Serbia / Република Србија – Let’s explore here

Serbia is an incredibly beautiful landlocked country in the Balkans, in southern Europe. You would be hard pressed to find more stunning countryside! Throughout the centre of the country the terrain is mainly beautiful rolling hills traversed by rivers. In the south mountains dominate, and the Dinaric Alps stretch across the west and the south west. The highest point (excluding Kosovo) is Mount Midžor, on the border with Bulgaria, at 7,116 ft (2,169m) above sea level.

Serbia’s population is around 6½million people (2023) and it shares land borders with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, as well as with the disputed state of Kosovo.

Current travels

We’ve created a blog for our visit to Serbia. You may find it helpful, and you may pick up some tips, or more likely mistakes not to make that we’ve made 😉

Ah, the land of tall, beautiful people and heavy smokers! Difficult finding a hotel room that doesn’t smell of smoke in Serbia – you have to specifically request it, it seems! And you can still smoke in restaurants! Again, who knew!

On our current road trip we travelled from a stud farm in the south of Hungary and stayed overnight in one of the prettiest towns in Serbia, Sremski Karlovci. We then headed South West to Valijevo, Nova Varos and the magnificent Uvac canyon. We travelled on towards the capital, Belgrade, and then onto Golubac Fortress, the magnificent Derdap Gorge and on to Romania.

We went this way because Serbia doesn’t recognise Kosovo as a separate country – therefore we needed to plan how to cross into Kosovo carefully to avoid upsetting Serbian border guards!

We’ve been to several countries in the Balkans, but we didn”t know this country well at all. It absolutely stunned us – it really is beautiful in all parts of the country, but in particular in the West, East, South and centre.

We met a whole load of Serbians – they’re certainly not afraid to approach you and ask you questions. Most were really lovely – although there were a few loose cannons and a couple of thieves – see the blog for more information! In the main, they’re clearly a very proud people full of confidence. And it seems that they’ve not adopted many of the same public health measures that much of Western Europe has!

Our best places in Serbia

Derdap Gorge

Separating Serbia from Romania is the natural ‘Iron Gates’ Derdap Gorge. Driving along its length takes in magnificent views interspersed with small tunnels that prevent you from seeing what’s up ahead, providing added excitement! You can easily see why this has been a natural border between the two countries, and it really is a ‘must see’ for anyone in the area. The photos really don’t do it’s awesomeness any justice!

You can also take in the mighty Golubac Fotress (see below) and view the rock sculpture of Decebalus from the opposite side of the gorge.

Golubac Fotress

Golubac Fotress is a beautiful 14th century fortress located in the east of Serbia, near the border with Romania. Its located at the start of the stunning Derdap Gorge and the Derdap national park. Parking can be difficult at busy times, although you can park for free 1km to the north. there is a cost to enter the fortress, though not to enter the cafe, pr enjoy a coffee overlooking the fortress and Romania.

Uvac canyon

The Uvac canyon is located in the west of Serbia, relatively near to Nova Varoš. As an old river, the Uvac twists and turns to form a spectacular canyon. It used to be difficult to access the canyon’s best viewpoints, however (as of 2023) brand new roads have been constructed, making the journey simple and well worthwhile.

Belgrade

The mighty Belgrade! What a fantastic city – absolutely full of life, with a great atmosphere. There’s masses to do and see, and people are genuinely very friendly. Many also speak English in the capital we found, in particular the younger generations.

Sremski Karlovci

A very pretty village in the North of the country which has managed to maintain much of its former glory. There are a number of restaurants and bars in the centre. Well worth a day trip if in the area.

What’s it like to drive in Serbia?

The roads in Serbia are a real mixed bag. We can only speak of non-toll roads, and In the main they’e pretty good, and there a a lot of construction work being undertaken to upgrade the roads … in the main!

We say this because there are a whole set of roads that are just terrible, where only part of the road is actually drivable – with huge potholes, no tarmac or gravel and both directions of traffic vying for the best places to go to pass each other! Some of these roads look like they’re been this way for a long time, and locals are always polite and slow down.

One thing that is a major hazard are the rockfalls. Unlike most places where road signs indicate these as a possibility, in Serbia, it’s a major probability. We say many, many places with large amounts of rockfalls, some of which were huge (as big as large cars!).

There are also many roads in the small towns in the mountainous west where the gradients are steeper than 1 in 3, which is simultaneously exciting and nerve-racking! Again, locals tend to pull over and let you pass, in particular if you’re travelling up hill.

There were however a number of very bad accidents that we saw – e.g. 2 lorries head on crashed in the middle of a village, a woman crashed into a lorry from behind right in front of us. We also noticed that the pavement can be used as a road in many instances, regardless of whether there are people walking there!!! Beware!

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

What currency do they use in Serbia?

In Serbia they use the Dinar. The use of credit / debit cards is now fairly widespread, although not guaranteed – have some cash just in case, particularly in café’s and restaurants outside of major cities. Traveller’s cheques are accepted in major banks in cities. There are lots of ATMs. 

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Serbia?

They speak Serbian in Serbia, although many also speak English.

What time zone is Serbia in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in. 

Do I need a visa to visit Serbia?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

Is wild camping legal in Serbia?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Serbia, although you should avoid national parks and natural reserves.

Is it safe to drink water in Serbia?

No, it is not safe to drink tap water in Serbia. Bottled water is readily available across the country.

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!