Stuff you need backpacking around Serbia

Languages: Serbian (the majority), also Albanian and Hungarian English is commonly spoken among the younger people throughout Serbia, who tend to be happy to practice it with foreigners. The Serbian language is almost identical with Croatian and Bosnian. Before the era of nationalist linguistic policies they were all known as Serbo-Croatian. Today people in the former Yugoslavia no longer use this general term for their nearly common language. If you speak Russian it will come to great help for you. Even though Serbia has never been involved politically with Russia, the language is similar. This also includes all other slavic languages, especially Bulgarian. In Kosovo the vast majority of people speak Albanian. Serbian is usually understood, but you should generally avoid using it except in areas populated by Serbs, Roma, or Bosniaks. With a heavily-armed civilian population, to many Kosovo Albanians hearing Serbian can result in violent outbursts directed at the unknowing foreigner. With many foreign aid workers and NATO soldiers stationed there, English is also spoken quite well, especially by younger people. In Vojvodina most people speak Serbian, but other languages are also used. In some towns near the Hungarian boarder you are more likely to hear Hungarian. There are many smaller minorities, like the Slovaks, the Romanians, the Rusyns, etc. who often speak their native languages as well.

When ordering a burger ask for 'pljeskavica' (pronounced: pl-yee-eska-veetsa) ask for cheese curd (like sour cream) (pronounced: kei-mahk) it tastes better than it sounds. Stepin Vajat and Duff at Autokomanda, Loki in downtown area and Iva in Žarkovo are the best grill fastfood restaurants in town. Also try ćevape (pronounced: tye-vape), they are small parcels of minced meat, grilled with hot spices. It is considered a local fast food delicacy. Highly recommended to carnivores. Burek (pronounced Boor-ek), sometimes decribed as the Balkan equivalent of McDonalds due to its being sold everywhere, is very delicious. It is made with a range of fillings including meat, cheese, spinach, apple, cherry....... Not for dieters as it is quite oily. Morning is definitely the best time to eat this (sometimes sold-out by afternoon).

• Kiflice (kee-flee-tse)are lovely little crescent rolls.
• Paprikash (paprika-sh) - stew with paprika often with chicken
• Gulash - stew with paprika with beef
• Sarma - cabbage rolls, similar to dolmades but made with sauerkraut instead of vine leaves
• Gibanica -(ghee-ban-eetsa) - phillo pie with spinach and cheese or just cheese (like spanakopita or tiropita in Greece)
• Punjene Paprike - stuffed peppers (Poony-eenay Pap-reekay)
• Pasulj - (pas-ool-y) - beans-a national specialty. Often cooked for a long time with onion and paprika. Delicious.
• Riblja čorba - (reebly-a chorba) Fish soup using freshwater catch.
• " Rostilj " - the most delicious food on the world

• Rakija (there are many flavours, like plum (pronounce like she-lyee-va), quince (dun-ya)...
• Loza (from grapes, a type of rakija)
• Voda = Water

Tap water is perfectly safe to drink, and mainly of a good quality, too. There are also many springs and fountains with excellent-quality drinking water - the most popular ones being the fountain on Knez Mihailova in Belgrade, and the many fountains in the city of Nis.

There are lots of good shops in Belgrade downtown, in particular on the "Knez Mihailova" and "Terazije" streets. The large western-style modern malls are <Delta city>, <Zira>, etc.