The trip from Belgrade to Bar is about 11 hours, but I rode that train for two weeks.

During my three-week trip in Serbia I kept track of my expenses and put together this guide of the cost of accommodation, food, transport and sightseeing.

Travelling in Serbia is fun, beautiful and incredibly frustrating. It’s a country that has yet to embrace mass tourism. That makes for a interesting travel experience, but not an easy one.

The river in Mitrovica is an unofficial border between two worlds.

The Patriarchate of Peć is a beautiful Serbian Orthodox monument. It’s also a monument in danger.

Did you know Albanians put teddy bears outside their houses to ward off bad spirits? And that some kids in Serbia only go to school in the afternoon? Enjoy some of the things I’ve learnt after spending two months in the Balkans.

Užice is a colourful city hidden in beautiful mountains. It’s the perfect base to explore the surrounding national parks and attractions in Western Serbia. Except you’ve never heard of it. Until now.

If you were a rich and famous film maker would you build a little wooden village on a hill and invite “creative and like-minded” people to visit? Probably not. But Serbian director Emir Kusturica did and the result is the eerie and surreal town of Drvengrad.

The last month feels like one big highlight of all my travels, but that would make a very long post. So instead I’ve picked some moments that I think capture the experiences I’ve had.

In a corner of western Serbia where the Bosnian border is a stone’s throw away, a little green train travels through the mountains. Never one to turn down a train or a trip through the mountains, I took a ride on Šargan Eight.