Serbia: Holidays and Events
Public holidays
There are a number of public holidays that do not have a fixed date but are based on the time of Easter. Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the beginning of spring. Lent, which lasts 46 days, begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Pentecost is 50 days after Easter. The Corpus Christi festival is celebrated on the 2nd Thursday after Pentecost. All Saints’ Day is celebrated for Orthodox Christians on the 1st Sunday after Pentecost, but for Catholic Christians the date is fixed on November 1st. On October 31, Protestants celebrate Reformation Day. The Halloween festival also takes place on this day.
Date | Holiday |
January 1 | New Year |
First Monday of the year | New year celebration |
First Tuesday of the year | holiday |
January 6th and 7 | Orthodox Christmas |
January 14 | Orthodox New Years Day |
February 15 | National festival |
April | Orthodox Good Friday |
April | Orthodox Easter |
April 27 | National holiday |
May 1st and 2 | Labor Day |
November 29 | day of the Republic |
Source: Countryaah – Serbia Holidays
Cultural events
- The Belgrade Book Fair is the largest book fair in the Balkans.
- The Belgrade film festival “FEST” took place for the first time in 1970 and was then one of the most important film festivals in the world. It has been taking place again since 2000, albeit on a smaller scale, but it is gaining in importance every year.
- “Dragacevski sabor trubaca u Guci”, in short: “Guca”, the largest festival for brass instruments in the world.
- The theater festival “Sterijino pozorje” takes place in May and June in the Serbian National Theater in Novi Sad.
- The “EXIT” festival and the “NOMUS” music festival are held in Novi Sad in April.
- The International Jazz Festival is celebrated in Novi Sad every December.
- The “Novisader Arena” film festival, which is celebrated in September, is also known beyond the borders of Serbia.
Sporting events
The Belgrade Marathon is the largest regular sporting event in Southeast Europe.
Tour de Serbie (“Trka kroz Srbiju”), is an annual international cycling race.
Serbia: climate
Travel times
The idea of what is meant by a particularly favorable travel climate depends on various factors. Pure cultural travelers certainly see the climate differently than people planning a beach holiday. Health status and age can also play a role in the experience of the climate.
For winter sports
enthusiasts In the mountains of the country, plenty of snow can be expected every winter – the best conditions for passionate skiers and tobogganists. However, heavy snowfalls can make traveling to and from the airport more difficult.
Climate table
The following table shows a range of climate data for the country.
Month | Average number of rainy days | Mean maximum temperatures in (°C) | Mean minimum temperatures in (°C) |
January | 12-13 | 03-0 4 | -03 to -04 |
February | 11-12 | 05-0 6 | -02 to -03 |
March | 11-12 | 10-11 | at 01 |
April | 12-13 | 14-15 | 04 – 05 |
May | 14-15 | 18-19 | 11-12 |
June | 12-13 | 24-25 | 14-15 |
July | 08-09 | 29-30 | 17-18 |
August | 10-11 | 29-30 | 16-17 |
September | 10-11 | 25-26 | 12-13 |
October | 11-12 | 19-20 | 05 – 06 |
November | 11-12 | 10-11 | 04 – 05 |
December | 14-15 | 04 -0 5 | at 0 |
Sightseeing in Serbia
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Presents the way that SCG stands for the nation of Serbia as a two-letter acronym.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
You can find a detailed description of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites by clicking on the respective links
– Stari Ras town and Sopocani monastery
– Studenica Monastery
– Galerius Palace in Gamzigrad (Romuliana)
Bigger cities
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital of Serbia. The area of the city on the Danube was settled around 7,000 years ago and looks back on a rich and turbulent history. During the 16th and 19th centuries it was under Ottoman and Austrian rule. At the beginning of the 19th century the Serbs revolted against the Ottomans, and the Turks were finally expelled in 1867. From then on, Belgrade was the capital of Serbia and Yugoslavia. During the war in Yugoslavia, Belgrade was badly damaged by NATO bombing. Since 2002 the city has been the capital of the Confederation of Serbia and Montenegro.
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia. Like Belgrade, the city lies on the Danube, but was not founded until the 17th century.
Niš
The university city of Niš
Novi Pazar
The university town of Novi Pazar
Special buildings
Building of the National Theater in Belgrade
Founded in the second half of the 19th century and located on Republic Square, the National Theater (Narodno Pozorište u Beogradu) is housed in a building that was built between 1868 and 1869 according to a design by the architect Aleksandar Bugarski. In 1986 it was reconstructed. It remained open during the 1999 NATO bombing. The National Theater also includes the Belgrade Opera and the city’s ballet. The great operas, dramas and ballet performances are performed in the Great Hall.
It is also worth mentioning that in the 19th century the theater hall was also used for charity balls and concerts. In addition, the constitution of 1888 was passed here by the “great constituent assembly”.
Palace of Prince Milos
The palace of Prince Milos in Belgrade was built in the 19th century. Today the building houses a museum about the wars of liberation of the Serbs against the Turks in the 19th century.
Parliament of Serbia
The Parliament of Serbia (Narodna skupština Republike Srbije) – the National Assembly – has been meeting in the building shown since 2006.
The Palace of the National Assembly was inaugurated on October 18, 1936 in the presence of King Peter II Karađorđević – but its foundation stone had already been laid in 1907. The building was built in the neoclassical style.
A sculpture by Toma Rosandić has stood in front of the parliament building since 1939.
The building is located on Terazij street in the old town of Belgrade – opposite the Pioneers Park
White Castle of Belgrade
The White Castle of Belgrade dates from 1936. It is used for residential purposes.
Old Belgrade
Castle The old Belgrade Castle dates from the 19th century. At that time it was the residence of the Serbian rulers. Today it houses the city council.
Museums
National Museum
The National Museum in Belgrade dates from 1902. There you can get comprehensive information about the history of the country.
Building of the Museum of Contemporary Art
The building of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade was built in 1958. It is a modern building with 6 square towers. The museum houses works of art by Yugoslav artists of the 20th century.
Museum of Applied Arts
The Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade houses an important collection of works of art and objects from the 8th to the 20th centuries.
Historical Museum
The Historical Museum in Belgrade provides information about the country’s history and shows a large collection of archaeological and ethnological finds.
City Museum in Novi Sad
The City Museum in Novi Sad has a permanent exhibition on the city’s history and culture in the region.
Vojvodina
Museum The Vojvodina Museum in Novi Sad shows historical finds from the Paleolithic to modern times.
Important theaters and opera houses
Narodno Pozorište u Beogradu (National Theater)
Founded in the second half of the 19th century and located on Republic Square in Belgrade, the theater is housed in a building built in 1869 based on a design by Aleksandar Bugarski. In 1986 it was reconstructed. It remained open during the 1999 NATO bombing. The National Theater also includes the Belgrade Opera and the city’s ballet. The great operas, dramas and ballet performances are given in the Great Hall.
Fortresses
Belgrade Fortress, Kalemegdan
The fortress, which has been continuously expanded since the Middle Ages, is the undisputed landmark of Belgrade and represents the former urban center of the city.
The origins of the fortress go back to Roman times, even if the actual construction dates back to the 12th century.
The most important historical monuments of the fortress are:
- Fountain of the Mechmed Pasha Sokolovic
- Jaksić tower
- Ruzica Church
- Nebojsa tower
- Roman fountain
- Clock tower called “Sahat Kula”
- Gate of the Despot
- Charles VI Gate
The Kalemegdan is attached to the fortress and contains busts of distinguished Serbian personalities.
The name Kalemegdan refers to the park around the citadel, which once formed the core of the fortress. The park is located on the former defensive walls (glacis).
In the entire complex you can see not only the remains of the historical fortress, but also the military, hunting and forest museums, some churches, the art pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, various restaurants and finally the Belgrade Zoo.
Old fortress in Golubac
The old fortress in Golubac dates from the 13th century and was once built by the Hungarians. A moat was dug around the fortress and nine defense towers protected the city that nestled around the fortress. For centuries, the castle had the task of securing the border.
Kladovo
Fortress The Kladovo Fortress was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century to secure the border. It was divided into two areas. The larger area was only built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad
The landmark of Novi Sad is the Petrovaradin Fortress, which was built between 1692 and 1780. Today there are art studios and the city museum.
Historical
Vinca
archaeological excavation site The Vinca archaeological excavation site near Belgrade unearthed the remains of a prehistoric settlement from 4,000 years ago. Houses and utensils were unearthed and can be viewed today.
Justiniana Prima Archaeological Site The Justiniana Prima
archaeological site shows the ruins of a Byzantine city from the 6th century.
Lepenski Vir site The Lepenski Vir
site shows the excavations of a prehistoric settlement, including huts, fireplaces and sculptures.
Ancient city of Sirmium
The ancient city of Sirmium was the capital of the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. Excavations have uncovered the ruins of the city.
Churches, monasteries and mosques
Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade
With its area of 3,500 m², this Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava (Hram Svetog Save Cathedral) is the largest church on the Balkan island and one of the largest Orthodox sacred buildings in the world.
The diameter of its dome even exceeds that of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The church was dedicated to St. Sava, the first Serbian archbishop and national saint.
The church is located on Mount Vračar, where in 1594 the Ottoman Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha – a Muslim – had the remains of the saint cremated after having them brought to Belgrade from the Coronation Church in the Mileševa Monastery.
This act was intended in retaliation for the Serbian uprising of 1593.
Construction of today’s church began in 1935, but the cathedral was only inaugurated in 2004.
Saint Sava – Sava of Serbia – was born in 1175 and is a saint of the Christian Orthodox Churches.
Sava was an Orthodox archbishop and author of the first Serbian code of law (Nomocanon) and died in 1236.
Sopocani Monastery nahes
up under UNESCO World Heritage Site
Studenica Monastery The Studenica
Monastery dates back to the 12th century. At that time it was one of the wealthiest monasteries in Serbia and was certainly the most important. This monastery also has beautiful frescoes from the 13th century, which, however, are no longer completely preserved. The church is more decorated than others in Serbia.
St. Peter’s Church St. Peter’s
Church near Novi Pazar dates back to the 9th century and is the oldest church in Serbia. In 1979 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Patriarchal seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church
The patriarchal seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade was established in 1935. It houses a library and a museum for sacred art.
Serbian Orthodox Cathedral
The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Belgrade dates from the 19th century. It is richly decorated inside and houses a valuable church treasure as well as the tombs of ecclesiastical and secular rulers.
Bairakli Mosque
The Bairakli Mosque in Belgrade was built in the 16th century. In the 18th century it was temporarily converted into a church. The building has a dome and a slim minaret.
University of Belgrade
Belgrade University has 31 faculties divided into five groups with nearly 90,000 students enrolled. This makes the university the largest in all of Southeast Europe.
The five groups are:
Faculties of Biotechnical Sciences
Faculties of Medicine
Faculties of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Faculties of Social Sciences
Faculties of Technical Sciences.
The forerunner of today’s university was founded in 1808 with the “High School” by the philosopher and educator Dositej Obradović (1739-1811). It was closed again in 1813 and reopened
in 1863. In 1905, the “Hohe Schule” was converted into a university.
University of Belgrade
Studentski Trg 1
11000 Belgrade
Tel: +381 – (0) 11 – 2635 579 +381 – (0) 11 – 2635 579
http://www.bg.ac.yu/
Other state universities are:
University name | City | Students | founding year |
University of the Arts | Belgrade | 1,700 | 1957 |
University of Kragujevac | Kragujevac | 15,000 | 1976 |
University of Niš | Niš | 27,000 | 1965 |
Novi Pazar State University | Novi Pazar | 2,500 | 2006 |
University of Novi Sad | Novi Sad | 38,000 | 1960 |
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natural beauties
Fruska Gora National Park The Fruska Gora
National Park with an area of 225 km2 is located in Vojvodina. In it lies the mountain Fruska Gora, which has beautiful valleys with agricultural and pastureland. The higher altitudes are covered with mixed forest, which, however, predominantly consist of linden trees. The park is known for the diversity of fauna and flora, including deer, mouflon and lynx.
Derdap National Park
The Derdap National Park is located in Serbia and stretches around 100 km along the Danube. It has an area of approx. 64,000 ha = 640 km2 and is the largest river cliff landscape in Europe. The most beautiful are the huge gorges of the Danube. Their beauty and size are unique in Europe. Likewise the high passes, of which the Derpaska klisura is the largest in Europe. This national park also has a diverse flora and fauna.
Zoological garden
The zoological garden in Belgrade was opened in 1936. The park is home to over 2,000 animals.
The Danube
The longest river in Serbia, which flows through the country for 588 km, is the Danube. The Danube also flows through the capital Belgrade.
The Brigach and the Breg flow together near Donaueschingen in Germany and form the Danube from there on. At 48 km, the Breg is the longer of the two source rivers and rises at an altitude of 1,078 m near the Martinskapelle near Furtwangen in the southern Black Forest. From here to the mouth of the Danube in the Black Sea, its length is 2,888 km. The second source river, the Brigach, has its source in the Brigach Valley near St. Gallen, also in the southern Black Forest. The Brigach is 42.7 km long to its confluence with the Breg.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
City of Stari Ras and Sopocani Monastery
The city of Stari Ras is located about 300 km from Belgrade near the city of Novi Pazar. In its present-day outskirts, a large number of buildings from the 14th century such as monasteries, churches and fortresses are located on a hill. St. Peter’s Church, for example, was built in the 9th century on a former Illyrian cemetery. The Sopocani Monastery was founded by the king in the 13th century as a burial place for his family. The church of the monastery has a domed roof and inside you can see historically valuable frescoes about the history of the royal family.
The fortress “Arsa” was probably built in the 6th century AD, as it is mentioned by a historian of that time. It was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century.
The town of Stari Ras and Sopocani Monastery were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979
Studenica
Monastery The Sopocani Monastery from the 12th century is located in the city of Novi Pazar at the source of the Raska River. The monastery has two churches – the Mother of God Church and the King’s Church. The churches were built from white marble and the frescoes are among the most beautiful and valuable works of art in Byzantine and Western styles.
The monastery was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Galerius Palace in Gamzigrad (Romuliana)
The late Roman Galerius Palace was built in the 3rd to 4th centuries with basilicas, temples and baths. Two mausoleums were built near the palace. In the construction of the complex one recognizes the claim to omnipotence of the Roman emperors, they felt themselves to be divine rulers. The Galerius Palace in Gamzigrad was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2007.