The first inhabitants of Yugoslavia were the Illyrians, who were followed by the Celts in the 4th century BC and the Romans 100 years later. In the middle of the 6th century AD, Slavic tribes crossed the Danube and occupied much of the Balkan Peninsula. In 1217 the Serbian Kingdom - which included a lot of Albania and northern Greece - asserted its independence from Byzantium, but in 1389 the Ottoman Empire cut that little party short, invading Serbia and settling in for the next 500 years. Throughout the 19th century the Serbs started pushing back, and by 1878 they'd regained their independence.
No sooner had they got their autonomy than the Serbian Kingdom started stirring up trouble. In the First Balkan War (1912) they joined forces with Greece and Bulgaria to liberate Macedonia from Turkey. In the Second Balkan War (1913) they tried to take Macedonia from Bulgaria. In league with Western Europe, they also took Kosovo from Albania. In 1914 Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia and triggered WWI. When the dust cleared, Croatia, Slovenia, Vojvodina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia joined forces to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. As this didn't fit across the bottom of an envelope, the name was changed to Yugoslavia.
In 1941 Yugoslavia signed up with the fascist Tripartite Alliance, lured by Germany's promise of a chunk of Greece. The Yugoslav people weren't impressed - they overthrew the reigning regent and pulled out of the alliance. Hitler was even less impressed and invaded, slicing the defeated country up and handing out shares to Germany, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria. Hundreds of thousands of Serbs and Jews were massacred by the newly-installed Croatian puppet regime.
Yugoslavia kept its independence after WWII, thanks to the immense wartime efforts of its partisans, and in 1945 the Communist Party, under Josip Tito, came to power. Bosnia-Hercegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia were granted republic status, the monarchy was abolished and Yugoslavia became a federal republic. During his presidency, Tito walked a fine line between the superpowers, remaining unaligned with the West or the Stalinist Soviet Union. When he died in 1980, the presidency became a collective post rotated between nine elected members - not the most effective of leadership styles. In 1986 Slobodan Milosevic - who had risen to power on the back of anti-Albanian Serb nationalist rhetoric - got his turn in the hotseat. His vision of a 'Greater Serbia', untainted by foreign blood, horrified residents of Slovenia and Croatia, who declared themselves independent in June 1991.
Milosevic would brook no dissent: the federal army was sent into Slovenia, while the EC rapidly introduced sanctions in an effort to head off civil war. Within a month the troops were out of Slovenia, but fighting had picked up pace in Croatia, where thousands died before a UN-brokered cease fire in January 1992. The EC recognised Croatian and Slovenian independence, whereupon Macedonia and Bosnia-Hercegovina also demanded recognition.
On 27 April 1992, Serbia and Montenegro dubbed themselves Yugoslavia, largely to escape blame for the bloodshed in Bosnia (which had been brought about by federal, rather than Yugoslav, forces). Although all Yugoslavian troops were withdrawn from Bosnia, the 80% Bosnian Serb component of the federal army stayed on, and the war continued. In May 1992 the UN Security Council passed a sweeping package of sanctions against Yugoslavia and warships were sent to the Adriatic to make sure the embargo was pulled off. By the end of 1996, a Yugoslav-Croat peace treaty had been signed, Bosnia had been divided between Serbs and Croat-Muslims, and Milosevic's dream of a greater Serbia was fulfilled. Tens of thousands were dead, the country's beautiful landscape and historic towns were torn to shreds, and Yugoslavia's tourist industry was all but destroyed.
In March 1998, trouble flared again in Kosovo. The province's Albanian majority began agitating for independence, and Yugoslavia responded to what it described as Albanian terrorism with its old standby, ethnic cleansing. Villages have been terrorised, hundreds of ethnic Albanians killed and thousands more have been forced to flee. Fearful of 'another Bosnia', the Contact Group (USA, Britain, Russia, Germany, France and Italy), introduced a new arms embargo on Yugoslavia, but to little avail - Serbian repression continued, the Kosovo Liberation Army responded, and in early 1999 NATO bombs started falling.
Yugoslav music and dance is built on a strong folk tradition, similar to that of neighbouring Bulgaria. The gajde, which looks like a large set of bagpipes, is the wailing mainstay of Yugoslav song, and has probably been in the country since the Celts invaded in the 4th century. The Albanian minority in Kosovo tap their feet to a more Turkish tune and play on Arab instruments, while around Guca, gypsy dancers swing their thing to the brassy tones of blehmuzika, Serbia's national brass-band sound. Modern musos such as Momcilo Bajagic and Dorde Balasevic have taken folk themes and added street poetry and jazz.
Yugoslavia's official language is Serbian. This language was developed by philologist and language reformer, Vuk Stefanovich Karadzich, who polished and codified the language of Serbian peasants. Almost the same language as Croatian, Serbian differs in that it is written in Cyrillic rather than Latin script. The Cyrillic alphabet is entirely phonetic, with one symbol for each of the language's 30 sounds - there's no such thing as a silent letter in Serbian. Although most Yugoslavs speak German, and many speak French or English, learning a few Serbian phrases will open doors and create smiles.
Yugoslavia blurs culinary borders, with a cuisine that takes tastes from Turkey, Hungary and Greece. However they spice it, though, the Yugoslavs love their meat: Serbian kebabs, hamburger steaks, vegetables stuffed with meat and mixed grills of pork, liver, sausage and rissoles. Montenegrins, who do a good line in dairy cows, serve their meat with cream and cheese. Even breakfast is meaty - the traditional Balkan burek is a greasy layered pie of cheese and meat. Fruit grows everywhere, and the Yugoslavs like to enjoy their harvest year round by fermenting grapes, apples, or stone fruit into a brandy called rakija. Montenegrin beer is also a tasty tipple.
Destroyed 40 times in its 2300 year history, Belgrade has never quite managed to pick up all the pieces. This slightly dishevelled air, combined with the city's vibrancy, fine restaurants, street cafes and northern European atmosphere, would make it an ideal place to spend a few days, if only accommodation weren't so horrendously expensive. Belgrade's bustling centre is the Kneza Mihaila, a cafe-lined pedestrian boulevard that runs north-west through the old town. To its south you'll find the train and bus stations.
Belgrade's fort since Celtic times, Kalemegdan Citadel looms over the old town. Most of what you'll see here was built in the 17th century, including medieval gates, Orthodox churches, Muslim tombs and Turkish baths. If seven years of news footage didn't quench your thirst for Yugoslavian war, take a look at the Military Museum on the battlements of the citadel. When you've had enough, you can pull up a bench in the Citadel's park and watch the good people of Belgrade take their evening constitutional.
Stari Grad, next to the Citadel, is the oldest part of Belgrade. Have a wander around and take a peek into the city's best museums - you'll find all of them around here. The National Museum is particularly good, with archaeological displays and paintings, or you could check out the Ethnographical Museum, which has an excellent collection of Serbian costumes and folk art. If you don't have time to get out into the countryside, the Gallery of Frescoes has full-size replicas of paintings from remote churches in Serbia and Macedonia. But the real must-see is the Palace of Princess Ljubice, an authentic, fully-furnished Balkan-style palace.
Belgrade's loveliest park is Ada Ciganlija, an island in the Sava River just upstream from the city. Swim (there's an area for skinny dipping), rent a bike, sip a cold beer from one of the cafes, or just lie on your back and think peaceful thoughts. When it's time to drag yourself off to bed the options are less pleasant. Belgrade's accommodation is expensive - there's a campground and a hostel in the south of the city, but otherwise you'll have to make do with a state-owned hotel, at around US$30 per person. For food, cruise the Kneza Mihaila or, if the budget is up to it, try one of the Bohemian quarter's folkloric restaurants.
Facts at a Glance
Environment
History
Economic Profile
Culture
Events
Facts for the Traveller
Money & Costs
When to Go
Warning
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
Lonely Planet
Guides
Travellers' Reports
On-line Info
