Others believe it's from non-Slavic, Iranian or Sarmatian word sarv = free man or guardian (Adopted from the peoples time in the cacous, which would align with it's neighbor names like the Croats (Hrvati =guardians) that where part of the same original Slavic group.
Why It's Worth a Visit -
Serbia has a rich blend of historic sites, like fortresses and old towns with Roman and Ottoman layers, vibrant nightlife, and scenic beauty all at affordable prices with a cultural heritage of rooted in hospitality in a deep.
@ a glance essentials:
.
Language:
Serbian
-
Serbian Dinar
Water safety
Generally Safe to Drink in urban areas, (may have an off taste.) Go Bottled when Remote.
Many Locals can speak English, particularly in the large cities.
Currency:
RSD
Local Transport
There is a bus network in large cities. Smaller towns will require a car.
The subject of Kosovo is complicated, and it's probably best to keep your opinions to yourself - but even more importantly, Serbia doesn't recognize it as a legally separate country, so if you are visiting both DON'T enter Serbia from Kosova, cross in by a different border. (Serbia won’t recognize entry stamps by Kosovo so when you try to leave Serbia, it will look to them like you entered the country illegally.)
Hot Tip:
Inhabited since the Paleolithic Age, the land that would become Serbia was home to Illyrians, Dardani and Celt tribes before Romans conquered much of the territory in the 2nd century BC creating the provinces of Illyricum & Moesia Superior† in the region. After the Roman Empire split, large numbers of Slavs migrated to the Balkans in the 6th c. establishing the Byzantine 🔎Principality of Serbia which was elevated to a Serbian Kingdom🔍 in 1217, and soon expanded into the Serbian Empire which lasted until the late 14th c and included most of todays Balkans and stretched south🔍 all the way into present day Greece, (though it never spread as far north as Croatia.)
† Seventeen Roman Emperors were born in the area of modern-day Serbia, 2nd only to contemporary Italy.
a bit of background...
........................ FYI - You are supposed to register where you're staying with the local authorities:
"Serbian organizations & individuals providing accommodation to foreigners ... as well as locals hosting visiting foreigners, must register the foreigner’s stay with the local police station within 24 hours of the ... visitor’s arrival... [or if] not using official accommodation ... [the foreigner(s)] must register his or her stay ... with the local police station within 24 hours of arriving..."
- Serbian official tourism board
ODD RULE:
From the 16th c. - 19th c. the Ottoman Empire annexed most of the region, other than a brief period from 1718–39 when the Habsburg monarchy occupied Central Serbia and established the Kingdom of Serbia as a crownland. Then, the Serbian Revolution, of 1804- 1815, established the Principality of Serbia later renamed the Kingdom of Serbia, the region's first constitutional monarchy.
In 1914 a Bosnian-Serb assassinated Archduke Ferdinand triggering Austria-Hungary declaring war on the Kingdom of Serbia & setting off WWI. In the aftermath Serbia was united with other South Slavic nations to form Yugoslavia and it emerged from WWII as the People's Republic🔍 of Serbia, within the 🔎Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, until a nationalism movement in the 1990's fanned the Yugoslav Wars and Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Macedonia all seceded, with only modern Serbia and Montenegro still united as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY.) This was eventually peacefully dissolved via referendum in 2006 and in 2008, the Assembly of Kosovo also declared independence, though Serbia still claims sovereignty (and the international community is split on the issue.)
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Karađorđeva šnicla - (Serb schnitzel) rolled meat stuffed w/ Kajmak- traditional Balkan cheese, w/ tartar sauce
Gibanica - white cheese & egg pie ∞ Urnebes - spicy salad of cheese, paprika, chilli, sour cream, & garlic
Pljeskavica† (or Serbian Burger) - minced meat patty on bread w/ onions & tomatoes
Ajvar - roasted pepper relish common on Cevapi (sausages) ∞ Prebranac - beans w/ onions, garlic & paprika
Donuts like Krofne - deep-fried, no hole, or Uštipci & Miške - fluffy balls w/ jam, Nutella, sugar or Eurocrem††
Vanilice - cookie w/ walnuts & a jam ∞ Rakija* - Balkan fruit spirits, (commonly plums, grapes or apricots)
➿➰➿
† From verb pljeskati = clap your hands †† Local brand of two-colored hazelnut & cocoa milk chocolate spread * Also known as rakia, rakiya, rachiu or rakı
I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit
Serbia
(but it's on the list!) - So I don't have any personal
(If you get there first send me your best finds !)
recommendations yet, but you can start with the most popular spots
below, and I'll update with my favorites, hopefully soon!
Most Known For:
♦️ Belgrade - with Stari Grad (Old Town), Gardos Tower, Art Nouveau and neo-Baroque
architecture & vibrant promenade along the Danube
🔸 Novi Sad, Subotica & Sremski Karlovci | of autonomous Vojvodina - with the Petrovaradin
Fortress and Orthodox Church🔍 of the Name of Mary with a rainbow-striped spire
♦️ Novo Hopovo working monastery; one of 20 monasteries in Fruška Gora
🔸 Topola - with Oplenac (or St George’s Church & Mausoleum) & Aleksandrovic Winery
♦️ Hadzi-Prodan Paleolithic Caves & Mount Golija
🔸 Skull Tower (Ćele Kula) | Niš - Ottoman stone tower, with 900+ human skulls in the walls
👀 NOTABLE SERBIANS:
💡 Nikola Tesla | Inventor 👑 Quintillus & Gratian | Roman Emperors
(ethnically Serbian, born in what's now Croatia) (among others...)
👣
🌀 Trumpet Festival - (August) three days of folk music in Guča with brass band competitions and traditional dress
🌀 Novi Sad Street Musician Festival – street musicians, magicians, jugglers, and acrobats take over the streets
🌀 Ljubičevske konjičke igre (September) - Ljubičevo Equestrian Games with Festive parades and carnivals
🌀 Drinska Regata (July) in Bajina bašta - Three days, non-competitive boat ride down the Drina River on boats
and rafts - it is the biggest water party in Europe, with grilling & concerts
🌀 Sabor/ Plum Days in Osečina (September) - this festival is centered around local products made from plums, like
homemade slivovitz/ plum brandy with live folk music, dances, contests, Balkan Cheese Festival - with cheese
making workshops & Belgrade Beer Fest (August) - five-day featuring hundreds of local & international beers.
🌀 Nikola Tesla Days (mid-July) - all across Serbia in places like in his birthplace, Smiljan at the Tesla Museum
- a festival of science, tech & innovation with lectures, exhibitions and Tesla-themed walks (in Belgrade.)
Site Key:
Five Star Recommend
Make the Time!
Worth the Effort/ $
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