In public transportation it is considered polite to offer an elderly person or a pregnant woman a place to sit. Copyright © 2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. You can convert your currency into RSD at the airport, nearly all banks, or in the numerous and visibly marked authorized exchange offices (Menjačnica/Мењачница). Cafes serving ice cream and beer abound on the banks of this lake-beach park. Check with the Serbian MFA for current info [2]. Only few places in neighbouring countries, such as Republika Srpska and the border areas of Macedonia, will accept Dinars. Its two churches are built in white marble and boast some stunning 13th and 14th century Byzantine paintings. If you've seen the villages, Zlatibor offers some great ski-resorts, hiking trails and landscapes. The official Serbian language is similar to Croatian and Bosnian. The Serb population has decreased since Croatian independence from Yugoslavia and the war that began in 1991. There are even medical tourism agencies that offer complete services from transfers, booking accommodation to organizing city tours. Although the region around the town of Mionica has been known for some earthquakes in recent years, these were by no means destructive. Its capital, Belgrade, is a lively European city with the Sava and Danube rivers running right through it. Independence came on 4 February 2003 (when it changed from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro) or on 5 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro to Serbia). Pošta Serbije (English site: [38]) is the national mail service, and it is fast and reliable. Zdravo (Serbian Cyrillic: Здраво)= Hi, the most common informal greeting, used both when coming and leaving. (Serbian Cyrillic:Како се зовеш? It is as locals call it the sea of Belgrade. Registration is done automatically by hotel staff upon check-in; however, if you are staying in private accommodation, the owner of the apartment/house must register your presence with the police in the district in which you are staying (alternatively, the owner can issue a written authorization in advance through a notary for you to register yourself), The registration form is available online and at major police stations, and is to be signed and stamped by the police. Most ATMs (labelled as Bankomat) will accept most foreign debit cards for withdrawing money, the only exception being Komercijalna Banka. If you are bringing flowers, make sure you bring an odd number of them, as an even number is usually brought to funerals. The 12th century monastery of Studenica (near Kraljevo) is one of the finest examples and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. {{{2}}}. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (FRY) in 1992. A safer bet though, can be the shops, also very commonly found especially in Belgrade, named as Zdrava Hrana / 3драва Храна, or "Healthy Food", which especialize in this kind of organic products. The former trains from Greece now depart from Skopje, Macedonia. Report it to the nearest police station immediately. There, the steep gorges of the Drina river and the high mountain peaks provide some stunning views that make a long hike well worth your effort, Hostel Tara Hikking Center is in the middle of the park and offers free guidance and maps for the trails at backpacker prices. The Tara National Park covers some 20.000 hectares in the west of the country. Eastern Orthodox worship in this article is distinguished from Eastern Orthodox prayer in that 'worship' refers to the activity of the Christian Church as a body offering up prayers to God while 'prayer' refers to the individual devotional traditions of the Orthodox.. Incoming taxis have radio communication with airport authorities. At the night, they make a little damage to your engine and when you can't start at the morning a helpful man will appear, offering you an assistance. The buses leave multiple times per day. Otherwise, you can ask your friends or anyone in the street where to find a good one, especially for rakija, everyone will know someone who produces it at home and can sell it to you for a low price (600-700 RSD a liter). Like most European languages, has the formal and informal way of saying you (Vi and ti). There is a direct route once a day at 16:00 and all other buses (Matpu) offer a transfer in Niš. Numerous fast-food stands (burgers, barbecue, pizza, hot dog, pancakes...) and bakeries (oriental and european paistry, pitas...) are usually very good and will satisfy your needs at a reasonable price. If you find a suspicious object resembling a bomb/mortar/landmine, DON'T touch it. These are Trafalgar Tours in English, which cruise along the Danube and have a two day stopover in Belgrade. Keep an eye out for markings which may note a potential UXO zone when outside the cities and always stick to well-trod paths. Even for a country with such low salaries, tipping in restaurants or bars is totally not expected, although appreciated. It is surrounded by Montenegro to the southwest, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west, Bulgaria to the southeast, Croatia to the northwest, Hungary to the north, North Macedonia and Albania to the south, and Romania to the northeast. Serbia is home to a great number of Medieval orthodox monasteries, many with excellent fresco masterpieces inside. There are a lot of old buildings on all four banks, including the huge Kalemegdan Fortress, that has been built, modelled and remodelled by Celts, Romans, Byzantins, Serbs, Austrians and Turks over more than 2,000 years. Throughout the region, especially amongst former Yugoslav republics, Belgrade is known as the place to be for major parties, concerts and happenings. Note that groceries tend to be at a smaller price as in the rest of Europe if those are produced in Serbia or in neighbouring countries, and at the same price or maybe a bit higher as in Germany if it is a imported product from EU. Another common misconception is that Serbia was part of the Soviet Bloc (in fact, it was part of Yugoslavia that notoriously split with the Eastern bloc back in 1948). Kragujevac), and in every smaller town of at least 10,000 people. Živeli! Trains to Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia tend to be often quite late (about an hour) and they are allegedly reported to often consist of old, not very comfortable, cars. Other non-political topics related to Bosnia or Croatia, such as tourism, media or sport, are generally fine as topics of conversation. )=I love you! In the night between January 13 and 14, you can actually re-live New Year's Eve. Hungary - When you take an international bus from Belgrade towards Germany, a collection is often held inside the bus for paying the Hungarian border guards a fee to let the bus go faster over the border. Serbia managed to preserve its freedom for another seventy years, only to be finally overwhelmed by the Turks in 1459. Moje ime je Mihailo! If you are looking for a place to feel the local atmosphere and good vibes, visit bohemian street “Skadarlija”. Some are open 24 hours per day. While the legitimacy of the Kosovan government is disputed by many countries, from a traveller's point of view the Kosovar government has de facto control of the area (separate laws, including regarding entry requirements; though in North Kosovo, the local currency, flag and language are Serbian). All of efforts to preserve Yugoslavia were ultimately unsuccessful and bloody civil wars broke out in Croatia and in Bosnia. Although the main university is the University of Belgrade (Univerzitet u Beogradu), the University of Novi Sad (Univerzitet u Novom Sadu), because of the city's nature as a multicultural city, usually offers courses in other languages apart from Serbian, such as English, German, Slovak, Ruthenian (Ukrainian), Romanian and Hungarian, amongst others, and is usually the most popular choice for exchange students. If you don't weigh these products yourself before you proceed to pay, you will end up holding up the line for several minutes and possibly causing irritation in other customers. Currently, however, this is not the case, but entering Serbia from Kosovo without first having entered Kosovo from Serbia (i.e. In the early 1990s, post-Tito Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia all split from the Yugoslav Union in 1991; and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. Exercise caution and pull over to the hard shoulder on the right to let them through safely. Dotted with ancient monasteries and wineries, it combines orchards and vineyards on its vast plains with tight forests on its plains. Belgrade is typically on par with many European cities prices; however, outside the capital, prices of almost any item are lot lower than in the capital. Kako se zoveš? A trip on this line during daylight hours is definitely worth it. Serbia (Serbian: Србија, Srbija) [1] is a country located in the Balkans, in southeast Europe. Ubiquitous in urban areas are small shops/minimarkets such as Shop&Go, Pikant and Višnjica Dučani, offering less goods and at a slightly higher price, and often working 24/7 as well. The Euro is occasionally accepted, but prices are often overestimated when directly compared to the Dinar. The ones coming from the country Serbia has signed a special health insurance treaty can have it for free, others have to pay on the spot. Most Serbian restaurants offer roštilj, a large plate of various unseasoned grilled meats, or any possible variety of grilled chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese. (The zero from the city code is omitted) +381 11 XXX XX XX (Serbian Cyrillic:Видимо се, касније! Serbia's official currency is the Serbian dinar (RSD). There are international fast-food franchises such as McDonald's, KFC, and Pizza Hut. You should check: Downtown café, Buka bar, Movie bar, Iron café, Biblioteka café, Monza café-boat, Bibis café-boat, and many more; People who are not in the folk and MTV music, and don't like to drink overpriced coffee, should avoid this street. The first Serbian state was formed in the mid 9th century, expanding by the mid 14th century to an empire comprising most of the Balkans. Similarly, when coming from Croatia, you may want to cross the border at Tovarnik/Šid instead of Bajakovo/Batrovci, and from Macedonia at Pelince/Prohor Pčinjski instead of Tabanovce/Preševo. Local produce is fresh and organic. Otherwise, make sure that your Green Card has an uncancelled "SRB" box. Note that saying Thanks or Hvala when giving the money for paying can be sometimes understood as "keep the change", so avoid saying this until your change is given back to you. Few of the rail lines will be of interest to the tourist, since most rail lines serve small towns not served by bus, and usually with very old, slow trains. Fudeks travels between Vienna, Budapest and Novi Sad and Belgrade. If you are invited to someone's slava, don't refuse. The main post office, situated in Takovska 2, Belgrade (phone: 011-321-0070), is open 24 hours. One of them was Constantine, the first emperor who legalized Christianity. The 1990s wars in Croatia and Bosnia are generally subjects best avoided, though they generally do not arouse feelings quite as strong as Kosovo does. Due to the high fat content it is not for dieters. In June 2017, the dinar exchange rate stood at 110 Serbian Dinars for 1 US Dollar, 123 Serbian Dinars for €1 and 157 Serbian Dinars to 1 GBP. The decorations remain until way into January due to the persistent influence of the old Julian calendar. it is often eaten in the morning and can be sold out by the evening. Tariff 1 is the correct one Monday to Saturday from morning till 10PM. A RSD500,000,000,000 note makes an interesting souvenir. People are normally not addressed or referred to by their first names, unless among friends or relatives. However, necessary precautions should still be taken. In Iraq, Muslims are divided between Sunni and Shiite. Major European airlines fly to Belgrade. Sviđaš mi se! Most Serbs speak some English and/or Spanish and are eager to practice it (seniors, however, are more likely to speak German and/or French), so you will be able to find your way around by asking directions. More recently, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence; however, this act remains unrecognised by Serbia and some other countries. without a Serbian entry stamp) is considered an illegal entry to Serbia and is not possible, except if using an ID card (for those nationals who can). Mobile Phone Numbers start with 06X XXX-XXXX The third digit means the carrier prefix. Gas stations close to borders sometimes accept foreign currencies. An uprising in the early 1800s that grew in the full scale war (War of Restoration) led to the restoration of Serbian independence in 1815. There is an English-language website for train schedules [32]. For more information, see the timetable (arrivals/departures) of the Belgrade bus station (in English): Novi Pazar, your last stop before Kosovo, has a distinct Turkish heritage and a bunch of great monasteries in the surrounding area. Located in the beautiful Kučaj mountains, Ravanica near Ćuprija was assaulted, damaged and rebuilt time and again during history. Please have a look at the Belgrade article for further options. Racism is a minor concern, if you are from a different skin colour or features other than native Europeans, some people may give you some looks, but mostly these are out of curiosity (some people have never seen someone who is not Caucasian or East Asian), and generally have no bad intentions. The fortified Manasija monastery near Despotovac is protected by massive walls and towers, and although much of its original frescos were damaged beyond repair during the Ottoman rule, it's still well worth a visit. almost every cafe, pub or restaurant has WiFi access, and will be glad to let you use it. (Serbian Cyrillic:Хвала! Note that the traffic law is strict. Ćao (Serbian Cyrillic: Ћао)= Similar to "Zdravo", even more informal (pronounced the same as in Italian, but with different accent). Vidimo se, kasnije! It is held every year at end of July and beginning of August and takes place in the Kraljevica forest in the city of Zaječar [36]. United States About Blog Orthodox Christianity is a project of Moscow Sretensky Monastery providing Orthodox news, feasts, saints, theology, history and Christian encouragement in today's world. Supermarket prices stay constant, throughout Belgrade with Coke at approx 120 dinars for 2 liters and a loaf of white bread at 40-60 dinars at Feb 2014. Another major archaeological site (and doubling as a spa) is that of Gamzigrad, which is one of the four UNESCO sites in Serbia. Djerdap National Park hosts the archeological site of Lepenski Vir, home to one of the first recorded civilisations in European soil, with some objects dating from 13,000 years ago. dinari/динари). Street robberies, violent crime, murders, or attacks are highly unusual, even in dark or remote parts of the city. Serbia can be divided into five regions and one de facto independent republic: Belgrade and Vojvodina are relatively economically prosperous and have a Central European influenced culture, while the southern regions are less prosperous and have a more traditional Serbian feel. Prices range from RSD 1800 (€15) to RSD 8,200 (€72). These are the following airlines that fly to Belgrade: For the actualized list of airlines and destinations, consult: http://www.beg.aero/en/strana/7731/timetable. It may be said that the use of the word molim is similar to the use of bitte in German. The village of Sirogojno is in the same region, with a nice open air museum and lots of traditional crafts on display.