Serbia before. Serbia

Despite the fact that Serbia is not a very "promoted" destination for our tourists, this country is historically connected with Russia, and our people are welcomed here very cordially. Someone is attracted here by the picturesque nature and mild climate, others - by a rich historical excursion program, and still others - by medical and health-improving rest in local resorts.

The temperate continental climate with warm summers and mild snowy winters makes it possible to visit this country at any time of the year. Given the availability of a high level of service here, the prices for all services are quite moderate in comparison with the rest of Europe. At the same time, the presence is a significant plus for Russian travelers, since the Russian language is taught here in schools, so you probably won't have any problems with understanding - you can communicate with Serbs in Russian, and they will understand you.

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Climate and weather in Serbia

Cities and regions

In addition to the well-known Belgrade, in Serbia you can find other cities of interest to tourists. Below is a list of them, following the links you will find detailed information about each city.

Serbia landmarks

sights

Parks and recreation areas

Leisure

Transport

Private guides in Serbia

Russian private guides will help you to get acquainted with Serbia in more detail.
The project Experts.Tourister.Ru is registered.

Traveling around the country

Serbia has no domestic flights, but there are flights to neighboring Montenegro (Podgorica or Tivat) for those who want to relax on the seaside.

The main railway branch of Serbia runs from the Hungarian border: Subotica - Novi Sad - Belgrade - Lapovo - Niš, then there are branches to Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro and Romania. There are both high-speed trains in Serbia with a minimum of stops on the way, and ordinary regional ones, which stop even at small settlements. Accordingly, the travel time on such trains increases. There is a direct railway connection with Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Macedonia. And indirectly - with the rest of Europe, including Russia.

Serbia has a well-developed bus service, thanks to which you can get by bus not only to any settlement in the country, but also to other countries. Travel on Serbian buses is often paid directly to the driver, while long-distance tickets can be purchased at the train station. For the use of some motorways in Serbia, at special points, a toll is charged in dinars or euros (from the Hungarian border to Belgrade and from Belgrade to the Bulgarian border). There are mountain sections of the road with the danger of rockfall, but such rocks are usually fenced off with special nets. On motorways the speed is limited to 120 km / h, on other roads 80 - 100 km / h, and within the city - 60 km / h. Those who travel to Serbia by their own car need to have not only an international driver's license, but also an international insurance policy, which can also be issued at the border crossing. When calling a taxi in Serbia, keep in mind that a car called by phone will cost you 20% less than a taxi caught on the street.

The following public transport operates in the Serbian capital Belgrade: buses, taxis, trolleybuses and trams. There is also a suburban service (electric trains) on 6 lines. In the city center, these trains run underground, where there are 2 underground stations, but this is still not a subway, since suburban train cars are used here, which follow strictly according to the schedule. There is also a water connection between Belgrade and other cities. On the banks of the Danube, there is the Belgrade port, which is located at the intersection of the main waterway of Serbia with the Sava River. This port is not only an important transport hub, but also a trade area of ​​European importance.

Serbian cuisine

Serbian cuisine has absorbed the traditions of several peoples and cultures at once. Here you can see borrowings from European, Turkish, Mediterranean cuisines and, of course, try original national dishes. This is due to the geographical location of the country and the historical interaction of the Serbs with neighboring peoples. For example, the influence of Turkish cuisine can be traced in the fact that the main drink here is "Turkish coffee", which is brewed in cezve, and the presence of all kinds of kebabs, kebabs and grilled meat in the traditional menu indicates precisely the Middle Eastern traditions. In the north of Serbia, the influence of European cuisine is felt more, in particular, Romanian, Hungarian and Bulgarian. For example, dishes made from corn and tortillas made from it, as well as all kinds of dishes made from paprika (which we call "bell pepper") are very common here.

As for the first courses, there are 2 types of soups - liquid broth (supa), for example, chicken with the addition of noodles and thick chorba (čorba) with the addition of vegetables. Meat dishes are made from pork, beef, lamb and goat meat. It is worth trying "chevapchichi" made from pepper minced meat, which are usually grilled, pleskavitsi (a type of cutlets), schnitzels (with or without filling), as well as baked meat. Vegetables or rice are served here with all kinds of barbecue (dishes for rostil). "Musaka" is a potato dish with meat and vegetables, which are laid in layers on a baking sheet and baked, and "sarma" is an analogue of our cabbage rolls, when minced meat mixed with rice is wrapped in sauerkraut leaves. Serbs love spicy and well-started dishes, which is why they often use black pepper, sweet red paprika and garlic. And hot peppers (feferoni) will be served to you as an appetizer to any dish.

In Serbia, you should choose the one that can be bought at any bakery from the fast hand food in Serbia. By the way, there are a great many of them here, and fresh bread and pastries can be tasted literally every 100 meters. Balkan burek is the most popular snack food. This is a semblance of a closed puff pastry cheburek. The filling can be anything - from meat and cheese to herbs and potatoes.

Serbs attach great importance to homemade dairy products, because about half of the population of this country keep their livestock and prefer meat and milk to have their own. In addition to homemade cheeses, which can be "old" and "young", a very popular snack is the fatty "kaymak" made from fermented milk spread on bread and is a cross between butter and cheese. Serbs also prefer to bake bread themselves, while it is not only part of the meal, but also plays an important role in many Orthodox rituals. Local pies ("pita") are no less tasty, which can be with almost any toppings. Puff pastry is usually used as a dough, and cheese, meat, herbs, apples or cherries are placed inside.

Beverages

Boiled coffee is especially popular as a drink in Serbia, and tea is rarely drunk here - mainly for colds. Since there are many mineral springs in the country, mineral water (in Serbian "kissel water") is inexpensive here and is often served with every meal. Liquid yogurt like our kefir is also very popular, especially if you are snacking on burek. Also, beer or wine is moderately consumed here for lunch or dinner. And guests are greeted with strong homemade brandy, which is "baked" (that is, "driven") from any fruit. Plum Šlivovitsa is considered to be the national drink, grapes produce lozovacha rakia, and pears produce Williamovka. And if you visit a Serbian restaurant, keep in mind that it is customary here to leave a tip for good service, which is about 10% of the bill.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Belgrade on January 17 for a visit. There he will hold talks with local leader Aleksandar Vucic. Because of his work, Putin is unlikely to have a lot of time for tourist routes, and in fact there is something to see in Serbia. If you decide to take the presidential route and visit Serbia, here are just five of the hundreds of reasons to go there.

How to travel to Serbia, or the number one reason

It so happened that in Europe without a visa, Russians today can only visit a number of countries of the former Yugoslavia, including Serbia. To enter Serbia you need a valid passport. On many sites, you can read that you also need to have return tickets, confirmation of a hotel reservation, a printout from a bank account about a sufficient amount of funds ($ 50, one day of stay), but in practice the author of the text did not have a chance to meet people who who would be asked such a set of documents. In general, the border, as a rule, is passed quickly and affably. Not only that, $ 50 per day in Serbia can be very good fun.

Serbian ski resorts, or reason number two

As you know, you can have a rest at ski resorts all year round, it just isn't always possible to go skiing. There are two ski resorts in Serbia - Kopaonik, about 60 km. trails, and Stara planina (Old Mountain), where there are about 13 km of trails. Despite the name, it is a younger resort. The lifts in the resorts are quite new, the Serbs are pouring snow regularly, they level the slopes well too. There is, however, a strange feature - despite the relatively small number of people, the tracks crash faster than in the same Austria and by two o'clock in the afternoon, or even earlier, simple for a sophisticated skier or snowboarder (marked by the standards of the resort in red and black ) the tracks become mogul with icy bald patches. But in the morning they are perfect, as are the forest landscapes.

Hotels here in the season, frankly, are expensive. Prices are almost comparable to Austrian ones, with the difference that Serbs provide three or five meals a day, and sometimes all-inclusive. It's a shame, but this is exactly what is not needed here. Unlike Austria, you can eat and drink on the slope quite fully for five to ten euros, depending on the institution and appetite. Ski pass prices will also please.

I love skiing Serbia, despite some discrepancy in the formal ratio of price and quality in favor of the former. Informally - it's good to have a rest here! It is in the aggregate to have a rest, and not to hone the skill of carving or lie in the room of a luxury hotel. Having paid for the hotel, you can no longer think about prices and expenses, but just enjoy your vacation.

Beaches in Serbia, or reason number three

Thinking about a trip to Serbia, we hardly imagine a beach holiday, but in vain. The absence of the sea is fully compensated by numerous natural complexes with lakes and forests. As well as healing springs with mineral water and a well-developed hotel infrastructure nearby. There are more than fifty resorts with mineral springs in Serbia. There are four thermal springs in Vrnjačka Banja alone, which are used for relaxation and treatment. It is here that the only mineral spring in Europe is located with a water temperature of 36.6 degrees, which corresponds to the temperature of the human body. A double room in a good hotel with no frills in the resort can be rented for 20 euros / day. In Lukovskaya Banya, which is located on the slopes of Kopaonik at an altitude of 681 meters above sea level, there are 28 springs and wells with water temperatures from 28 to 68 ° C.

In addition to thermal and cold springs, there is the Danube and many mountain rivers, where you can not only relax in silence, but also fish for trout. Services include accommodation in a fishing lodge, meals, equipment rental and fly fishing training.

Food in Serbia, or reason number four

There is a lot of food here, tasty and inexpensive. Most of the dishes are meat-based, so vegetarians, especially vegans, will have a hard time. A portion of Meshano Meso (several types of meat: beef, pork, chicken, less often lamb, chevapchichi / minced sausages /) with an output of 400 grams will cost 5–20 euros. There is an interesting feature here - the portions in Serbia are slightly larger than can be assumed based on the indicated grams.

You should definitely eat on the main pedestrian street in the center of Belgrade - Skadarlija. It is called the Serbian Montmartre or Arbat, but to me most of all it reminded me of St. Andrew's Descent in Kiev, only in Belgrade it is quieter and shader. On both sides of the cobbled street there are cafes and restaurants with live music, souvenir shops and other attributes of a "place for tourists". However, the prices here are quite affordable, especially if before that you dined at Sheremetyevo. For 30 - 50 euros on Skadarlija, you can eat and drink together with a glass of local wine or beer, as well as taste brandy.

Local spirits deserve a separate tasting. Rakia is made here, perhaps, from everything that grows well: plum (shlivovitsa), quince (dunya), apple (yabukavacha), pear (vilyamovka), grapes (lozovacha), apricot (kaisievacha), figs, kiwi ... Served in small, about 30-50 gram bottles with a narrow neck or glasses narrowed at the top. It smells, as a rule, of the fruit from which it is prepared. The fortress can vary from 30 to 75 degrees.

In Serbia, it is not forbidden to "drive", and the locals do it skillfully and in large quantities. They willingly treat tourists with products of home brewing, and here the sense of proportion does not hurt at all - the strength of homemade "brandy" can be more than 60 degrees, but it is treacherously easy to drink.

Wines in Serbia can delight even connoisseurs of high wine art. Alas, most of them cannot be found in Russia, since very large consignments are of interest to Russian importers.

It is worth remembering that Serbian wine tastings are different from those you can visit in France, Spain or Portugal. Here, as a rule, wine is accompanied by a rich Serbian table with cheeses, pršutt, pleskovica and various burekas. In Minich's cellar, which is not far from Aleksandrovac, you can spend the night after such a feast. Accommodation here is a continuation of the tasting, old wine barrels are adapted for the rooms. Seeing their size, you understand that Diogenes was not so wrong in his choice of housing.

Hotel prices in Serbia, or reason number five

Compared to many European capitals, you can live in Belgrade for almost nothing. At the height of summer, a room in a hotel in the city center starts from 40 euros. A separate room in a hostel, but with amenities in the corridor, can be rented for 15 - 20 euros, a bed in a dormitory room from 7 euros. You can, then you can, but why? After all, apartments are also in the center of Belgrade - from 30 euros per day, and with a certain amount of luck you can find it for 20. And this is not per person. Favorite Russians 4 * hotels offer standard rooms in the range from 70 to 120 euros. It should be noted that there are not many 5 * hotels in the capital of Serbia, and you can enjoy their services at a price of 200 euros per day for a double room. However, if you want to stay in Belgrade not for one or two, but at least three nights, then you should pay attention to Zemun - a city within a city. Part of Belgrade, which in the middle of the 20th century was not only a separate city, but also part of another state - the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A hotel on the waterfront in the center of Zemun will cost almost as much as a hostel - about 15 euros per person per day, and apartments are even cheaper.

Sights of Serbia, or again the number one reason

The oldest part of Belgrade is the Kalemegdan fortress, here you will also find an open-air museum of military equipment. If you come to Kalemegdan along Prince Michael Street, you will come across many souvenir shops, shops, outdoor cafes, etc. In some ways, this street is similar to the old Arbat: with artists, dancers and sellers of all the most unnecessary.

Not far from Belgrade, in Smederevo, there is the largest man-made fortification in Europe - the Brankovic Fortress (15th century). It is also possible to organize excursions to the monasteries of Studenica or Sopochany, where frescoes from the 11th to 13th centuries are located. If you look closely, for example, at the fresco depicting the holy doctors Cosmas and Damian in Sopochany, you will see that they are not holding spoons, as in most images of that time, but rather modern scalpels. There are many monasteries in Serbia, and wherever you go, on the roads you will be greeted by signs on a brown background with information that you are not far from this or that ancient temple.

Serbian New Athos - Fruska Gora - here, less than 20 kilometers from Novi Sad, there are 17 monasteries of the 15th - 17th centuries.

The Church of St. Sava is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. Architecturally, it is somewhat reminiscent of St. Sophia. The temple is interesting because it is a long-term church construction. Construction (planning, competitions and other approvals) began in 1894, only in 1935 did the builders begin to erect the building, and by 1939 the walls of the temple were erected. The Second World War interrupted construction for almost 50 years. Work resumed only in May 1986. The dome was completed in 1989, and finishing works are underway in the temple to this day. Although the lack of decoration can be regarded as a plus, the temple is completely devoid of the stiffness inherent in some ceremonial buildings.

Zemun, as we have already written, is a piece of Austria-Hungary. Here, unlike the rest of Belgrade, narrow cobbled streets and low two-story houses. It is worth going up to the Gardos Tower, built in 1897. It is the southernmost of the four towers erected for the millennium of Hungary in the farthest points of the country.

Monasteries and churches in Serbia deserve special attention, some of which were built and painted in the early 12th century. There are temples of an earlier period: it is believed that the most ancient church in the Balkans is the Church of Peter and Paul in the vicinity of Novi Pazar. It was built in the 9th century on the site of a Roman pagan temple.

In the town of Mokra Gora, in addition to natural beauties, there is an interesting attraction - a narrow-gauge railway, built almost on sheer cliffs, the track width of which is only 75 centimeters. Shargan osmita, as the name implies, has the shape of the number eight. Its construction began in 1916, and the road was launched in 1925. Until 1974, the road functioned until it lost its profitability. However, in 1999 it was decided to restore the road - this time as a tourist attraction. Riding this train is a great adventure, and not far from Drevnegrad is the village of Kusturica, which was built as a backdrop for the film “Life is like a miracle” (Život je čudo). Now there are restaurants and hotels, prices are very, very European. And downstairs, completely authentic architecture and cuisine are much cheaper. In Mokra Gora, you can not only ride an old train and enjoy a little popular Serbia from Kusturica, but also swim in a mountain river with water lilies and lilies.

Novi Sad and Nis, the second and third cities in Serbia, are no less interesting to visit than Belgrade. Yes, they are small, but very welcoming and cozy. Novi Sad perfectly combines Western and Eastern European architecture. Niš has an ossuary, a beautiful park with almost Roman ruins and modern hotels with ridiculous prices. Near these cities there are balneological resorts.

Serbian language

From lovers of "package" vacations, you can often hear the phrase: how I will be there (abroad), they do not speak Russian. As for Serbia, here, due to the relative proximity of languages, some of the problems are removed. In any case, the signs and menus in restaurants, if you move your brains, become quite understandable. In Belgrade, the older generation is quite tolerable, if they don't speak, then they understand Russian. Young people speak English quite well and almost without exception. Those who are going to travel inland can be advised to bring a dictionary or phrasebook. In small towns and non-tourist villages, sometimes even the hotel staff does not speak any language other than their own. If you get lost and ask for directions in Serbia, then remember, “right” in Serbian is straightforward, but if you go to the right, it sounds like “desno” (“right hand” is the right hand in Old Church Slavonic).

Features of Serbia, but for someone a bold plus

In Serbia, they are very loyal to smoking. If you do not like the smell of tobacco smoke, then it is better to pay attention to this when booking a room. Here, unlike in other Europe, you can often see the "smoking-only room" mark. This does not mean that you will be forced to smoke or not be accommodated, but it will be useless to argue about the smell of tobacco in the room. And in general, in Serbia they smoke a lot and there are few places where "fluff is taken", but at least the coffee is good.

Sea in Serbia

There is no sea in Serbia, but if you miss it so much, then in just 45 minutes you can fly from Belgrade to neighboring Tivat (Montenegro). As a rule, the prices for these flights are not high, and with luck you can buy Belgrade-Tivat-Belgrade tickets for 70 - 80 euros.

Text and photo: Maria Cheglyaeva

The official name - Serbia and Montenegro, unites two equal states. Serbia has two autonomous regions: Vojvodina, Kosovo and Metohija. Since 1999, due to the crisis of ethnic relations, the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija has been transferred under the jurisdiction of the UN. Located in the southeastern part of Europe.

Area 102,173 km2, incl. Serbia 88,361 km2 (of which Kosovo and Metohija - 10,887 km2), Montenegro 13,812 km2. Population (2001) - 10.5 million people, incl. in Serbia - 9.8 million people. (of them in Kosovo and Metohija - 2.3 million people), Montenegro - approx. 660 K people The state language is Serbian. The administrative center is Belgrade (1.7 million people, 2002), the capital of Serbia is Belgrade, the capital of Montenegro is Podgorica. National holiday - Day of S. and Ch. 4 February. Monetary unit: in Serbia (without Kosovo and Metohija) - dinar, in Montenegro - euro, in Kosovo and Metohija - euro (in Albanian regions) and dinar (in Serbian regions).

Member of the UN, OSCE, IMF, World Bank, EBRD, etc., has observer status at the WTO.

Serbia landmarks

Geography of Serbia

Serbia and Montenegro is located mainly on the Balkan Peninsula, a small part north of the Danube and Sava is included in Central Europe. It extends from north to south between 46 ° 11 'and 41 ° 50' north latitude, from east to west between 18 ° 26 'and 23 ° 00' east longitude.

From the southwest it is washed by the Adriatic Sea. The coastline is 293.5 km, of which 52 km are beaches. The coast is winding, the largest bay is Bokokotorska, which is a convenient harbor.

From the sea side it borders on Italy, has land borders in the west with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, in the north with Hungary, in the east with Romania and Bulgaria, in the south with Macedonia and Albania.

The natural conditions are extremely varied.

By the nature of the relief, it is divided into two parts - the northern plain and the southern mountain (the ratio by area is approximately 1: 3).

The flat north occupies the southern part of the Middle Danube lowland, 100-150 m above sea level. Low crystalline massifs rise only in two places: Fruska Gora (539 m) and Vrshaka Kula (640 m). The mountainous part is divided into five regions: hilly Sumadia in the north, the East Serbian mountains in the east, the Serbian Highlands in the center, the outskirts of the Bosnian Mountains in the west, the Dinaric Highlands and the Montenegrin Karst Plateau in the southwest. Numerous ridges alternate with small mountain river valleys and tectonic basins. The most extensive are Kosovo and Metohijskaya. 45 mountain peaks are over 2000 m high. The highest point in Serbia is Mount Jeravica (2656 m), in Montenegro - Mount Bobotov Kuk (2522 m). A large lake is Skadar, on the border with Albania (370 km2). From the north, it is adjoined by the only vast plain of Montenegro - the Skadar depression.

Most of the rivers belong to the Black Sea basin. The main ones are the Danube (the length of the territory and borders is 588 km), its tributaries Sava, Tisza and Morava, as well as the Drina, which forms a significant part of the western border, Ibar and Lim. Two large canal systems have been built - Banatskaya (518 km) and Bachskaya (421 km).

The climate in most of the territory is moderately continental. On the plains and in hilly regions, the average January temperature is from –1 to –2 ° С, in July + 22-23 ° С, precipitation is 500–1000 mm per year. In mountainous areas, summers are milder, winters are more severe, precipitation is abundant (1500-2500 mm), snow cover lasts for several months. The climate of the Adriatic coast is Mediterranean subtropical with hot, dry, long summers and mild rainy winters. The average temperature in January is + 10 ° С, in July + 27 ° С, precipitation falls up to 1500 mm per year.

The soils in the Middle Danube lowland are mainly represented by chernozems. In mountainous Serbia, brown forest soils dominate, in the upper belt of mountains - mountain meadow soils. Extensive karst areas in Montenegro are devoid of soil cover, and red soils have formed in the depressions and on the Adriatic coast.

The vegetation cover in the flat north is dominated by steppe grasses, in the mountainous part - forests (beech, oak). The upper belt of the mountains is covered with mountain grasses. In the Dinaric Highlands and on the Montenegrin Karst Plateau, the Mediterranean oak is found. On the Adriatic coast there are thickets of evergreen subtropical shrubs and trees (maquis, strawberry tree, myrtle, laurel, juniper), hard grasses. Forests cover approx. 1/4 of the country's territory.

The fauna on the plains is represented by voles, ground squirrels, and hares; deer, chamois, wild goat, fox, wild boar, lynx live in the mountains. The world of birds is diverse. Lizards and snakes are on the rocky slopes. Rivers, lakes and coastal sea waters are rich in fish (carp, pike, perch, trout, eel, sardines, etc.).

Among the minerals, the most important are deposits of lignites, deposits of oil and natural gas, copper ore, bauxite and polymetallic ores, antimony, magnesite. There are significant hydropower resources, primarily the Danube.

An important part of the raw material resources of Serbia and Montenegro lies in the autonomous region of Kosovo and Metohija (deposits of lead-zinc, iron-nickel ores, magnesite, and lignite), which was withdrawn from its jurisdiction.

Serbia population

In 1948-2001, the population increased by 3.6 million, mainly due to the high birth rate in the first post-war decades. From the end. 1970s and especially in the crisis 1990s. the birth rate dropped significantly (2001 - 12.2 ‰), the death rate began to grow (10.6 ‰) and the natural increase decreased (1.6 ‰). It remains high (14.8 ‰) only in Kosovo and Metohija due to the high birth rate among the Albanian population, whose share is constantly growing. Child mortality is steadily declining (in 2001, 13.1 persons per 1000 newborns).

In the structure of the population, 49.6% are men, 50.4% are women. Children under 15 years old make up 20%, young people 15-29 years old - 22%, people aged 30-44 years old - 21%, 45-64 years old - 23%, 65 years old and older - 13%. The average age is 37 years, the average life expectancy for men is 70 years, and for women is 75 years (2001). Retirement age: 65 years for men, 60 years for women.

The share of the urban population (1991 - 51%) is growing rapidly due to migration from villages. In addition to Belgrade, there are five large cities (over 100 thousand inhabitants) - Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac, Podgorica and Subotica.

According to the 1991 census, the economically active population was 44% (as of 2001, 38% without data on Kosovo and Metohija), and the agricultural population was 17%.

Significant progress has been made in raising the level of education of the population. In 1948 the share of illiterate people over 10 years old was 27%, in 1991 - 7%. Completed general or specialized secondary education had 30%, higher - 4% of people over 15 years old.

The population of Serbia and Montenegro is multinational. The main part is made up of the South Slavic peoples: Serbs (over 60%) and Montenegrins (about 4%). Among the national minorities, the most numerous are Albanians - approx. 12%, mainly in Kosovo and Metohija, and Hungarians - approx. 3%, mainly in Vojvodina. In addition, there are a significant number of Muslims (in the ethnic sense), Romanians, Gypsies, Slovaks, Croats, Bulgarians, Turks, etc.

The vast majority of the population speaks dialects of the Serbian language. National minorities use their native language in their main places of residence.

Most of the believers are Orthodox: almost all Serbs and Montenegrins, as well as Romanians, Bulgarians, many Gypsies, etc. The majority of Albanians and Turks are Muslims. Catholicism and other religions are professed by an insignificant part of the population (mainly Hungarians, Croats).

In the 1990s. As a result of ethnic conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Metohija, many Serbs and Montenegrins who lived there fled to Serbia. In 2001, the number of migrants in it was 452 thousand, of which 377 thousand had refugee status.

History of Serbia

Serbian tribes appeared in the Balkans in the 6-7 centuries, settling on the territory of the former possessions of Ancient Rome. In the 9th century. they accepted Christianity in its Orthodox form. Located between the powerful regional powers of that time - Venice, Byzantium, Hungary and Bulgaria, the Serbs were forced to constantly fight for their freedom and independence. To this end, they created special territorial formations headed by zhupans, who concentrated both military and administrative power in their hands. In the 2nd floor. 12th century one of these zupans - Stefan Nemanja - became the prince of all Serbia and the founder of the first national dynasty. His son Stephen the First Crowned was married to the reign already as king.

The heyday of the Serbian state fell on the middle. 14th century - the period of the reign of King Stephen Dusan, whose possessions were so extensive that he bore the title of "king of the Serbs and Greeks." However, after the death of Dushan, the state he created began to disintegrate. The fragmentation of the Serbs was used by the new conquerors of the Balkans, the Ottoman Turks. In the battle on the Kosovo field on June 28, 1389, the Serbs were dealt a crushing defeat, which also entailed their state catastrophe. Since then, the date of the Kosovo battle, which coincided with St. Vitus Day (Vidovdan), has become the most tragic in the entire history of the Serbian people.

The history of centuries-old Turkish rule was also the history of the struggle of the Serbs against their oppressors. However, only at the beginning of the 19th century. there was a nationwide uprising led by Black George (Kara-Djordje), which marked the beginning of a new Serbian dynasty - the Karadjordjeviches. On the liberated territory, the Serbs restored their statehood.

In 1820, Istanbul officially recognized Serbia as an independent principality on the basis of a vassal relationship. Serbia gained full independence only after Turkey's defeat in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78.

At the same time, the Berlin Congress (1878) consolidated the status of a subject of international law for Montenegro. Until the 14th century. the history of the Montenegrin people, akin to the Serbs, was inseparable from the history of Serbia, which included Montenegro as one of the regions. After the Turkish enslavement of Serbia, the state entity Zeta, which included Montenegro and northern Albania, became independent. Only a century later, the Turks managed to subjugate the flat Montenegrin territories. The population, entrenched in the inaccessible Black Mountains, managed to maintain independence, creating a theocratic republic headed by the sovereigns - the metropolitans of Montenegro. One of them - Vladyka Peter the First Njegos - after successful wars with the Turks, in 1798 obtained from the Sultan the publication of a special firman on the recognition of the independence of Montenegro. The process of the transformation of the rulers into secular rulers that began after this led, in the end, to the fact that in 1852 Vladyka Danilo took the title of prince and laid the foundation for the secular dynasty of Petrovich. His successor, Prince Nikola, became king of Montenegro in 1910.

The age-old aspiration of the two kindred peoples to unite was hampered not only by the territorial disunity in the form of the Turkish Sandzak separating them, which was eliminated in 1912 as a result of the victory over Turkey in the 1st Balkan War. The main obstacle was the rivalry between the two reigning dynasties - Petrovich and Karadjordjevic. Therefore, not the ruling royal dynasty, but the Montenegrin opposition joined the Corfu (1917) declaration of the representatives of the Yugoslavian peoples on the intention to create a unified state of Serbs, Croats, Slovenes.

On November 26, 1918, the Assembly of representatives of the Montenegrin people gathered in Podgorica spoke in favor of the deposition of the Petrovich dynasty and for unification with Serbia under the rule of Peter the Great Karadjordjevic, and on December 1 - as a result of the unification of Serbia with the State of Slovenes, Croats, Serbs (proclaimed in the territories of the former Yugoslav-Hungarian ), a single Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, Slovenes was formed (from 1929 - the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). With the adoption of the Vidovdan Constitution of 1931, the country received a new administrative division into banovins, which consolidated the elimination of the historical regions of the unitary state. At the same time, if as a result of this, the territory of Serbia proper was divided between several Banovins, then Montenegro became entirely part of one Zeta Banovina, thus preserving its territorial integrity. In connection with the formation in 1939 on the basis of the Cvetkovic-Machek Agreement of a separate Banovina Croatia, a project was developed to create a similar unified Banovina Serbian land. However, due to the outbreak of World War II, he was not destined to be realized.

After the fascist aggression against Yugoslavia in April 1941, Serbia was occupied by German troops and the Quisling regime of General Milan Nedić was created in it, and Montenegro entered the Italian occupation zone. With the capitulation of Italy in September 1943, Montenegro was also subjected to German occupation. During World War II, various projects of state structure related to Serbia and Montenegro clashed. The bearers of the Great Serb idea of ​​unification were both the Nedich regime and the monarchist Ravnogorsk movement of the Chetniks Drazha Mikhailovich. The Great Serb idea was opposed by the concept of the Anti-Fascist Party of the People's Liberation of Yugoslavia, which provided for the revival of the country on a federal basis. This idea was implemented in 1945 within the framework of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (since 1946 - the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, since 1963 - the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). Thus, within the framework of the federation, the statehood of both Serbia and Montenegro was restored.

At the same time, two autonomies were formed as part of Serbia - Kosovo and Metohija and Vojvodina, which, as a result of constitutional changes in 1974, were endowed with elements of confederality on a par with the union republics, having received seats in the highest state body - the Presidium of the SFRY and the right of veto on issues of both regional and republican development. As a result, a situation arose when the regions were not subordinate to Serbia, but Serbia itself was subordinate to its autonomies. A similar situation contributed to the stirring up of the ambitions of the Albanian national elite in Kosovo and Metohija, which became more and more insistently demanding for the region the status of a union republic with the right to secede from the federation. In order to preserve the territorial integrity of Serbia and the SFRY, in 1989-90 at the republican and federal levels, appropriate amendments were made to the Constitution. The response from the Albanian majority of the Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija was the unilateral proclamation of the region as a republic, and then as an independent state. In 1992, illegal elections were held in Kosovo and Metohija for their own "state" authorities. In 1998, Albanian separatists in Kosovo and Metohija went over to an armed struggle to achieve their goals, provoking retaliatory actions by the Serbian authorities, which, in turn, was the reason for the NATO aggression against the FRY in March 1999. In June of the same year, UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244 an international protectorate was established in Kosovo and Metohija.

In the end. 1990s separatist tendencies also manifested themselves in Montenegro. With the disintegration of the SFRY in 1992, the Montenegrin leadership, like the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia and Croatia, first agreed with the principle developed by the international Badenter Commission for the creation of new independent states within the former republican borders. However, after negotiations with the Serbian leadership, it was decided to preserve the federation as part of the two republics, and on April 27, 1992, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formed. However, after the split in 1997 in the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists in Montenegro and the election of Milo Djukanovic as president, separatist tendencies intensified in the republic. The Montenegrin leadership has ceased to recognize the federal parliament and the government of the FRY formed by it. And after the September 2000 federal presidential elections, which the official Montenegro boycotted, all federal institutions in Podgorica began to be regarded as purely Serbian. As a result, the federation acquired an almost nominal character.

Due to the complete incompatibility of the positions of Belgrade and Podgorica on the future of their relationship, bilateral negotiations have reached an impasse. Using the mutual desire of Serbia and Montenegro for European integration, the EU forced the authorities in both republics to agree to a compromise option and to sign the Belgrade Agreement on March 14, 2002, on the transformation of the FRY into a new state community of Serbia and Montenegro.

State structure and political system of Serbia

In accordance with the Constitutional Charter adopted on February 4, 2003, the state community of Serbia and Montenegro is based on the equality of both member states.

The charter provided for the formation of a unicameral parliament - the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro from 126 deputies (91 - from Serbia and 35 - from Montenegro), first for a period of 2 years by delegating deputies from the republican assemblies, and later - already for a period of 4 years through direct elections. Decisions by parliament are made by a simple majority of the payroll, provided that the same majority vote for them from each of the republics. For a term of 4 years, the Assembly also elects the president of the new state formation, and alternately from each of the two republics. The head of parliament and the president could not be representatives of the same republic. The first president of Serbia and Montenegro was the representative of Montenegro Svetozar Marovic. The chairman of the parliament is the representative of Serbia, Dragoljub Michunovic, who was replaced in 2004 by Zoran Shami.

The President of Serbia and Montenegro proposes to the Assembly for approval candidates for the highest executive body - the Council of Ministers, which he heads ex officio. In addition to the president, the government also includes the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and their deputies, the Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, the Minister for Internal Economic Relations, and the Minister for Human and Minority Rights. At the end of the 2-year term, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs change places with their deputies.

In the republics - members of the community, their highest bodies of state power are elected. In Serbia, elections to the republican parliament of 250 deputies were held according to a proportional system. For the creation of parliamentary groups, a limit of 5% of votes received in the elections was envisaged.

The mandate to form the government is given to the representative of the parliamentary majority. In 2004, the mandate was received by the chairman of the Democratic Party, Vojislav Kostunica (until 2003 - President of the FRY). During the formation of his coalition government, for the first time, the personal responsibility of each party for the ministry assigned to it was introduced. In contrast to the previous practice, its leadership (ministers and deputy ministers) consisted entirely of members of one party.

The president of the republic was elected by direct elections for 5 years with the possibility of re-election for one more term. In connection with the failure of the republican presidential elections in 2002 and 2003 due to the absence of the required number of voters (50% of the payroll), the duties of the president of Serbia until the election of a new president was performed by the head of the republican assembly. In 2004, legislators lifted the restrictive voter turnout threshold and Boris Tadic was nominated for the presidency of Serbia.

In Montenegro, in a similar situation, this obstacle was removed back in 2003, and Filip Vujanovic was elected as the new president in the repeated elections. The former head of the republic, Milo Djukanovic, has moved to the prime minister's chair. Parliamentary elections in Montenegro were also held according to a proportional system. At the same time, the variables were the number of “played out” deputy mandates (from 125 in 1990 to 71 in 2002) and the electoral threshold for parties to enter parliament, fluctuating within 3-5% (in 2002 - 3%). In 2004, an agreement was reached between the authorities and the opposition to introduce a differentiated electoral qualification. If for parties independently participating in elections it remained at the level of 3%, then for multi-party coalitions a flexible scale was introduced. For a two-party coalition, the threshold was set at 5%, for a three-party coalition - 7%, etc.

In the province of Kosovo and Metohija, legal parliamentary elections to the Provincial Assembly were held in November 2001 on the basis of the “Statutory Framework for Provisional Self-Government” approved by the International Civil Administration (UNMIK).

Of the 120 seats in the regional parliament, 100 were allocated for all registered parties, coalitions and independent candidates, and 20 were reserved for associations of national minorities. And half of them are for Serbs.

The elections were carried out according to the proportional system with the presence of one electoral unit in the region. The term of office of the Kosovo Assembly was limited to 3 years. The regional parliament elected the Presidium and the President of Kosovo.

Political parties in Serbia and Montenegro are registered only at the republican level. In Serbia in 2003, there were 274 of them. However, in fact, the number of parties actively manifesting themselves in the political arena is an order of magnitude smaller. The largest were the Democratic Party (chairman Boris Tadic) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (chairman Vojislav Kostunica), which after their joint victory in October 2000 over the "Milosevic regime" became the main political rivals. In addition to them, prior to the 2003 parliamentary elections, the most prominent role was played by such pro-government parties as the Democratic Party of Serbia (Vladan Batic), the Democratic Center (Dragoljub Michunovic), the Democratic Alternative (Nebojsa Covic) and the Serbian Civil Union (Goran Svilanovic). Local national political parties such as the Union of Hungarians of Vojvodina (Jozsef Kasa) and the Sandzak Democratic Party (Rasim Ljajic) occupied a prominent place in the republican arena among the pro-government political forces.

Along with the old opposition - the Socialist Party of Serbia (Slobodan Milosevic), the Serbian Radical Party (Vojislav Seselj), the Serbian Renewal Movement (Vuk Draskovic), the Party of Serbian Unity (Borislav Pelevich), the new democratic opposition also played an increasingly active role. In addition to the Democratic Party of Serbia, this is primarily the G 17 Plus party (Miroljub Labus), as well as the New Serbia party, led by Velimir Ilic, one of the main organizers of the Serbian democratic revolution in 2000. At the end of 2003, the Social Democratic Party ( Slobodan Orlic), which led to the loss of the parliamentary majority by the ruling regime.

The 2003 parliamentary elections brought about a new alignment of political forces. Noticeable success was achieved by parties representing both the new, democratic, and the old, nationalist and left opposition. The Serbian Radical Party won the largest number of seats in the republican parliament (82), the Democratic Party of Serbia received 53 mandates, the G 17 Plus party - 34 (3 of which were awarded to the Social Democratic Party), the coalition of the Serbian Renewal Movement and the New Serbia party - 22. the Socialist Party of Serbia won. The political positions of the former leading ruling party, the Democratic Party, have significantly weakened. Despite the fact that her electoral list received 37 seats, she received 13 fewer seats directly. In accordance with a tough pre-election inter-party agreement, 5 seats from the general electoral list of the Democrats were given to the Democratic Center and the Civil Union of Serbia, and one to the Social Democratic Union. Two more deputy mandates were promised to representatives of the Sandjak parties. As for the representatives of the Vojvodina Hungarians, this time they did not get into the Assembly of Serbia.

In Montenegro, the leading political parties were the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (Milo Djukanovic) and the Socialist People's Party (Predrag Bulatovic), which broke away from it in 1998, which became the main opposition force. The Social Democratic Party (Ranko Krivokapic), the Liberal Union (Vesna Perovic), the People's Party (Dragan Shoch), and the Serbian People's Party (Andrija Mandic) also played an important political role. In the end. 2003, part of the former members of the leadership of the latter, headed by the former chairman Bojidar Bojovic, formed their own - the Democratic Serbian Party.

The main players on the political scene in the province of Kosovo and Metohija were such Albanian national parties as the Democratic League (Ibrahim Rugova), the Democratic Party (Hashim Tachi), the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (Ramush Haradinaj), New Party of Kosovo (Buyar Bukoshi), Christian Democratic Party (Mark Krasniqi).

Of the Serbian parties, the most active role at the regional level was played by the Democratic Alternative, the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Democratic Party, represented in the Assembly of Kosovo.

The internal political development of the new state community in the next 3 years after the adoption of the Constitutional Charter, despite the official consensus of the overwhelming part of the political elite, was fraught with an exacerbation of the struggle between centrifugal and centripetal forces, and in both republics.

Montenegrin society continued to be deeply divided over the future of relations with Serbia. If the opposition Coalition for Change (formerly the Coalition for Yugoslavia), as part of the Socialist People's Party, the People's Party and the Serbian People's Party, advocated the federal development of Serbia and Montenegro, the ruling bloc of demosocialists and social democrats did not abandon their intention to use the right to a referendum on the independence of Montenegro. The Liberal Union also remained on the same positions of separatism, although it went over to cooperation with the federalists on the issue of removing the ruling DPS-SDP regime from power. In connection with the manifestations on the Montenegrin side of an obvious unwillingness to speed up the process of harmonization of the economic systems of the two member states of the community, in Serbia, voices in favor of the independence of this republic began to be heard louder and louder. The Democratic Christian Party and the G 17 Plus Party officially supported Serbian independence.

The foreign policy of the new state community was determined by its internal needs, both of an economic nature (ensuring favorable conditions for the necessary foreign financial injections and for the sale of domestic products in foreign markets) and political (providing international support in strengthening the ruling regime and in resolving the Kosovo crisis on the basis of territorial community integrity). Therefore, inclusion in European structures, especially in the EU, was specially spelled out in the Constitutional Charter as one of the main goals of Serbia and Montenegro. At the same time, an application was made to join the North Atlantic structures and for a strategic partnership with the United States.

This desire determined the nature of the military reform. The Armed Forces (AF) of Serbia and Montenegro, numbering 78 thousand people. As of 2003, NATO experts recommended reducing it to 50 thousand. As part of the ongoing reduction of the Armed Forces, the number of generals in command positions was halved (from 51 to 26). In order to adapt to NATO's Partnership for Peace program, the Supreme Defense Council of Serbia and Montenegro approved a new organizational chart of the Armed Forces, which from now on was headed by a civilian defense minister.

In addition to striving to get closer to NATO standards, radical reforms in the military sphere were also driven by simple economic calculations. The average salary for a career soldier was only 1.2 times the statutory minimum wage. Even in 2002, when 41.4 billion dinars (about 700 million dollars) were allocated for military needs, the real needs of the Armed Forces were estimated at 140 billion dinars.

Serbia Economy

Serbia and Montenegro is a moderately developed industrial-agrarian state with a predominance of private property. Industry and construction give St. 2/5 of social production, agriculture - 1/4. The share of the service sector is growing. In 2001, the private sector produced 42% of GDP, mixed enterprises 30%, state and public - 28% of GDP. More than 90% of GDP is created in Serbia, less than 10% in Montenegro (hereinafter, since 1999, data for Kosovo and Metohija are not included due to their absence).

In the 1990s. the economy of Serbia and Montenegro fell into decay due to the destruction of the single market of the former SFRY, military conflicts in the Balkans, international sanctions and NATO bombing. GDP in 1990-2001 decreased from $ 28.4 billion to $ 10.1 billion (RSD 606.7 billion), and per capita - from $ 2.7 thousand to $ 1.2 thousand.

Industry found itself in a particularly difficult situation. In 2002, the volume of production in it was 45% of the 1990 level, incl. in the extractive industries - 57%, in the manufacturing - 38%. In the metalworking industry, the manufacture of machinery and equipment, clothing and footwear, the output decreased by 82-85%. In most industries (except for energy), production capacities are loaded by no more than 1/3.

Agriculture was also severely affected. In 1990-2002, the area of ​​cultivated land decreased by almost 10%, the number of cattle by 35%, pigs by 17%, sheep by 44%, and poultry by 35%. The production of most types of products has decreased.

Living standard in the 1990s dropped sharply, the bulk of the population was on the brink of survival.

Change in con. 2000 political regime and normalization of relations with the world did not improve the situation in the economy. Average annual GDP growth rates were 4% in 2001-02. Industrial production in 2001 did not increase, in 2002 the growth was less than 2%. The dynamics of production in agriculture is unstable. The volume of transportation, communication services, construction work has decreased. Only the volume of retail trade has grown significantly.

The restoration and modernization of production is proceeding slowly. Capital investments in fixed assets in 2001 amounted to 65.8 billion RSD. (11% of GDP). The number of employed at enterprises is decreasing (2002 - 2.2 million), the number of unemployed is growing (923 thousand). Unemployment is 25%. More than 1/4 of the unemployed are qualified personnel.

Achievements include financial stabilization and growth in household income. Inflation dropped from 86% in 2000 to 14% in 2002. The average real wages in December 2002 at the official exchange rate were $ 142, the average old-age pension was $ 135, which is slightly more than the cost of the minimum consumer basket. The population has significant foreign exchange savings (RSD 46.7 billion in official exchange rates), the bulk of which is frozen. Savings in national currency - RSD 3.6 billion.

The standard of living remains low, more than 50% of the population's expenditures are spent on food.

In terms of share in industrial production, the leaders are energy (16%), mechanical engineering (15%), food (14%) and chemical industries (11%), followed by knitwear and textile and clothing industries (6%), non-ferrous metallurgy (4% ), production of building materials (4%). A notable place is also occupied by the mining and processing of non-metals, furniture, rubber, pulp and paper, leather and footwear, printing industry.

The energy industry is based mainly on the use of local lignite reserves, near the places of production of which in Serbia large thermal power plants have been built (Kolubara, Kostolac, and the third in Kosovo and Metohija). 1/3 of electricity is produced at hydroelectric power plants (the largest is Djerdap on the Danube). Vojvodina produces oil and small quantities of natural gas. The oil refining industry is represented by factories in Pancevo and Novi Sad.

In 2002, 33.5 million tons of coal (mainly lignites), 682 thousand tons of oil, 107 million m3 of natural gas were produced, approx. 44 billion kWh of electricity. A significant amount of energy and electricity is imported. From refined products, 755 thousand tons of gasoline, 728 thousand tons of diesel fuel, 848 thousand tons of fuel oil, 38 thousand tons of oils and lubricants were produced.

In the ferrous metallurgy, the main object in Serbia is a large mill in the town of Smederevo, in Montenegro - a mill in the town of Niksic (mainly rolled steel). In 2002, 495 thousand tons of pig iron, 596 thousand tons of steel were smelted, 671 thousand tons of rolled products, 30 thousand tons of pipes, 166 thousand tons of cold-rolled sheet steel were produced.

Non-ferrous metallurgy stands out in scale. Serbia conducts significant mining of copper ore (Bor, Maidanpek deposits) and copper smelting (Bor), rolling (Sevoino, Nish), rolling-cable (Svetozarevo) and cable (Zajecar, Novi-Sad ) production. The main capacities of the lead-zinc industry are concentrated in Kosovo and Metohija; there are also mines in Montenegro, an electrolytic zinc plant in Serbia (Sabac). Precious and rare metals are simultaneously extracted from copper and lead-zinc ores. Bauxite is mined in Montenegro and an aluminum smelter has been built in Podgorica.

In 2002, 104 thousand tons of aluminum, 36 thousand tons of electrolytic copper, 1.5 thousand tons of zinc, 170 tons of refined lead, 6.8 tons of refined silver were smelted, 38 thousand tons of copper and 17 thousand tons of rolled aluminum were produced. (without Kosovo and Metohija). A significant part of non-ferrous metallurgy products, as well as finished products from it, are exported.

The chemical industry has developed in Serbia mainly on the basis of by-products of non-ferrous metallurgy, as well as on oil and gas raw materials. In 2002, 74 thousand tons of sulfuric acid, 133 thousand tons of nitric acid, 18 thousand tons of phosphoric, 437 thousand tons of nitrogen fertilizers, 188 thousand tons of plastics were produced. The production of artificial and synthetic fibers is significant.

Diversified mechanical engineering is developed: in Serbia and Montenegro - electrical and electronic industry; in Serbia - production of agricultural machinery, mining equipment, cars (cars - in Kragujevac, trucks - in Priboi). A shipyard was built in Kotor (Montenegro).

In 2002, 15 thousand automobile engines, 595 trucks and 11 thousand cars, 24.7 thousand motorcycles, 3 thousand tractors, 65 freight cars, 1.7 million transformers, 4.6 thousand TVs, 18, 4 thousand tons of cable products, 11.6 thousand tons of batteries, 10.1 thousand refrigerators, 4 thousand washing machines.

The production of building materials is mainly based on local mineral raw materials. Serbia has 3 large cement plants (in Beochin, Kosierić and Novi Popovac) and several brick factories. Deposits of technical and architectural stone are being successfully developed.

The food industry, textile, leather and footwear industries are developed mainly in Vojvodina, as well as in large cities. There are well-known tobacco factories in Niš and Vranje.

Agriculture has favorable natural and climatic conditions for development. In the 1990s. the volume of production in it was managed to be kept at a level that makes it possible to almost completely satisfy domestic needs for agricultural products and partially export it.

The industry has a predominantly grain and livestock sector. The area of ​​cultivated land is 4445 thousand hectares, of which 3791 thousand hectares are in the private sector. The main agricultural regions are in Serbia - the Middle Danube lowland and the Morava valley, which are almost entirely plowed up. Wheat, corn, rye, sugar beets, hemp, sunflowers, potatoes, plums, and grapes are grown. Cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry are bred. In Montenegro, the main branch of agriculture is mountain-pasture animal husbandry (sheep, unproductive cattle). Processed approx. 6% of the land is grown mainly plums, figs, pomegranates, almonds, citrus fruits, as well as olives and grapes.

In 2002, 2.2 million tons of wheat were harvested (with a yield of 32 c / ha), 5.5 million tons of corn, 992 thousand tons of potatoes, 2.2 thousand tons of sugar beets, approx. 0.5 million tons of meat, 1.8 billion liters of milk, 1.4 billion pieces. eggs, 6.2 thousand tons of fish were caught.

Railways play the main role in transportation. Their total length is 4.1 thousand km, incl. electrified - 1.4 thousand km. The network of highways is developed - the total length is 45 thousand km, incl. modern highways - 28 thousand km. River navigation is carried out along the Danube, Sava, Tisza and canals (limited due to the consequences of NATO bombing). River ports are Belgrade, Novi Sad and Smederevo, sea ports are Bar and Kotor. The main airports are in Belgrade and Podgorica. The length of the pipelines of St. 1.5 thousand km (2001).

Tourism is developed in the seaside resorts of Montenegro and in the areas of thermal springs in Serbia. In 2002, tourist sites received St. 3 million people, incl. 661 thousand foreigners.

After the change of the political regime in 2000, the main efforts of the government were aimed at normalizing the country's international situation. All sanctions were lifted from it, membership in the UN and international economic organizations was restored. In September 2002, the Serbian government established the European Integration Council to prepare for EU accession.

Trade and economic relations with Western countries and the former republics of the SFRY have been restored. In 2001-02, a significant part of the external debt, which increased during the sanctions due to accrued interest, was written off or restructured. At the 1st donor conference in Brussels in 2001, it was decided to allocate $ 1.3 billion to the country in the form of non-repayable aid and soft loans.

A common economic policy is not pursued in Serbia and Montenegro, since there is no single economic system. Serbia uses the national currency, Montenegro switched to the German mark in 2000, and to the euro since 2002, has its own central bank, tax, customs and budget systems.

The People's Bank of Yugoslavia (since February 2003 - Serbia) has been pursuing a tight monetary policy since 2001, which the IMF supports with stand-by loans. In the end. In 2002, the refinancing rate was 9.5%, the amount of reserve money was 34 billion RSD, and the money supply in circulation was 94.6 billion RSD. The NBG's foreign exchange reserves have grown significantly ($ 2.3 billion), and their volume is sufficient to maintain financial stability. The dinar is pegged to the euro, and its rate is almost stable (at the end of 2002 - 61.52 dinars per 1 euro). The external debt of Serbia and Montenegro in December 2002 - 8.6 billion US dollars.

In 2002, the share of budgetary expenditures of the Federation in the produced GDP was 7%, Serbia - 26%. The federal budget is balanced, Serbia's budget deficit in 2001 did not exceed 3%. The balance of all public finances constituting approx. 50% of GDP has a significant deficit.

An economic reform has been carried out since 2001. Administrative control over prices for almost all goods and services was lifted, steps were taken to liberalize the foreign trade regime. Tax legislation has been modernized and tax collection has been increased. Decentralization of public finance has begun. A new law on foreign investment, a law on the privatization of public and state enterprises in Serbia, etc. have been adopted.

The privatization is planned to be completed by 2005. All restrictions on the participation of foreign companies in it have been lifted. In 2002, more than 270 small and medium-sized enterprises were sold (at auctions) and 12 large (by means of tenders). The weak interest of investors in large projects is due to the reluctance to take on the solution of their debt and social problems and the poor condition of production assets.

As a result of the banking reform of 2001-02, the number of banks in Serbia was reduced from 86 to 51, and several foreign banks were opened. The Postal Savings Bank has been converted into a universal bank.

In 2002, the NBY ordered commercial banks to issue and free of charge transfer to the state ownership of shares in an amount equivalent to their debt to the Paris Club and frozen foreign currency deposits of citizens. As a result, the state became a co-owner of 17 commercial banks. In 2003, the sale of state shares in their capital to strategic partners began. The issuance of licenses for independent work of foreign banks has been discontinued.

The stock market is underdeveloped. The total turnover of the Belgrade Stock Exchange in 2002 was approx. USD 1.7 million.

In 2002 Serbia and Montenegro maintained trade and economic relations with 187 countries. Trade turnover amounted to $ 8.6 billion, which is twice as much as in 1995, when the sanctions were lifted. Exports ($ 2.3 billion in 2002) are significantly inferior to imports ($ 6.3 billion). The bulk of the negative trade balance falls on the Russian Federation, which supplies Serbia and Montenegro mainly with natural gas and oil.

In 2002, 50% of the trade turnover of Serbia and Montenegro accounted for developed countries, 42% - for countries with economies in transition, 6% - for developing countries. The leading foreign trade partners of Serbia and Montenegro are Germany, Italy and the Russian Federation, whose shares in its turnover amounted to 13, 11 and 10% (2002).

The main export positions of Serbia and Montenegro are non-ferrous metals, clothing, vegetables and fruits, ferrous metallurgy products, rubber products (automobile tires, etc.), imports are oil and oil products, yarn and fabrics, trucks, natural gas, machine tools.

The balance of payments has a positive balance due to receipts from trade in services (mainly construction and transport), foreign exchange transfers of the diaspora, numbering St. 4 million people, transfers of foreign currency pensions to persons who worked abroad, donor assistance, income from privatization, etc.

Foreign direct investment is small (in 2002 in Serbia - $ 475 million). Investors buy mainly operating enterprises. Capital inflows are constrained by the difficult situation in the economy, the lack of well-established economic legislation, corruption, political instability and uncertainty about the future of the state.

Science and culture of Serbia

Almost half of the population of Serbia and Montenegro had only primary education or did not even receive it. Of the students admitted to primary school, one in ten did not complete it. Up to 40% of pupils did not finish secondary school. As a result, only a third of the population had secondary education. Higher education covered 16.5% of student-age youth, but only 6.4% of students who entered faculties received a diploma on time. The position of the scientific sphere was dramatic. In 2000, only 0.22% of GDP was allocated to science (exactly an order of magnitude lower than in Germany). Funding for the scientific sphere by 2010 should leave only 1.4% of GDP, while one of the conditions for admission to the EU was set a minimum level of 3%.

Lack of funds did not allow to quickly rectify the situation in the field of education. So, for example, funding for high school is to reach only half of the 1990 level in 2005.

In Serbia and Montenegro, the problem of preserving and augmenting the rich cultural heritage also demanded a corresponding attention. In this regard, the undoubted national pride of the Serbian and Montenegrin peoples is their own distinctive Cyrillic script, which they have preserved in the vicinity of the Latinized Western European culture. Forever went down in history who created it in the beginning. 19th century the founder of the national literary language, folklorist Vuk Stefanovich Karadzic. At the same time, the work of the remarkable writer Dosifei (Dmitry) Obradovich marked the beginning of the flourishing of Serbian classical literature. Subsequent contributions were made by Milovan Vidakovic, Lukiyan Mushitski, Simeon Milutinovic, Zmay (Jovan) Jovanovic, Djura Yaksic, Laza Lazarevich. A special place in this row is occupied by the literary work of the Montenegrin bishop Petar II Petrovic Njegos, who created one of the best works of Serbian literature - "Mountain crown". A whole galaxy of masters of the literary word made a significant contribution to the Serbian literature of the 20th century. She was especially enriched by the work of such well-known foreign writers as Ivo Andric (Nobel laureate 1961), Branislav Nusic, Milos Crnianski, Branko Chopich, Mesha Selimovich, Dobrica Chosic, Desanka Maksimovich, Antonie Isakovich, Alexander Tishma, Danilo Kish.

Serbs made a notable contribution to contemporary world art in the field of cinematography. The work of the director Alexander Petrovich gained wide popularity outside Yugoslavia. The world famous legend of Yugoslav cinema is the actor Velimir Bata Zhivoinovic.

Basic moments

The kindness and hospitality of the Serbs is one of the main features of the country. The protracted military conflict at the end of the 20th century taught the Serbian people to love and respect all living things, to look to the future with optimism. European tourists are attracted to this amazing country not by the chic and luxury of tourist services, but by the cleanest air, virgin nature and human, not commercial, relationships between people. Serbia has a unique culture dating back to the times of the Byzantine Empire. This is the homeland of world-famous scientists: the inventor Nikola Tesla, the naturalist Josif Pancic, the geographer Jovan Tsviich, the mathematician Mikhailo Petrovich, the astronomer Milyutin Milankovich, the chemist Pavle Savich. In the last century alone, the country has given the world the beloved film director Emir Kusturica, poet Milorad Pavic, singer and composer Djorzhde Maryanovich and many other outstanding personalities. It was Serbia that had a strong influence on the development of modern painting and sculpture, and was nominated for the title of European Capital of Culture 2020.

In recent years, tourism has been actively developing in Serbia, and there are many reasons for this: bright national traditions, a large number of interesting places, wonderful health resorts, friendly people. And, importantly, all this at very loyal prices: not too inferior in level to other European states, Serbia will delight guests with a low cost of accommodation, food and shopping.

Serbia cities

All cities in Serbia

Climate

Serbia has an area of ​​88,407 km², and for a small country that ranks 111th in the world in terms of size, its climate is extremely diverse. It is determined by the relief: in the north of the country lies the Middle Danube lowland with huge fertile plains, the central part is characterized by hilly terrain, and the East Serbian mountains rise in the southeast. The warm seas - Black, Aegean and Adriatic, washing the shores of the Balkan Peninsula have a huge impact on the weather in Serbia. As a result, a continental climate prevails in the north of the country, a temperate continental climate in the center and south, and a mountainous climate in the mountains.

Life strictly according to the calendar is a distinctive feature of the climate in Serbia. Every three months corresponds to a different season. But, unlike in Russia, there are no strong snowstorms in winter, frosts are moderate, easily tolerated without wind. There is a lot of snow here, so ski resorts are able to offer excellent tracks during the season.

In spring, the weather in Serbia is changeable: from +15 degrees in the sun to -5 in frost. The real warmth returns at the beginning of April. Fields, gardens and forests are blooming all over the country at this time, so it makes sense for lovers of natural beauty to come to Serbia in mid-late spring.

Summer heat comes in August. Abundant rains at this time of the year are short-lived, and gloomy cloudy weather never lasts all day.

Winters in Serbia are usually short (no more than 2 months) and mild, but quite snowy. The average air temperature during this period is approximately 0 ... + 5 ° C. Summer is long and hot (+ 28 ... + 30 ° C). Most rainfall occurs in May and June.

The mild Serbian winters are often marred by piercing cold winds, which even have their own names:

• Koshava - a cold wind blowing from October to April in the north of the country and bringing with it freezing rains and snowstorms;
• Severac - north wind from Hungary;
• Moravac is a cold north wind in the Morava river valley.

Nature

In the north of the country, on the territory of the Middle Danube Lowland (or Pannonian Plain, as it is called in Hungary), there is the Vojvodina Autonomous Region. Today there are almost no forests here. The land of Vojvodina is very fertile and is actively used for agricultural crops of corn, wheat, vegetables and, of course, sunflowers. A blooming field of sunflowers in beauty can compete with the most spectacular landscapes that only exist on planet Earth!

Serbia ranks second in Europe, after Hungary, in terms of the number of rivers and lakes. The largest and most majestic among the Serbian rivers is undoubtedly the Danube, which forms many bays, oxbows, marshes and a magnificent one, the narrowest part of which is often called the "iron gate". consists of four gorges and three basins. In some places, sheer cliffs rise 300 meters above the Danube waters. Here the river abounds in numerous pools up to 90 meters deep. On the territory of the Djerdap Gorge, there is a national park of the same name, the pride of which is the numerous relict plants that have long disappeared in most of Europe.

The southern part of western and eastern Serbia is mountainous. There are 4 mountain systems on the territory of the country: the Dinaric Highlands, the Balkan Mountains, the East Serbian Mountains and part of the Rila-Rhodope system. The height of 15 mountains in Serbia exceeds 2000 meters. The highest point is considered to be Dzheravitsa with a height of 2656 meters. In the mountains of Serbia, endless oak forests, beech and linden forests have found refuge.

Population and language

Serbia is home to about 7 million people. The majority of the population are Serbs, the second largest are Hungarians. The bright national mosaic is complemented by Bulgarians, Albanians, Bosnians, Slovaks, Gypsies, Macedonians, Romanians.

The official language is Serbian, but twelve regional languages ​​are actively used along with it. Most of the inhabitants of Serbia profess Christianity of various confessions, most of all here are Orthodox, which somewhat makes local traditions and culture similar to Russia.

History

The historical roots of Serbia date back to the 6th century. The settlement of the ancient Slavs on the Balkan Peninsula marked the emergence of the first proto-state formations. By the end of the 9th century, the main principalities were formed here: Duklia, Travunia, Pagania, Zahumje, Serbia.

The first known ruler of these lands is considered to be Prince Vysheslav, who lived in the 8th century. His descendant Vlastimir freed the Balkan Slavs from the rule of the Byzantine Empire, after which the Serbian state expanded to almost the entire peninsula. The power gaining power entered into confrontation with its largest neighbor - the Bulgarian kingdom - alternately losing and then recapturing lands. After the conclusion of peace with Bulgaria, princely wars for the primacy of power began in Serbia.

The era of the Middle Ages is considered the heyday of the Serbian state, which became possible thanks to the wise rule of Stefan Dusan, who lived in the middle of the XIV century.

The battle on the Kosovo field is considered a tragic turn in the history of the country. After an unsuccessful battle in 1389, Serbia was forced to recognize the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, becoming its vassal, and from 1459 it was ruled by the Turks for 350 years.

The wave of national uprisings that swept in 1804-1813 made it possible to make a breakthrough towards liberation. On July 13, 1878, Serbia gained independence under the terms of the Berlin Peace. After 4 years, the state proclaimed itself a kingdom and existed in this format until the occupation by German troops in 1941. In 1945, a new entity appeared on the political map of Europe - the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. It included the People's Republic of Serbia, which was renamed the Socialist Republic of Serbia in 1963.

The decline of socialism here was accompanied by interethnic confrontations, which led to a large-scale bloody war. In 2000, NATO was forced to use aerial bombardment, and the UN Security Council decided to send peacekeeping troops to Kosovo. Massive destruction of houses, the flow of refugees, the loss of unique monuments of church architecture - this is not a complete list of what modern Serbs have faced.

After the collapse of Yugoslavia in 2003, a union of two states - Serbia and Montenegro was formed, which existed for only 3 years. The Serbian people came up with an initiative to reform the state system, as a result of which, on June 5, 2006, Serbia became a separate, full-fledged state, and a new Constitution was adopted. Pro-European democratic forces came to power, leading the process of rebuilding Serbia. This made it possible to bring the country out of international isolation in order to establish good-neighborly relations, including with Kosovo.

Attractions and tourism in Serbia

Tourism in Serbia is at the stage of development, however, this country can already pleasantly surprise and delight guests. Unique monastery buildings, fortresses, mansions, ski and balneological resorts, national parks and unique nature reserves await vacationers all year round.

The Serbian capital has absorbed the historical spirit of different eras, combining Western and Eastern culture. The city was destroyed almost forty times, but it was successfully rebuilt again and again, which affected the appearance of modern buildings.

The old part is located next to the fortress. It is called that - Stari-Grad. On the local streets you can see many sights and places for recreation - cozy restaurants, coffee shops, pastry shops. The guests are especially interested in the rich expositions of the National Museum, located on Republic Square. If you are looking for shops selling souvenirs, look for them in the Skadarlije quarter and near the Ada Siganlija park - these are great places to walk. There are also religious attractions in this part of the capital of Serbia - the majestic temple of St. Sava and the only surviving mosque, Bayrakli-Jami.

Modern buildings, wide boulevards, spacious streets, alleys and recreation parks - all this tourists will find in the new part of the city, located to the south of the fortress. The area's key attractions include the Museum of the Revolution, the Allied Executive Veche, the tomb and former residence of Marshal Tito.

History buffs can be advised to go to the surroundings to see with their own eyes the largest flat outpost in Europe, the Brankovic Fortress.

- This is the financial and spiritual center of Serbia, not in vain called "Serbian Athens". The city became the nucleus of the formation of the national culture, since for several centuries it was here that the Metropolitanate of the Serbian Orthodox Church was located.

Tourists are attracted by walking tours around the local area. During the walk, with or without a guide, you can see the Petrovaradin Fortress, the Serbian National Theater, the Danube Park, Freedom Square, an Orthodox church and a church.

In the suburban area is the Fruska Gora National Park, one of the Seven Wonders of Serbia. This amazing reserve is home to over 1,500 protected plant species.

Another treasure of these places is hidden in dense deciduous forests. The complex of medieval monasteries "Holy Mountain", among which the most famous are Hopovo, Velika Remeta, Grgetek, annually receives a large number of pilgrims.

Souls are not the only cures in this paradise. Nearby is the Banja Vrdnik spa, which specializes in rheumatic diseases, soft tissue injuries, peripheral paralysis and common back pain. The team of specialists uses advanced technologies, including cryotherapy, magnetotherapy, kinesitherapy, acupuncture.

Subotica is the gastronomic capital of Serbia. The mixing of the national cuisines of Serbs, Hungarians and Croats has led to the emergence of incredibly delicious dishes. Paprikash is considered the visiting card of the city. Made from pork, chicken or fish, it contains an irreplaceable ingredient - paprika. Such a culinary masterpiece will be served to a guest in any restaurant and cafe.

In addition, Subotica is famous for its defensive fortress. Once the city was the outskirts of the Ottoman Empire, and later was part of the Austro-Hungarian lands, so the fortified border outposts here are really impressive.

The urban landscape is varied and colorful: buildings with undulating patterns, wide facades and rounded lines are ubiquitous in Subotica.

The Town Hall is an exemplary example of the local architectural style. Today, there is an extensive exposition of the Historical Museum, and upstairs tourists will find an excellent observation deck, where you can see a vivid panorama of Subotica and its environs.

The oldest architectural monument of the city is the Franciscan monastery, which survived two world wars and the NATO bombing. This Catholic shrine was erected on the site of an old fortress in the 18th century. On its territory there is a chapel and a church in honor of the Archangel Michael, crowned with two towers. The altar of the monastery is decorated with the image of the Black Madonna.

People come to Subotica to get to Lake Palić. Its width is 4.2 thousand km², but its depth does not exceed 2 meters. The mineral water and mud of the lake have medicinal properties and have a positive effect on the skin and joints. For the convenience of tourists along the coast there are cafes, bike paths, a picturesque park.

Is a ski resort in Serbia, located in the south of. The subalpine climate allows you to enjoy the beauty of the mountains regardless of the season.

Thanks to the developed tourist infrastructure and ski slopes of various levels of difficulty, the resort quickly won the love of travelers and began to compete with many European mountain complexes. What will pleasantly surprise guests: the prices for the services offered here are much lower than the European average.

The ski season lasts from November to May, the snow cover persists 160 days a year. The average air temperature is from -1 to -3 ° С during the day, from -8 to -15 ° С at night. Special lifts take tourists to the peaks, where you can get the necessary equipment for rent. There are special slopes for children, a large 20-kilometer track for flat skis. Lovers of winter romance can ride along the illuminated track "Malo Ezero".

In summer, there is also something to see: the mountains are mesmerizing with dense forests, green meadows and flower meadows. Healing springs gush in the shady thickets, and recreation centers are set up next to them.

All sights of Serbia

Serbian national cuisine

Local cuisine has absorbed the best from neighbors and conquerors. In fact, it is a mixture of the Eastern European tradition with the Turkish-Arabic tradition.

Serbs are avid meat eaters. Deliciously cooked pork is served in all restaurants, while roasted lamb is more popular in the eastern regions of the country. Traditionally, meat in Serbia is used to prepare chops, chopped sausages, small kebabs, meat fried in a cauldron, and dried hams. Gourmets will definitely like the cold cuts, which consists of fried liver, pork cutlets, meatballs with onions and sausages. Mustard or cream is served as a sauce for meat.

Dairy products are not inferior in culinary demand, the main of which is kaymak - heavy cream, similar to processed cheese. Also, not a single breakfast of local residents begins without feta cheese.

Vegetables are an integral part of the Serb diet. They are on the table, whether it's breakfast or dinner. Coarsely chopped salads and seasoned with vegetable oil are prepared from them. In addition, vegetables are stuffed, cooked in the oven and over an open fire. A separate place in the national cuisine is occupied by sweet red pepper, which is the basis of such characteristic dishes as paprikash, ayvar and pindzhur.

For dessert in Serbia, you will be served famous Turkish delicacies: baklava, tulumba, datla, burek, drizzled with syrup. But vanilla buns, pita breads with apples, manniks are considered natively Serbian.

Of the strong drinks, Serbs prefer local wines, moonshine from grapes, "rakia" on herbs, from plums, pears, and quince.

It is forbidden to grow genetically modified foods throughout the country, so feel free to enjoy the taste of natural vegetables and meat!

Accommodation

Serbia is very actively developing in terms of tourism, so you can easily find 3-4 star hotels and hotels in any large city. In the capital, representatives of world chains - Holiday Inn, Continental and others - offer their highest service to clients. You can book a room using the hotellook service, which will select the most profitable option for you. The cost of living in a double room ranges from 40 to 400 €.

Hostels are very popular among tourists - there are really a lot of them, for every wallet. Serbia's hostels are the cheapest in Europe, the price per bed in them varies from 7 to 15 €. The position is not inferior to the private rent of apartments, rooms and even beds: arriving in the city, you will already at the station see both boards with themed announcements and the Serbs themselves offering accommodation for guests.

Thanks to its health and wellness resorts, Serbia is called the "oasis of health in Europe". There are more than 20 health centers operating in the country, offering services for the prevention, rehabilitation and treatment of various diseases with the help of mud, mineral waters and the cleanest air.

• Vrnjačka Banja specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of diabetes and diseases of the digestive system;
• Soko Banya - on the fight against non-specific lung diseases;
• Nishka Banya was created for the treatment of cardiac and rheumatic diseases.
• Many mountainous regions in Serbia are climatic centers: Zlatar, Zlatibor and Divchibar.

Lovers of winter sports prefer ski resorts located on the longest mountain range in Serbia - as well as the Brezovica resort, located on the highest mountain range in Serbia, Shar Planina.

The best recreation in the bosom of nature can be offered by the unique national parks of Serbia:

• Tara;
• Goli.

A real rarity of nature of world significance is Javolya-Varosh ("City of the Devil"), which consists of bizarre earthen pyramids.

Fans of the famous film director Emir Kusturica should visit the ethnographic village he created on the top of the Mechavnik mountain. All streets are named after the figures of the cinema, for example Federico Fellini's square. Emir Kusturica also became the founder of the international auteur cinema festival Küstendorf film festival in Drvengrad.

Useful data for tourists about Serbia, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, the currency of Serbia, cuisine, peculiarities of visa and customs restrictions in Serbia.

• Capital: Belgrade
• Territory: 88.4 thousand sq. km.
• Country code: +381
• Domain: .rs
• Network: 220V
• Time: Moscow: -2 hours
• Facilitated entry mode

Information about Serbia

Geography of Serbia

The Republic of Serbia is a landlocked state in southeastern Europe, in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. It shares borders with the UN member states Macedonia in the south, Bulgaria and Romania in the east, Hungary in the north, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the west, and Montenegro and Albania in the southwest.

According to the Constitution of Serbia, it includes the Autonomous Territory of Kosovo and Metohija, the territory of which is actually controlled by the partially recognized Republic of Kosovo.

80% of Serbia's territory is located on the Balkan Peninsula, 20% is occupied by the Pannonian Lowland.

Plains prevail in the north of Serbia. The further to the south of the country, the larger the mountains become. 15 mountains in Serbia are over 2,000 meters above sea level.

There are 4 mountain systems in Serbia. The Dinaric Highlands occupy a large area in the west, stretching from northwest to southeast. Stara Planina and the East Serbian Mountains are in the east, separated from the Dinaric Highlands by the Morava River. In the south there are ancient mountains - part of the Rila-Rhodope system. The highest point in Serbia is Mount Jeravica (2656 m).

State

State structure

Serbia is a presidential republic. The head of state and government is the president, elected by the Assembly (parliament). The legislative body is a unicameral Assembly.

Language

State language: Serbian

Vojvodina also speaks Hungarian, Slovak, Croatian, Romanian and Ruthenian. In Kosovo and Metohija, the official ones are Serbian and Albanian.

Religion

Most of the believers are Orthodox (90%), there are also large communities of Muslims (5%), Catholics (4%).

Currency

International name: RSD

Serbian dinar is equal to 100 pair. In circulation, coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 dinars; banknotes - 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000 dinars.

Currency exchange can be done at bank branches, official exchange offices and many licensed exchangers. In Serbia, there are currency exchange machines in public places (train stations, airports). The rate even in nearby exchange offices can vary quite a lot.

Serbia map

Popular attractions

Tourism in Serbia

Where to stay

Serbia is a country with hospitable and friendly people. Today Serbia can hardly be called a "promoted" destination. Despite the fact that the country has shown stable economic growth in recent years, its tourism infrastructure has not yet recovered from the war in the Balkans.

The hotel business of the country, after a complete stagnation, began to develop quite recently. Development is going on quite actively, however, there are still a lot of hotels in really poor condition. For example, the old "Yugoslavian" hotels, which have not seen renovation for a very long time. In addition, despite the unevenly developed tourism sector, there is a tendency for the cost of living to rise.

The system of roadside motels, which are located along major highways and at the entrance to cities, has been widely developed in Serbia. Most of the motels are new and have a good level of service, as well as prices that are much lower than in urban centers. Most of the motel rooms are spacious. Here guests will find comfortable beds, clean linen, hearty and inexpensive cuisine. However, the disadvantage of such roadside motels is their inconvenience for tourists traveling without personal vehicles, since getting to the motel is very difficult due to the poor quality of the roads.

Some inconveniences when staying in Serbian hotels may be associated with the availability of hot water. Here it can be served only at a certain time and for a couple of hours a day, although this problem most often concerns small settlements. In the major cities of the country, such as Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis, the water supply situation is much better.

Popular hotels

Excursions and attractions in Serbia

Serbia is a state in southeastern Europe. Despite the fact that Serbia is not a popular tourist destination, it is a very interesting and beautiful country that deserves the closest attention.

The capital of Serbia is the picturesque city of Belgrade, located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. It is the largest city in the country and an important economic center, as well as an incredibly beautiful city with many historical, architectural and cultural attractions. Serbs call their capital Beograd, which means "White Fortress" in Serbian. Actually, the city grew up around the ancient fortress Kalemegdan, which, together with the surrounding park, is one of the most visited sights of the city. The old quarter of Skadarlija, often referred to as "Belgrade's Montmartre", is also very popular. You should definitely visit such sights of the capital as the Temple of St. Sava (one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world), the Royal Palace, the National Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia and Tito's Mausoleum "House of Flowers", the Palace of Princess Lyubitsa, the Church of the Archangel Michael and St. Mark, Ethnographic Museum, Botanical Garden and Leisure Park Ada Tsiganliya. About 50 km from Belgrade, in the town of Smederevo on the banks of the Danube, stands the famous Smederovsky fortress, built in the 15th century by the Brankovic dynasty.

You will also get a lot of pleasure visiting the Serbian Nis - one of the oldest cities in the country, which went down in history as the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Niš and its surroundings are famous for many historical monuments from different eras - Nis Fortress (17th century), Mediana Archaeological Park, early Christian crypt (4th century), the ruins of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel, the Church of St. Nicholas (early 18th century), monasteries Nish Diocese, Chele Kula (Tower of Skulls), Buban Memorial Park and much more.

It is worth visiting the Serbian city of Novi Sad, among the abundance of attractions of which the most interesting are the Petrovaradin Fortress and the City Museum located within its walls, the Catholic Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the Church of St. George and the Museum of Vojvodina, and in its vicinity - the Fruska Gora National Park and Dundjersky Castle. However, no less interesting are the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Amidzi Palace in the town of Kragujevac, the Cathedral of St. Teresa of Avila, the City Hall and the Reichl Palace in Subotica, as well as the Ancient City of Stari Ras and the Petrov Church located on its territory (Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul ) is the oldest surviving church in Serbia.

Serbian Orthodox shrines, of course, deserve special attention - the Studenica monastery near Kraljevo and the Sopočany monastery near the town of Novi Pazar (both are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List), as well as the Mileseva monastery (13th century) near Priepolje, the Zicha monastery in the historical region of Raska (13th century). But among the natural attractions of Serbia, it is worth noting the national parks Kopaonik and Tara, the Djerdap gorge in the national park of the same name, the Devil's City geological park in the vicinity of Kurshumili and the Resavskaya cave, 20 km from the city of Despotovac.

Do not forget that since the Roman era, the land of Serbia with its mineral springs and healing mud was considered one of the best health centers in Europe. Therefore, a rich excursion program should certainly be combined with health improvement at excellent local resorts.

Serbian cuisine

Modern Serbian cuisine has synthesized elements of various national cuisines. The influence of Turkish cuisine is manifested, for example, in the fact that in almost any restaurant you will certainly be offered kufta, lula-kebabs, asha-kebabs, all kinds of barbecue, "meso za skara" (Balkan version of the barbecue), lamb pilaf. In the north of Serbia, the influence of Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian cuisine is felt, pork dishes are widespread here, those who wish can try hominy and corn cakes. Grape vodka and red wine are made from alcohol in Serbia. In restaurants and cafes, visitors will certainly be offered excellent Viennese coffee and jars - buns or flatbreads in the morning.

Tips

Tipping in restaurants and taxis is up to 10% of the bill. In a taxi, it is recommended to agree in advance on the route of the trip and its cost.

Visa

Opening hours of institutions

Exchange offices of Halyk Bank work from Monday to Friday from 7.00-8.00 to 15.00-16.00 (sometimes with a lunch break), commercial banks are open from Monday to Thursday from 08.00 to 13.00-15.00, on Fridays - from 08.00 to 13.00, on Saturdays most banks are closed.

Purchases

Shops are usually open from 09:00 to 20: 00-21: 00 with a lunch break (from 12: 00-13: 00 to 16: 00-17: 00, depending on the institution). Large department stores are often open from 06: 00-07: 00 to 21:00, in resort areas and large cities there are also "round-the-clock" shops. Numerous private retail outlets operate on their own schedule.

Medicine

Immunization against typhoid and polio is recommended, as well as preventive measures against tetanus, hepatitis B, diphtheria, rabies and encephalitis. Outbreaks of tularemia and hemorrhagic fever are common in Kosovo.

Security

You should beware of fraudsters, especially those who are active in the foreign exchange market, as well as pickpockets, who often "work" at the airport, in public institutions and in places with a large crowd of people.

Emergency telephones

Police - 192.
Fire brigade - 193.
Ambulance - 194.

Photo and video shooting

Taking pictures is allowed only in places where there is no prohibition sign (crossed-out camera). It is forbidden to photograph objects of transport infrastructure and energy, port facilities and military facilities.

Questions and opinions about Serbia

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