Serbia is the largest republic of the former Yugoslavia, the federation of Balkan states which collapsed amid the ethnic violence of the 1990s. Landlocked since Montenegro won independence in 2006, Serbia is a largely mountainous country. Main attractions include the nightlife of its capital, Belgrade, the natural beauty of its mountains and rivers, and its Orthodox Christian monasteries and monuments.
Serbia’s borders have scarcely stopped shifting in the past 150 years. Once a powerful 13th-century kingdom, it gained independence from the Ottoman empire in 1878; but after the first world war - started when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Austrian archduke, Francis (or Franz) Ferdinand, in 1914 - it became part of greater Yugoslavia.
After a brief period as a Nazi puppet state during the second world war, it became the power base of the Communist Yugoslavia under president Tito. That federation fell apart after the collapse of Communism in the 1990s – and after the bloodshed, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia (FYROM) and most recently Montenegro all gained independence. Kosovo, in the south, remains under UN administration.
Belgrade sits by the confluence of the rivers Danube and Sava, marking the point where the plains of central Europe make way for the hills and mountains of the south. The political and spiritual capital of modern Serbia, it offers some of the most exuberant nightlife in Europe – though it also bears the marks of its bombardment by Nato bombers just seven years ago. East along the river, the Djerdap national park includes the famous Djerdap gorge – the “iron gate” into the Carpathians. In the mountainous south, Serbia has a legacy of rich cultural and archaeological sites - including the 12th-century Studenica monastery.
Best sites· Belgrade 2.0 Belgrade blog with travel info, reviews and guides
· B92 Serbian news site and radio station – a bastion of free speech during the late 1990s
· Tourist Organisation of Belgrade Official tourist guide to the city
· Serbia Info Online encyclopaedia of Serbia including historic monuments, mountain and spa resorts
· CIA world fact book
· Foreign Office travel advice
Have a rough-and-ready city break in Belgrade, hike the Sicevo gorge and go skiing in Kopoanik.
News and current affairsRead Serbia's online publications in the world news guide
LanguageThe official language is Serbian – which can be written both Roman and Cyrillic scripts. In the Roman script there are several letters not used in English.
ClimateConditions are typical of eastern Europe with cold winters and warm, wet summers. Average temperatures inland peak at 18 to 19 C in July while the coastal area reaches 23 to 26 C.
HealthTetanus, polio and hepatitis A vaccinations are advisable. Others may be recommended if you're planning to stay a while.
FoodThe cuisine of Serbia draws on influences of its Balkan neighbours, but is largely meat-based. Strict vegetarians might struggle as chicken and fish are often classed as vegetarian food and vegetable soups are likely to be flavoured by smoked ham.
Traditional meals include soups, stews, smoked meats, minced meat, stuffed vegetables such as peppers, and kebabs. Specialities include: cevapcic (grilled meatballs served with raw onions in flat bread); gibanica (thinly layered pastry, eggs and feta cheese); burek (a pastry layered with cheese or meat); and ajvar (a relish made of roasted red peppers, aubergine and garlic).
Fruit and nuts are used in desserts such as strudels, pancakes and pastries. Plum brandy (slivovica) and grape brandy (lozova rakija) are popular alcoholic drinks, as are local beers - very drinkable.
Currency£1 is worth approximately 120 dinars.
EventsPublic holidays are on New Year’s Day, Statehood Day (April 27) and Labour Days (May 1/2); also at Orthodox Christmas (January 7) and around Easter (a movable feast – same day as western Easter in 2007 but five weeks later in 2008). Major festivals include the Fest film festival in Belgrade in February and the Exit music festival in Novi Sad in July.
What to buyChina from the village of Zlakusa, famous for its potteries; icons painted on wood or glass; Serbian frula, folk flutes; opanak, traditional wool and leather slippers.
Embassies and visasUK: Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, 28 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QB (+44 20 7235 9049).
Serbia: British Embassy, Resavska 46, 1000, Belgrade (+381 11 2645 055).
Visas: Visitors from the UK, most other European countries, Australia, the USA and Canada do not require a visa for a visit of up to 90 days.
GMT/UTC+1
Getting thereSerbia’s national carrier, Jat Airlines, offers services across Europe; while most major scheduled airlines including British Airways fly to Belgrade. The low-cost flight revolution has yet to link Belgrade to the UK.
They Would Never Hurt a Fly: War Criminals on Trial in The Hague. Croatian journalist Slavenka Drakulic explores the psyches of the people who turned her former country, Yugoslavia, into a killing field in the early 1990s.
The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804-1999. Misha Glenny examines Balkan geopolitics since the early 19th century.
The Road to Kosovo: A Balkan Diary Freelance journalist Greg Campbell's observations of his 1998 journey from Zagreb, Yugoslavia, across Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro into Kosovo.
Secret Sanction. Military thriller by Brian Haig, set in Kosovo.
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