Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Hungary
North Macedonia
Montenegro
RomaniaVinča culture by the Danube
From about 5400 BC, Neolithic farmers of the Vinča culture built some of the largest settlements in prehistoric Europe. The culture is named after Vinča, a site on the Danube just outside today's Belgrade.
Southeast Europe
Serbia
A landlocked land of great rivers, where the Sava meets the Danube, with painted medieval monasteries, Roman palaces, grilled meat, plum brandy and famously warm hospitality.
Your trip to Serbia
Ready for the trip?
Explore Serbia
You have explored 0 of 9 parts. Scroll on to discover the rest.
Print the Serbia pack
A free large-print PDF. Choose what goes in: facts, map, history, dishes and recipes, phrases, fun facts, a quiz with or without answers. Made for clubs, care homes, libraries and family afternoons.
Overview
Serbia at a glance
Serbia lies in the heart of the Balkans, with no coast of its own. In the north, the province of Vojvodina is flat farmland on the Pannonian Plain, crossed by the Danube, the Sava and the Tisza. South of Belgrade the land rises into green hills, and the south and east are mountainous, with the Balkan Mountains along the border with Bulgaria. The Danube flows 588 km through the country and forces its way through the dramatic Iron Gates gorge on the Romanian border.
People have lived here for thousands of years. Roman emperors were born on this soil, Constantine the Great among them. A Serbian kingdom was founded in 1217 and became an empire in 1346, and its rulers left behind monasteries full of frescoes. After centuries of Ottoman rule, the Serbian Revolution began in 1804, and independence was recognised in 1878. In the 20th century Serbia was part of Yugoslavia, and it became an independent state again in 2006, when Montenegro left their union.
Today Serbia is a parliamentary republic of about 6.6 million people (2022 census, not counting Kosovo) and a candidate to join the European Union. Kosovo, in the south, declared independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognise this and regards Kosovo as part of its territory, while many other countries do recognise Kosovo. Where figures on this page differ, they are given for Serbia without Kosovo.
CapitalBelgrade
PopulationAbout 6.6 million (2022 census, not counting Kosovo)
Official languageSerbian, written in both Cyrillic and Latin letters. Cyrillic is the official script
CurrencySerbian dinar (RSD)
AreaAbout 77,600 km² without Kosovo, about 88,500 km² including it
GovernmentParliamentary republic
Highest mountainMidžor, 2,169 m, in the Balkan Mountains on the border with Bulgaria (higher peaks lie in Kosovo)
Longest riverThe Danube flows 588 km through Serbia. The longest river system entirely inside the country is the Great Morava with the West Morava, 493 km
NeighboursHungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. In the south it also borders Kosovo, whose independence Serbia does not recognise
Drives on theRight
Calling code+381
The story
A short history of Serbia
Serbia's story runs from Stone Age farmers on the Danube and Roman emperors' palaces, through a medieval kingdom and empire, centuries under the Ottomans and an uprising for freedom, to Yugoslavia and a return to independence in 2006.
5400 BC AD 298 Galerius builds Felix Romuliana
The Roman emperor Galerius began a great palace and temple complex near his birthplace, today Gamzigrad near Zaječar. He named it Felix Romuliana after his mother, Romula.
1166 Stefan Nemanja comes to power
Stefan Nemanja became Grand Prince (Grand Župan) of Serbia and founded the Nemanjić dynasty, which ruled Serbia until 1371. He founded Studenica Monastery around 1190, and after giving up the throne in 1196 he became a monk there.
1217 Serbia becomes a kingdom
Nemanja's son Stefan was crowned king, and he is remembered as Stefan the First-Crowned. The Serbian state was now a kingdom.
1219 Sava heads an independent Church
Stefan's brother, the monk Sava, was recognised as the first Archbishop of an independent Serbian Church. Saint Sava is the patron saint of Serbia.
1346 Dušan crowned emperor
Stefan Dušan was crowned Emperor of the Serbs. His empire stretched from the Danube to the Gulf of Corinth, and his law code, Dušan's Code, is a treasure of medieval Serbia.
1389 Battle of Kosovo
On 15 June 1389 a Serbian-led army under Prince Lazar fought an Ottoman army under Sultan Murad I. Both leaders were killed. The battle holds a central place in Serbian memory, song and legend.
1459 Smederevo falls to the Ottomans
The fortress city of Smederevo, the last capital of the medieval Serbian state, fell to the Ottomans. For most of the next 350 years, Serbia was under Ottoman rule.
1804 First Serbian Uprising
Serbs rose against Ottoman rule under Karađorđe Petrović. The uprisings of the Serbian Revolution lasted until 1815 and laid the foundations of modern Serbia.
1835 First Serbian constitution
Serbia's first constitution was adopted in Kragujevac on 15 February 1835, the same day of the year on which the First Serbian Uprising had begun in 1804. That date, Sretenje, is celebrated every year as Statehood Day.
1878 Independence recognised in Berlin
The Congress of Berlin formally recognised Serbia as an independent state. Four years later, in 1882, the principality became the Kingdom of Serbia.
1914 Austria-Hungary declares war
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914, the start of the First World War. Serbia won its first battles but suffered enormous losses.
1918 A South Slav kingdom is formed
On 1 December 1918 the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was proclaimed in Belgrade. It was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929.
1945 A republic within Yugoslavia
After the Second World War, Serbia became one of the six republics of socialist Yugoslavia, with Belgrade as the federal capital.
2006 Serbia independent again
After Montenegro voted for independence in May 2006, Serbia declared its own independence on 5 June 2006 as the successor of the union of Serbia and Montenegro.
2008 Kosovo declares independence
On 17 February 2008 the Assembly of Kosovo declared independence. Serbia rejects the declaration and regards Kosovo as its province, while many other countries recognise Kosovo. Talks between the two sides are mediated by the European Union.
At the table
What to eat in Serbia
Serbian food is hearty and generous, a meeting of Central European, Turkish and Mediterranean cooking. Grilled meat is the star, bread comes with almost every meal, and cheese, kajmak and pies are everyday pleasures. Breakfast is often a savoury pastry from the bakery, and lunch, eaten in the early afternoon, is the main meal: it usually starts with a soup, goes on to meat with salad and ends with something sweet and a small cup of coffee.
Main course
Ćevapi (grilled minced meat)
ćevapi, ćevapčići
Across Serbia and the former Yugoslavia, famous in Leskovac in the south
Small finger-shaped rolls of minced meat, grilled over charcoal and served five or ten at a time on a plate or in a soft flatbread, with chopped raw onion, kajmak and sometimes ajvar. In Serbia they are made of beef, lamb, pork or a mixture.
The word comes, through Ottoman Turkish kebap, from Arabic. The plural ćevapi is almost always used, because nobody eats just one.
Main course
Pljeskavica (grilled meat patty)
pljeskavica
All of Serbia, with a famous spicy version from Leskovac
A large, thin patty of spiced minced pork, beef and lamb, grilled and served with onions, kajmak and urnebes, either on a plate or in a flatbread like a hamburger. It is one of Serbia's national dishes.
Since 2008 the name 'Leskovac pljeskavica' has been legally protected for pljeskavica made in the Jablanica District of southern Serbia.
Main course
Karađorđe's schnitzel
Karađorđeva šnicla
Belgrade, 1950s
A veal or pork steak rolled around kajmak, then breaded and fried golden. It is served with tartar sauce and a slice of lemon, often with chips.
It was created in 1956 or 1957 by the chef Mića Stojanović, who later cooked for Tito. He named it after Karađorđe, leader of the First Serbian Uprising.
Main courseRecipe
Sarma (stuffed cabbage rolls)
sarma
All of Serbia, a winter and holiday favourite
Leaves of soured cabbage rolled around minced meat and rice, then simmered slowly for hours, often with smoked meat. It is a classic of winter feasts and family celebrations.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole head of soured (pickled) cabbage, or a jar of large sauerkraut leaves
- 500 g minced pork and beef, mixed
- 100 g short-grain rice, rinsed
- 1 large onion, finely chopped, and 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, salt and black pepper
- 200 g smoked pork ribs or smoked bacon, in pieces
- 1 bay leaf and about 1 litre of water
Method
- Separate the cabbage leaves carefully. If they are very salty, rinse them in cold water. Cut out the thick part of each rib so the leaf rolls easily.
- Soften the onion in the oil, let it cool, then mix it with the minced meat, rice, paprika, a little salt and pepper.
- Put a heaped tablespoon of filling near the base of each leaf, fold in the sides and roll it up firmly.
- Line a large heavy pot with a few spare leaves. Pack the rolls in tightly, tucking the smoked meat and bay leaf between them, and cover with chopped leftover cabbage.
- Pour in water to just cover, put a plate on top to keep the rolls in place, cover and simmer very gently for about 3 hours. Check the meat is cooked through before serving with bread and sour cream.
Main courseRecipe
Pasulj (bean stew)
pasulj
All of Serbia, eaten especially in winter
A thick stew of white beans cooked slowly with onion, paprika and smoked meat such as bacon or sausage. It is served with bread and sometimes sour cream. A baked version is called prebranac.
Serbs say 'prosto kao pasulj', 'simple as beans', where English speakers would say 'easy as pie'.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g dried white beans, soaked overnight
- 250 g smoked bacon or smoked sausage, in pieces
- 2 onions, chopped, and 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil and 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika and 2 bay leaves
- Salt, black pepper and chopped parsley
Method
- Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water, bring to the boil for 10 minutes, then drain again.
- Put the beans back in the pot with the smoked meat, carrots, bay leaves and about 2 litres of water. Simmer gently for about 2 hours, until the beans are soft.
- In a small pan, cook the onions and garlic in the oil until golden. Stir in the flour, then take off the heat and stir in the paprika.
- Stir this mixture into the beans and simmer for another 20 minutes, until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
- Scatter with parsley and serve hot with fresh bread.
SnackRecipe
Gibanica (cheese and egg pie)
gibanica
All of Serbia, a breakfast and celebration favourite
A golden pie of thin filo pastry, crumpled in layers with a filling of white cheese, eggs, milk and kajmak. It is eaten warm for breakfast, at celebrations and as a snack.
Gibanica was already listed in Vuk Karadžić's Serbian Dictionary of 1818.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g filo pastry sheets
- 400 g crumbly white cheese, such as feta
- 2 tablespoons kajmak or sour cream (optional)
- 4 eggs
- 250 ml milk and 100 ml sparkling water
- 100 ml sunflower oil, plus a little for the tin
- 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C and oil a baking tin of about 25 by 35 cm.
- Beat the eggs with the milk, sparkling water, half of the oil, the baking powder and salt. Crumble in the cheese, stir in the kajmak or sour cream if using, and mix well.
- Lay two sheets of filo in the tin. Dip or brush the other sheets one at a time in the egg mixture, crumple them loosely and lay them side by side in the tin.
- Cover with the last two sheets, pour over any remaining egg mixture and drizzle with the rest of the oil.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffed and deep golden and the filling is set. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Snack
Burek
burek
Brought by the Ottomans, now sold in every Serbian bakery
A large round pie of thin, flaky pastry filled with minced meat, cheese, spinach or potato, cut into wedges. In Serbia it is a classic breakfast, often with a glass of drinking yoghurt.
Burek is popular for breakfast and can be sold out by the evening.
BreadRecipe
Proja (cornbread)
proja
Rural Serbia
A simple, moist cornbread made from maize flour, oil and sparkling water, sometimes with white cheese. It is often eaten for breakfast with kajmak, ajvar or sour cream.
Proja kept many families fed in hard times, including Serbian soldiers in the First World War. In 2025 CNN Travel named it one of the world's 50 best breads.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g fine cornmeal (maize flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 300 ml sparkling water
- 150 g crumbly white cheese, optional
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C and oil a baking tin of about 20 by 30 cm.
- Mix the cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Stir in the oil and sparkling water to make a thick batter. Fold in the cheese if using.
- Spread the batter in the tin, about 3 cm deep.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden on top. Cut into squares and serve warm with kajmak or sour cream.
Side dish
Ajvar (roasted red pepper relish)
ajvar
All of Serbia, with a protected homemade version from Leskovac
A thick relish of roasted, peeled and slowly cooked red peppers, from sweet to fiery. Families make it together in autumn, when peppers are plentiful, and keep it in jars for the winter.
The name comes from a Turkish word for caviar. When Danube caviar became scarce in the 1890s, Belgrade restaurants began serving a red pepper salad in its place.
Side dish
Kajmak
kajmak
Especially western Serbia, around Čačak
A rich, creamy dairy spread, something between clotted cream and soft cheese, skimmed from the top of slowly heated milk and left to ripen. It is eaten with bread, grilled meat and cornbread.
In Serbian the word kajmak can also mean 'the cream', the best part of something.
Side dish
Urnebes (spicy cheese spread)
urnebes
Niš and southern Serbia
A spread of white cheese and kajmak mixed with hot peppers, sometimes with garlic. It can be mild or very hot and is served with grilled meat.
Urnebes means 'mess' or 'disorder' in Serbian.
Side dish
Serbian salad
srpska salata
All of Serbia
Diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with a simple dressing of oil and vinegar, often with a little hot pepper. It is served alongside grilled meat. With grated white cheese on top it becomes šopska salad.
Starter
Fisherman's soup
riblja čorba
Vojvodina and the Danube
A red, paprika-spiced soup of freshwater river fish, common on the Pannonian Plain in the north. Soup starts almost every Serbian lunch, and fish soup is thought of as a delicacy.
Dessert
Tufahije (walnut-stuffed apples)
tufahije
A Balkan dessert, popular in Serbia and neighbouring countries
Whole apples filled with walnuts and poached in sugar syrup, served in a glass with their own syrup and a crown of whipped cream, usually with coffee.
Drink
Šljivovica (plum brandy)
šljivovica
All of Serbia
A strong brandy distilled from plums, Serbia's national drink and the most common kind of rakija. It is offered to guests, served before meals and poured at every big family occasion, from weddings to the slava.
In 2022 UNESCO added the Serbian traditions of making and using šljivovica to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Drink
Home-style coffee
domaća kafa
All of Serbia
Very finely ground coffee boiled in a small long-handled pot and served in little cups, grounds and all. It is the most common hot drink in Serbia, usually made at home and shared with family or friends.
Belgrade's first coffee house is said to have opened in 1522.
Table manners
- Before eating, people wish each other 'Prijatno!' (enjoy your meal). The same word is also a friendly way to say goodbye.
- When glasses are raised, say 'Živeli!' (cheers) and look the other person in the eye.
- Bread is treated with great respect. Guests may be welcomed with bread and salt, and many Serbs feel it is wrong to throw bread away.
- Lunch in the early afternoon is the main meal of the day, and it usually begins with a soup.
- Guests are often welcomed with slatko, a spoonful of fruit preserve, and coffee, sometimes with a glass of rakija.
- If you are invited to a home for the first time, bring a small gift such as flowers or chocolates.
Cities
11 cities to know
Serbia's cities range from the Central European towns of the northern plain, with Art Nouveau and baroque streets, to the capital on its two rivers and the old Ottoman and Roman towns of the south, many of them close to monasteries and fortresses.
Belgrade Capital
City of Belgrade
The capital and largest city, with about 1.2 million people in the city proper. It stands where the Sava flows into the Danube and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Its name means 'White City'.
- The Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park
- Knez Mihailova, the main pedestrian street
- Skadarlija, the old bohemian quarter
Novi Sad
Vojvodina
Serbia's second-largest city and the capital of the province of Vojvodina, on the Danube. Founded in 1694 by Serb merchants opposite Petrovaradin Fortress, it was long called the 'Serbian Athens' for its culture.
- Petrovaradin Fortress across the river
- European Capital of Culture in 2022
- The Library of Matica srpska, founded in 1826
Niš
Nišava District
The third-largest city and the main city of the south. As Roman Naissus it was the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor. It was freed from Ottoman rule in 1878.
- The birthplace of Constantine the Great
- Skull Tower
- Nišville jazz festival
Kragujevac
Šumadija
The fourth-largest city and the historic centre of the green, hilly Šumadija region. It was the capital of the Principality of Serbia from 1818 to 1841, and Serbia's first constitution was proclaimed here in 1835.
- Serbia's first constitution, 1835
- The Šumarice memorial park
- A large car factory
Subotica
Vojvodina
A city on the plain close to the Hungarian border and Serbia's fifth-largest. Serbian, Hungarian, Croatian and Bunjevac are all official languages in the city, and its centre is full of colourful Hungarian Art Nouveau buildings.
- The Art Nouveau City Hall
- Its Hungarian name, Szabadka
- Nearby Lake Palić
Kraljevo
Raška District
A city on the Ibar river in central Serbia. Its name means 'the King's Town', given by King Milan I in 1882 in honour of his coronation and of earlier kings crowned nearby. Its coat of arms shows seven crowns.
- Žiča Monastery, where kings were crowned
- Studenica Monastery nearby
- The seven crowns on its coat of arms
Novi Pazar
Raška District
A lively town in the south-west and the cultural centre of Serbia's Bosniaks. Mosques and Orthodox churches stand side by side, and the ruins of Stari Ras, an early capital of medieval Serbia, lie just to the west.
- The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
- The Altun-Alem Mosque
- Stari Ras and Sopoćani Monastery nearby
Smederevo
Podunavlje District
A Danube town about 45 km south-east of Belgrade. In the 15th century it was the last capital of the medieval Serbian state, and its huge fortress still stands by the river.
- Smederevo Fortress
- Vineyards and the Smederevka grape
- The Danube riverside
Užice
Zlatibor District
A town in the hills of western Serbia, on the Đetinja river. In the autumn of 1941 it was the capital of the short-lived Republic of Užice, a liberated area in occupied Europe. The Zlatibor mountains begin just outside town.
- Užice smoked ham, pršuta
- The Republic of Užice of 1941
- Gateway to Zlatibor and Mokra Gora
Zaječar
Zaječar District
A town in eastern Serbia near the Bulgarian border. The Roman emperor Galerius was born at nearby Gamzigrad, where he built his palace, Felix Romuliana.
- Felix Romuliana nearby
- Gitarijada rock festival
- Its Roman heritage
Sremski Karlovci
Vojvodina
A small baroque town on the Danube below the vineyards of Fruška Gora, a short drive from Novi Sad. The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed here in 1699, and the town's gymnasium, founded in 1791, is the oldest secondary school in Serbia.
- The Treaty of Karlowitz, 1699
- The Karlovci Gymnasium
- Wine from the slopes of Fruška Gora
Landmarks
Places everyone should see once
Belgrade
Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park
The historic core of Belgrade, on a ridge above the meeting of the Sava and the Danube. Its walls, gates and towers were built and rebuilt from the 2nd to the 18th century, and the park around them is Belgrade's favourite place for a walk and a sunset view. It is the city's most visited sight.
Belgrade
Church of Saint Sava
A huge white domed church on the Vračar plateau, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. It was built on the plateau where, by tradition, the Ottomans burned the relics of Saint Sava in 1595. Building began in 1935, the outside was finished in 2004 and the mosaic interior in 2020.
Novi Sad
Petrovaradin Fortress
A great bastion fortress on the right bank of the Danube, facing Novi Sad, nicknamed the 'Gibraltar of the Danube'. The Habsburgs laid its cornerstone in 1692. Beneath it run more than 16 km of underground tunnels and corridors.
Near Kraljevo
Studenica Monastery
Founded in the late 12th century by Stefan Nemanja, Studenica is the largest and richest of Serbia's Orthodox monasteries. Its two main churches are built of white marble and hold precious 13th- and 14th-century frescoes. It lies about 39 km south-west of Kraljevo and has been a World Heritage Site since 1986.
UNESCO World Heritage
Near Novi Pazar
Sopoćani Monastery and Stari Ras
King Stefan Uroš I built Sopoćani near the source of the Raška river between about 1259 and 1270. Its frescoes, including the Dormition of the Virgin, are among the finest of their age. Together with the nearby ruins of Stari Ras, an early capital of medieval Serbia, it has been a World Heritage Site since 1979.
UNESCO World Heritage
Near Zaječar
Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius
The ruins of a fortified Roman palace and temple complex begun in 298 by Emperor Galerius near his birthplace and named after his mother, Romula. Its walls, towers and floor mosaics were only recognised as an imperial palace after digs began in 1953. It became a World Heritage Site in 2007.
UNESCO World Heritage
Smederevo
Smederevo Fortress
A vast triangular fortress on the Danube, built between 1427 and 1430 for Despot Đurađ Branković as the new capital of the Serbian state. Its walls and 25 towers enclose 11.3 hectares, and it is often called the largest lowland fortress in Europe.
Niš
Skull Tower
A stone tower that the Ottomans built from the skulls of Serbian rebels after the Battle of Čegar in 1809, in which the commander Stevan Sinđelić blew up his own powder store. It first held 952 skulls. As of 2026, 58 remain, protected inside a chapel built around the tower in the 1890s.
Subotica
Subotica City Hall
A fairy-tale town hall built between 1908 and 1912, when Subotica belonged to Austria-Hungary, in the Hungarian Art Nouveau style. Its tower, colourful tiles and stained glass make it the best-known building in northern Serbia, and it is still the seat of the city government.
Near Užice
Drvengrad (Küstendorf)
A traditional wooden village built from 2003 to 2004 by the film director Emir Kusturica for his film Life Is a Miracle, on a hill near Mokra Gora in the Užice area. It has a small church, a library named after Ivo Andrić and a cinema, and hosts a film festival.
Fun facts
Things you might not know
- 01
Serbian is written in two alphabets. Cyrillic is the official script, used by the government, while the Latin alphabet is common in shops, advertising and daily life. The two match letter for letter, and road signs often show both.
- 02
In the 19th century the language reformer Vuk Karadžić rebuilt Serbian Cyrillic on the rule 'write as you speak and read as it is written'. Each sound has its own letter, so Serbian is spelled almost exactly as it sounds.
- 03
About 18 Roman emperors are believed to have been born in what is now Serbia, more than in any modern country except Italy. The most famous is Constantine the Great, born in Naissus, today's Niš.
- 04
Serbia grows a great deal of fruit. In 2023 it was the world's third-largest producer of raspberries, and the plum is its national fruit, the source of šljivovica brandy.
- 05
The inventor Nikola Tesla was born in 1856 to a Serbian family in Smiljan, a village now in Croatia. His ashes rest in an urn at the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, and Belgrade's airport is named after him.
- 06
The writer Ivo Andrić won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961. His best-known novel is The Bridge on the Drina.
- 07
Serbia won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007 with the singer Marija Šerifović. Belgrade hosted the contest the following year.
- 08
As of September 2026, the Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic holds the men's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
- 09
Serbs celebrate Christmas on 7 January, because the Serbian Orthodox Church follows the old Julian calendar. On Christmas Eve families bring in a badnjak, an oak branch, and on Christmas Day they break a round bread called česnica with a coin hidden inside.
- 10
Serbian families celebrate the slava, the feast day of the family's own patron saint, which is passed down through the male line. UNESCO added it to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2014.
- 11
The Guča Trumpet Festival, held every August in the small town of Guča since 1961, is billed as the world's largest celebration of brass band music. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to hear the bands.
- 12
Serbia has driven on the right since 1926. Before that, Vojvodina, which had been part of Austria-Hungary, drove on the left.
- 13
The Uvac gorge in south-west Serbia, with its winding river meanders, is home to the largest colony of griffon vultures in the Balkans.
- 14
On the Romanian border the Danube squeezes through the Iron Gates gorge in Đerdap National Park. In 2020 the area became Serbia's first UNESCO Global Geopark.
Serbian words
21 words to start with
Pronunciation is written the way it sounds; the capital letters show where the stress goes. Audio is coming soon.
Basics
- daDAHyes
- neNEHno
- hvalaHVAH-lahthank you
- molimMOH-leemplease, and also 'you're welcome'
- zdravoZDRAH-vohhello
Food and drink
- hlebKHLEHBbread
- vodaVOH-dahwater
- kafaKAH-fahcoffee
- pivoPEE-vohbeer
- vinoVEE-nohwine
- sirSEERcheese
- računRAH-choonthe bill
Shopping
- pijacaPEE-yah-tsahopen-air market
- jeftinoYEHF-tee-nohcheap
- skupoSKOO-pohexpensive
Signs
- ulazOO-lahzentrance (on signs in Cyrillic: улаз)
- izlazEEZ-lahzexit (on signs in Cyrillic: излаз)
Getting around
- levoLEH-vohleft
- desnoDEHS-nohright
Time
- danasDAH-nahstoday
- sutraSOO-trahtomorrow
Say it like a local
Useful phrases
Dobro jutro
DOH-broh YOO-troh
Good morning
Greeting someone in the morning
Dobar dan
DOH-bar DAHN
Good day, hello
The polite greeting for most of the day, in shops and with strangers
Dobro veče
DOH-broh VEH-cheh
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Laku noć
LAH-koo nohch
Good night
Saying goodnight before bed
Doviđenja
doh-vee-JEH-nyah
Goodbye
Leaving a shop, a restaurant or a person
Kako ste?
KAH-koh steh
How are you? (polite)
Asking an older person or someone you do not know well
Dobro, hvala
DOH-broh, HVAH-lah
Well, thank you
Answering 'How are you?'
Drago mi je
DRAH-goh mee yeh
Pleased to meet you
When you are introduced to someone
Izvinite
eez-VEE-nee-teh
Excuse me, sorry
Getting someone's attention or apologising
Ne razumem
neh rah-ZOO-mehm
I don't understand
When someone speaks too fast
Govorite li engleski?
GOH-voh-ree-teh lee EHN-glehs-kee
Do you speak English?
Before asking for help
Koliko ovo košta?
koh-LEE-koh OH-voh KOHSH-tah
How much is this?
At the market or in a shop
Račun, molim
RAH-choon, MOH-leem
The bill, please
When you are ready to pay in a café or restaurant
Prijatno!
PREE-yaht-noh
Enjoy your meal! (also a friendly goodbye)
Before eating together, or when leaving
Živeli!
ZHEE-veh-lee
Cheers!
Raising a glass, while looking the others in the eye
Bilo je ukusno
BEE-loh yeh OO-koos-noh
It was delicious
Thanking your host or the cook
Gde je toalet?
GDEH yeh TWAH-leht
Where is the toilet?
In a restaurant, museum or station
Treba mi doktor
TREH-bah mee DOHK-tohr
I need a doctor
If you feel unwell and need help
Upomoć!
OO-poh-mohch
Help!
In an emergency
Local tips
Before you go
Pay in dinars
Serbia uses the dinar, not the euro. Change money at banks or official exchange offices, called menjačnica, never with street dealers. Euros are sometimes accepted, but usually at a worse price. Cards work in most shops and restaurants, and change your leftover dinars before you leave, as they are hard to exchange abroad.
Carry small notes
Taxis, market stalls and small cafés often have no change for large notes such as 5,000 dinars. Break big notes in supermarkets and keep smaller ones for everyday costs.
Tipping
Tipping is not required, but rounding up or leaving 10 to 15% in a restaurant is common when you are happy with the service. In taxis and bars people simply round up the bill.
Registering your stay
Visitors must be registered with the local police within 24 hours of arrival. Hotels do this for you at check-in. If you stay anywhere else, ask your host how you will be registered, as you can be fined if it is not done.
Emergency numbers
As of September 2026, the local emergency numbers are 192 for police, 193 for fire and 194 for an ambulance. From a mobile phone you can also call 112, the European emergency number, which puts you through to the police. Save them in your phone. For roadside help, call 1987.
Taxis
Use only registered taxis, which show a municipal registration number next to the cab number, or call a radio taxi by phone. Most operators speak some English.
Learn a few Cyrillic letters
Official signs, some menus and timetables are written in Cyrillic. Learning to spot a few words, such as улаз (entrance) and излаз (exit), makes getting around much easier.
Crossing from Kosovo
According to UK travel advice, to travel from Kosovo into Serbia you must already have a Serbian entry stamp, from a Serbian airport or from one of Serbia's other land borders. Many Serbian car hire firms also do not allow their cars to be driven into Kosovo. Check the rules before you plan such a trip.
Sources (83)
- Serbia (Wikipedia)
- History of Serbia (Wikipedia)
- Kosovo (Wikipedia)
- Midžor (Wikipedia)
- Telephone numbers in Serbia (Wikipedia)
- Left- and right-hand traffic (Wikipedia)
- Serbian dinar (Wikipedia)
- Vinča culture (Wikipedia)
- Gamzigrad and Felix Romuliana (Wikipedia)
- Stefan Nemanja (Wikipedia)
- Saint Sava (Wikipedia)
- Stefan Dušan (Wikipedia)
- Battle of Kosovo (Wikipedia)
- Smederevo Fortress (Wikipedia)
- Serbian Revolution (Wikipedia)
- Congress of Berlin (Wikipedia)
- Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Wikipedia)
- Serbia and Montenegro (Wikipedia)
- Constantine the Great (Wikipedia)
- Serbian cuisine (Wikipedia)
- Ćevapi (Wikipedia)
- Pljeskavica (Wikipedia)
- Karađorđeva šnicla (Wikipedia)
- Stuffed leaves, sarma (Wikipedia)
- Pasulj (Wikipedia)
- Gibanica (Wikipedia)
- Börek, burek (Wikipedia)
- Proja (Wikipedia)
- Ajvar (Wikipedia)
- Kaymak (Wikipedia)
- Urnebes (Wikipedia)
- Tufahije (Wikipedia)
- Slivovitz (Wikipedia)
- Christmas in Serbia (Wikipedia)
- Slava, tradition (Wikipedia)
- Belgrade (Wikipedia)
- Novi Sad (Wikipedia)
- Niš (Wikipedia)
- Kragujevac (Wikipedia)
- Subotica (Wikipedia)
- Kraljevo (Wikipedia)
- Novi Pazar (Wikipedia)
- Smederevo (Wikipedia)
- Užice (Wikipedia)
- Zaječar (Wikipedia)
- Sremski Karlovci (Wikipedia)
- Knez Mihailova Street (Wikipedia)
- Skadarlija (Wikipedia)
- Palić (Wikipedia)
- Zlatibor (Wikipedia)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Serbia
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Serbia
- Belgrade Fortress (Wikipedia)
- Church of Saint Sava (Wikipedia)
- Petrovaradin Fortress (Wikipedia)
- Studenica Monastery (Wikipedia)
- Sopoćani (Wikipedia)
- Ras, fortress (Wikipedia)
- Skull Tower (Wikipedia)
- Subotica City Hall (Wikipedia)
- Drvengrad (Wikipedia)
- Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (Wikipedia)
- Nikola Tesla (Wikipedia)
- Nikola Tesla Museum (Wikipedia)
- Ivo Andrić (Wikipedia)
- Guča Trumpet Festival (Wikipedia)
- Novak Djokovic (Wikipedia)
- Uvac Special Nature Reserve (Wikipedia)
- Đerdap National Park (Wikipedia)
- Serbia (Wikivoyage)
- Serbian phrasebook (Wikivoyage)
- prijatno (Wiktionary)
- živeli (Wiktionary)
- hleb (Wiktionary)
- pijaca (Wiktionary)
- levo (Wiktionary)
- desno (Wiktionary)
- danas (Wiktionary)
- sutra (Wiktionary)
- kajmak (Wiktionary)
- GOV.UK Serbia travel advice: entry requirements
- GOV.UK Serbia travel advice: safety and security
- GOV.UK Serbia travel advice: getting help