Belgrade is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is situated on the confluences of the rivers Sava and Danube, and settlements have existed here since pre-historic times. In its 5000+ years of existence, it has passed from the Celts to the Romans, who knew it as Singidunum, to the Byzantines under whom it was called Alba Graeca. The Slavic name of Beograd, which in English translates as “White City”, was first used in 878. The population is currently around 1.6 million.
Climate - Belgrade has a moderate continental climate, with four seasons. Autumn is longer than spring, with longer sunny and warm periods. Winter is not so severe, with an average of 21 days of sub-zero temperature. January is the coldest month, (0.4 °C average). Spring is short and rainy. Summer arrives abruptly. The hottest months are July (21.7°C average) and August (21.3°C average) although it is not unusual for temperatures to reach mid-30°s during those months.
The Southeast wind Košava, which brings clear and dry weather, is characteristic of Belgrade climate. It mostly blows in autumn and winter, in 2-3 days intervals. The average speed of Košava is 25-43 km/h but certain strokes can reach up to 130 km/h. Košava is the strongest air cleaner of Belgrade.
The average annual rainfall on Belgrade is 685 mm. The rainiest months are May and June. There are about 10 hours of sun a day in July and August, while December and January are the cloudiest, with only 2 hours of sun per day. The average number of snowy days is 27; snow cover lasts from 30 to 44 days, and its average thickness is 14 to 25 cm.
The weather is prone to large fluctuations in temperature, a drop or raise of 15°C overnight is not uncommon. Republic Hydro meteorological Service of Serbia has a good weather website http://www.hidmet.gov.rs/
Alternatively www.accuweather.com is reasonably accurate.
Mosquitoes can be a severe problem in the summer months despite aerial spraying. The substance used for aerial spraying is eco-friendly and we are advised that there have been no reported side effects amongst the population, indeed, even the bees are unaffected. However, it is probably advisable to keep children and pets in whilst they are spraying and for the night afterwards.
Ticks appear in grassy and bushy areas from early spring and, as sometimes they can carry disease, it is worth considering inoculation against tick borne encephalitis.
Security - Belgrade is a large city, so take all normal, sensible precautions. By and large, Belgrade is a safe city. Most areas frequented by ex-pats are safe to walk around freely, even at night. However, it is wise not to become complacent. There is some risk from pickpockets, especially on public transport and in tourist areas. Burglaries and thefts do occur, so ensure you carry out normal precautions. Expats are advised to be careful if attending professional football or basketball games where local rivalries can flare up.
Electricity - Power, 220 volts AC, can be erratic at times with surges and also periods of low voltage as well as occasional power cuts. We recommend use of UPS and/or voltage stabilisers/surge protection, all readily available locally, for sensitive electrical equipment such as PCs. Plugs are the standard European two round pin.Time Zone - Serbia is in the Central European Time (CET) zone: GMT+1 hour (in winter), GMT +2 during daylight saving time. The clocks change at the end of March and at the end of October.
Currency/Banking - The local currency is the dinar (RSD). There are plenty of ATM machines in and around Belgrade. Travellers’ cheques can be cashed in banks for local currency. Cards widely acceptable in Belgrade are VISA, VISA Electron, MasterCard, Eurocard, Maestro, Diners Club and the local DinaCard.
Conversion rate as of January 2013 (xe.com)
$1.00 = RSD 84
€1.00 = RSD 111
£1.00 = RSD 132
Currency is largely in note form, although coins do exist for lower denominations. Confusingly some denominations have both coins and notes eg. 10 RSD and 20 RSD.
Note that a comma is used in place of a decimal point when expressing prices.
Eg. 1000,00 RSD is 1000 RSD
Language - Serbian is the official language. It is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a Slavic language. It has strong similarities to Bosnian, Croatian and Montenegrin. Since 2006, Cyrillic has been the official alphabet used. However in reality both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets (with some extra letters) are used. Official documents will often be written using the Cyrillic script. Most street signs are written in Cyrillic, but major street signs are written using both alphabets. Serbian is a phonetic language and therefore easy to read once you have mastered the letters. Pronunciation, however, does require a flexible tongue.
The average annual rainfall on Belgrade is 685 mm. The rainiest months are May and June. There are about 10 hours of sun a day in July and August, while December and January are the cloudiest, with only 2 hours of sun per day. The average number of snowy days is 27; snow cover lasts from 30 to 44 days, and its average thickness is 14 to 25 cm.
The weather is prone to large fluctuations in temperature, a drop or raise of 15°C overnight is not uncommon. Republic Hydro meteorological Service of Serbia has a good weather website http://www.hidmet.gov.rs/
Alternatively www.accuweather.com is reasonably accurate.
Mosquitoes can be a severe problem in the summer months despite aerial spraying. The substance used for aerial spraying is eco-friendly and we are advised that there have been no reported side effects amongst the population, indeed, even the bees are unaffected. However, it is probably advisable to keep children and pets in whilst they are spraying and for the night afterwards.
Ticks appear in grassy and bushy areas from early spring and, as sometimes they can carry disease, it is worth considering inoculation against tick borne encephalitis.
Security - Belgrade is a large city, so take all normal, sensible precautions. By and large, Belgrade is a safe city. Most areas frequented by ex-pats are safe to walk around freely, even at night. However, it is wise not to become complacent. There is some risk from pickpockets, especially on public transport and in tourist areas. Burglaries and thefts do occur, so ensure you carry out normal precautions. Expats are advised to be careful if attending professional football or basketball games where local rivalries can flare up.
Electricity - Power, 220 volts AC, can be erratic at times with surges and also periods of low voltage as well as occasional power cuts. We recommend use of UPS and/or voltage stabilisers/surge protection, all readily available locally, for sensitive electrical equipment such as PCs. Plugs are the standard European two round pin.Time Zone - Serbia is in the Central European Time (CET) zone: GMT+1 hour (in winter), GMT +2 during daylight saving time. The clocks change at the end of March and at the end of October.
Currency/Banking - The local currency is the dinar (RSD). There are plenty of ATM machines in and around Belgrade. Travellers’ cheques can be cashed in banks for local currency. Cards widely acceptable in Belgrade are VISA, VISA Electron, MasterCard, Eurocard, Maestro, Diners Club and the local DinaCard.
Conversion rate as of January 2013 (xe.com)
$1.00 = RSD 84
€1.00 = RSD 111
£1.00 = RSD 132
Currency is largely in note form, although coins do exist for lower denominations. Confusingly some denominations have both coins and notes eg. 10 RSD and 20 RSD.
Note that a comma is used in place of a decimal point when expressing prices.
Eg. 1000,00 RSD is 1000 RSD
Language - Serbian is the official language. It is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a Slavic language. It has strong similarities to Bosnian, Croatian and Montenegrin. Since 2006, Cyrillic has been the official alphabet used. However in reality both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets (with some extra letters) are used. Official documents will often be written using the Cyrillic script. Most street signs are written in Cyrillic, but major street signs are written using both alphabets. Serbian is a phonetic language and therefore easy to read once you have mastered the letters. Pronunciation, however, does require a flexible tongue.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.