Serbia Some might venture to say that Serbia’s landscape is about as rocky and changeable as the land’s politics. Serbians benefit from four different topographical characteristics and three climate zones. In the North, the Danube starts its close in the low hills and prairies with mild and temperate weather. Throughout the central section, rolling hills, meadows, and orchards mark the territory while a mountainous climate blows in from the Carpathian Mountains. Finally, the Mediterranean draws tourist and inhabitants down to the South with its long and balmy summers.

However, it is in the West where all three climates meet and for centuries, Serbians and their predecessors have been enjoying a specific mountain location, Divcibare, for its curative respiratory potential. Another natural resource that has attracted many is the Serbian spas. These spas harken back to Roman and Turkish times. Places such as Nis and Venjacka Banka contain both hot and cold springs. As seen on this page, Kopaonik Mountain is the highest point of Serbia reaching 6,050 ft. and 72 miles long. Skiers and snowboarders come and go with the frequency of an American highway. Twenty-four ski lifts harness the mountain and during Spring (with less snow), travelers may visit the many monasteries which surround Kopaonik.



History has not been kind to the Serbian people. Holidays still commemorate Stefan Nemanjic, the founder of the Serbian dynasty. But for much of its legacy, Serbia has either been under the clutches of outside empires such as the Turks or at war with the Austrian Empire. In 1389, Serbs lost the key Battle of Kosovo that was to precede 370 years of Ottoman rule. They achieved their independence in 1878 but then spent the latter half of the 19th and early 20th century fighting with Austrians over land. It was in Bosnia (a disputed land) that a Bosnian Serb started the Great War in 1914. Serbia became Yugoslavia in 1929 with the tenuous unification of Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins, and Slovenes.

Interestingly, Yugoslavia resisted whole Nazi domination but could not overcome internal fighting. Tito tried to hold the land together steering a path between Communism and the West but later ultranationalist figures like Slobodan Milosevic sought ultimate power by dividing the country into racial groups. In the 1990s, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Kosovo all declared independence from the state of Serbia & Montenegro. Then, in 2006, Montenegro ceded from the state. Today, the UN recognizes the state of Serbia after the country changed its constitution for the third time in less than 50 years.

Serbia is now a democratic country amongst other Balkan lands. It has a population size of Paris (10 million) spread over an area slightly bigger than South Carolina. Unlike former territories – Bosnia, Croatia, and Slovenia – Serbia writes its language in Cyrillic. Three religions predominate: Serbian Orthodox, Catholicism, and Islam. Belgade, the capital, and Novi Sad, are Serbia’s two major cities. Due to the Balkan wars, much of the infrastructure and industry was severely damaged. Now, Serbia is stabilizing into a market economy with the help of natural resources and tourism. Indeed, Serbia is a beautiful land with unique architecture, awesome canyons and mountains, soothing spas, and fascinating history.

Valjevo A sleepy town of 200,000 residents, Valjevo is an excellent destination for travelers during the summer months. It is located on a tributary of the Sava river, Kolubara, in Upper Western Serbia. Merchants and itinerants mention this city in their logs as early as 1393. However, Valjevo is better renowned for being a piece of nationalist history in the early 1800s. With the “beheading of the two dukes,” Nanodovic & Bircanin, in 1804, the town was the focal point for the 1st and 2nd Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire.

For centuries, the Valjevo Mountain Range has served as a place of leisure and rejuvenation. The dwelling at its precipice, Divcibare, is said to provide its inhabitants with the benefits of three different air currents – maritime, mountain, and continental. During July & August, Valjevo and other local villages celebrate summer by enjoying festivals such as The Day of Medicinal Herbs in the mountains. Factoid: the Sava River in Western Serbia is the cleanest river in Europe!

Activities in Valjevo The activities of our program pack a punch. Participants have their choice of 3 one-day paid excursions to seek out avenues of history, shopping, spelunking (adventuring in caves), music, and religion. Western Serbia is the host of music festivals, centuries-old monasteries, beautiful canyons, and of course, beautiful cities like Belgrade and Novi Sad.

During times of respite, we also offer a sports facility center that holds an aerobic center, swimming pool, walking paths, and tennis courts.

Novi Sad This Upper Serbian city lies on the Eastern Danube and is the second largest city in the country. Novi Sad, the name, means ‘new planting’ and derives from Old Serbian. There are three distinctive parts of the Novi Sad landscape: Petrovaradin, Fruska Gora, Ratzen Stadt. Traces of human settlement in Petrovaradin begin in the Stone Age. In the late 1600s, the Austrian Empire forbade Orthodox Serbians from living in the same vicinity as Catholics and they were forced to build a new section of the city, originally called Ratzen Stadt, on the other side of the Danube. Fruska Gora, a preserved national park since 1960, was at one time the natural barrier separating the Frankish Empire from its outside neighbors. It is well-known for its grapes which make Riesling wine. Every July, Novi Sad hosts the biggest dance festival in Eastern Europe, the EXIT festival. The show brings in thousands of Europeans and is a key tourist attraction for the Serbian economy.

The core of our Novi Sad program consists of 2 or 3 week programs which include 20 hours of study. Students take an enrollment test before they leave for Serbia to determine the appropriate level of language experience and acquisition. The majority of our instruction staff hold either M.A.s or PhDs in Serbian liguistics, literature, or philology. Texts and other course material are provided.

Homestays are the crux of the Novi Sad experience. NRCSA finds that language and cultural immersion is the best way to maximize a student's potential. We make it our duty to ensure the ambiance and security of a host family before placing every student. Students land and arrive in Novi Sad the day before classes begin and leave the day following courses. Meals are not included in this package but inexpensive eating can be found throughout the city.