winter, the snow covered everything and in summer the blue sky is present every day.
If you like good foods, Serbia has lots of yummy traditional dishes. Though it would be mostly with meat.
Little did I (Alex) knew about this amazing country before meeting Tina.
About
Serbia is landlocked country located in Southeast Europe in the Balkans.
The country reaches 88 361 km² (with Kosovo) and its population scale at 9 million people (with Kosovo).
It is the 99th most populous country on Earth. Its capital is Belgrade, one of the oldest European cities.
Kosovo as of today is still disputed. Kosovo claims independence but at the moment is only partially recognized.
Red represents the blood shed during the struggle for freedom, blue signifies the clear sky, and white denotes the dazzling bright light.
The symbol in it represent Serbia’s coat of Arms.
Serbia as most of the Eastern European country is mostly Orthodox Christian. And this since the 9th century.
During the Ottoman rules, Sunni Island established itself but today Orthodox represent 85% of the population and Islam 3%.
Catholic are present but only at 5%
The coat of arms of Serbia is modelled after the royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Serbia.
It consists of two main heraldic symbols which represent the national identity of the Serbian people across the centuries, the Serbian eagle (a white double-headed eagle adopted from the Nemanjić dynasty) and the Serbian cross (or cross with fire steels)
Yugoslavia was a country that appeared after World War I in 1918 under the name of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. It was formed with territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and Kingdom of Serbia. It was the first union of the South Slavic people as one state, following centuries of Ottoman’s and Austria-Hungary rules.
After an economics’ crisis in the 1980s, Yugoslavia broke up into what is today Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro.
What to expect?
Language: The official language is Serbian. English will get you around Belgrade, but once in the countryside, body gesture and a good translator will be your friends.
Food: Serbian cuisine is characterized by influences of Byzantine–Greek, Mediterranean’s cuisine, but also by Turkish (Ottoman). National dishes include Gibanica (egg and cheese pie), pljeskavica (ground beef/pork patty), ćevapi (grilled ground meat), and Karađorđeva šnicla (Karađorđe’s schnitzel). The national drink is the rakia.
Transportation: To get in the country flying to Belgrade is a good idea. From there, in the main city Tram or buses can be found. To get in the countryside, buses is the best option.
Money: The currency in Serbia is the Dinar. Rates changes, but at the moment 1€ is worth 117 Dinars. Credit card are accepted almost everywhere, and ATM are common.
Plugs: The plugs in Serbia are type C (Euro). The standard voltage is 230V with a frequency of 50hz.
Safety: Serbia is definitely safe. The war is long gone and in most of the town people don’t even lock their cars. Petty thief can occur is the main city.
