On the territory of Serbia and Montenegro, many historical and cultural monuments have been preserved, and most of them, despite the numerous wars that have swept through this land, are in excellent condition. Hundreds of medieval monasteries and ancient cities, dozens of balneological resorts, unique natural complexes of the southern part of the Balkans, tens of kilometers of beaches of the Montenegrin Riviera, good-natured and friendly people – this is not a complete list of the advantages of this country. The capital of Serbia, Belgrade (Beograd) is a special city. The first settlements on the site of the modern city appeared more than 3 thousand years ago, and since then there has not been a century that armies did not converge in a duel and blood was shed on this land (it is believed that the city was completely destroyed 39 times!). Hence the bizarre mixture of Eastern and Western cultures, creating the unique charm of modern Belgrade. The heart of the city is the medieval Kalemegdan fortress made of white stone, lying at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube – one of the oldest fortresses in Europe (XII-XVII centuries, now the Military Museum is located here). Most of the buildings on the territory of the fortress, including medieval gates, Orthodox churches, Muslim graves and Turkish baths, date back to the 17th century. In front of the entrance to the fortress there is the Monument of Gratitude of France (1930), and around the defensive structures there is a beautiful park, on the territory of which almost all the flora of the European mainland is represented, as well as the remains of the Austrian fortress.
According to Baglib, near the fortress is Stari Grad – the oldest part of Belgrade. Now, among its winding streets, most of the museums of the capital are concentrated, here are the most expensive restaurants and palaces carefully restored back in the days of Yugoslavia. It is worth visiting the old quarter of Skadarlie, the Ada Siganlija park, the National Museum (1844) on Republic Square with an extensive archaeological collection and a collection of paintings, the house of Prince Miloš (1831), the Old Palace (1882), the Ethnographic Museum on Studentski Trg Square with a collection of Serbian costumes and folk art, the Church of St. Sava (XIX century), the Bayrakli-Jamia mosque (1690), the Fresco Gallery, the palace of Princess Ljubica (1831) in the Balkan style with a large collection of furniture of the XIX century, the Museum of Modern Art (1965), inspect the remains of Roman, medieval Serbian and Turkish fortifications, mosques of the 16th-17th centuries. and numerous colorful houses of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The new city grew south of the Belgrade fortress, its bright and spacious quarters are built according to the latest architecture, with many parks, alleys and boulevards, framed by modern buildings. The buildings of the National Assembly (1937), the industrial fair building complex (1950-57), the Orthodox Church of St. Mark (1932-1939), the Union Executive Veche (1958), the Museum of the Revolution (one of the last in Eastern Europe), the Assembly building (Parliament, 1907-1932), a small Russian Orthodox church, the former residence and grave of Marshal Tito, the May 25 sports center (1973), the Sava Congress Center (1977) and many houses in the pseudo-Stalinist style. Not far from Belgrade, in Smederevo, there is the largest flat fortress in Europe – the fortress of Brankovich (XV century), occupying an area of 11 hectares and surrounded by a whole complex of structures ” and Studenica and Sopochany are even under the protection of UNESCO. South of the capital, near the small town of Priepolye, there is one of the most famous and ancient Serbian monasteries – Mileshevo (1218-1219), founded by the nephew of St. Sava of Serbia – Prince Vladislav. It was here that the relics of St. Sava were transferred from Tarnovo in 1237, and the world-famous fresco “White Angel on the Holy Sepulcher”. Currently, the monastery houses the residence of Bishop Mileshevsky.
Serbia: Serbian Cuisine
KITCHEN As elsewhere in the Balkans, the local cuisine was formed as a result of mixing such different culinary traditions that it turned into a rather distinctive phenomenon. A very large variety of dishes is due to the influence of Slavic, Hungarian, German, Turkish and Mediterranean traditions, so here they distinguish the cuisine of the central regions and the coastal ones, which differ quite noticeably from each other. The central regions of Serbia and the mountainous regions of Montenegro are famous for simple but very tasty dishes of vegetables, meat and spices. Meat dishes are prepared mainly from lamb and pork, while a characteristic feature is the widespread use of specially fermented and salted milk “kaymak” (served separately as a cold appetizer). Traditional local dishes include chops stuffed with spices “hanger”, stew “hunter’s cauldron”, the famous dried ham “prosciutto” and dozens of other meat dishes. All kinds of vegetables, herbs and proya cornbread are sure to be served with the meat. A characteristic feature is the widespread use of cheese – “kachkavali”, “kachamak”, “zlatibor”, “lipsky” and “senichki”, as well as local cheese made from cow’s and sheep’s milk, start almost any meal. Bread is also consumed a lot – like most other Slavic peoples, it serves as a symbol of harvest and prosperity, so there is always white bread “pogacha” and a special dish of bread, milk and cheese “popara” on the table. A special article is vegetables. They are always served on the table here, regardless of whether it is breakfast or dinner, in the form of independent dishes or simply as ” In Montenegro, fish and seafood dishes are very common. Extremely popular are “ribla chorba” – fish soup, Dalmatian goulash from various types of fish, trout stuffed with prunes or fish in a pot in Ohrid style, pilaf with seafood, carp “japrake” or “popeka” baked in cream, mussels with lemon juice and other dishes prepared with great imagination. It is even said here that “the fish swims three times: the first time in the sea, the second time in oil and the third time in wine.” But, despite the proximity of the Adriatic, fish cuisine in Montenegro is quite expensive. In the interior, river fish and crayfish of various recipes are widely consumed. The specialty of Vojvodina, for example, is spicy stewed river fish – “alaska chorba”. Good local flour products and desserts “slatkishi” All this is washed down with an incredible amount of black coffee, which is consumed in huge quantities here. Herbal tea, honey and various mousses and juices are also popular. Local wines, although not very well known in international markets, deserve close attention. The hallmark of local winemaking is the tart Montenegrin “Vranac” (Vranac – “crow”), of which there are dozens of varieties. Also good wines are Zhupsko, Prokupac, Smederevka, Riesling and others. White wines are produced according to international standards, therefore they are known as Merlot, Sauvignon, etc. Local white wines include Lutomer, Traminer, Podgoričko bielo, Krstač, Dolansko and Krmnichko. The products of the Sremski Karlovtsy, Vrsach, Zupa, Smederevo, Timok wine cellars, as well as wines from Kosovo, are famous for their excellent quality. Good quality wines “Krstach” (dry white) are famous. Of the strong drinks, grape moonshine “lozovach” and “raki” (grape, plum, pear, herbal, etc.) are good. The most popular Montenegrin grape brandy varieties are “Prvienac”, “Kruna” and “Lozova”, as well as pear “Viljamovka”, which is best made in Serbian Valevo (pot-bellied green bottle 0.7 l). Exceptional in taste are “shlivovitsa” (plum brandy, the most famous Serbian “Zhuta osa” – “yellow wasp”), “dunya” – quince brandy, juniper tincture “travaritsa”, the strongest vodka “prepechenitsa” and “Shumadi tea”, which is a hot brandy. Grape brandy (“vshyak”) has an extremely peculiar taste, home-made strong drinks, which are products of primary distillation with a strength of up to 48 “degrees” and higher, may seem unusual in taste. The local strong beer “Niksicko” is also very popular (produced in three versions – simply “Niksicko”, “Nik” and “Nik-Gold”). and higher. The local strong beer “Niksicko” is also very popular (produced in three versions – simply “Niksicko”, “Nik” and “Nik-Gold”). and higher. The local strong beer “Niksicko” is also very popular (produced in three versions – simply “Niksicko”, “Nik” and “Nik-Gold”).
