Serbia
Europe · Southeast Europe
Overview
Serbia is a landlocked country in the interior of the Balkan Peninsula, bordered by Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. The country became a fully independent state in 2006, following the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Serbia was under the influence of the Byzantine Empire and later the Ottoman Empire for centuries, a historical legacy reflected in Serbian Orthodox religious tradition and medieval monastery architecture alike. The official language is Serbian, written using both Cyrillic and Latin scripts, and the majority of the population is Serbian Orthodox Christian.
Belgrade, the capital, is home to Kalemegdan Fortress, rising at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, its grounds containing archaeological layers thousands of years old dating back to Celtic times, making it the country's historical and cultural center. Stari Ras and Sopoćani, a group of Orthodox churches and monasteries near the site of the first capital of the medieval Serbian state, have formed a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. Studenica Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox monastery founded in the 12th century, showcases a blend of Byzantine and Romanesque religious art in its frescoes and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Novi Sad, the country's second-largest city, home to Petrovaradin Fortress and a lively cultural scene, including the EXIT festival, is a significant town along the Danube.
Đerdap National Park, at the Iron Gates gorge of the Danube, where the river passes through its narrowest and deepest stretch between the Carpathians and the Balkan Mountains, offers dramatic cliffs and the riverside Decebalus rock relief, one of the region's most striking landscape features. Tara National Park, with its dense pine forests and the canyon of the Drina River, offers excellent terrain for hiking and rafting. The Zlatibor plateau, a mountain resort region, marks a meeting point of traditional Serbian rural life and modern tourism. Local cuisine is built around meat dishes, with ćevapi, grilled minced-meat sausages, and pljeskavica, a spiced meat patty, as signature dishes, traditionally served with rakija, a fruit brandy.
Map
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Browse all UNESCO sites →Stari Ras and Sopoćani
On the outskirts of Stari Ras, the first capital of Serbia, there is an impressive group of medieval monuments consisting of fortresses, churches and monasteries. The monastery at Sopoćani is a reminder of the contacts between Western civilization and the Byzantine world.
Studenica Monastery
The Studenica Monastery was established in the late 12th century by Stevan Nemanja, founder of the medieval Serb state, shortly after his abdication. It is the largest and richest of Serbia’s Orthodox monasteries. Its two principal monuments, the Church of the Virgin and the Church of the King, both built of white marble, enshrine priceless collections of 13th- and 14th-century Byzantine painting.
Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius
The Late Roman fortified palace compound and memorial complex of Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius, in the east of Serbia, was commissioned by Emperor Caius Valerius Galerius Maximianus, in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. It was known as Felix Romuliana, named after the emperor’s mother. The site consists of fortifications, the palace in the north-western part of the complex, basilicas, temples, hot baths, memorial complex, and a tetrapylon. The group of buildings is also unique in its intertwining of ceremonial and memorial functions.
Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards
This serial property combines 28 sites, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, western Serbia, western Montenegro and central and southern Croatia, representing these cemeteries and regionally distinctive medieval tombstones, or stećci. The cemeteries, which date from the 12th to 16th centuries CE, are laid out in rows, as was the common custom in Europe from the Middle Ages. The stećci are mostly carved from limestone. They feature a wide range of decorative motifs and inscriptions that represent iconographic continuities within medieval Europe as well as locally distinctive traditions.
Data: UNESCO WHC · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Serbia?
The capital of Serbia is Belgrade.
What is the area of Serbia?
The area of Serbia is 88,361 km².
What is the population of Serbia?
The population of Serbia is 6,586,476.
What is the currency of Serbia?
The currency of Serbia is Serbian dinar (RSD).
What is the official language of Serbia?
The official language of Serbia: Serbian.
What side of the road does Serbia drive on?
Serbia: Right-hand traffic.
Is Serbia a member of the United Nations?
Yes, Serbia is a member of the United Nations.