The frescoes preserved from the period before Nemanja supports the value of the church buildings. The mural paintings in PETROVA CHURCH from the 10th century are of great importance. The oldest layer was created immediately after the construction and covers the cupola tambour areas and upper areas beneath the cupola. In the tambour there are five scenes from Christ's life.

The appearance of Stefan Nemanja influenced both construction and painting in Serbia. The painting of all Nemanja's foundations was carefully planned. Frescoes of Nemanja's time marked the appearance of glittering art creations that became, in the following few centuries, a close part of the foundations of his descendants, church dignitaries and landowners.

A small painting inheritance from the areas across Sava and Danube from the 16th and 17th century (Krusedol, Serbian Kovin, Petkovica, Novo Hopovo, Orahovica) show a crossing of painting trends whose founders are in Sveta Gora, Italian-Crete art and local traditions.

The rebuilding of the Pec Patriarchate in 1557 is marked in the history of The Serbian Church Organization and in the Serb population under the Turks as an exceptional event and as a certain crossroad in its faith. In the development of art it had a far-reaching significance. This fruitful age can be divided into three stages : in the first stage, from 1557 to 1614, the most significant architectonic creations and the most harmonious paintings by style were created, whose artists belonged predominantly to the Pec art workshop. The second stage from 1614 to 1647 was marked by a renaissance of the painting activity and the third stage, from 1647 to 1690, is characterized by the activity of one painting workshop originating from northern Greece and of a few domestic painters.

STUDENICA'S FRESCOES

StudenicaStudenica's frescoes from 1208 to 1209 formed the basis of the new style of art development in the 13th century. The merit for introduction of the manuscripts in Serbian language and the themes from Serbian history and literature belongs to Saint Sava who together with his brothers, Vukan and Stefan, brought the best of Constantinopol's masons to decorate the foundation of their father's relics which were transferred from Hilendar and were already laying in the mausoleum. The characteristics of the new style of the 13th century are illustrated in the large dimensions, simplicity and the width of the carving decoration, festive figurine positions and in the abstract type of saint. One of the most well-known of Studenica's frescos is a Crucifix on the west naos wall and has a characteristic azuro blue background.



MILESEVO PAINTING

MilesevoMilesevo painting, whose artists were most probably educated in some mosaic workshop in Constantinopolis, founded before 1228, expresses the best of the wall painting of that century. The Nemanjic portraits, the portraits of THE WHITE ANGEL from the fresco Mironosice on Christ's tomb, Madonna from annunciation are characterized by color, shape and sound harmony.

The Resurrection composition in the cube of the Saint Apostoles in the Pec Patriarchate as well as Studenica's and Zica's crucifixes express the highest artistic ideals of their age, the ideals of the Serbian spiritualists of the 13th century.



SOPOCAN PAINTING

SopocaniSopocan painting, founded between 1263-1268, by painting esthetical and scientific values expresses a synthesis of the most progressive trends and has the most prominent place not only in Serbian but also in Byzantine and even in European art of the second half of the 13th century. The style of the altar and naos of the Sopocan Church of the Three Saint is based on the double traditions of the colorite style and Hellenistic shape. The best known Sopocan art, the Assumption of the Madonna, on the west wall incorporates all the best characteristics of the great artist who worked in naos.

In King Milutin's time, Serbian wall paintings developed together with those of Constantinopolis and Solun. The artists in Serbia, together with the royal painters, solved the same problems and took part in defining the characteristics of the new painting view, The Paleologist's Renaissance.



THE KING'S CHURCH I Studenica

In 1314 a so-called painting microcosms was formed in THE KING'S CHURCH I in Studenica. This life picture was created by the famous painters Mihailo and Evtihije from Milutin's painting workshop.

It is believed that Mihailo and Evtihije were supervising the painting of the Assumption Church, in the Gracanica Monastry,1318-1321. Thus from the style point of view this painting represents the synthesis of the knowledge and skill of Milutin's workshop motivated by the Royal Paleologist Renaissance. Nemanjic's tree appears in Gracanica for the first time which is based on iconography and the shapes of the Old Testament Jesejev tree.

DecaniIn the middle of the 14th century, the Resurrection Church in the Monastery of DECANI was painted. The Czar Dusan gathered the artists from the various parts of the world so differences in process and skill are prominent. The Decani Painting with more than 20 big cycles has an encyclopaedia character.

The painting of the Moravian style, the last great style in the medieval Serbia has an aristocratic character.

The painting of the Resurrection Church of the Ravanica Monastery founded somewhere about 1387 represents the prototype for all the temples of the Moravian School. The big holidays, Christ's suffering, the Miracle and the Paraboles became a measure and a guideline for painting of Moravian churches. The Ravanica artists insist on the harmony of compositions, form styling, portrait beauty and decorativity of the whole ensemble.



RESAVA (MANASIJA)

Manasija (Resava)The richest thematic painting in the Moravian School is in the Monastery of RESAVA (MANASIJA), created in the second decade of the 15th century. It is characterized by a perfect style in comparison with Ravanica. In the Saints Figures, portrait reality is introduced and the painting of the figures is based on the harmony of the colors. The famous Saint Woriers in Pevnice are the knights dressed officially. On the Resava frescoes the knights dignity of the Despot Stevan Lazarevic time is expressed.



KALENIC

The frescoes in the Madonna Church in the KALENIC Monastery, painted somewhere about 1413, differ from Ravanica's and especially from Resava's decorative painting. Here the life picture quivers in the warmth of intimate sensitivity. These frescoes express the sense of bad foreboding of the high Serbian nobles at these uncertain times.

ICON PAINTING

Hilandar MonasteryThe development of Serbian icon painting can be traced back to the 12th century when the oldest creations exist and since the written testimonies appear in the biographies of the first Nemanjic's. In a valuable icon collection in Hilandar Monastery, a mosaic icon is separated by the appearance of the Madonna of Odigitrije, most probably from the beginning of the 13th century.



Saint DimitrijeThe desire to return to the Byzantine ideals by the end of 15th and beginning of the 16th century is noticed also in the Serbian icon painting of the time. The testimony of these are the three icons from the collection of the People's Museum and the Museum of the Arts in Belgrade : The Hana Miracle, The Saint Sava and The Saint Simeon and The Saint Dimitrije icon.



KrusedolAmong the few creations of the first half of the 16th century nine icons of the Krusedol Monastery are especially expressive, created between 1509 and 1512. The gifted artist has based his opinion on the living traditions of Serbian art whose expressions lasted for a long time here as well as on the ideals of Italian-Crete icon painting.



After the rebuilding of the Pec Patriarchate in 1557, icon painting activity became alive. In the Decani Treasure a few icons are kept whose authors show the will to restore the style of the 14th century. From that nucleus zoograph Longin arraised, who painted a number of icon paintings in Decani, Pec, Velika Hoca, Pivi, Lomnica, Nikoljac and Crna Reka. One of the most significant of Longin's icons is the Saint King of Stefan Decanski painted in 1577.



In the middle of the 17th century Serbian icon painting reached a high level. Georgije Mitrofanovic introduced some shapes of Italian-Crete style into the Serbian icon painting. With its icons in Hilandar, Moraca, Zitomislic and Studenica this artist has surpassed the other painters of his time. zoograph JovanFrom this period the name of zoograph Jovan is also important who has left a significant opus: the Madonna Mother With the Oracles, Christ With Apostoles and the Saint Jovan the Precursor (in Nikoljac near Bijelo Polje) painted in 1638-1639. During his stay in Hilendar from 1631-1632 Jovan painted icons of Saint Petka and Saint Dimitrije. One of his most significant creations is the icon painting of the Piva Monastery (1638-1639). It is important to mention the icon paintings of zoograph Mitrofan who painted icons and made icon paintings in Ovcar Kablar Monasteries and in churches around Cacak between 1602 and 1635 and Andrija Raicevic whose works are today in the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

ZICA

Further development of the new style, originating from the big Constantinopolis monasteries, is seen in ZICA painting developed about 1220. The primary painting is most similar to Studenica's painting: serious, dignified, Hellenistic beauty of the figures and their positions, cold dark coloring representing the new expression of mystic spirituality.

Folk architecture is simple and designed according to the needs and made of handy materials. It is not only functional but the decoration expresses the artistic skills of its masters.

In western Serbia the characteristic house is wooden with a farmstead. It is predominantly built of wood and most often it consists of two rooms: the house and the room. On the house there is a four sided roof covered with straw and usually has a decorative chimney.



Moravka is a type of ground floor house consisting of two parts, with an obligatory porch. It is mostly present in the Moravia region of Serbia.

ZlatiborFor the Panonic-Danubian regions the in-long or transversal house is characteristically made out of earth (firmly packed earth) or out of bricks in the street formation. These ground floor houses usually have more low rooms used for living and agricultural needs.

The city architecture south of Sava and Danube expressed shapes of the East Balkan construction heritage. The houses are floor houses with a number of sleeping rooms.

Houses in the whole region of Serbia are of the shape that with its form and decoration expresses esthetic needs and the defined style. On the house and inside the house the porch arches are shaped, chimneys and the window. There was coloring and painting of other parts of the house especially at the beginning of the 20th century. Special care was given to the decoration of the entrance gates and of fences.



THE CARPET (Kilim)

In Serbia there were a few carpet craft regions and centers with developed manufacture. They differ by the style , colorite, ornaments and the way of their expression, decoration compositions. The common characteristic is that they are all double faced. The ornaments are usually styled geometric figures. The colors are dark and predominantly dark blue, brown, dark red and the natural wool and cotton color.

PIROT was the most significant center which significantly influenced other carpet craft regions. In ornaments and decoration composition of the old Pirot carpet craft there is a lot of eastern influence. For some motifs it is said that they are the heritage of the old Balkan Kavkaz art master pieces arising from the mutual praethnic fundaments and liaisons of other kinds for centuries.

The Carpet, PecMany archaic elements are expressed on the carpet craft of Kosovo and Metohija. On Albanian cloth the old Mediterranean ornamentation is used while the coloring is black, dark gray and brown, violet and yellow colors.

The carpet craft of the Panonian region differs from other parts of Serbia by its older geometric and younger more figurative ornaments. The older ornaments shows the link of Danubean region with the Preislamic East, and some connect it with the ornaments of the Roman mosaics. From the middle of the 19th century the civilizations of different items appear often with vegetable plant, zomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs made under the influence of the baroque, ampir and bydermayer.



EMBROIDERY AND THE FALK COSTUME

PosavinaIn folk embroidery, beside archaic heritage, especially in the mountain regions, much of the style was taken from the art of higher social layers and later eastern and middle European influence was incorporated.

In Vojvodina white and golden embroidery are predominant but there are multicolored embroideries with bright colors also. For the women vests in the Moravian cultural region stylization of the big flowers of peony predominantly of the red and sometimes of the black color are characteristic, while in the Dinaric regions there are more polychromes embroideries on the vests in which dark shades are predominant. In the regions where cattle breeding is the major economy the women's vests are decorated on the bosoms and on the skirts by multicolored wool embroideries. In Serbian Kosovo embroidery especially on the women's vests it is easy to see Byzantine and Serbian medieval items styled in folk forms. The decoration of the clothing was widely spread, especially of the upper vests by the silk, wool or cotton ribbons and stripes. The pattern of the clothing items is a constructive element and at the same time it has an art dimension as well. The ornaments, embroidery and different applications are on the prominent places: bosoms, sleeves, skirts, scarves and caps. Men's folk dresses in the past were very simple, made of more rough cloth. From the 19th century onward they are more and more decorated by stripes especially the waistcoats. The shoes get different leather stripe crossings and on the socks apart from the different patterns the multicolored embroideries are added.



THE JEWELRY

Kosovo and MetohijaIn the region of the Panonian cultural zone the jewelry is in many ways associated with decorating people in the large area from Middle Europe to Ukraine. It is characterized by number and policolor of the parts from white to bright red shades and the color of gold and silver which give the overall impression of riches. The girls and younger women usually wore necklaces of gold or silver money and fine shaped earrings and the younger men decorative silver buttons on the waistcoats. Until the beginning of the 20th century the "gold workshops " in which the jewelry for the village population was made, existed in a few places in Serbia: Pirot, Leskovac, Uzice.



THE ROADSIDE MONUMENTS

west SerbiaAs an impressive type of folk artistic impression tombstones, often called the roadside monuments, were especially numerous in West and South-east Serbia and in the part towards the Moravian Zone.



In eastern Serbia trimming and cutting of the various shapes of monuments, predominantly of sandstone with styled symbolic ornaments had developed. The monuments in northeast Serbia with their shape and geometric ornaments associate on the styled female figure or only torzo, dressed in a festive decorated dress. On the graveyards all over the west Serbia a number of monuments has been preserved with the figures of the dead cut in and with other art items . Many of the monuments are painted with earth unresistant colors. This painting associates on the painting of idols and other cult items. The oldest monuments cut in white marble by village cutters come from the beginning of the 15th-16th century. On them the human head is usually cut and very rarely in plastics. During the 18th and at the beginning of the 19th century the cutting skill transforms entirely into village folk art. At the time of the liberation from the Turks the fine art heritage in riches. The deep cut figures and others with the epitaphs belong to the folk origin regardless of the motifs and the basics of the stone cutting skill. The masters and the cutters prefer the human figure in its dignity even if it is cut in a less skilled way. The figures are always dressed in the festive style with marks of social status, profession and wealth. Many monuments do not have the figure of the dead but posses the attributes or ornaments and epitaphs as a specific kind of written folk literature. The masters were at the same time the cutters, sculptors and the painters, often poets wrote the epitaphs.

The 18th century is a century of rapid development of the city population. That process developed in the part of Serbian population under the reign of Austria. Thus most of the churches that were renewed by the beginning of the 18th century (Monasteries Krusedol and Velika Remeta) and of those that were built (Bodjani, Jazak I Sremska Kamenica) are marked by medieval poverty with elements of German baroque construction. And in that process the baroque details were most often added to the facade of the three leaf basement with a central cupola or a baroque bell was constructed beside the church. Representative monuments of that kind are The Church Of The Sisatovac Monastery (1758-1773) as well as The Synod Temple in Sremski Karlovci (1758-1762).



The basic changes in the architecture of the 19th century took place after 1830 thanks to the rights derived from the hatiserif (Turkish law) of the same year. The constructors coming from the parts under Austria had a major role in these changes. That is why the buildings of that time are of classicists characteristics : Djumur Kana (Customs), The Synod Church and the house of Cvetko Rajovic (all three of them in Belgrade).

The end of the 19th century is marked by introduction of new ideas and more frequent presence of domestic architects : Alexandar Bugarski, Constantin A. Jovanovic, Svetozar Ivackovic and Jovan Ivcic.

Karlovacka gimnazija 1971The rise of the architecture in Serbia started by the end of the fifties of this century. The new materials: iron , steal iron, concrete and glass with new ideas have marked the construction solutions. Today's architecture life in Serbia in theory and in practice is characterized by lot of varieties marked by postmodern ideas of art practice.



Contrary to the Serb architecture and graphics in Austria in which the influence of the foreign artists plays an important role, painting had and still is leaning on its own capacities. In Serbian art of the 18th century the late influence of baroque did not find fertile soil. In the work of Teodor Kracun, of Jakov Orfelin and of Teodor Ilic Cesljar, the best baroque painters in Serbia, one could speak about moderate and orthodox like conception of more formal than basic characteristics of baroque.

In the second half of the eighteenth century there is a wood carving renaissance. Good workshops and craftsmen, among which the Novi Sad family Markovic was a leader, founded the development of the applied arts.

Among the Serbian painters of the 19th century it is important to mention Arsenije Arsa Teodorovic, the author of the well known portrait of Dositej Obradovic, and Pavel Djurkovic, the author of the first portrait of Vuk Karadjic from 1816.

For the later decades between 1830 and 1860 one could say that they represent the renaissance of Bydermayer and Nazarene painting. Academic painters Jovan Isailovic the younger, Dimitrije Jovanovic and Pavle Simic have left heritage in the sacral painting based on the school of Vienna Nazarenes. On the other hand, Konstantin Danil, Nikola Aleksic and Jovan Popovic influence the forming of the style of the citizens based on the ideas from Bydermayer painting. The honored place of the first lady painter in Serbia belongs Katarina Ivanovic, Vinogradarto Catarina Ivanovic who stayed in Belgrade for short time, while she was attached to Stoni Beograd (Sekesfehervar, Hungary) by life and work.



The renaissance in the Serbian Principality starts in the fifth decade of the 19th century with the ideas of Dositej Obradovic and Vuk Karadjic. The rise of education and the establishment of the School of the Association of the Serbian Slovene Consciousness, Peoples Library and The Museum have supported Belgrade in becoming the capital of cultural life of the Serbian people.



The romantic style appears with the rebel painter and poet Djuro Jaksic, Stevan Todorovic, who started the first musical and sports activities, and Novak Radonic.



The realistic style in painting depended on the place of development or education of the artist and thus two directions existed : Kurbean composed of the works of Milos Tenkovic, Djordje Milovanovic and Djordje Krstic, as well as a direction defined by Vienna school popularized by famous Uros Predic and Paja Jovanovic. The expressionism of Nadezda Petrovic and impressionism of Malisa Glisic, Kosta Milicic, Milan Milovanovic and Borivoje Stevanovic represent the first decades of the fine arts in the 20th century. The appearance of this generation of fine art masters made it clear that Serbian culture and art turn towards Paris, as the new art metropolis. The protagonists of such art style were all directly attached to France. They were Jovan Bjelic, Sava Sumanovic, Ivan Radovic, Petar Dobrovic, Stojan Aralica, Veljko Stanojevic, Dusan Jankovic, Mile Milunovic, Marko Celebonovic, Mihail S. Petrovic, Petar Lubarda, Lazar Vozarevic, KompozicijaZora Petrovic. The 30s were a time when color dominated over form. Among the expressionist colorists are Bjelic, Aralica, Ignjat Job I Milan Konjovic. Among those using picturesque values of self in time based on the art solutions of the French painters were Bonar and Pisaro there are Ivan Tabacovic, Celebonovic, Gvozdenovic, Baruh, Ljubica Sokic. At the same time there are works of surrealist painters such as: Milena Pavlovic Barili, Radojica Zivanovic, or socially engaged painters like: Djordje Andrejevic Kun and Milena Pavlovic Barili, KompozicijaVinko Gurdan or those who desired to combine expressiveness with the picturesque such as: Lubarda, Milosavljevic, Graovac and Serban.



After the second world war the development of the art schools and high schools already forming Universities was a support to the fine arts creativity in Serbia. Before all many types of abstraction appear, starting from the associative to expressionistic art (Bajic, Petrovic, Filipovic),but at the same time there are desires of some to express the link with the sight and tradition (Vozarevic, Vujaklija, Mica Popovic, Tomasevic). A group of medials and their spiritual mates Milan Popovic, Igor Vasiljev, Ljuba Popovic, Miodrag Djuric, Velickovic, Vidak, Sejka, Bradic, Ivanjicki, Vukovic, Milic Stankovic) use the Ljuba Popovic, Ekshumirani sv. Sebastijansurrealist elements. In the Serbian painting of the 60 ties of this century the ideas of Enformel were specially accepted (Protic, Pavlovic, Turinski, Todorovic, Popovic, Bozickovic). By the end of 60s the painters accept numerous new ideas starting from pop art to hyperrealism (Blanusa, Otasevic, Cvetkovic, Damjanovski, Kalajic). The originality and the quality of the 70s is shown by the appearance of the artists who tried to combine the elements of realism with the ideas of conceptualism (Mojovic, Cvetkovic, Iljoski, Vasic, Damjanovski). The art of the 8os accepts and follows the variations of the poetics of the new picture of the new expressionism, new historicism, trans- or post-avantguard.

If you let your curiosity lead you, sooner or later, your way will lead you to Serbia and Yugoslavia, a busy crossroads of the world’s thoroughfares. In the large treasure chest of Serbia, there are, meticulously packed, valuable artifacts from ancient times, rare underground cave crystals and collections of herbs, mementos from the earliest childhood of the European civilization, natural artifacts, true legends of heroes, exotic treasures that you cannot find anywhere else in the world...



You may be surprised by the clean air, if you are not used to it. There is a distinct possibility for you to fall for the Slav charm and fall in love with Serbia, till death do you part, or laugh your head off, since you have just arrived into a country where people like to joke, with the jokes mostly on themselves.



Let’s not forget something else.

In a Serb home, the best room, the largest slice of bread and the kindest word have always been reserved for the guest or weary traveler. That’s the way we were brought up.



The 88,361 sq. km of Serbia contain a scaled-down Europe. Had the Tower of Babel not been built where it had been built, it would surely have been built in the heart of the Balkans, for Serbia is the meeting place of cultures, religions and languages.

Although more than forty different nations live in Serbia, they do have some things in common – their homes are wide open to friends.



The temperate continental climate in Serbia is never in two minds about the seasons. When it snows, it’s a knee-deep snow. When it’s hot, the sun doesn’t take a break. Not to mention the splendours of spring and autumn. Don’t take our word for it! Seeing is believing. Come! In Serbia, something’s always at the height of the season.

Everything is intertwined and at your fingertips in Serbia. You need no more than an hour’s drive, in any part of the country, to experience a succession of massive mountain chains and pleasant hilly regions, rivers and streams which, lacelike, adorn the landscapes, the busy cities and quiet villages.

The montains clash, the roads cross, the waters divide, the influences succeed one another...

If, in some other places, people think ecologically, in Serbia people live ecologically. Wherever you go in the country painted in heart, large quantities of open-heartedness and smile are served, free of charge.





t all began six thousand years BC. In Lepenski Vir, on the Danube, our distant ancestors decided to stop and think, and settle down. At this world famous archaelogical site, stone sculptures, the first representations of life-size human beings were discovered. Ever since then, everything is made to order, to fit the human beings in these parts.



We can still discern the grandeur of ancient cities and imperial palaces, like Gamzigrad (Romuliana), near Zajecar, or Mediana, near Nis.

Maglic The epochs lie side by side: the age of conquest and the age of liberation, traces of rebellions and revolutions, the times of the haves and the have-nots, and thus, for 13 centuries, step by step, all the way to the modern age.



From the fortifications of the past, memories move to the museums, stories, into your impressions.

The adventure of discovering never stops.



Cloaked in silence, hidden among the hills and plum orchards, the monasteries and churches, invaluable heritage of timeless beauty, were created in Serbia from the 10th to the 17th century. Although by the gracefulness of their outside archictecture these churches leave an impression of smallness, it is only on entering them that you can appreciate the monumental stories of things earthly and things heavenly they can tell. The eyes of the angels, of the Virgin Mary, of the holy warriors standing their eternal watch, of princes and princesses, of kings and queens, focus on you from the frescoes and icons...



One of the founders of these structures, King Milutin, left behind him forty years of reign and the same number of churches.

What will the towers of Manasija, the domes of Ravanica, the rosettes of Lazarica or the portals of Studenica whisper to you? What were the red facades of Zica the witnesses to? What does the sophistication of Gracanica consist of? What about the strength of Visoki Decani, the marble colossus of medieval architecture? What are the messages sent to you by the treasures of Krusedol and Hopovo.

Perhaps that the answers to all these questions can be found in the words of the French poet, Alphonse Lamartine, who said that the history of the Serbs should be sung, not written about.

Long ago, the oldest monument of Serb literacy, The Miroslav Gospel (written in the 12th century), together with other relics, found its way to the Serb monastery of Chilandrion, on Mount Athos in Greece. Later, it was returned to the fatherland, as a gift to the King Aleksandar Obrenovic of Serbia. In the horrors of World War I, it was taken all the way to Corfu in the saddle-bags of the Serb army.

The 180 pages of carefully illustrated parchment at last completed their journey and became a part of the collection of the National Museum in Belgrade. The journey of the Serb culture is not unlike this journey of the Miroslav Gospel.

This valuable manuscript set the standards for all later creations. The famous ancestor has famous offsprings: Tesla's and Pupin's ingenuity, the thought and the word of the Nobel laureate Ivo Andric, of Crnjanski and Kis. The names of the world famous painters, ballet masters of today, musical virtuosos, the choirs with box-office success everywhere in the world, theater and movie magicians...



The nationals parks of Serbia are great natural museums in the open air.



Djavolja varos Tara, with its impassable forests and flower strewn meadows, waterfalls and streams which disappear in caves. Imagine the memory of the Pancic spruce, endemic to this region of the world only, growing here from the Tertiary! Fruska Gora, the verdant island of the Panonian Sea and Serb Mount Athos, devoted to the guarding of dozens of monasteries and 700 species of medical herbs. Sara, a spacious farm in the open air, with its pastures, traces of the Ice Age at its peaks, mountain lakes, alpine flowers... Djerdap, the Iron Gates squeezing the mighty Danube through the largest European canyon. the mountain of contrasts and of all seasons, with monasteries on its slopes, ice-cold water springs at its foot and the sun at its peaks.



Djavolja varos Time, water and limestone took their time in sculpturing the underground halls in Serbia: Rajko Cave, Ceremosnja, Marble Cave, Resavska Cave, near Despotovac, some three kilometers in length, is luxuriously adorned with coral-like stone jewels and snow white crystals.
In the surroundings of Kursumlija, nature, like a skillful Oriental builder, sculptured a city of stone. Hundreds of figures appear and disappear of themselves, rising and changing their shapes. Not knowing how to explain this natural phenomenon, the people named the place the Devil's Town (Djavolja Varos).



Let a journey through the cities of Serbia start from Belgrade, its capital. The proud white city is keeping well, maintining the looks of a young man, although it is an ancient of times (its 20 centuries of existence make it one of the oldest European cities).



Take a walk around Belgrade, a tour in time, from Kalemegdan fortress, past the Cathedral, to Princess Ljubica's Home - and you have already traveled several thousend years in a couple of steps. Go on and continue your walk through the museums and galleries, stadiums and squares, the Bohemian cafes of Scadarlija, under a watchful and protective gaze, from dawn to dusk, of the imposing dome of St. Sava Temple.



Novi SadThe northern province, Vojvodina, is relaxed in the tranquillity of wheat fields: the farms are dreamy, the windmills busy, the thoroughbred horses galloping... Novi Sad, the Serb Athens of the 19th century, the squares of Subotica, the smell of cookies from Kikinda, tambourine players from Sombor; Sremski Karlovac, the museum of a great history of a small people...

Shoud you desire to experience the towns with oriental atmosphere, we shall take you to Kosovo and Metohija. Pristina, Pec, Novi Pazar, Mitrovica. On the glorious battlefield, the Serb Army, in 1389, defended the gates of Europe. We shall show you the Prizren filigrees and its craftsmen, old steam baths and mosques, churches and monasteries...

Every city tells its story, woven from the past and present: Kragujevac, Krusevac, Kraljevo, Uzice... We shall take you to Sabac Fair, to the shops of old Tesnjar in Valjevo, to Ljubicevo Horse Games near Pozarevac, to Nis, the home town of the Byzantine emperors Justinian and Constantine the Great...The carpets from Pirot, hot peppers of Leskovac, the crystal from Zajecar...

Roam through Serbia! You won't loose your way, no matter what city you get to.

If you climb up the Stara Planina, Prokletije, Rudnik, Jastrebac, Golija and Cer mountains you might say you have reached the top of world since all these peaks taken together are higher than Mount Everest. And all you need to climb them is a pair of comfortable shoes.



Nature took great pains to bestow many hills and valleys to this country, to sculpture the mountain chains, to chisel the canyons and the gorges. If art takes after nature, then it is possible, on every slope in Serbia, for art to be jealous of its master.

Every walk you take can end with an armload of flowers or herbs and a basket of mushrooms or forest fruits.

Kopaonik and Tara never get time off for resting. In spring and summer, you can enjoy tennis, horseback-riding, swimming, mountain climbing... If you do your climbing up in summer, do your climbing down in winter, using the skis. The 100 square kilometers of verdant Kopaonik turns into a modern ski center in winter.

Brezovica, a locality on the northen side of the Sara mountain, offers skiing above the clouds, at more than 2,000 meters above sea level. Once the skiers leave Brezovica, the hunting and angling enthusiasts occupy it.

Prokletije, the Alps of the Southern Europe, has the highest, the steepest peaks in Serbia.

Divcibare, a plateau on the Maljen mountain, is white throughout the year, half a year because of the narcissuses, the other half because of the snow...

On the slopes Zlatibor, a large recreation center, sports teams practice for strenuous competitions, while the skiers show their skills on the tracks of Tornik. The Zlatibor village of Sirogojno, a unique ethnic park in Serbia, famous for its knitters who, for generations, pass down the ancient art of wool spinning and knitting.



Have you ever tried the Stara Planina hard cheese, or walked down the flowering valley of Goc?

Climb the peaks of abunndance and contrast. Climb the mountains of Serbia...



It seems that it was in Serbia that the goddess Heba spilled her cup of beneficial nectar as there are more than 140 mineral water springs and 53 spas in the country. The spas health centers, like the one in Vrnjacka Banja, are the oldest tourist resorts in the country.



If we were to enumerate the ailments for the cure of which the spas in Serbia are recommended, we would end up with a veritable diagnostic textbook. In short – almost any ailment. There are, at your disposal, medical centers with special equipment for prevention and treatment. But who’s talking about therapy only?

Banja Koviljaca Spas are places for fun and recreation. A short excursion from any of the spas will take you to the world of culture and history.



Freshen up your body and your spirit in Serbia.



The 50,000 km. of waterways in Serbia have adorned the country with its silver tassels. The Morava river winds through the country offering a lot of fish to fishermen. If, instead of a goldfish, you desire to hook in the real gold, the banks of the Pek river are waiting for you. The boats cross the Tisa, the sailboat the Sava river. The mills keep grinding the grain on the streams of Sumadija. The meanders wind their courses, the rapids dance...



Man took upon himself the duties of nature and created numerous artifical lakes: the lakes of Djerdap, Vlasina, Bor, Zlatar, Srebreno near Gradiste...

Every stream, cascade or fountainhead in Serbia ends in a river, and all the rivers in Serbia (save two) in the Danube. The Danube, parts of which in Serbia remind one of a sea, has always linked us with the world. It is not until it reaches Serbia that the Danube becomes the largest navigable river in Europe.

For centuries, the great river has been coming to us and leaving us – and is returning to us in the form of electricity. On its way out from the Djerdap canyon the mighty Danube has been tamed and made to serve one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in Europe.



They say that the waters are the eyes of a country. Serbia must have a twenty-twenty vision. All-seeing eyes.



From the Pannonia plain in the north, to the mountain massifs in the south, a true lover of nature, of wilderness and action, is offered numerous challanges in the rich hunting grounds of Serbia. Some animal species already exterminated in other parts of Europe still live in the green marshlands and dense forests here. The hunting grounds are easily accessible from the larger cities and the game in them can suit different tastes – and different pockets. There are hotels and hunting lodges both in most hunting grounds.

Get your hunting gear. We are waiting for you in Karadjordjevo, Morovic, Kozara, Apatin, Crni Lug, Delibatska Pescara, Ecka, on Sara, Prokletije, Juzni Kucaj, Deli Jovan, Tara, Zvezda...



Follow the trail...

...of deer, fox, wolf, roe, deer, wild boar, rabbit, bear, pheasant, partrige, chamois, eagle, hawk, wild duck. Due to the large variety of the game, there are hunting seasons throughout the year – one will surely suit you.

If you are one of those people who like to study nature with a keen eye and a pair of binoculars only, the marshes of Carska and Obedska Bara have a date with you, with more than 200 species of birds and armloads of exotic marsh flowers.

Cast a line with a baited hook into the waters of... the rivers Sava, Tisa, Danube, Morava, Drina, Ibar, Crni Timok, Nisava, Kolubara, Mlava to catch carp, catfish, pike, sturgeon, perch, bass, trout, bream, salmon.

The 35 fishing centers in Serbia, in addition to a good catch, offer fun and good company. If you believe you have what it takes to be a good chef, beside being a lucky angler, you can enter the "Gold Kettle of Danube" competition; or just enjoy the fish stew containing more than 50 types of fish prepared by an experienced fisherman-cum-chef.



One thing is sure: upon return from a hunting or angling expedition in Serbia you won’t have to think up a tall angling or hunting story. You will have experienced it.





The villages of Serbia offer an atmosphere we have already forgotten in today’s busy world: a wholesome, freshly prepared breakfast in the shade, the air that makes you drunk with its freshness, warm eiderdown quilts and the openheartedness of the host. See the milking of the cows and the making of cheese, pick an apple or plum, rub it on your sleeve and bite into it. Have a drink from the nearby spring. Take a back-stage look at old arts and crafts. Get to know the wisdom of the naive art of the villages of Kovacica, Oparic, Uzdin, the one with a place of its own in the world cultural heritage.



Market days in Serbia – the roving festivals of national folklore. It is there that one can still observe the typical items of the traditional peasant costumes: Sajkaca (cap), Vlah fur hat, trouseres, hand-knit socks, wool belts, aprons, home-spun jackets, women’s vests, pig-skin shoes. At the sound of a flute or an accordion, a tambourine or a violin, the ancient kolo dance will start. Don’t stand aside! Get into the dance!



You can reach Serbia by road, rail, air and water. On foot or riding a bicycle, by car, bus, plane, train, ship...



Sail on the Danube. Come with the clouds and land on Belgrade airport with bus and train connections to all parts of Serbia. Or continue your flight to Nis and Pristina.

The arteries of international thoroughfares connect Serbia with Northern and Southern Europe. E-75, the trans-European thoroughfare, starts in Scandinavia and leads, via Bulgaria and Greece, and Bosporus, all the way to Asia.

From Central Europe, from Vienna, via Budapest, it takes only several hours of driving to reach Belgrade, our capital. If your intention is just to pass trough Serbia, there are motels along the way, service stations of the Automobile Association of Yugoslavia, gas-stations, shopping centers and restaurants, waiting for you day and night.

Even an ordinary business trip to Serbia offers more than business meetings. Serbia is the country of trade fairs and congressional tourism. All year long, in Belgrade and Novi Sad, international trade fairs follow one another. Numerous commercial and industrial centers, with the hospitality we are famous for, await old and new business partners.

Sava Centar in Belgrade, the giant congress center made of glass, has hosted 150 international gatherings. With its modern, well-equipped halls (seating 7000 persons), Sava Centar offers numerous accompanying activities.

There is a direct link with Belgrade Intercontinental Hotel, while Belgrade Hyatt Regency Hotel is only a short walk away.

Sava Centar is only a 15 minute drive from Surcin International Airport.

Let the sun wish you a good morning from the window of your room in one of the 35 luxurious hotels in Belgrade.



It is hard to pass through Serbia without stopping. We hope you won't be angry with us if, by our kindness and exciting suggestions, we force you to change you mind and stay longer than you had planned.

There are many reasons in favor of prolonging a journey, or of returning to Serbia. You don't have to call in advance. We are waiting for you, like for an old friend.

Izvor: http://www.serbia-info.com/

 

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