Stari Ras and Sopoćani

Serbia's story begins around Stari Ras, the medieval state's first capital, whose outskirts hold a striking gathering of fortresses, churches and monasteries near modern Novi Pazar. Finest of them is Sopoćani Monastery, whose 13th-century frescoes count among the supreme achievements of medieval European painting and record the dialogue between Byzantium and the Latin West. The ensemble was inscribed by UNESCO in 1979, among Serbia's first listings.