Serbia covers 88 361km2 and it is situated in South East Europe. This is a relatively important country in the range of European countries, the more so that it occupies a position on the crossroads in Balkans. In fact its capital Belgrade is on the intersection of the ancient “Orient-Express” road leading from Vienna and Budapest to Istanbul across Bulgaria or to Athens along the Morava valley and Macedonia. Today, the corridor 10 anticipated by European Union, an axle to the transport and communication designing a line from Budapest to Athens will only enhance the position of Serbia on the East European chequer board. Otherwise Montenegro give an access to Adriatic Sea to this ensemble emerging in Otrant Channel. These 283 km coast is offering to the Federation to face appreciably the Adriatic and farther on the East Mediterranean.

Thirdly, one should know that Republic of Serbia involves only 7,498,000 population. In fact Serbia contains two autonomous regions. Vojvodina in the North (21,506 km2) and Kosovo-Metohija in the South (10,849 km2). These two regions represent nearly 4 million population.

Serbia is a half made by the old mountains and hills and a half of the fluvial planes. They are in the heart of the Federation on the South borders of Dinara Alps, what explains the presence of numerous high summits, not less than 15 over 2000 meters. Away from these summits, sometimes impressive, develop toward East away from the mountain massifs and the forests and alpine pastures sometimes interrupted by lakes and rivers in height. Toward North the fluvial valleys of the Morava in the direction North/South and those of the Sava and Danube are stretching in an axle North-West/South-West. Then come the planes of Backa stretching to Hungary and those of Banat being common with Romania.

27% of Serbia has been covered by forests. Especially these forested regions are shaping the life of particular regions, like hunting in Backa or Fruska Gora. In the wedged in valleys and the plateaus. The karst had allowed the excavations of the lakes and of the canyons of great range. The river of Tara between Serbia and Montenegro is situated in the deepest canyon of Europe. In the seaside planes developed the maquie while the abundant vegetation has been proliferated in the moderate milieus occupying the North and the East of the country.

Thus it is possible to divide Serbia into three different milieu types. The high mountains interrupted by high plateaus and deep valleys in South-West Serbia. The young mountains and hills assembled a great number of population occupying Kosovo-Metohija and Sumadija. Finally, the large planes cleared by kosava, a cold wind coming from the North are open toward Hungary and Romania.

Serbia has been organized along two important fluvial axes. First of all the Danube has been flowing from North to East of Serbia in the length of 588 kilometres. Since the opening of the axis Rhine-Main-Danube in 1992 there developed a large range of traffic from Rotterdam to the Black Sea and the Serbian part increased its importance. For example, the river port of Smederevo had been bought by an Austrian group in 2002. Moreover, the rivers of Sava and Tisa alimented about 200 kilometres traffic toward the Danube and a channel network of more than 600 kilometres have been arranged to profit better from the Danube axis.

Another important axis there is in the river of Morava situated in a water basin linked to the Black Sea always organising communication between the South an the North of Serbia. The West Morava is draining all water currents from West Serbia across the main towns of Sumadija as Uzice, Cacak and Kraljevo, on the vicinity of Krusevac this West fluvial axis joins the South Morava to constitute a river of a middle size, but strategically important because it has linked the above mentioned towns and Nis, the second town of the country to the capital being on the Danube.

In Serbia you are at the confluence of different climates, and there is something for everyone’s taste. Vojvodina and Sumadija have a typically continental climate, close to that in the central Europe, the plateaus and valleys of Kosovo. South Serbia has a mountain climate.

In the Panonian planes along the Danube like in the Central Serbia, the winter could be very severe and the summer sultry. The winter time lasts long with the severe temperatures (-10 centigrade in February) and sometimes the famous “kosava”, a cold wind coming from the North cutting the plane. In site of this one should survive a Slav winter bathed by noisy leisure, while the “White Town” (Beograd) has been covered by a thin snow layer, finding another youth. The summers are very warm, the thermometer oscillating about 24 centigrade average. This is the time to stay in the mountains around the spas and the water currents. Between these two there are short intermediary seasons ideal for tourism with the mild and dry weather, and especially the sunny and agreeable autumn.

In the mountain regions the climate is varying in accordance to the height. On the elevated massifs of  West Serbia the winter temperatures use to fall at least 4 centigrade below the zero average and the snow use to cover the soil from November to April. This favours skiing during this period in the stations of Zlatibor, Kopaonik and Brezovica. Snow could be found still in June in the glacier niches of high summits of  Kopaonik. In the basins and valleys closer to three Moravas the days remain always sunny enough because the rain measurement is relatively weak. Your long walks and other activities in the canyons and high hills will only be agreeable. But take care of fresh enough nights and early mornings. In summer time on the hills of Pec the temperature approximates only 15 centigrade at noon.

In a country still a little relatively rural and where the population density remained weak, the fields are in a good health. It has not been necessary to climb very high to breath a reviving and agreeable air: Divcibare, Zlatibor or Kopaonik are well known for the good air. All the same, the spas and water currents often situated in the wedged in valleys are offering numerous zones preserved of any pollution. The interesting thing on Serbia, there are no nuclear power stations.

On the contrary, it is true that the great urban centres, and especially the industrial ones have been endangered by the modern pollution. The mine ultra structures frequently obsolete , the destroyed factories and overexploitation of the soil have led in Bor or Kragujevac for example, to the soil an air pollutions above the habitual norms. Another problem is sometimes the lack of discipline and of the ecological culture in the population. Serbs long time accustomed it to be the propriety of the State, had not taken the custom to pay attention to the public spaces. This gave in the damaged buses on the towns, and in many places in the country the rivers polluted by the garbage. But the most difficult problem there remained the consequences of 1999 bombing. The destruction of a part of chemical installations in Pancevo had perturbed the Danube ecological cycle downstream for many years. In the extreme South of the country the environment near Surdulica and Bujanovac still have their grounds heavily damaged by the explosions of the bombs.

The federal institutions are now developing many programs to fight pollution on their respective locations. In Pancevo especially, 5 years after the NATO operation the chemical barrels had been made again and the hills sanitary processed. Around Surdulica they are working on the collection of the bomb fragments. There remains much more to be done, but the consequent efforts have been employed to annihilate the ecological damages from 1999.

Three types of ecological fields protected by the State have been developed in last years. In the first place, the natural national parks, as it could be seen are numerous, are better an better maintained. The inhabitants take of them much as there is a connection with the nature there, even if they have not been so cultivated as in Canada, have been progressively ameliorating. In the matter of ecology more interesting are the natural reservations. Always situated in the privileged and safe spaces, with abundant fauna and flora , the reservations are relatively well managed. Zasavica and Carska Bara have been breathed with cleanness. Finally, the mountain forests remained preserved of every damage.

Serbia has at its disposal a very great richness of natural sites diverse enough and the offerings in the matter of tourism are satisfying. This relatively little country, but in so varying a milieu, can be proud of 5 national parks, 10 natural reservations, 12 natural caves. But those in love with hunting have not been left aside: more than 8 million hectare determined to this activity, divided into 24 great well managed fields and nearly 280 sites disseminated throughout the country.

The national parks have been well enough managed for tourism. Their ecosystems have been preserved and the constructions do obey the draconian regulations (observation to the natural milieu, not more than three story construction, reserved perimeters), but there are also hotels and camping in accordance with the European norms. The natural reservations have been less well protected related to the place. The bird reservations around Belgrade and in Vojvodina are under the State supervision and are now international institutions, while the gorges at the East country periphery make a part of local economies.

To visit the caves one should be persistent. These are rather recent and less frequented discoveries by the local tourists. One should get generally informed by a local guide or even by a motel keeper. But at last this becomes a pure admiration because the cave discovers the Beauties, often majestic and infrequently flattering till now. Some caves are accessible only to the confirmed long distance walkers. To be advised are the caves of Resava and Ceremosnja, three hours on the road away from Belgrade to the South, still little frequented and arranged for a family visit. The visit are to be done all year long. For reservation call hotel Rudnik in Kucevo: (012) 852 266 and request a guide (vodic).

It is evidently impossible to visit all these sites in one day stay, but a globe trotter should have seen the following sites:

Situated in East Serbia on the mountain heights of 19,200 hectares had been created in 1981. Situated about hundred kilometres away from the capital, it has been easy to access. In the mountains of East Serbia this park will impress you by its numerous water currents in the wedged in valleys and its two lakes in the heights (Perucac and Zaovinsko). The walks on the summits of more than 1700 meters and the descending by rafting into the third by depth canyon in the world would be your favourite activities.

Its forests spreading on more than 13,000 hectares make one of the greatest forested spaces in the mountains of Europe. It abounds in the natural richness. Thus, nearly 1000 vegetal species and 150 bird species are present here. But especially, if you are accompanied by a high mountain guide to encounter the wild animals such as the eagle, the fox or the brown bear.
Several hotels are here at your disposal in the park (Omorika and Beli Bor) or in the village of Perucac. An important palette of cultural activities in the near environment like the monastery of Raca or the necropolis of Perucac should be noticed. For more information:

NATIONAL PARK OF TARA: The information centre situated in Bajina Basta: Milenko Topalovic Street 3, Phone: (031) 851 445. Web: www.tara.org.yu. E-mail: nptara@ptt.yu

In the Panonian plane, this reservation of swamps is spreading on nearly 300 kilometres you can go through in a boat or on the bike not ceasing to be admired so various is the richness of the fauna and the flora. After one hour on the road way from Belgrade you will have a chance to approach more than 900 vegetal species among which rare enough flowers of the names typical of this Banat region like bozur, pelen or serpent.

This is also one of the most important migrant birds reservations of Europe, with nearly 300 birds passing in coming from the North East. But the fauna is here also various enough because you could admire the deer, the reindeer, the boar in full liberty. If you are interested in more dynamic activities, the park lets at your disposal fishing and hunting.

Contact: Agency “Srbijasume” Sumsko gazdinstvo “Banat”, Paje Marganovica 24, 26000 Pancevo, (013) 313 475.

This place is very accessible from the capital for it is sufficient to cross the Danube to Pancevo, then direct yourself toward the town of Vrsac. At 30 km way from Pancevo there is the main entrance.

Along the Danube, toward Romania, the majestic gorges of Djerdap are waiting for you. This national park of 63,000 hectares has been formed by four successive gorges 800 m high interrupted by three ravines in depth. The Danube is getting enlarged in the same degree as it has been broken in these massifs in North-East Serbia to be ended by the famous Iron Gate. In Roman ages an important aqueduct, and today an impressive fence in the heights where it makes a largeness of 147 m and a depth of 77 m that is why the Danube has represented the longest natural river gorge in Europe.

This national park abounds in the natural richness such as 1100 vegetal species developed here and wild animals which are the bear, the fox, the wolf, the jackal and the eagle, you will find on the way the archaeological remnants of Lepenski Vir and the Roman monuments such as the Trajan’s Table and Trajan’s Road.

Contact: The Park of Djerdap Agency, Nacionalni park Djerdap, Kralja Petra I broj 14, 19 220 Donji Milanovac (030) 86 788.

The tour from Belgrade is all beauty. After three hours’ travel through the towns of Smederevo and Pozarervac, you will arrive in Veliko Gradiste to join the Danube you will plunge into the massifs and gorges always dumbfounding.