SER

BIA

Serbia Србија HIGHLIGHTS Kalemegdan Citadel Explore the citadel that dominates Belgrade with its cannons and tanks,

and sets the city’s tone ( p1002 ) Novi Sad Relax in atmospheric cafes and take a wander around Petrovaradin Citadel, host

of the annual Exit Festival in July ( p1007 ) Subotica Admire gorgeous art nouveau architecture at every turn and travel back to an-

other era in timeless cafes ( p1008 )

Independent travellers to this misunderstood state will be surprised by Serbia. Art nouveau Hungarian influences cross the border into the Vojvodinian region. Novi Sad, presided over by the Petrovarian Citadel, hosts the edgy Exit festival which reverberates through Europe, except perhaps the nearby Fruška Gora, where monastic life has endured for generations.

Travellers looking for authenticity will find it here; villages have maintained their age-old hospitality and offer glimpses into rural life that is fast fading elsewhere in the world. Serbs welcome you as an opportunity for cross-cultural engagement over a drink or five.

Beating at Serbia’s heart is Belgrade, once dismissed as drab but now hailed a partygoer’s playground and culture-junkie’s overdose. Vivid museums, innovative restaurants and nightlife of every pace for every taste make this all-hours town a visitor’s playground.

After years of isolation and repression, this soulful state has emerged bruised but determined to launch itself into a future with Europe.

FAST FACTS

Area 102,350 sq km

Budget 2600DIN per day

Capital Belgrade

Country code %381

Famous for tennis (Ana Ivanovic, Monica Seles, Novak Djokovic, Jelena Jankovic…)

Language Serbian

Money dinar (DIN); A$1 = 52DIN; C$1 = 59DIN; €1 = 93DIN; ¥100 = 73DIN; NZ$1 = 41DIN; UK£1 = 105DIN; US$1 = 69DIN

Phrases zdravo (hello), doviđenja (good-bye), molim (please), hvala (thanks)

Population 7.5 million

Visa no visa needed for citizens of the EU, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada; see p1010

TRAVEL HINTS

Negotiate discounted accommodation by staying more than a few days, and explore the region by day-tripping. Fuel yourself at local markets and bakeries.

ROAMING SERBIA

Cultural and culinary exploration in Belgrade, day trips into Fruška Gora from Novi Sad, then on to Hungary via Subotica.

© Lonely Planet Publications998

SERB

IA l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m S E R B I A • • H i s t o r y

HISTORY The region’s original Illyrian inhabitants were augmented by Celts and then Slavs in the 6th century AD. The assignation of Serbia to the Byzantine Empire in AD 395, and then the conversion of the popula-tion to orthodoxy in 879, wedded Serbia to Eastern Europe.

The Ottoman Turks defeated Serbia at the pivotal 1389 Battle of Kosovo; independence from Turkish rule wasn’t achieved until 500 years later in 1815.

After WWI, Serbia joined Croatia, Slovenia, Vojvodina and Macedonia to form Yugoslavia, which during WWII was parti-tioned between Germany, Italy, Hungary and

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Mt Jezerca(2694m)

Jahorina(1913m)

Djeravica(2656m)

Panøi™ev Vrh(2017m)

Bobotov Kuk(2523m)

Mt Lov™en (1749m) Brezovica

Midzor(2169m)

Kuna-Valni NP

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Fruška Gora

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SERBIA 0 80 km0 40 miles

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