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Visitors Guide:

History of Serbia:

• Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was founded on December 1, 1918. In 1929 the Federation was formally constituted as Yugoslavia. In the past, Serbia was the political and cultural center of Yugoslavia, as well as the remaining northern part of the former state union of Serbia and Montenegro.

• Montenegro left the Union in 2006 after the results of the referendum in favor of independence, while on June 5, 2006, Serbia also declared its official independence as the successor to the state union of Serbia and Montenegro.

• After unsuccessful negotiations that lasted two years, the contested southern province of Kosovo declared independence in 2008 in Serbia, but Serbia refuses to recognize it.

• In 2013, Serbia and Kosovo signed the first agreement on the principles governing the process of normalization of relations between the two countries.

• Serbia is seeking to join the European Union and it entered into formal negotiations with the European Union on accession in January 2014.

Geography of Serbia:

• The Republic of Serbia, which was the largest republic of the former Yugoslavia, is located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. In addition to Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, it is bordered by four of the six former SFRY republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro.

• Serbia has an area of 77,474 square kilometers (not including Kosovo) and is the same area as the Czech Republic or the US state of South Carolina.

• Terrain: The soil is diverse, with fertile plains to the north, limestone rocks and rivers to the east, and many mountains to the southwest and southeast of the country.

• Climate: It has a continental climate with a gradual transition between the four seasons (hot summers with temperatures up to 30 ° C and cold and snowy winters with temperatures between -5 and 10 ° C).

• Natural resources: oil, gas, coal, iron, copper, lead, zinc, antimony, chromium, nickel, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble and arable land.

The capital, Belgrade:

• The capital Belgrade, located at the mouth of the Sava River into the Danube, is an ancient city whose oldest monuments date from the fifth millennium BC. It was founded by the Celts, under the name Singidunum, in the third century BC.

• It is mentioned for the first time as the city of Belgrade in 989 n. e. Throughout its long and stormy history, Belgrade has defeated 40 troops and rose from the ashes 38 times.

• Belgrade is the administrative and political capital of the Republic of Serbia with a population of 1,659,440, according to the 2011 Census. The City of Belgrade is the most important traffic and transport center of Serbia, connecting it with other countries by land - highway and railway, by air from its international airport, and by river through the Port of Belgrade.

• The city of Belgrade is known by important agricultural and industrial resources, especially in the areas of heavy industry, metallurgy and technical industry, and is a center of commerce and banking.

• The area of Belgrade, with the towns of Smederevo and Pancevo, covers an area of 2000 square meters of free trade zone located on the banks of the Danube.

• Belgrade's revenues account for 30 percent of Serbia's GDP.

• The city of Belgrade is the capital of the scientific, educational and cultural life of Serbia, hosting the largest number of scientific and cultural institutions of national importance, as the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, founded in 1886, then the National Library of Serbia, founded in 1832, National Museum founded in 1841 and National Theater established in 1869.

• Also, there is the seat of the Belgrade State University, founded in 1808 under the name of the Great School.

• The capital Belgrade is represented by the city government, the assembly and the mayor. It is divided into 17 municipalities with local governments.

• Link: official website of the City of Belgrade www.beograd.rs

Tourist Attractions in Belgrade:

Belgrade Fortress – Kalemegdan

• The Belgrade Fortress is located on the most prominent Terazije Hill above the mouth of the Sava River into the Danube and the Great War Island. This monument place offers one of the most beautiful views in Europe. It is also an important historical, cultural and symbolic place for Serbs. The fort consists of two parts - upper and lower, as well as Kalemegdan Park and the open-air museum - "History in stone".

• You can visit many monuments, museums, galleries and temples here. The Victory Monument, located on the Belgrade Fortress, on the site of a medieval palace, is a symbol of Belgrade and one of its most famous historical monuments.

City center:

• The best way to get to know Belgrade is to walk around the city center, starting from Knez Mihailova Street and the surrounding streets, which contain valuable sights, cultural monuments and modern elements that make Belgrade a European metropolis.

• Knez Mihailova Street is located in the very center of Belgrade, in the immediate vicinity of Republic Square, which houses the monument of Prince Mihajlo on horseback. This square is the meeting point for most Belgrade citizens and tourists. There is also a National Museum on Republic Square. Knez Mihailova Street is a favorite pedestrian zone leading to the entrance to the Belgrade Fortress. The side streets lead to the city districts of Topličin venac, Obilićev venac, Student Square and King Petar Street, which is one of the oldest streets in Belgrade.

• This area is packed with pedestrians, luxury shops, cafes and restaurants, and is also the commercial and banking center of Belgrade.

Skadarlija:

• Located in the heart of Belgrade, Skadarlija is an old bohemian neighborhood where poets and artists gather, and is still abundant in art galleries. Also, there are many old cafes and restaurants with national cuisine in this street, unlike the nearby Strahinić Bana Street, where there are many modern restaurants, cafes and clubs where you can have fun and especially fun.

Sava Mala:

• In recent years, the Sava Mala resort has become one of the most famous, most modern and most visited urban settlements. It is a neighborhood with wide streets near the banks of the Sava River, which houses the cultural center City and Mikser House, then art galleries and many clubs, restaurants and cafes. There is also a building of the former Belgrade Cooperative, which is an architectural work from the Baroque art peri.

Zemun

• The Old Zemun was once a city overlooking Belgrade, and today it is an integral part of it. In the past, it was only possible to travel from Belgrade to Zemun by boat, but today they are connected by bridges.

This part of the city, with its quay near the Danube and the old streets, which abound in restaurants with fish specialties, still fosters the spirit of history and tradition, and there is the Gardoš tower with the old fortress remaining's, overlooking the part of Belgrade.

Bayrakli Mosque:

• The mosque was built in 1575 and was one of 273 Belgrade mosques dating from the Ottoman period. There are historical sources that state that the mosque is the oldest existing building in Belgrade. The Bayrakli mosque consists of a square building with a dome and minaret. During the Austro-Hungarian rule from 1717 to 1739 it was converted into a Catholic church, while most of the mosques in Belgrade were then demolished.

• After the return of the Ottomans, the mosque was restored and named the Bayrakli Mosque (in the Turkish word bayrak meaning "flag") at the end of the 18th century, when a flag was erected on its minaret as a sign of the beginning of prayer at the same time in all mosques in Belgrade. In the 19th century, the Bayrakli Mosque became the main mosque in the city after being rebuilt by the decision of the Serbian princes. Located at 11 Gospodar Jevremova Street, it is the only minaret with a minaret open to believers in Belgrade, and includes a religious high school.

City of Novi Sad:

• The city of Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia and is the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. Novi Sad, also is an administrative center of the region of South Backa. It is located in the south of the Pannonian Plain, on the banks of the Danube, and overlooks the northern slopes of Mount Fruska Gora.

• Multicultural and multinational populations have always lived in Novi Sad. It is also called "Serbian Athens". On the right bank of Danube River there is "Petrovaradin" fortress, which hosts the largest music festival in Southeast Europe "Exit", which has gained a worldwide reputation for its diversity and quality of sound and music.

Petrovaradin Fortress - Queen of the Baroque:

• One of the symbols of Novi Sad is the Petrovaradin Fortress, with its monumental architecture, underground galleries and impressive tunnel mazes. You can stand on the terrace of the fortress on which there is a large clock tower and enjoy panoramic views of the city and the Danube.

• The fortress houses the City Museum and Planetarium, as well as many art studios.

Petrovaradin:

• It is located at the foot of the Petrovaradin Fortress and offers a different atmosphere to the narrow streets and Baroque buildings. It is distinguished by the following buildings: St. George's Monastery, Belgrade Gate, St. Peter and Paul Church, City Hospital, Military Hospital and the house where Count Josip Jelacic was born (he was a Croatian general and ban of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia from 1848 to 1859) .

City of Nis:

• City of Nis is the third largest city in Serbia after Belgrade and Novi Sad. It is located on the bank of the river Nišava, at an altitude of 192 meters and covers an area of 600 square kilometers. Nis is the cultural, economic, commercial and university center of southeastern Serbia. Nis is also one of the oldest European cities, as evidenced by many prehistoric sites in the city such as Bubanj and Humska chuka. The city of Nis is also known as the "Gate of East and West" because it is located at the crossroads connecting Europe and the Middle East. Nis also connects with the world through its international airport "Constantine the Great". It is also surrounded by majestic mountains such as Suva Mountain, Svrljiska Mountain and Selicevica Mountain.

• The city of Nis is also known as the birthplace of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great who in 313 issued the Edict of Milan and embraced Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

City of Novi Pazar - a touch of the Orient:

• The city of Novi Pazar is located in southwestern Serbia and is the center of the historic Sandzak region where the Muslim Bosniak minority lives together with the Serb people. This region is considered as a multicultural region of Muslims and Orthodox, with historical and religious monuments of both peoples, such as the mosque "Altun Alem" and the church of the apostles Peter and Paul and the monastery of Sopocani.

• The city is home to 85,000 people, 80% of whom are Muslim. Narrow Ottoman-style streets with small shops whose owners sit in front and watch the passers-by, then old-fashioned wooden houses, a downtown fort and numerous mosques give Novi Pazar the characteristic spirit of the East.

Healthcare in Serbia:

• Most hospitals and clinics operate 24 hours a day, including private hospitals and the Emergency Room. The most pharmacies are open from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Friday and from 8am to 3pm on Saturdays. Every town has on-call pharmacies that work night and Sunday.

• Emergency telephone number (00-24): 194

• Emergency telephone number (00-24) Phone: + 381 11 3618 444

Demography:

• The official religion in Serbia is Orthodox Christianity.

• According to the latest 2011 census data, more than 6 million people in Serbia are Orthodox Christians (84.6%), the second largest religion is Catholic - 350,000 (5%), and the third religion is Islam - more than 220,000 (3%). which indicates that in addition to the Orthodox Christian people, there are other religious communities in Serbia,

• such as: Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, Protestant, etc. Compared to the results of the 2002 census, the number of atheists increased by 40,000 according to the 2011 census.

• The Serbian Orthodox Church, which became independent in 1219, played an important role in the development and preservation of Serbian national identity.

• The official language in Serbia is Serbian with both official letters - Cyrillic and Latin. In areas where national minorities live in addition to Serbian, their languages are used as official languages as required by law.

• Serbian is the mother tongue of 88.1% of the population of the Republic of Serbia, followed by minority languages such as Hungarian (3.4%), Bosnian (1.9%) and Roma (1.4%).