If you want to go to Europe accessible today for Russians, pay attention to these countries: for entry, you do not need Covid documents and visas, but you can get from Moscow without transplants. The Balkan Peninsula is pleasing with a soft climate, hospitality and friendliness: they will try to help you, even if you do not know the language at all and explain on your fingers. However, moving around the Balkans by public transport is a frequent tourist pain. Bank cards are not accepted everywhere, and the bus may not come at all. We tell you how to plan a journey through Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and keep his nerves.
Serbia
Entrance rules
Russians will only need a passport to visit the country. For a tourist trip up to 30 days, a visa is not needed. The local currency is Serbian dinar, 1 RSD is approximately 0.63 rubles. Maps issued in Russia do not work in the country, use cash or maps of other countries.
How to get
From Moscow to Belgrade, you can fly up with a direct flight Airserbia. The flight takes 3 hours, and tickets in one direction cost from 38,000 rubles*. It is cheaper to fly with a transplant in Istanbul or Ankara.
Where to stop
Good People Design Hostel (Assessment 9.2) –– from 3,200 rubles* per night.
Dominic Smart & Luxury Suits – Parliament (Assessment 9.6) –– from 7,500 rubles* per day.
Saint Ten Hotel (Assessment 9.5) –– from 12,000 rubles* per night.
Square Nine Hotel Belgrade (Assessment 9.5) — – with 20,000 rubles* per night.
Day 1. Belgrade
Starting a trip from the center of Belgrade. The main street of the city is the Square of Freedom, near which you will see the Catholic Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, this is the highest building in the country. Nearby is the National Museum in which you can listen to the history of the Balkan Peninsula. There are also several originals of the works of Van Gogh, Matisse, Kandinsky and Rembrandt. The ticket costs 200 RSD (approximately 125 rubles*), you can pay only in cash. On Sunday, the entrance is free, but on this day the museum is closed at 14:00.
The cultural program is completed by the Museum of Nikola Tesla. Inside there are only three rooms, if you know English, you can take a tour with practical experiments. A ticket in English costs 800 RSD (approximately 500 rubles*), in Serbian – – half as much.
In the evening it is worth walking to the historical district of Scardal. It is located near the old city. There are many antique shops and good restaurants, and street exhibitions of local artists are often held.
Day 2. Golubatskaya fortress
On the second day, we propose to go to inspect the Golubatsky fortress built in the rocks on the banks of the Danube. It opens an exciting view of the “Iron Gate” – a place at the entrance to the Jerdapa Gorge, where the Danube narrows from 6 km to 162 m.
From Belgrade, the bus goes to Golubats 3-5 times a day, depending on the season. To visit the fortress, it is better not to go out in the blue, but at the next Dedine stop, so less. The entrance is paid and depends on the selected route. There are four of them, differ in the level of complexity and the number of visited structures. The route costs from 650 to 1500 RSD (400-950 rubles).
Day 3. Niches
This is one of the three large cities of Serbia, which can be reached from Belgrade by bus in three hours. The ticket back and forth costs from 1995 RSD (from about 1,300 rubles*).
In the city center, see the old fortress and Bali-Baby Mosque of the 16th century, only some fragments have been preserved to this day. It is worth going to the niches to visit the Croven KRST concentration camp. All buildings have been preserved on the territory, inside – three museums, various expositions and memory memorials.
Upon returning to Belgrade, collect your suitcases, tomorrow you will find a move to another city without a return ticket.
Day 4. Novi-sard
To the Novi-Sad, the second largest in the city of Serbia, from Belgrade can be reached in an hour and a half by bus. One way travel costs from 820 RSD (550 rubles*). It is worth linger here for two days: in the first to inspect the city, in the second – go to the National Park.
Where to stop
Manoir Apartments novi Sad (Assessment 9.6) –– from 3,100 rubles* per day.
Garni Hotel Leopold I (Assessment 8.9) –– from 5,300 rubles* per night.
Guest House Panorama Aqualux (Assessment 9.3) –– from 6,000 rubles* per night.
Lev Tolstoy once lived in this city, and there are also two officially the shortest streets-Nenada and Veliky. Their length is only 31 m. The main pedestrian and the most beautiful street of the city is Dunai. On it you can not only find a good cafe or souvenir shop, but also feel how local life boils. The street leads to Freedom Square, on which, as in Belgrade, stands a high Catholic cathedral. You can get acquainted with the history of the city at the Voevodina Museum or go to the Petrovaradin fortress.
20 km from Novi-Sad is the National Park of Frushka Gora. On the territory there are many ancient monasteries, sources, lakes, paths for hiking and observation platforms. In the park you can see a deer, affection, squirrel and even a rare black stork. Frushka Gora works around the clock, tourist centers-up to 18 hours. It is better to lay on a visit to the park all day, and in the warm season you can even spend the night with a tent.
It is easy to get from the novelty to different parts of the park on buses No. 72, 72, 78, 61 and 62. You should always go to the final one, and then walk a little.
Day 5. Ethnicoline and National Park Mokra Gora
On the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are immediately two national parks of Serbia – Mokra Gora and Tara. In the first, for the film “Life as a Miracle”, the Emir Kusturitsa built a whole ethnodrodist of Mecchannik, or Drivegrad, without a single nail – even the streets laid out a wooden paving stones. The scenery turned out to be outstanding, now they are hiding a hotel complex with restaurants, shops and an underground cinema. After meeting with Serbian life, you can relax at watching the film or in the spa. The entrance to the Drevvengrad is paid, but the price is periodically changes-costs from 100 to 250 RSD (60-160 rubles*).
If you are going to Drewvengrad from April to October, be sure to buy a ticket for the old railway “Shagranskaya Eight”. The train carries tourists in picturesque surroundings in a circular route. The entertainment is 900 RSD (550 rubles*). Payment only in cash.
It’s not easy to get to the meshnik. The road takes five hours. The direct route is one – from Belgrade, the bus leaves to Sarajevo and drives through Mokra Mountain. But he has no schedules and numbers, it is necessary to clarify in advance at the bus station.
You can also get with a transplant in the dare –– buses from the bus station every hour and a half, specify the exact schedule and the cost of the ticket at the checkout. It will cost about 1,000 RSD (600 rubles*). Minibuses or passing buses to Sarajevo go from the diligents to the Mount of Mountain, you also need to clarify their schedule at the bus station. If you do not like adventures, then you can get by a taxi, but it will come out more expensive.
Day 6. National Park Tara
The real natural pearl of Serbia and the ideal place for high -ringing. On the territory of about 300 km of paths for walking, 4 bicycle routes and asphalt roads. The tourist center has a rental of bicycles and storage rooms. And here you can sign up for observation of wild bears.
To get to the container, you need to return to the derioh and take a bus in the city of Baina-Bashta –– the road takes an hour and costs about 150 RSD (100 rubles*). From there, minibuses go to the village of Mitrovats –– choose any. It’s not more than 30 minutes to go, but minibuses can rarely go – in this case, a taxi will help out. The entrance ticket to the park costs about 300 RSD (200 rubles*), depending on the season, the price may change.
Where to stay near the park
Garni Hotel Vila Drina (Assessment 8.6) –– from 2,900 rubles* per night.
Zepter Hotel Drina Bajina Bašta (Assessment 8.6) –– from 3,300 rubles* per day.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entrance rules
Russians will need a passport, valid for at least three months from the date of end of the trip. For a tourist trip no more than 30 days is not needed a visa. The local currency is a convertible brand, 1 BAM is approximately equal to 38 rubles. Russian bank cards in the country do not work, use cash or foreign cards.
How to get
It is convenient to go from Serbia from Belgrade, but in our route the fastest – from the Tara park, which is located near the border with the bosnia. From Baina-Bashta, get on the bus to the Mali-River community.
Where to stop
Hotel Grad (Assessment 9.0) –– from 4,000 rubles* per night.
Ibis Styles sarajevo (Assessment 8.8) –– from 5,800 rubles* per night.
Novotel sarajevo Bristol (Assessment 8.7) –– from 7,300 rubles* per night.
Day 7. Sarajevo and Resort Ilija
It is most convenient to inspect the capital, sitting on a tram number 3. Its route lies through the whole city: from the old bazaar of the Bashcharia to the province of Ilija. The path will take about 30 minutes. A ticket for one trip costs 1.6-1.8 BAM (about 50 rubles*), you can buy in a kiosk at a stop or at the driver. A unlimited travel for a day will allow you to go out at any stop and walk around the capital of the capital. It costs 5.3 BAM (about 200 rubles*).
The Ilija resort – this is a complex of thermal pools in the open air, the entrance ticket costs 7 BAM on weekdays and 9 BAM on weekends (about 260 and 350 rubles*). Renting an umbrella and a sunbed costs 6 BAM (230 rubles*), Loker –– 5 BAM (190 rubles*).
Day 8. Mostar
Here is one of the cult attractions of Bosnia and Herzegovina – an old bridge, in honor of which the city was named. The bridge is small, so bypass all the central streets and drink strong coffee in a couple of hours. Two hours travel to the bridge by train, the ticket costs from 14 BAM (about 530 rubles*).
Where to stop
Sinan Han Motel (Assessment 9.2) – from 3 800 rubles* per night.
Hotel Pasha (Assessment 9.5) – from 5 700 rubles* per night.
Apartment Light de Luxe (Assessment 9.3) – from 7,000 rubles* per night.
13 km from the bridge is the city of Balay, the former capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the rock near the blue source of the Buna River there is a monastery of Balay Tekkia. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century and is still valid. You can go inside for 4 BAM (about 150 rubles*). From the Mostar from Španski TRG (the yellow building of the university serves as a landmark), buses No. 10, 11 and 12, the driver costs 2.10 BAM (about 80 rubles*), the road takes no more than half an hour. It will be easier to get by a taxi. Ask the driver to turn on the counter before departure: landing costs 3 BAM and for each km another 1 BAM. The trip to the good will go about 16 BAM (about 600 rubles*).
Day 9. Waterfalls Kravitsa
The main natural attraction of the country is a cascade of 20 waterfalls of chrassing 25 m high. They are surrounded by herbs and fall into the pool, as if created for bathing. There is a canoe rental in the park, hiking paths, camping and cafes. The entrance ticket costs from 10 to 20 BAM depending on the season (about 380–760 rubles*), the box office closes at 18 hours.
From the bridge you need to get by bus to the city of Lyubushka or Chaplin – from them to the park about 10 km. You can take a taxi or walk on foot. An alternative will be a train that goes at 9:12 in the morning, on the way for 25 minutes. A one -way ticket costs 6 BAM (about 230 rubles*).
We return home
The return trip can be planned in different ways. The first option is to get from Chaplin by train to Sarajevo (the latter goes at 19:49, on the way about 2.5 hours), the ticket costs 17 BAM (650 rubles*). From there, with a transfer in Istanbul, planes fly to Russia, tickets cost from 14,500 rubles*.
The second option is to get to Belgrade from Sarajevo and return to Moscow with a direct flight. The flight with Air Serbia lasts 3 hours, the ticket costs from 47,500 rubles*. To the border with Serbia, reach the bus to the cinema by bus, as you arrived in Bosnia, from there, get on the bus to Belgrade. The passage costs 1,140 RSD (about 700 rubles*), on the way 3.5 hours. On the same bus, you can sit at the Sarajevo Airport, from there to go to Belgrade 8 hours, the ticket costs 2,340 RSD (about 1,500 rubles*).
*Prices are relevant at the time of publication
Convenient hotel search engine – OneTwotrip.
