Serbia: Belgrade, Novi Sad and the Zlatibor Mountains — Where to Go and What to Try

Belgrade: the fortress and the rivers

Belgrade stands where the Sava flows into the Danube. Above the confluence rises Belgrade Fortress with Kalemegdan Park — the best spot for sunset views. The pedestrian Knez Mihailova Street leads into the centre, the bohemian Skadarlija quarter is known for its small restaurants with live music, and Zemun on the bank of the Danube recalls the days when it was a separate town.

Novi Sad and Fruška Gora

Novi Sad is a cosy city on the Danube with an elegant centre and, on the opposite bank, Petrovaradin Fortress, where a big music festival takes place in summer. Nearby are the hills of Fruška Gora with vineyards and old monasteries.

Zlatibor and Tara National Park

The west of the country is all mountains and forests. Zlatibor is a popular resort with a mild climate, walking trails and winter ski runs. Nearby is Tara National Park with the canyon of the Drina River and its viewpoints, and in Mokra Gora the old narrow-gauge Šargan Eight railway still runs.

Niš and southern Serbia

Niš is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans, with a fortress, traces of the Roman era and a love of grilled food. Central and southern Serbia have many monasteries with old frescoes, as well as thermal spas.

What to try

Serbian cuisine means the grill, fresh bread and plenty of vegetables.

• Ćevapčići — small grilled sausages of minced meat.
• Pljeskavica — a large grilled patty, often served in flatbread.
• Kajmak — a soft, creamy dairy product eaten with bread and meat.
• Ajvar — a spiced relish made from roasted peppers.
• Burek — a flaky pie filled with meat or cheese, eaten for breakfast with yoghurt.
• Rakija — a fruit brandy used to welcome guests.

Good to know before you go

A few simple tips will help you feel at ease in Serbia.

• Serbia has its own currency, the dinar, and cash comes in handy in small cafés and at markets.
• Smoking may still be allowed in cafés and restaurants — if that matters to you, ask for a non-smoking area.
• Signs are written in both Cyrillic and Latin script, so reading them isn't hard.
• Buses are a convenient way to travel between cities, and a high-speed train runs from Belgrade to Novi Sad.
• In restaurants people usually leave a tip by rounding up the bill.

Staying connected

In Serbia you need the internet from the very first minutes: to call a taxi, open a map, check the bus timetable, or show your hotel booking. You can install your eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, so after landing you won't have to hunt for a SIM card at the airport or stand in queues. When a plan's validity begins is shown on the checkout page before you pay: for some plans it starts at the first connection in the destination country, for others on installation or right after purchase. Your main number stays in your phone, and calls and messages to it keep arriving as usual, under your carrier's terms.