Nightlife, history, culture and the biggest portions of food you’ve ever been served are the name of the game when you take a tour of Serbia. A tragic recent history and the struggle to recover from war have meant Serbia flew somewhat under the radar as a tourist destination – but that is changing rapidly in the land of Cyrillic road signs, unlimited servings of cake and stately Orthodox churches.
Check out our list of the best things to do in Serbia!
Beguiling Belgrade
The capital’s strategic river position has been attacked over 60 times by various tribes, most recently under heavy NATO airstrikes during the 1999 Kosovo War. Battle-scarred buildings blur with Art Nouveau facades and stunning Serbian Orthodox churches featuring mosaics and gold leaf iconostases to form a unique cityscape.
Modern Belgradians won’t let history get them down, with a renewed energy fizz in the pumping boat clubs that operate during summer, and the smoky bars and vibrant cafes of the bohemian Skadarlija district which together earn the city a solid reputation as one of Europe’s best nightlife hubs.
Views from Kalemegdan Fortress
The city fortifications tell the 2000-year-old battle story of Belgrade, with Celtic age foundations added to by Slavic, Hungarian, and Turkish occupation, which now offer unobstructed views across the lively metropolis. Spot the captured U.S. Army Humvee and the attached military museum for artillery relics of the colourful past.
Hushed reverence in the Church of St. Sava
The cavernous interior of this Orthodox cathedral represents the grand altar of Serbian religious identity, built on the spot where the Turks are said to have burnt the bones of the first archbishop. Despite its scaffolded appearance and century-long ongoing reconstruction, the gilded 4000 tonne dome is unmistakable in the Belgrade skyline.
Exit Festival hedonism
When students began this festival in 2000 as an anti-Milosevic movement to empower democracy and freedom, who was to know that it would become a multi award-winning dance music extravaganza. In July, Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad transforms to a glow stick-yielding mega club, with superb acoustics bouncing off the 17th century walls.
Serbian cultural identity in Topola
The crowning jewel is St. George’s church, which hosted seven Karađorđević royal family dynasties, and houses a glittering interior of hand-made gold mosaics by Soviet master craftsmen.
Secessionist architecture in Subotica
Subotica’s architecture embraces an ideal fusion of Hungarian and Hapsburg legacy, while the city hall and synagogue representing glorious remnants of Art Nouveau style.
Get your fortress fix
Along with the most notable Belgrade fortress, Serbia is home to more than 30 preserved forts dating back to the Roman, Byzantine, medieval Serbian and post-Ottoman eras, along with many partial ruins.
Visit the House of Flowers
The final resting place of the first President of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito, is located within the fascinating Museum of Yugoslav History, Belgrade, and welcomes thousands of visitors a year. Tito was regarded as a symbol of unification and was therefore largely beloved and respected throughout the region, serving as President for almost three decades from 1953 to 1980.
Shelter in subterranean caves
Serbia is home to a large collection of subterranean caves, some of which have an interesting history of providing shelter for Serbs during conflict and the oppressive Ottoman rule. One of the most beautiful is Stopica, home to a 10-metre underground waterfall.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
