Best places to run in Serbia

A river island and lake in Belgrade whose flat 8 km lakeside loop is the city's most popular run and walk.

A wooded 511 m hill near Belgrade topped by the Avala Tower, a popular short hike and run with forest trails just outside the city.

A distinctive jagged rock tower on Stara Planina, a steep rugged scramble that rewards with sweeping views along the ridge.

A dramatic clifftop viewpoint at 1065 m reached by a 7 km forest footpath from Mitrovac, looking down over the emerald Drina canyon and Lake Perućac.

A broad limestone massif rising above the Lisine waterfall, with steep marked trails climbing to a high ridge and summit plateau.

A striking moss-covered tufa waterfall cascading in tiers, reached by a short forest walk on Stara Planina.

Over 200 eerie eroded earth pillars capped by stone blocks, visited on a 3 km walking trail with stairs from the visitor centre.

Emir Kusturica's hand-built wooden hilltop village whose timber streets and galleries make a pleasant stroll between Tara and Zlatibor.

A small protected gorge with the Ripaljka waterfall and rare relict plants, popular for short scenic walks and sport climbing near Niš.

Serbia's tallest waterfall cascades through forest on Kopaonik, reached by a scenic marked trail through the national park.

An 885 m summit above the gorge reached by a moderate but dynamic 3-hour trail, famous for its view of the West Morava meanders.

A large hilltop park around Belgrade's ancient fortress with tree-lined paths and commanding views over the Sava-Danube confluence.

A monastery-dotted gorge where the West Morava loops in tight meanders, with marked trails climbing both Ovčar and Kablar for overlook views.

Serbia's highest peak at 2169 m on the Bulgarian border, a long demanding hike over open alpine meadows with vast cross-border panoramas.

The 1247 m overlook reached by a roughly 6 km trail from Krstac, giving the iconic top-down view of Uvac's looping meanders.

Serbia's largest national park along the Danube's Iron Gates gorge, threaded by cliff-top trails and crossed by the E4 long-distance path.

Vojvodina's gentle forested ridge laced with rolling trails linking historic Orthodox monasteries, ideal for runners and walkers near Novi Sad.

A forested western Serbian national park above the Drina with over 290 km of marked trails through deep canyons and panoramic viewpoints.

A flat lake near Subotica with a 17 km shoreline promenade past Art Nouveau pavilions, ideal for easy walks and runs.

At 2017 m the highest point of Kopaonik, an easy hour's walk up from the Konaci resort to a summit with wide views over the mountain plateau.

Belgrade's hilly wooded park 6 km south of centre, with shaded forest trails and a tartan running track popular with city runners.

One of Serbia's largest and oldest show-caves with an 800 m guided route, set amid the wooded Resava valley near walking trails.

A near-perfect pyramid mountain whose 1565 m Šiljak peak is a hard climb up a steep ridge to ruined chapel and far-reaching views.

A restored narrow-gauge mountain railway looping through tunnels and viaducts at Mokra Gora, set among forest valleys and walking trails.

A 17 km gorge of the Nišava with dramatic cliffs, golden eagles and trails ranging from easy riverbank walks to the tough Bela Stena climb.

The sharp pyramidal summit of Rtanj at 1565 m, a tough rocky final push that is one of eastern Serbia's most distinctive hikes.

A protected canyon famous for the river's hairpin meanders and griffon vultures, explored on trails along the reservoir shore.

A large limestone show-cave on Zlatibor's slopes with an inner waterfall and tufa pools, set near scenic hiking trails toward Sirogojno.

A beloved wooded picnic and walking valley on Fruška gora above Sremski Karlovci, with shaded trails climbing to ridge viewpoints.

A wild karst mountain whose 1810 m Trem peak is a demanding hike with some rock scrambling and vast views over the Nišava valley.

The 1496 m high point of Zlatibor offering panoramic ridge views, reachable on foot or by gondola from the resort centre.

A 25 m tufa waterfall in the Lisine monument, the start of trails that climb steeply up to the Beljanica ridge.

The high point above the Iron Gates, reached via a long forest hike that breaks out to sweeping views over the narrowest part of the Danube gorge.

Serbia's highest large lake at 1213 m with floating peat islands, ringed by gentle trim trails and longer hikes to nearby peaks.

A 20 m limestone waterfall on Zlatibor reached by a green wooded path with steps that follows the stream past smaller cascades.

A graceful waterfall near the village of Dojkinci on Stara Planina, reached on a pleasant trail and known for freezing into ice sculptures in winter.

A gentle pine-covered plateau mountain near Uvac with easy panoramic trails and a mild climate prized for walking.