Serbia 02.08.2014 - 14.08.2014

What do YOU know about Serbia? Are you old enough to remember the horrible pictures of early 1990s war in Yugoslavia appearing almost everyday in our news? Did you hear about Srebrenica? For sure you can remember the latest war in Kosovo and today you will mainly hear about the problems in Mitrovica, the struggle of the hope to achieve the European Union membership and the economy that has been ruined through war and corruption.

These are of course parts of the history and presence of this country. But Serbia is so much more.
This study trip will provide you with another perspective of the identity and history of Serbia beyond common media coverage. We will meet people from different state institutions, from non-governmental organizations, scientists but also students and common people. We will start our journey in Serbia’s capital Belgrade, the metropolis between Sava and Danube and travel on to the South Western part of the country, where its amazing natural beauty can be experienced in its best. From Zlatibor we will visit different villages and cities and take part at the famous trumpet festival in Guča. Further we will visit Niš, the birth town of Konstantin the Great and we will see the witnesses for the resistance against the Ottomans in the 19th century.

Apart from war and nationalism Serbia is actually almost unknown in Western Europe. Just a decade ago, Serbia was even an undiscovered and unknown land in the heart of Europe. But since the memories of the gloomy 1990s are fading, more and more visitors are discovering this Balkan region.

We want to offer you the chance to get to know this country and to overcome any potential prejudices. In many aspects, Serbia is underdeveloped and even archaic, but you can also see how it turns more and more into a modern European country. Its location between Western Europe and the Middle East has led to a versatile culture. These mixed influences make Serbia a unique part of Europe.

Things we want to accomplish on this trip

• Get an understanding of the conflict with Kosovo from the Serbian perspective
• Learn about Serbia’s troubled and complex past as well as its present challenges
• Experience the amazing natural beauty of Serbia
• Learn about the problems in the daily life of people in the Southern villages

Highlights

• Visit the famous trumpet-festival in Guča
• Explore by bike Novi Beograd and Zemun, the part of Belgrade that was conquered by Austro-Hungary in 1717 and which afterwards built the center of the continued border wars between the Habsburg and Ottoman empires.
• Take a ride in the historical mountain railway Šarganska-Osmica
• Visit the Ovcar Kablar Canyon
• Enjoy your last night at the famous Belgrade Beer festival, party with locals and enjoy Yugoslav rock music