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The 88,361 sq. km of Serbia contains a scaled-down Europe. Had the Tower of Babel not been built where it had been built, it would surely have been built in the heart of the Balkans, for Serbia is the meeting place of cultures, religions and languages.
Although more than forty different nations live in Serbia, they do have some things in common - their homes are wide open to friends.
The temperate continental climate in Serbia is never in two minds about the seasons. When it snows, it's a knee-deep snow. When it's hot, the sun doesn't take a break. Not to mention the splendors of spring and autumn. Don't take our word for it! Seeing is believing. Come! In Serbia, something's always at the height of the season.
Everything is intertwined and at your fingertips in Serbia. You need no more than an hour's drive, in any part of the country, to experience a succession of massive mountain chains and pleasant hilly regions, rivers and streams which, lacelike, adorn the landscapes, the busy cities and quiet villages.
The mountains clash, the roads cross, the waters divide, the influences succeed one another...
If, in some other places, people think ecologically, in Serbia people live ecologically. Wherever you go in the country painted in heart, large quantities of open-heartedness and smile are served, free of charge.
Cloaked in silence, hidden among the hills and plum orchards, the monasteries and churches, invaluable heritage of timeless beauty, were created in Serbia from the 10th to the 17th century. Although by the gracefulness of their outside architecture these churches leave an impression of smallness, it is only on entering them that you can appreciate the monumental stories of things earthly and things heavenly they can tell. The eyes of the angels, of the Virgin Mary, of the holy warriors standing their eternal watch, of princes and princesses, of kings and queens, focus on you from the frescoes and icons...
One of the founders of these structures, King Milutin, left behind him forty years of reign and the same number of churches.
What will the towers of Manasija, the domes of Ravanica, the rosettes of Lazarica or the portals of Studenica whisper to you? What were the red facades of Zica the witnesses to? What does the sophistication of Gracanica consist of? What about the strength of Visoki Decani, the marble colossus of medieval architecture? What are the messages sent to you by the treasures of Krusedol and Hopovo.
Perhaps that the answers to all these questions can be found in the words of the French poet, Alphonse Lamartine, who said that the history of the Serbs should be sung, not written about.
Long ago, the oldest monument of Serb literacy, The Miroslav Gospel (written in the 12th century), together with other relics, found its way to the Serb monastery of Chilandar (http://www.rs.risjak.net/chilandar/) , on Mount Athos in Greece. Later, it was returned to the fatherland, as a gift to the King Aleksandar Obrenovic of Serbia. In the horrors of World War I, it was taken all the way to Corfu in the saddle-bags of the Serb army.
The 180 pages of carefully illustrated parchment at last completed their journey and became a part of the collection of the National Museum in Belgrade. The journey of the Serb culture is not unlike this journey of the Miroslav Gospel.
This valuable manuscript set the standards for all later creations. The famous ancestor has famous off springs: Tesla's and Pupin's ingenuity, the thought and the word of the Nobel laureate Ivo Andric, of Crnjanski and Kis. The names of the world famous painters, ballet masters of today, musical virtuosos, the choirs with box-office success everywhere in the world, theater and movie magicians...
Let a journey through the cities of Serbia start from Belgrade, its capital. The proud white city is keeping well, maintaining the looks of a young man, although it is an ancient of times (its 20 centuries of existence make it one of the oldest European cities).
Take a walk around Belgrade, a tour in time, from Kalemegdan fortress, past the Cathedral, to Princess Ljubica's Home - and you have already traveled several thousand years in a couple of steps. Go on and continue your walk through the museums and galleries, stadiums and squares, the Bohemian cafes of Scadarlija, under a watchful and protective gaze, from dawn to dusk, of the imposing dome of St. Sava Temple.
The northern province, Vojvodina, is relaxed in the tranquility of wheat fields: the farms are dreamy, the windmills busy, the thoroughbred horses galloping... Novi Sad, the Serb Athens of the 19th century, the squares of Subotica, the smell of cookies from Kikinda, tambourine players from Sombor; Sremski Karlovac, the museum of a great history of a small people...
Should you desire to experience the towns with oriental atmosphere, we shall take you to Kosovo and Metohija. Pristina, Pec, Novi Pazar, Mitrovica. On the glorious battlefield, the Serb Army, in 1389, defended the gates of Europe. We shall show you the Prizren filigrees and its craftsmen, old steam baths and mosques, churches and monasteries...
Every city tells its story, woven from the past and present: Kragujevac, Krusevac, Kraljevo, Uzice... We shall take you to Sabac Fair, to the shops of old Tesnjar in Valjevo, to Ljubicevo Horse Games near Pozarevac, to Nis, the home town of the Byzantine emperors Justinian and Constantine the Great...The carpets from Pirot, hot peppers of Leskovac, the crystal from Zajecar...
Roam through Serbia! You won't loose your way, no matter what city you get to.
It seems that it was in Serbia that the goddess Heba spilled her cup of beneficial nectar as there are more than 140 mineral water springs and 53 spas in the country. The spas health centers, like the one in Vrnjacka Banja, are the oldest tourist resorts in the country.
If we were to enumerate the ailments for the cure of which the spas in Serbia are recommended, we would end up with a veritable diagnostic textbook. In short - almost any ailment. There are, at your disposal, medical centers with special equipment for prevention and treatment. But who's talking about therapy only?
Spas are places for fun and recreation. A short excursion from any of the spas will take you to the world of culture and history.
Freshen up your body and your spirit in Serbia.
You can reach Serbia by road, rail, air and water. On foot or riding a bicycle, by car, bus, plane, train, ship...
Sail on the Danube. Come with the clouds and land on Belgrade airport with bus and train connections to all parts of Serbia. Or continue your flight to Nis and Pristina.
The arteries of international thoroughfares connect Serbia with Northern and Southern Europe. E-75, the trans-European thoroughfare, starts in Scandinavia and leads, via Bulgaria and Greece, and Bosporus, all the way to Asia.
From Central Europe, from Vienna, via Budapest, it takes only several hours of driving to reach Belgrade, our capital. If your intention is just to pass trough Serbia, there are motels along the way, service stations of the Automobile Association of Yugoslavia, gas-stations, shopping centers and restaurants, waiting for you day and night.
Even an ordinary business trip to Serbia offers more than business meetings. Serbia is the country of trade fairs and congressional tourism. All year long, in Belgrade and Novi Sad, international trade fairs follow one another. Numerous commercial and industrial centers, with the hospitality we are famous for, await old and new business partners.
Sava Centar in Belgrade, the giant congress center made of glass, has hosted 150 international gatherings. With its modern, well-equipped halls (seating 7000 persons), Sava Centar offers numerous accompanying activities.
There is a direct link with Belgrade Intercontinental Hotel, while Belgrade Hyatt Regency Hotel is only a short walk away.
Sava Centar is only a 15 minute drive from Surcin International Airport.
Let the sun wish you a good morning from the window of your room in one of the 35 luxurious hotels in Belgrade.
It is hard to pass through Serbia without stopping. We hope you won't be angry with us if, by our kindness and exciting suggestions, we force you to change you mind and stay longer than you had planned.
There are many reasons in favor of prolonging a journey, or of returning to Serbia. You don't have to call in advance. We are waiting for you, like for an old friend.
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