What to See in Serbia: Cities to Explore on Foot

Serbia is a landlocked Balkan country where plains, mountains and river basins meet layers of Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Habsburg, Yugoslav and modern history. The best things to do in Serbia include exploring its historic cities, Orthodox cultural heritage and varied landscapes, from the Pannonian Basin in the north to the highlands of the southwest. Neywo offers free audio guides for 8 cities in Serbia, with 224 narrated places in total, 13 walking tours and narration in 11 languages.

What to see and do in Serbia

Serbia’s history is especially visible in its cities and monuments. The country developed at the meeting point of empires and political worlds: it was part of the Roman Empire, formed a medieval Serbian kingdom and empire, experienced Ottoman and Habsburg rule, and later became part of Yugoslavia before restoring its independence in 2006.

Belgrade: Serbia’s capital and largest city

Begin with Belgrade, the capital and largest city. Its narrated places include St. Mark’s Church, Belgrade Main railway station, the Monastery of Saint Archangel Gabriel and the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The city is a useful starting point for understanding modern Serbia, whose public life, history and international ambitions are concentrated in its capital.

Novi Sad and the Vojvodina plain

For one of the best cities to visit in Serbia, head north to Novi Sad. The city has 35 narrated places, including Nikolajevska crkva, Almaš church, the Museum of Vojvodina and Saint George Cathedral. Its setting in Vojvodina reflects Serbia’s northern landscape: a broad, continental plain shaped by the Pannonian Basin.

Novi Sad is also part of a wider cultural journey through northern Serbia. Nearby Sremski Karlovci has 15 narrated places, among them the Fountain “Four Lions”, the grave of Branko Radičević in Stražilovo, the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity and the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The area brings together religious, literary and architectural traces of the region’s past.

Other places to explore in Vojvodina include Subotica, which currently has no narrated places on Neywo, and Vršac, where the guide covers 9 places. These include the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, the Saint Gerhard the Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church, Vršac Castle and Vršac City Hall.

Niš and the difficult chapters of history

Niš has 30 narrated places and offers a direct encounter with some of Serbia’s more difficult historical memories. The Skull Tower, the Crveni Krst concentration camp, Saborna crkva and St. Nicholas Church are among the city’s featured places. Together, they connect religious heritage with the violence and political upheavals that have shaped the region.

Smederevo and the medieval Serbian state

In Smederevo, the Smederevo Fortress is the central historical site. The city guide also includes the Church of Saint George, Obrenović Villa and the Podunavlje District. Smederevo is closely connected with the history of the medieval Serbian state, whose kingdom later expanded into an empire before Ottoman rule transformed the political map.

Vrnjačka Banja and Serbia’s spa heritage

Vrnjačka Banja has 5 narrated places. Its highlights include Belimarković Castle, the Museum of Spa Treatment, the Legate Danilo Bata Stojković and the Church of the Most Holy Mother of God. The town adds a different perspective to a Serbia travel guide, focusing on spa culture, local memory and architecture rather than military or political history.

Orthodox art, monasteries and Serbian culture

Serbia’s cultural identity reflects centuries spent between Byzantine and Western Christian worlds, followed by Ottoman and Habsburg influence. Eastern Orthodoxy is prevalent across most of the country, and medieval fresco painting remains one of its most distinctive artistic traditions. Important works include the White Angel at Mileševa and the Crucifixion at Studenica.

The country’s literary tradition also developed in medieval religious settings, through gospels, saints’ lives and sermons. Serbian music ranges from medieval traditions and classical composition to folk and popular forms, while the first Serbian feature film was released in 1911. In everyday public life, both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets are regularly used.

Mountains, forests and wildlife

Serbia’s natural scenery changes considerably from north to south. The country contains plains, mountains and river basins, while forests cover more than a third of its territory. The northern climate is more continental, with cold winters and hot, humid summers. In the south, summers and autumns are drier, and winters can be severe in mountain and highland areas such as the Pešter plateau.

The country also has notable wildlife habitats. Tara National Park is the last area in Serbia where brown bears can still roam free. Uvac Nature Reserve is considered one of the last European habitats of the griffon vulture. These landscapes show why Serbia is more than a collection of historic cities: its natural variety extends from the northern plains to the harsh southwestern highlands.

Explore Serbia with Neywo’s free audio guides

Download Neywo to explore Serbia independently with free audio guides for 8 cities: 13 walking tours and 224 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule.