Top 16 atractions in Serbia

Beautiful landscapes, breathtaking views, remarkable history, good food… no matter you are into art or you are interested in architecture, a fan of adventure in nature, real gourmet or you like to party Serbia has something to offer you . Check our top attractions in Serbia and choose the best for you.  

Kalemegdan fortress, Belgrade

Kalemegdan fortress - one of the city’s main attractions you should not miss while in Belgrade.Wander around and discover a fascinating place where once was the city of Belgrade. Today it is a huge park with stunning views over the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers and great area for relaxation and sports activities.Do not forget to come to this place and enjoy the sunset! Kalemegdan is also home to many interesting historical and cultural sights - Military museum, Belgrade Zoo (meet Muja- the oldest alligator in the world ), Statue of the Victor , Nebojsa tower , Ruzica church, Roman well among others. Two millennia of history is waiting for you, do not miss it .

St Sava temple, Belgrade

Whichever direction you take to enter the city of Belgrade , one building you should not be able to skip - grandiose Serbian -Byzantine style church - St Sava . The biggest Orthodox church not only in Serbia but in the whole Balkan region and one of the biggest in the world. This marvelous white marble edifice can welcome 10.000 believers at the same time. It is located on Vracar plateau, the same place which believed to be the location where the remains of St Sava ( Prince Rastko Nemanjic ) were burned in 16th century by Ottoman Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha in order to break the Serbian spirit.

House of Flowers, Belgrade  

Once upon a time there was a country called Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia had one and only president - Josip Broz Tito. It sounds like a fairytale and for many people who believed in its ideology -it was. If you are interested to learn more about Yugoslavia history, a way of life back then - Museum of History of Yugoslavia is the perfect place for you. A special part of this Museum is the burial place ( memorial room with the book of sorrow ) of the president Tito - House of Flowers - one of the most visited tourist attractions in Belgrade. Did you know that around 17 million people visited this place? There must be a reason, come and check….

Monastery Zica , near town of Kraljevo

The endowment of first crowned King of Serbia - King Stefan, his son Prince Radoslav and his younger brother Prince Rastko , later Saint Sava -first Serbian archbishop was erected in 13th century. Can you imagine yourself standing on the spot where 6 kings of Serbia were crowned? After you visit the place that was the seat of Serbian Orthodox church first 34 years you should take a break in nearby Kraljevo - the town that got its name thanks to Zica monastery and the coronation process that took place there ( kralj - the king ).   

Iron gate

If you are looking for beautiful landscapes full of historical sites then you should not skip this. Djerdap gorge or Iron gate - a great natural attraction in the eastern part of Serbia ( close to the border with Romania ) consists of 4 gorges and 3 valleys .The kingdom of water , flora and fauna as well as breathtaking scenes. Another thing in this 134km long route is history - magnificent sights all the way from pre-historic period (you can find out how the tribes lived 8000 years ago ) , Roman era ( Tabula Traiana ) , medieval times ( Golubac fortress- lately reconstructed so now you can visit it really and not only admire it looking at the fortress from the road ) to the modern age ( Hydroelectric dams, two power stations-you have to hear the story about the sunken island ! ) The only downside of this area is road - not in the best shape so if you are driving - it will not be fast but the good thing is that you will have time to enjoy   

Manasija monastery

A real jewel of Serbian medieval culture and spirituality- Manasija monastery. Nestled in the green hills of Resava gorge this holy place was built as an endowment of Despot Stefan Lazarevic in 15th century. Mighty fortification with 12 towers that surround the monastery gives you strong impression of medieval times revealing the story of the Knight of the order of the dragon. One thing is sure - this 600 old monastery that was destroyed and rebuilt for some many times in its stormy history will not leave you indifferent.

Viminacium - Roman military camp

If you go towards east , on 96th km from Belgrade, in the village of Kostolac ( near the town of Pozarevac ) ,where the river Mlave meets the mighty Danube you will find ancient Roman military camp and settlement - Viminacium ( 1st AD ) . When you come to this place -you will see plain fields with open cast coal mines, very isolated by the way. Do not be surprised when the pure archaeological gem hits you out of nowhere . Hidden treasure still to be explored ,offers you various interesting parts : remains of amphitheater, public baths , tombs and Mausoleum ( it is considered that emperor Hostilian was buried there ) , visitor centre and Mammoth park where you can see the whole skeleton of the mammoth! Info for the cycling fans - Viminacium is set on the bicycle rout Atlantic - Black sea , point D210 .   

Skull tower

There is city in the south of Serbia ,called Nis . In this city there is a monument - unique in the world - called Skull tower. Yes, It seems that we thought about the same thing - this monument was made of human skulls.Turks wanted to give the lesson to anyone who dares to fight against Ottomans. After the battle on Cegar (early 19th century ) Ottomans took the skulls of the killed Serbian soldiers and made 4 meters long and almost 5meters wide monument which contained 952 skulls at the beginning. In time most of the skulls were taken or missing so now you will be able to see only 58 skulls but still enough to understand this horrify page of Serbian history.

Uvac canyon

If you love nature this is destination no 1 for you ! Uvac canyon is park of nature in west -south part of Serbia very famous for itd meanders on the river Uvac and rare bird species - Griffon vultures. The best possible season to visit this part is July and August and if you are coming on your own you can easily join some group and the best way to enjoy all Uvac can offer you is to be part of the guided group ( so you do not skip something )  . Do not miss viewpoint Molitva and even less known Molitva 2, Ice cave ( part of the bigger complex , the biggest in all Serbia ) boat ride on meanders and please do try local food ,it is very tasty ( especially the white cheese , smoked ham or roasted lamb meat ).

 

City hall, Subotica

Symbol of this northern town of Subotica built in the beginning of 20th century .  Experience a totally different spirit then in rest of Serbia so you can understand the multi-cultural environment present in region of Vojvodina . The City hall building made in Art nouveau style enriched with Hungarian folklore elements.If you want to take unforgettable photos of Subotica and its surrounding climb to the 45m high observatory in the City hall .    

Town of Sremski Karlovci

It is early afternoon and the sun is shining ,giving the romantic touch to small baroque town in northern part of Serbia -called Sremski Karlovci . If you stand in the centre of the main square you will be surrounded by beauty and history - the oldest high school in Serbia ( Gymnasium ), Patriarchate court, Orthodox and Catholic church , Lion’s fountain and that is not all. Did you know that this is the first place where round table was used for negotiation ? If you are interested in that story , visit Chapel of Peace and do not leave Sremski Karlovci without tasting the local sweet wine ‘Bermet’ .It’s a must .

  

Golubac fortress

Fabulous medieval fortress set the very entrance of Iron gate gorge, on Danube river. It dates back to 14th century and had frequently changed hands over : Hungarians , Serbians , Turks …In the last couple of centuries it suffered serious neglect but now it is under reconstruction so hopefully will shine again in near future . Great place for making photos and fortress itself looks like it was taken from Game of Thrones. Facilities around the site are new and functional so you have a place to rest, take a coffee, buy a souvenir or just take walk the nice pavement path.

Studenica monastery

The biggest and the most important Orthodox monastery in Serbia, erected in 12th century by Stefan Nemanja founder of Serbian state .The monastery hides the priceless collection of 13th and 14th century Byzantine paintings so if you are into art do not skip this Unesco heritage site in Serbia . Studenica is set in Raska district in central Serbia surrounded like many other monasteries by beautiful nature and lush greenery.Special thing about this place is that they have guest house so you can stay overnight in simple but comfortable rooms and also enjoy good meal . My advice if you are staying in monastery’s guest house - get up at dawn before other visitors come so you can watch monks and maybe participate in prayer. Very special moment,believe me .  

   

Petrovaradin fortress

I am sure you have heard for Exit festival , largest and most visited music festival in South-eastern Europe. Petrovardin fortress near the city of Novi Sad is home of Exit ! But to be honest, Petrovaradin deserves much more than to be a place for the concerts from dusk till dawn. Built by Austrians in 18th century as a significant military fort. The fortress is overlooking the river Danube so you will enjoy great views while having coffee or lunch in one of several restaurants on the top of the fortress. The most stunning part is Clock tower at the Ludwig bastion - the interesting thing is about its hands - the big one shows the hours and the small - minutes - this is set like this so the people ( especially boatmen ) can see the time from a big distance. Like many other fortresses, this one also has a hidden treasure - its mysterious underground - underground net of halls 16km long, built in 70’ of 18th century. I strongly recommend you to take a guided tour for this one in order to avoid skipping interesting facts and stories.

Shargan eight

If you love trains and especially steam locomotive this is must see the attraction for you ! Sargan eight is narrow-gauge heritage railway that runs from village of Mokra Gora to Sargan Vitasi station in the western part of Serbia . The train is passing through gorgeous mountain landscapes so the ride is an unforgettable experience.The most interesting fact about this romantic and old-fashioned train is that it passes 300 m height on its 15,5km long trail which is quite incredible. The ride itself lasts for 2 hours and great place to take a rest or lunch afterwards is Mecavnik - Emir Kustica ( famous film director ) etno village . Enjoy great food and beautiful scenery.

Oplenac royal complex

Set in central Serbia, region called -Sumadija , nestled in fertile vineyards.

Once was the summer house of the royal family Karadjordjevic .The absolute highlight of this complex is St George church with is beautiful mosaics ( around 40 million tiles ). Do not forget to visit the impressive crypt beneath the church where are the tombs of the royal family members. The small museum just across the church is also worthy of visiting, you can learn a lot about history. Also bear in mind that this area is known for good wines so do try some . 

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