Serbia is a country which is located in the west-central Balkans in southeast Europe. The boundary for Serbia is the country from Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, Macedonia to the south as well as Montenegro, Herzegovina, Bosnia and Croatia to the west. The capital of this country is Belgrade.  The city is one of the largest and the oldest cities in South Eastern Europe. Belgrade has an area of 360 square kilometres. The population of Belgrade is about 1.369 million people in the year 2015 and it will be more in many years from now.

Back then, in the 2nd century, the country is conquered by the Romans. During the rule of Roman, Serbia has extended to a few provinces such as Macedonia, Dacia, Dalmatia, Praevalitana, Pannonia and Moesia. There are seventeen Roman emperors that are born in modern-day Serbia. One of them was Constantine the Great. He is the first Christian Emperor that orders a religious tolerance during the empire. Since then, all the Serbian rulers have adopted Christianity.   The state became wider by the Skada, Morava, Sava, and Neretva existence in the 6th century. Then, Serbia was ruled by the Nemanjic dynasty. During that time, the country successfully becomes a kingdom and its influence continues to expand significantly. However, the power of Serbia does not last long. It has happened during the battle of Kosovo in the year 1939. Then, Serbia was conquered by the Ottomans in the year 1459. In the 16th century, the country was under the rule of Jovan Nenad.  

During Ottoman rule, the Christians in Serbia are considered as a low class of people and they have to pay heavy taxes. Only a small majority of them practices Islam. The Ottomans only allowed a limited traditional culture of the Serbians and the Serbian Patriarchate of pec was abolished by them. The Serbs were unhappy by their rule and they have made several petitions since they wished to leave under the Ottomans rule. After that, Central Serbia was successfully under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy from the year 1718 to 1739. Serbia was one of the nations in the Balkans to abolish feudalism.  Following was the battle between Ottoman and Serbs in the year 1862. Three years later, the country gained their independence because the Turkish armies left the Principality. However, Ottoman tried to unite with Bosnia and right after that, Serbia has declared war. The country has gained its formal independence has recognized at the Congress of Berlin.

In the year 1882, Serbia has become a kingdom of Serbia that is ruled by King Millan I. In the year 1912; the Balkan successfully captured European territories such as Kosovo and Raska because they managed to defeat the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War. Then, Serbia continued to expand their territory and they had gained about 50 percent of the population in Serbia. Nevertheless, they had lost many people at the end of World War I. At that time, the power of Austria-Hungary has risen. On 28 June 1914, a member of Young Bosnia organization, Gavrilo Pincip has assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. This has led to the war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Serbia has won the battle with Russia’s help. They also won other battles such as the Battle of Cer and Battle of Kolubara. They have marked the first victories against Central Powers in World War I. In the year 1915, Central Powers has overpowered the country. Many have fled to other countries and many of the Serbian armies have died. Then, Serbian Prince Regent Alexander of Serbia announced the Kingdom of Serbs ever since the collapsed of Austro-Hungarian Empire, Banat, Backa and Baranja.  The kingdom was under the rule of King Peter and after the country was ruled by King Alexander who is the son of King Peter. During his time, the name of the country has changed into Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, he was assassinated by Vlado Chemozemski in Marseille in the year 1934. The country continues by the rule of his son, Peter II.

On March 1941, Yugoslavia joined the fascist Tripartite Alliance. Then, Germany attempted to attack Belgrade. Rival resistance movements fought both each other and the Germans, with the communist partisans led by Josip Broz Tito gaining the upper hand. Finally, they had formed the government, abolished the monarchy and declared a federal republic, which included Serbia and its autonomous provinces Kosovo and Vojvodina. The Syrmian Front was the last battle of World War II that faced by the partisans in Serbia. The victory of both battles has led to the monarchy abolishment and a subsequent constitutional referendum. Aleksandar Rankovic is the most influential politician during Tito-era but later he was removed because of some disagreements and Serbia’s unity’s problem.

After that, Slobodan Milosevic was in power in Serbia. He said that there would be a power reduction for the autonomous provinces in Kosovo, Croatia, and Slovenia that will be handled by his allies. Then, there was tension between the communist leadership and nationalism across Yugoslavia. The result was a breakup Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Kosovo with Yugoslavia. The country was hit by a lot of problems.  The most severe conflict was a large ethnic Serb asked for independence from Yugoslavia which taking place in Croatia and Bosnia. In the year 1990, a multi-party democracy was established. In 1996, the Serbian makes large protests against the government when Socialist Party of Serbia refused to accept its defeat. Kosovo war was started when there are battles between Kosovo Liberation Army and security forces of Yugoslav. Afterwards, NATO intervenes in the battle and makes the Serbian forces withdraw from the battle. That is how the UN administration was established in the province. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was renamed as Serbia and Montenegro in the year 2003.

In Serbia, the majority of the citizen practices Orthodox with 85 percent, Roman Catholic with 5 percent, Muslims with 3 percent and 1 percent is the Protestant, Another 6 percent is the Jews, atheists, and other religion. For Malaysian tourists, there is no visa that can make them enter Serbia. However, there is a plan to sign further bilateral agreements on visa liberalization. In the meantime, the Malaysian can deal with the neighbouring countries like Indonesia to get a visa to Serbia. In Serbia, the weather will be hot during summer and cold during winter. From December to February, the temperature will be down to 0 Celsius during winter. In the daytime, the temperature will be a bit higher to 10 Celsius. During the spring season, the weather in Serbia is still cold. There will be late snowfalls that can occur in March or April. The summer season will be from June to August. In the daytime, the weather will be hot and at night, generally, it will be cold. During the autumn, the weather is not very rainy. Only in the western area, the weather is rainy in November. Therefore, the ideal time to visit Serbia is from May to September. The weather in the daytime will be sometimes hot but it will be cool at night.

Serbian cuisines share the same characteristics as the Balkan nations. The tourists need to try a few famous dishes when they have arrived in Serbia. Serbia has their national dish which is called Pijeskavica. This dish is also one of the famous dishes in Europe. Moreover, this dish was served in restaurants in Germany, Sweden and Austria. Pijeskavica is a beef or pork patty that will serve together with kajmak milk cream, ajvar sauce of peppers and urnebes mixed spicy sauce. Another dish that is worthy of trying is Karadordeva Snicla. It is a steak which named after Prince Karadjordje. The steak is stuffed with kajmak and then, it will be breaded or fried. This dish will serve with tartar sauce and roasted potatoes. For desserts, the tourists can try Serbia’s cheese pie.  In Serbia, the dish is called Gibanica. It is made of thin dough with cheese and on top of the dish will be poured an egg. Another sweet dish that must try by the tourists is the Baklava. It is a sweet pastry that made of filo pastry and the fillings are chopped nuts and syrups or honey.

How to Get There?

By Plane

The tourists who came from Malaysia that wants to get to Serbia, they need travel there by plane. They need to take a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and can choose for transit flights or straight flights to Serbia. The ticket price per person will be around RM 3,000 to RM 5000. However, the price of the ticket will be increased at the peak season which is during the public holiday and school holiday season. The main airport in Serbia will be at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The journey from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport will be around 14 hours and 10 minutes.  Once they have arrived, they can grab a taxi and go straight to their place to stay.

What to Do There?

The Museum of Yugoslav History

For those who wish to learn more about Yugoslav history, they can make a visit to The Museum of Yugoslav History. This museum is located in Belgrade.  In this museum, it covers the history of the former country of Yugoslavia. The visitors can discover the history of the president of Yugoslavia with his significance and reputation in the world through the richness of the museum treasury. They can also see all the gifts Tito amassed being displayed during his rule from the year 1953 to 1980. Over 200,000 artefacts had been showcased and among the things are the ceremonial batons which are used during Tito’s birthday every year. The batons would then be given to him the stadium of the Yugoslav People’s Army. The visitors can also see the grave Tito in the House of Flowers. There are other museums that can be visited by the tourists such as Nikola Tesla Museum, Museum of Aviation, Historical Museums of Serbia, The National Bank Museum, Roma Museum, and National Museum of Serbia.

Ada Ciganlija

Serbia is also famous for its outdoor activities. For those who enjoy outdoor activities, they can visit Ada Ciganlija. It is a river island that is located in the Sava River. During summer, this place is one of the famous destinations among the locals and the tourists. There are many activities that can be done in Ada Ciganlija such as rowing, kayaking on the lake, jogging, basketball, tennis, and laying golf. The visitors can also make a picnic since the place will provide picnic tables and deckchairs.

Tara Mountain

As you know, more than half of Serbia is covered by mountains. For those who want to experience hiking, they can visit Tara Mountain. It is located at western Serbia, and at Internal Dinarides mountain range. This mountain is one of the top hiking destinations in Serbia. The visitors can find many different wildlife species. For example brown bears. They can also see two beautiful artificial lakes which are Perucac I Zaovine and Zaovine Lake. Perucac I Zaovine is a perfect place for people who love diving. Whereas for Zaivibe Lake is the best point of hiking. They have a long hiking route, and they are also designed as a cycling route. This will take the visitors to all parts of Tara in a few days. They have to go to three parts of the mountain.  The first part will be they have to pass Krntija, Veiki Stolac to Predov krst. Then, they will go to Veliki Kraj. The second part will take them to Zboriste and Mokra goa. The third part, they will encounter a beautiful forest and meadows. Along the way, the visitors can find accommodation to stay overnight in Tara Mountain. Besides Tara Mountain, they can also visit other mountains such as Stara Planina, Homolje Mountains, Vratna Gates, Svrljig Mountains, Lazar Canyon, Ovcar & Kablar Mountains, Fruska Gora, and Rtanj Mountain.

Where to Stay?

Saint Ten Hotel

Saint Ten Hotel has located in Central Belgrade. This hotel is situated 18 minutes away from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. This hotel offers a top class and very quality accommodation in the city of Belgrade. All of the rooms are well equipped with luxurious amenities such as flat-screen television with cable channels, a coffee or tea maker, a minibar which will be stocked with some free items, premium bedding, bathrobes, slippers, a private bathroom, and a tub. Besides that, the rooms are air conditioning and the hotel has provided sofa beds and the guests can make a request for extra beds or infant beds. Moreover, the guests are able to enjoy free international calls, a free Wi-Fi and a free weekday newspaper. The hotel has always kept the rooms clean since they offer a daily housekeeping service. For those want to keep fit, there is a fitness centre available in this hotel. After a long day trip to a few places in Belgrade, the guests can relax their mind and body at the spa centre. There is also a restaurant that serves different types of dishes which can meet the taste of most guests in Saint Ten Hotel.

Holiday Inn Express Belgrade-City

Located 20 minutes away from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Holiday Inn Express Belgrade- City offers affordable accommodation in Belgrade. Every room in this hotel is well equipping with basic amenities. Besides that, the hotel provides the best facilities and services in order to make their guests feel more comfortable and convenience during their stays at this hotel. The guests are able to access a free Wi-Fi from their room and also in the public area of the hotel. They are also allowed to bring pets into their room. Other than that, the guests can have a free breakfast provided by the hotel. For those who want to have a light snack and drink, there is a bar available in the hotel.  

2 Bedroom Apartment Skadarlua Bohemian

For those who want to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel, the ideal choice of an apartment to stay is at Apartment Skadarlua Bohemian. It is a perfect accommodation for a big family and also for those who want to stay a bit longer in Belgrade. The guests can freely use a few facilities that provided by the apartment.  Every room in this apartment is equipped with amazing amenities such as a hairdryer, a television, a safety box, an air conditioner, and refrigerator. The rooms are also connected. This apartment allowed their guests to bring in small and large pet n their room. There will be a 24-hour receptionist to handle the process of check-in and out of the rooms. They are also available to help the guests in case if the guests need any assistance from them. Moreover, the guests who rented a car, they can park them in a garage. They also can stay connected with their family and friends because there is a free Wi-Fi available in public area.