Serbia: cosa fare e vedere

Belgrade, the capital, stands where the Sava flows into the Danube, with the Kalemegdan fortress and park above the confluence, the pedestrian Knez Mihailova street and the cobbled bohemian lane of Skadarlija. The huge Church of Saint Sava dominates a hill, and river barges and floating clubs line the banks.

Niš, in the south, was the birthplace of the Roman emperor Constantine and has an Ottoman fortress. Subotica, near the Hungarian border, is a town of Secession-style buildings, including its ornate city hall and synagogue, near Lake Palić. Beyond the cities, Fruška Gora has monasteries, Tara and Zlatibor have forest and mountain walks, and the Iron Gates is a gorge on the Danube.

Ćevapčići, grilled minced-meat sausages served with onion, kajmak and flatbread, are a national favourite, along with sarma, cabbage rolls, and burek. Rakija, a fruit brandy often made from plums, and strong coffee are served to guests. Summers are warm and the riverbanks fill with people in the evening, and autumn brings the grape harvest to the slopes of Fruška Gora.