SERBIA
Serbia might not be a place that many people think of as a tourist destination. It has no coastline or any highly acclaimed, world-famous attractions. It's not so much that a trip to Serbia does not have a lot to offer, but rather, it is the many countries in Europe that overshadow Serbia. We did not have an easy time spotting foreign tourists during our visit. In conjunction with the scarcity of foreign tourists, we often felt treated as special guests. The people were pleasant, and those who could speak English were happy to help if we had any questions.
The must-see place in Serbia is its capital city, Belgrade. That is where we spent the most time. While planning our trip, I found articles recommending numerous sites and activities scattered throughout the country. For practical purposes, our itinerary included one secondary city, Novi Sad, a historic site, Studenica, and one outdoor activity, rafting.
Travel Tip:
If you plan to visit any site outside of Belgrade, consider renting a car. Bus and train routes are slow. Plus, many interesting places are not accessible by bus. We considered renting a car and then taking day trips from Belgrade. However, driving distances are long. We instead rented a car from the airport and first toured places outside of Belgrade. Within Belgrade, you do not need a car.
Novi Sad
We spent two nights in Serbia's second-largest city. We could have alternatively visited Novi Sad as a day trip from Belgrade (it is only 90 minutes away by bus or train), but there is more than enough to see to make an overnight stay worthwhile. We spent most of the day strolling the historic Old Town and taking pictures. The Old Town is a great place to try local Serbian food. Although there are many good options, we had a fantastic meal at Cafe Restaurant Masha. https://www.masha.rs/ Another place we highly recommend is Wake Up Juice Bar on Katolicka Porta (near Name of Mary Church) for great smoothies.
Besides the Old Town, the other top tourist attractions in Novi Sad are the Petrovaradin Fortress and the Strand city beach. Although Belgrade has far more to see than Novi Sad, the two cities are very different. Novi Sad was definitely worth the short visit.
The Name of Mary Church
Studenica Monastery
There are many historical sites scattered throughout Serbia. The Studenica Monastery complex is one of Serbia's UNESCO Heritage sites. Since it was only a minor detour en route to our destination for rafting, we decided to include a stop here on our itinerary. The monastery lies in a remote location, 24 miles southwest of Kraljevo. A car trip from Novi Sad should take just under 4 hours, so long as you do not get lost on the way! The journey to and from Studenica is indeed half the adventure. Although the map on Google makes it seem easy to find, you have to be very alert to spot the signs for turn-offs onto minor roads in Serbia.
The monastery dates back to the late 12th century. It is renowned for its architecture and collection of Byzantine frescoes. It is still an active monastery with resident monks, and there is no entrance fee. We spent only about an hour exploring the site. We arrived at the site from the east. Leaving, we headed west toward Ivanjica. It was tricky since there are no signs whatsoever that confirm where the roads exiting Studenica head. It also didn't help that the people in the area spoke very little English! Nevertheless, we ultimately figured it out.
Another great attraction in the vicinity is the Hermitage of Saint Sava. About a 10-minute drive west of Studenica is an entrance to a hiking trail that leads to the site, situated on a rocky cliff. The hike takes about an hour.
The Lim River
Belgrade
Although it never shows up on top-10 European destination lists, Belgrade is a great city to visit. It has a long history and is very pleasant, with many green spaces, no congestion, and very little, if any, crime. We were fortunate to have several days to spend here since there is a lot to see. We booked an apartment for a week in the Savamala neighborhood. Other good areas to stay in are Stari Grad (the old city) and Vracar. All three areas are central and within walking distance. We never needed to use public transportation or taxis during the duration of our stay.
The following are places within Belgrade that you want to be sure to hit:
- Republic Square and Knez Mihailova - Located in Stari Grad, Knez Mihailova is the main pedestrian street in Belgrade. The history of this street actually dates back to Roman times.
- Belgrade Fortress - Starting from Republic Square, we reached this by walking on Knez Mihailova until it ended. The earliest settlement in Belgrade started here over 2000 years ago. From the top of the hill are magnificent views of the Sava and Danube rivers. For more information, check out the following website. https://www.beogradskatvrdjava.co.rs/o-kompleksu/?lang=en
- Skadarlija - Centered around Skardarska Street, this is Belgrade's Bohemian quarter.
- Bulevar kralja Aleksandra - Starting at the Square of Nicola Pasic and walking east, you will pass by many significant places: The Serbian Presidential Palace, The National Assembly, St. Mark's Church, and a few large parks. The Nikola Tesla Museum is also a short detour off this boulevard.
- Saint Sava Temple - This enormous Serbian Orthodox church lies in the Vracar area. We stopped by at night and again during the daytime to see the interior. There is no admission charge. Although it is less than 100 years old, it is the most recognizable building in Belgrade.
Another significant attraction in Belgrade that we did not have time to visit is Ada Ciganlija. It is an island in the Sava River, about 6 kilometers upstream from Stari Grad. This recreational area has a beach, bike paths, wildlife, etc. From the center of Belgrade, it is a short ride either by taxi or bus.
Restaurants
Serbia is not known for its cuisine, so we did not have high expectations before our trip. However, we were surprised by several restaurants in Belgrade that served us excellent meals. Thus, we have a few strong recommendations.
- Kafana Pavle Korcagin, https://najboljekafane.com/kafana/Pavle-Korcagin/15 Ćirila i Metodija 2a. We enjoyed this place very much. I do not believe they have an English webpage, and they also did not have an English menu. However, the menu had many photos of the dishes. Also, our waiter was happy to help translate and make recommendations. The restaurant has an amusing old communist theme. They serve Serbian comfort food. Interestingly, our waiter highly recommended a platter of fresh vegetables grown in the restaurant's garden, and they were, in fact, extraordinary. We had heard that this place is quite popular and can get extremely busy in the evenings, so we came for lunch.
- Zavičaj, https://www.restoranzavicaj.rs/ Gavrila Principa 77. We would rate our meal here as the best we had in Serbia. They serve great traditional Serbian food and are relatively inexpensive compared with the restaurants on Skadarska street. As a landlocked country with many rivers, trout is one of the best seafood choices in Serbia. They prepare it very well here.
- Dva Jelena (The Two Deer) http://www.dvajelena.rs/en/ Skadarska 32.
- Tri Sesira https://trisesira.rs/en/ Skadarska 29.
Kafana Pavle Korcagin