In this post, we’ll talk about a beautiful country in the Balkans, Europe called Serbia. We’ll learn about Serbia’s people, Serbia’s language, Serbia’s religion, Serbia’s map, and we’ll be checking if Serbia is a country or a city, if Serbia is safe to visit, what to do in Serbia while you are there, sightseeing places to visit in Serbia!
introduction
Balkans is a very beautiful region but known as Europe’s dysfunctional family. The Balkan countries have rich history, stunning beaches, amazing food, while each country has something unique to offer which makes visitors wanting to explore the whole region when traveling there.
If you are interested to know more about the Balkans, visit our Balkans Category.
In this post, we’ll briefly introduce the historic country of Serbia.
Recent history of Serbia
Winston Churchill, Britain’s former prime minister once said: “Balkans generate more history than it can locally consume.”
In recent history, Serbia joined Montenegro to defeat the Ottoman empire which was successful and resulted in a united country called Yugoslavia. After WW II, other Balkan nations joined and made Yugoslavia a large country, made up of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Kosovo (not fully recognized yet).
After a few years, all of those Balkans nations started fighting for independence and turned their heads away from Yugoslavia towards Western countries which eventually happened for Serbia as well on June 5, 2006, when Serbia gained independence from Yugoslavia and started westernizing its structure. Serbia has applied for EU membership since 2009 and it’s expected to join the EU zone by 2025.
People in Serbia
More than %83 of residents in Serbia are Serbian and the rest are a combination of former Yugoslavia’s former members (Hungarians, Romanians, Bosniaks, Croats, and Slovaks)
In the Balkans, all of the countries speak the same language, with slightly different dialects and slang that’s unique for each country, but some people still prefer to name their dialect after their countries and make it like a totally different language like Serbian language, Bosnian language, or Croatian language!
There are some cliches about Balkans people such as, “Serbians hate Turks!” (because of the Ottoman empire) or “Croatians hate Bosnians!” that is completely wrong, because everyone’s too busy thinking about the future, than being stuck in the past!
What to do in Serbia
Belgrade, the capital of Serbia
Belgrade is the capital and most populated city of the Republic of Serbia and the economic, cultural, and educational center of Serbia. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe. If you want to get an abstract introduction to the past and the future of the Balkans, Belgrade is calling you!
Uvac Special Nature Reserve in Serbia
Uvac Special Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located in the area of southwestern Serbia. It is rich in wildlife species and offers incredibly beautiful scenery!
Nikola Tesla Museum in Serbia
Nikola Tesla Museum is where Nikola Tesla, the famous Serbian-American inventor rests after his death.
The museum has a permanent exhibition, and one part is dedicated to the life and work of Nikola Tesla. In the other part, it presents the development of the science of electricity and magnetism. The most interesting part is the authentic documentation and working models of Tesla’s inventions.
Tesla, Inc.the Vehicle manufacturer, that’s owend by Elon Mosk and was founded in 2003, is named after Nikola Tesla, in honor of his intelligence and innovations.
You’re right about the Serbian attitude of letting the past go. I have really good Serbian friend and my Dad worked for a Serbian company. My parents and I were among a minority of people protesting the war that divided Yugoslavia. When I got to know some Serbs, I found they are the kindest, most hospitable people there are. When my friend invited me to her house, she would say, “This is home! Please don’t be afraid to ask if you need anything!” I thought it was a beautiful way to say, “Make yourself at home”. My friend told me stories about the war, and I apologized for what the US did to her country and she understood that Americans just weren’t informed about it. She said she chooses to love and not hate. Not to mention, my friend was really culturally aware because Yugoslavia was a multicultural haven. She said it was socially acceptable to have interracial/intercultural relationships, and she could solve any cultural disputes beautifully! Also, my Dad said the Serbian company he worked for was the best ever. They accepted him as part of their company and sent him on a business trip to Belgrade.
Wow! That’s great to hear that! Agree, Serbs are always there to help, not just pretending hypocritically!
Thank you for your comment! It gave me a better insight about them! 😊
You’re welcome!
Now I know the origin of the name of the Tesla car make. And your narrative shows Serbia is indeed a beautiful country !
Glad to know you found this post helpful.
Thank you for your nice comments all the time!
You are welcome.
2006 seems like an old date for independence! This was eye opening. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!
But the independence for Serbia was kind of like what independence looked like for Russia from the Soviet Union!
Thank you for your supportive comment!