Customer Reviews

Serbia, 2nd (Bradt Travel Guide)

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The book is authored by Laurence Mitchell and published as his first contribution to the Bradt guides. People in the know are aware of how difficult and complicated Serbia is, or what might be the problems the author had to solve while collecting data and checking out the situation on the spot. It is for this that the book should be additionally and particularly appreciated.

Bradt's 'Serbia' is amazingly informative, surprisingly accurate and, most of all, supplied with well-judged and sincere comments. The text consists of 9 chapters, including background information on geography, history, Art and architecture, literature, even cinema and music. The author made use of additional 'boxes' in order to focus the reader's attention on some more important or interesting details, such as biographies of historical personalities, important historical events, local customs, offbeat or weird attractions and sights, and the like. Apart from an insight into literally all geographical regions of this country, the author offers a lot of helpful practical information and suggestions. After paging through this book one almost feels intimately knowledgeable with all aspects of Serbia: its history, the people and culture.

Here are just two examples that ilustrate his charming writing sytle. Depicting a local town hotel somewhere inside Serbia, he writes: 'You cannot fail to notice this 3 star monstrosity in the centre of town... The carpets range from threadbare to completely worn out, and the eccentric and numerous light fittings, have clearly seen better days - I counted 13 in my room, 7 of which worked.' In case of the largest Belgrade's open-air market, Mitchell comments: "...Every imaginable type of food produce is sold here: vast piles of seasonal fruit, heaving mound peppers, rounds of cheese, hams, wooden tubs of 'kajmak', and enough garlic to dispatch any vampire straight back to Transylvania..."

There is a large section on Belgrade, as well as several sections on different regions of Serbia, including the southern province of Kosovo. Laurence Mitchell explains both the past and the present-day situation in that southern province, starting with the following comment: "Kosova - if you are Albanian, Kosovo-Metohija if you are a Serb - even the name is a political issue. This troubled province remains at the heart of Serbian thinking and is a place of great spiritual importance for many Orthodox Serbs." On the other hand, we can see that some other guidebooks (such as the famous Blue Guide) cover "Albania and Kosovo" as a travel destination (!?).

Twenty six well-drawn and vivid maps and plans attached to the text serve as both an illustration and information. The pictures are good and packed into 8 color pages, but in my opinion any guidebook should have more extensive photo material. In fact, a few additional photos scattered throughout the text (especially those of Belgrade's cosmopolitan face - Republic Square, pedestrian zone, open-air cafes) would have done the job. And, this would be my only criticism of the otherwise superb Mitchell's book. There are, of course, some errors in the book, but that was inevitably caused by such extensive and 'all-in' approach.

Laurence Mitchell acknowledges that Serbia is currently not an ideally organized travel destination, but he also points out on a widely spread and erroneous viewpoint of many abroad which still prevails over the factual situation in the country. He writes in his 'Introduction': "Hopefully, I have rectified this situation to some extent with the publication of this guide. Serbia should get the recognition - and visitors - it deserves. Please visit Serbia, you know it makes sense."

This book can be read on the coffee table at home, on the plane or train to Serbia, or (more effectively and with the best result) on the spot when you are about to explore the varied and somewhat contrasted facets of this Balkan country. Buy the book and accept the challenge it has to offer: visit Serbia and discover offbeat travel attractions you never knew existed!

In the 2nd edition of his already excellent guidebook L. Mitchell has given a considerably enlarged, significantly improved and fully updated story about the country where I work as a licensed tourist guide and therefore I thought I knew it best.

To my surprise, I was able to discover in this book not only a great deal of practical information mainly useful for visitors and tourists alike, but also some really amazing, less known and unfamiliar stories about the country and its people.

The 2nd edition included expanded coverage on various background topics, such as Serbian cinema, literature and music, with boxes on Serbian personalities in these fields (for instance, Emir Kusturica or Ceca, an extravagant Balkan diva) as well as popular festivals like the annual Guca Trumpet Festival and EXIT. Many more boxes on subjects as diverse as the narrow gauge 'Sargan Eight' railway and curiosities like the 'Kremna Prophecies' and the 'Wild Man of Fruska Gora'. However, one of my favorite boxes is `Rocky comes to rescue of Serbian village' which really gives additional flavor to what is generally known or percieved about the Serbian mentality.

More information are also given on natural history and National Parks in Serbia.

I noticed as well that the author extended the listings, now including many of the new restaurants, cafes and bars and low-cost hostels that have opened for business in Belgrade in the last couple of years, along with privately run mid-range, luxury (`boutique') and hotels in the capital and beyond. Belgrade has recently become the capital of night life in the Balkans, attracting lots of young visitors from every corner of the world, and this fully annotated list will help them discover all the variety of day and night entertainment in Belgrade.

Finally, an improved and correct use of Serbian terms (including some given in Cyrillic script with no mistakes) would be of special help to foreign visitors.

Even if you are in possession of the 1st edition of the book, I would recommend that you buy the new one. It's much more informative than previous, has more correct information of any kind, offers a new design and is supplied with more photographs. And most of all, you are going to really enjoy reading it as a new book!

A NOTE ON THE 3RD EDITION (07/2010)

Here it is - the 3rd edition of the Bradt guide to Serbia! I received it from the UK several days ago!
Everything I wanted to say about this book, I have already said in my reviews of former editions. It is important, however, to comment that city information for Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis and Subotica (the four most visited spots in Serbia) have been brought thoroughly up to date in the new edition, which is important for a traveler (fully annotated lists of hotels, hostels, restaurants etc.). Also, the author put some new additions to the text, thus covering a few remaining, previously not included towns or attractions, like Knjazevac and Devil's Town.
As an informed native and experienced professional tour guide I am once again surprised with the quality of this book which is, no doubt, a result of Laurence Mitchell's profound knowledge of Serbia and his passion for this country.

I purchased this guide book when I found out I would be visiting Serbia for business, mostly because it was the only guide to Serbia in English I could find. I was pleasantly surprised at the cultural background, political and social context, and historical perspective that this book provided. Before I even stepped on Serbian soil, I had a sense of what mysteries I was in store to explore. Repeatedly in my week visiting half of Serbia, my hosts would remark how I knew of little-known tidbits about this town, or that restaurant. Very impressive first impression and makes me want to check out other Bradt guides. If you're visiting Serbia, this is a MUST HAVE.

I had a hard time finding a travel guide for my trip to Serbia. Due to its history, that area is not a popular tourist destination. I am so glad I found this book. It helped me immensely! You will find information on so many interesting facts in Serbia. I do not know how the author was able to collect such detailed information.

If it was not for this book I would have ended up confined to Belgrade (a wonderful city). However I was able to travel across many areas and got to see things such as Goluba Castle far off the beaten path.

The restaurant and hotel information, along with the included maps, was invaluable. I recommend this book 100%!

This guide to Serbia is everything that a guidebook should be. Physically, it is compact enough to fit easily inside a backpack or shoulder bag so that it can be referred to easily during travel. The front cover contains essential information, such as what visual symbols mean both on signs and on maps and toursit brochures. It gives a basic "hello / goodbye / thank you" vocabulary and the phone numbers of emergency services in Serbia.

The vocabulary help is continued at the end of the book, where appendix 1 gives a fairly comprehensive vocabulary useful for asking basic questions, shopping, and ordering in a restaurant. Highlighted with a gray background, there is also a sectioned-off vocabulary list of words used in an emergency: police, ambulance, Call a doctor, I am lost, etc. Appendix 1 also gives the Cyrillic alphabet, its nearest equivalent in the English alphabet, and how to prounounce the letters.

The book also includes an index (very useful), a bibliography, addresses and phone numbers for Serbian embassies in several countries, and a list of relevant internet links.

A beautiful, two-page topographical map of Serbia appears at the beginning of the book, with the relevant page numbers listed at the side for each region. The map also shows the major transportation routes throughout Serbia, which has been helpful to me in planning my own trip. Further maps of each region are included in each of the chapters, as well as street maps of the major cities.

The general information section is practical, helpful and accurate. In addition, Mitchell has done an excellent job of presenting the incredibly complex history and cultures of Serbia in such a short space. I feel that it is impossible to fully appreciate a place without understanding the history that formed it.

The guide itself is divided into geographical regions. Each section has a gray "tab" which can be seen on the side of the book, so opening to the desired chapter is easy. Information is given about accomodations, transportation, where and what to eat, festivals, what to see, how to make phone calls, what is unique to the area, what to watch out for, etc. The section on Belgrade also includes the addresses and phone numbers of several foreign embassies.

There are 8 pages of colored photographs in the middle of the book.

I will be "field testing" this guidebook in a couple of months, but I do not see how Laurence Mitchell's Bradt guidebook to Serbia could be any better than it already is.

I am Serbian but have lived in the states for most of my life. When my husband and I took a trip this part fall, we decided to tour the country side for a week and escape the obligation of seeing relatives and friends. Best decision we ever made... particularly since it got us out of Belgrade, my home, but, a city I don't think I would ever recommend to travelers... at least not until many, MANY things change. This book helped us, including me, a native, find the gems many Serbs haven't explored. A few such gems included Mokra Gora, Djerdap, and any number of monasteries, many of which have recently been repaired to their original grandeur! However, not only was this book an amazing way to help make our trip easy navigation to the hidden treasures of Serbia, it was also invaluable to fill in the (many) holes in my knowledge of Serbian history. By the end of the trip, my husband, a pure-bred American, was quizzing me on things such as "the significance of Manasija Monastery..." :-) In other words, I recommend this book to tourists as well as Serbian natives who wish to explore more deeply parts of their home!

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (2/07)

Serbia is one of those European countries that most people would have real trouble locating on a map. More often than not I hear people saying that it is somewhere in Russia or next to one of those "-stan" countries. Those who are somewhat more interested in recent history seem to have a vague recollection of it being involved in the Balkan war; and they might even remember the war crimes, horrors in Bosnia, Slobodan Milosevic and several similar topics. Fortunately there is much, much more to Serbia and Laurence Mitchell did a wonderful job putting together this first edition of the only guide to Serbia in English, a least at the time of its publication in 2005.

The guidebook follows the usual useful format of other Bradt Guides - starting with an Introduction, followed by Part I (General Information) and Part II (The Guide). If you are planning to visit Serbia, make sure to read the excellent information gathered in Part I. It will help you make your stay much safer and enjoyable. Pay particular attention to what should truly be discussed as little as possible (politics and football...), how to behave in a restaurant (the host pays the entire bill, regardless of their financial situation - and as a tourist you are automatically a guest), why you should never turn down an offer of a drink or something to eat (to refuse that you'll come across as haughty), and what is in store for you if you are a non-smoker (grin and bear it)...

Part II, The Guide, will surprise you with the wealth of sights that Serbia has to offer. While this part of the world has not been a major tourist destination even before the war, it certainly is well worth a visit. The people are surprisingly hospitable (and here I am speaking from personal experience), food and drink plentiful and tasty, countryside inviting, museums and lots of monasteries intriguing and the national parks truly beautiful. If urban style is more your thing, Belgrade is one of the most vibrant, lively capitals of Europe; and - according to both Laurence Mitchell and my own experiences - a city that truly never sleeps. Mr. Mitchell has done his research thoroughly and in his guidebook he provides all of the necessary addresses and details to make your visit to Serbia an unforgettable one.

Two very useful features in this book are the good two dozen detailed maps as well as the parallel Latin/Cyrillic spelling of place names. Since most of the signs in Serbia (as well as newspapers and everything else) are written in Cyrillic, this could be quite an important feature.

I read this insightful guide, "Serbia," with great pleasure and I would gladly recommend it to those adventurous travelers who are willing to go to a relatively unknown, yet beautiful and surprisingly affordable Serbia. If you are not ready for a trip yet, but would like to learn more about that part of the Balkans, by all means get this wonderful guide and if it leaves you thirsty for more, the author put together a great additional reading list, which could be found in the Appendix on page 300.

Book received free of charge.

This was a great tool for my trip to Serbia. It offered a great background on the history of Serbia and the context of a lot of the important buildings.

When I took a bus tour or Belgrade, I felt like I had the inside track on understanding all of the interesting sites. The book also includes some interesting sidebars, like buying a house in Serbia, which offers some insight in what life is really like there.

It also had great tips on things like avoiding the airport cabbies and a description of the flea market in New Belgrade, although it did seem to overstate the size of the flea market.

If you are making a quick trip to Serbia, this book is well worth the cost.