【说走就走系列】之欧洲首个对中国免签的国家——塞尔维亚Serbia: The First Country in Europe to Go Visa-Free for China

Good news — the Chinese passport keeps appreciating in value.

Serbia has officially gone visa-free for China, making it the first country in Europe to offer genuine visa-free entry to Chinese nationals.

As everyone knows, traveling to Europe almost always means a Schengen visa; and even when the odd country eases its visa policy for China, it still tacks on all sorts of conditions. Pulling off a spur-of-the-moment trip to Europe really isn't easy. But this time, the mutual visa waiver between Serbia and China is what "spur-of-the-moment" actually means.

(Figure in original: the House on the Drina.)

China and Serbia formally signed the Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on Mutual Visa Exemption for Holders of Ordinary Passports on November 5, 2016, though the effective date wasn't nailed down. Word had gone around that the agreement would take effect on January 1, 2017, but that wasn't accurate.

It's now been confirmed by both countries' foreign ministries: the mutual visa waiver between China and Serbia officially takes effect on January 15, 2017. From then on, Chinese citizens holding a valid ordinary Chinese passport can travel, do business, or visit family in Serbia visa-free for stays of up to 30 days.

(Figure in original: a screenshot of a CCTV news report — "China and Serbia's mutual visa waiver to take effect January 15, 2017.")

This is a visa waiver of real substance: not just for tourism, but for business and family visits too, with stays of up to 30 days, and — most important of all — no strings attached. Nothing like Malaysia's so-called "visa-free," which requires at least two people traveling together and only in a tour group. That one's far too watered down. If I may say so, Serbia, send us a few dozen more waivers like this one.

(Figure in original: face paint with the Serbian flag.)

What Kind of Country Is Serbia, Exactly?

Serbia may sound unfamiliar to a lot of people. But mention a couple of things and everyone will place it: you surely remember the 2016 Olympic women's volleyball final, when China's women's team fought its heart out and took gold — their formidable opponent in that match was Serbia's women's team. And going further back in history, in 1999 the Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was bombed by NATO; the site of that event is present-day Serbia.

(Figure in original: Serbia's women's volleyball team.)

Serbia was originally a coastal country on the Balkan Peninsula, but with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, followed by Montenegro's independence in 2006 and Kosovo's in 2008, it became landlocked. This country, which may seem unfamiliar, is actually one of Europe's closest friends to China.

(Figure in original: Serbia's location in Europe.)

Serbia is a low-key pearl of Europe, its brilliance hidden away — hailed as "the crossroads of East and West." In 2015 Lonely Planet named it one of the "top 10 countries worth traveling to," and its capital, Belgrade, was rated the world's No. 1 city for nightlife. On top of that, Serbia is the birthplace of the love lock.

The phrase "three manys, three fews" captures it perfectly — three manys: lots of scenery, lots of beautiful women and handsome men, lots of kafanas; three fews: little pollution, few people, low cost.

Lots of Scenery

(Figure in original: a Belgrade church and autumn scenery.)

Serbia is considered the most ecologically well-preserved place in Europe. Along with the Danube, Europe's second-longest river, it has 5 national parks and more than 30 nature parks and special nature reserves, plus landmark 19th-century architecture such as the Church of Saint Sava — the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the world and one of the top 10 churches anywhere.

Lots of Beautiful Women and Handsome Men

Beautiful women and handsome men are a common sight on the streets. Tennis fans will know Serbia well: Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic, once ranked world No. 1 in men's and women's singles, are this country's pride. As Serbs' male idol, Djokovic's off-the-charts good looks are the very embodiment of the country's masculine appeal.

(Figure in original: Novak Djokovic.)

(Figure in original: Ana Ivanovic.)

(Figure in original: Victoria's Secret Angels.)

What's more, plenty of Victoria's Secret Angels hail from Serbia — they've got the deep-set eyes of the Turks, the soft, flowing hair of the Greeks, and the straight, sharp nose of the Yugoslavs.

(Figure in original: Miranda Kerr.)

The goddess Miranda Kerr is one-quarter Serbian~

Lots of Kafanas

(Figure in original: a kafana bar.)

To Serbs, a kafana is a place of joy — a place with drinks and music that sends a jolt through your nerves. Just got dumped? Go drown your sorrows at a kafana. Landed a new job? Go celebrate like mad at a kafana…

(Figure in original: an open-air kafana.)

In short, a night without a kafana can't be called living, not in Serbia~

Little Pollution

(Figure in original: a monastery in a valley.)

Serbia is the most ecologically well-preserved place in Europe, so its natural scenery is extraordinarily abundant — orchards, woods, meadows, peaks, canyons, and lakes all over the place, with almost no pollution and fresh, clean air~

Serbia may not be all that developed, but everywhere it gives off a plain, fresh feeling that's utterly relaxing~

(Figure in original: Serbian children in a wheat field.)

Strolling the streets of Belgrade is like walking onto the set of a European city film, with a nostalgic, retro air drifting everywhere, and bright, luminous colors~

(Figure in original: a restaurant decked out in flowers.)

Few People, and Low Cost

Serbia is a country relatively unfamiliar to most, where commercial tourism isn't well developed, so on an ordinary day there aren't many tourists around. On top of that, it's a place of slow living and low prices. A morning coffee runs about 6 yuan; a slice of cake, under 7. You could say Serbia is a European country well-suited to budget travel.

(Figure in original: a 100-Serbian-dinar banknote, featuring Tesla.)

1 yuan ≈ 17.0578 Serbian dinars

1 Serbian dinar ≈ 0.0586 yuan

(Exchange rates fluctuate; go by the actual rate.)

Serbia is a country well worth a visit. This land on the banks of the Danube is as serene and pure as heaven, with less of the mundane world's noise and more of nature's flavor.

Where in Serbia Is Worth Going

Belgrade — Half Seawater, Half Flame

(Figure in original: Belgrade, the crossroads of East and West.)

Belgrade is Serbia's capital and one of Europe's oldest cities, known as "the crossroads of East and West," "the gate of the Balkans," and "the gate of Central Europe." It's here that the Danube and the Sava fall in love and embrace. One bank of the channel is the quaint old town; the other is the new town, dense with modern buildings.

(Figure in original: the beautiful, leisurely banks of the Sava.)

Belgrade earned the name "the White City" over a thousand years ago, for how neat and white it was. The people here are warm, friendly, civilized, and open — none of the arrogance, coldness, and hypocrisy so common in the West. It's also been called one of the safest cities in Europe.

Kalemegdan — the Starting Point for Getting to Know Belgrade

(Figure in original: Kalemegdan Fortress, which means "the land of the fortress" in Turkish.)

The ancient fortress of Kalemegdan, at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube, is the best witness to the city's history, and Belgrade's landmark sight and recreation spot.

(Figure in original: an archway of the old fortress.)

Though the fortress has been repaired and expanded many times, you can still see the architectural traces of ancient Rome and the Austro-Hungarian Empire; most of the surviving ruins, however, date mainly from the period of Turkish rule.

A park has now been built around Kalemegdan Fortress, from which you can look out over the Danube and what was once a battlefield. This iconic Victor Monument commemorates Serbia's defeat of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires in the Balkan Wars, and the First World War.

(Figure in original: the Victor Monument in the snow.)

Only after running your hand over Kalemegdan's crumbling walls, soaked through with the blood and sweat of ancient soldiers, can you truly understand the saying, "Belgrade became the ugliest city precisely because it has the most beautiful location." That probably echoes the Chinese notion that great beauty is fated to a hard life.

(Figure in original: Belgrade at night.)

For tourists, this is one of Belgrade's most beautiful natural lookouts; at dawn or dusk, many come here to take in the city's beauty. Gazing at the broad river gliding gently beneath your feet, it's easy to fall into wistful thoughts of the past and let your mind wander.

The Church of Saint Sava — the Largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the World

(Figure in original: the Church of Saint Sava.)

The Church of Saint Sava is the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the world to date, and it's still not entirely finished. Construction began under Hitler's rule and was interrupted, and it couldn't proceed under Communist rule either.

The church interior is open to the public free of charge — you can go in and look around, and feel how small you are beneath the great dome. If you're lucky, you might even catch worshippers at prayer~

The Ruins of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia — a Place the Chinese Won't Forget

The embassy ruins are in the New Belgrade district; the area has stayed desolate, an empty stretch of grass with just a small playground on it. It's a special site that every Chinese citizen visiting Belgrade ought to go and see, for reasons that need no explaining — that chapter of history should not be forgotten.

Skadarlija Old Street — Where Literature and Art Flow

Skadarlija Old Street is tucked away among the buildings in the heart of Belgrade's old town, and strolling through it feels like traveling back in time. Both sides are lined with 19th-century Serbian-style red-tiled bungalows and three- and four-story buildings, graffiti on the walls, the street paved in cobblestones — book kiosks, flower shops, little eateries… all quaint and steeped in the flavor of a bygone era.

The cobblestone lanes may not be ideal for high heels, but they suit the appetites of foodies and art lovers just fine. This was once a gathering place for Serbian musicians and poets, and the many poems, songs, and other works born here inspire every Serb. Today it's Serbia's bohemian quarter — the Montmartre of Belgrade, you might say.

Skadarlija Old Street retains a rich cultural atmosphere; the former home of the famous Serbian poet Đura Jakšić is preserved intact right on the little street. And some street artists will even turn the roadside benches and railings into an art gallery with their own works.

Knez Mihailova Street — Belgrade's Most Celebrated Pedestrian Street

Knez Mihailova Street sits in the center of Belgrade, right next to Kalemegdan Park. It's Belgrade's most celebrated commercial pedestrian street; though just a kilometer long, it's made a name for itself thanks to the 1870s-era buildings on either side, and it's listed as a nationally protected historic street.

Belgrade, a city of 2 million people, has 3,000 bars and cafés, and on Knez Mihailova Street you'll feel that this is no exaggeration. Beyond the shops and restaurants of every kind, the place is a riot of activity every weekend — street performers show off their tricks, the cafés fill with people who've been savoring their weekend since the afternoon, and men and women come and go along the street, laughing and chatting, as if the whole of life turns simple and easily contented in these smiling faces.

Nights on the Banks of the Sava — Rated the World's No. 1 for Nightlife

A battlefield once filled with the fires of war and rubble — and just over a decade later, it's honestly hard to believe Belgrade's nights could be this vibrant, rated by Lonely Planet as the world's No. 1 for nightlife! Come here and you'll find that the Serbs' nights are spectacular not just on weekends but every single evening. No wonder some call Belgrade one of the wildest party destinations in the world.

Here you'll find all-night clubs, bars, and cafés, cheap drinks, and none of the many restrictions on nightlife elsewhere. Once past midnight, the deeper-into-the-night, wilder-the-fun nightlife has only just begun.

And the most famous nighttime activity is a boat cruise on the river, where the Sava and the Danube meet. Facing such an ancient city, intoxicated by the dazzling lights along both banks, watching the lively crowds outside the bars on the far shore — it's a romance you can't feel anywhere else.

Novi Sad — Hailed as "the Athens of Serbia"

Novi Sad is known as "the Athens of Serbia" and also enjoys the nickname "the City of Flowers"; it's Serbia's second-largest city. After the upheaval of the European revolutions of 1848, the city gradually recovered its former prosperity. The beautiful Danube runs right through it, and a leisurely, artistic air wafts everywhere.

The Town of Petrovaradin — a Long-Renowned Music Town

The town of Petrovaradin is most famous for its fortress, first built in 1692; records show humans have labored here since the Paleolithic era.

The clock tower "Trivia" atop the fortress is the landmark structure, and the clock has a peculiar feature: the hour hand is long and the minute hand short. It's said the design was so that fishermen out working could tell the hour clearly from far off, and get home for meals in time.

The Novi Sad EXIT Festival — One of Europe's Biggest Music Festivals

Speak of Novi Sad and you have to mention the EXIT Festival. Every July, in the town of Petrovaradin, the grand EXIT rock festival is held; music lovers from all over Europe come flocking to it, and more than 200,000 people join this enormous musical revelry.

The EXIT Festival began in 2000, originally staged to celebrate the departure (exit) of former leader Milošević. Combined with the Serbs' longing to break free of the blockade of war and the shackles on their thinking — their hope of finding a way out, an exit, in music — it was named the EXIT Festival.

Over more than a decade of growth, EXIT has become one of Europe's most important and largest electronic music festivals. It's precisely because of EXIT that Novi Sad was named the "European Capital of Culture for 2021"! If you love music and art, don't miss this major event, where you can both revel in the music and enjoy the tranquility on the banks of the Danube.

The Spa Town of Vrnjačka Banja — Birthplace of the Love Lock

Vrnjačka Banja lies in southern Serbia, about 200 kilometers from Belgrade, famous for its naturally drinkable mineral spring water. Most delightful of all, Vrnjačka Banja is the birthplace of the love lock!

During World War I, Nada, a schoolteacher from Vrnjačka Banja, fell in love with a Serbian officer named Relja, and the two vowed never to let their hearts change. But after Relja was conscripted and his unit reached Greece, he fell for a girl from the island of Corfu. Learning the news back in her hometown, Nada was heartbroken and eventually died of grief.

To commemorate the story and declare their own resolve to defend love, the local girls of Vrnjačka Banja began hanging locks engraved with their names and their sweethearts' on the Bridge of Love where Nada and Relja had first met, to keep their partners from ever straying. The face of a love lock is usually engraved with the couple's names or initials. Once locked, the lovers toss away the key, symbolizing a love unbreakable.

Novi Pazar — As If You've Arrived in Istanbul, Turkey

Novi Pazar sits in southern Serbia; it's the cultural center of Serbia's Bosniaks and the largest city in the Sandžak region. Some have said it resembles a miniature Istanbul, because you can find traces of Turkey everywhere here.

Every morning the minaret-adorned fortress stirs awake to the muezzin's call to prayer, and quiet Eastern Orthodox sights are everywhere; yet around the corner you'll come upon crowds of Muslim women. In that moment you feel as if you're watching foreign cultures fully fuse together in Turkish-flavored Novi Pazar.

Novi Pazar has the largest mosque on the Balkan Peninsula, along with 15th-century Turkish baths and Ottoman-era city walls.

Subotica — an Art City That Embraces 25 Ethnicities

Subotica is an art town brimming with rich color, Serbia's fifth-largest city, embracing 25 ethnicities and 6 languages while carrying on both Hungarian and Serbian traditions.

Meticulously designed Art Nouveau marvels, a leisurely way of life, a wonderful blend of Serbian and Hungarian cultures — all of it makes this quaint little town distinctive, with its sweet Art Nouveau wonders, easygoing locals, and delicious Serbian and Hungarian food. Be sure to try the local specialty, the Vojvodina pancake, which is one of a kind in Serbia.

The Devil's Town — One of the "27 Most Unbelievable Sights in Europe"

The Devil's Town is a wonder formed of 202 naturally occurring stone towers that shift into all sorts of different landscapes with the weather. It's hailed as one of the "27 most unbelievable sights in Europe."

The Kopaonik Ski Resort — Skiing at a Third the Cost of France

Mount Kopaonik in central Serbia is a famous ski destination, blanketed in white snow every year from November through the following May. Its fame may not match that of Switzerland, France, and other European ski resorts, but its 44 kilometers of ski slopes, 20 kilometers of ski lifts, and a 120-meter-high ski jump put many a traditional ski resort in the shade.

Most important of all, skiing here costs only a third of what it does in France — and the venison here is the cheapest in all of Europe.

The Uvac River Canyon — One of the World's 10 Most Stunning River Canyons

The Danube has a 588-kilometer navigable route within Serbia; cruise down it and the scenery along the banks is exquisite. Among it, the Uvac River, on the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, forms a 10-kilometer natural boundary between the two countries — a place also known as the last refuge for endangered birds.

The Pannonian Plain — Colored Waves More Beautiful Than the Sea

Colorful ripples, rainbow waves — not in the sea, but in the hills and valleys. You can't help but marvel at nature's handiwork. The Pannonian Plain is shared among Serbia, along with Hungary, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine.