Dobar dan i zdravo – good afternoon and hello! Welcome to Sombor Blog from Serbia! Sombor Blog is starting off! It is done and the blog is online. You are interested in life in Serbia or even for the city of Sombor in the province of Vojvodina? Then you are at the right place. My first post on this site is going to tell you what this is about and what you can expect. Have fun!
Who stands behind Sombor Blog?
„The future lies in the East“, a former teacher of mine used to say. I can’t say if he aroused my interest in Eastern Europe thereby. Anyway, I found it fascinating what happened in the East after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. Some of my journeys also took me to the Balkans, off the tourist trails. And as things happen, one day I met my wife, who is from Sombor, in Serbia. And my teacher was right. In order to maintain and strengthen family ties and a lot of friendships between Germany and Serbia, we travel regularly to Sombor and the rest of Serbia. My brief CV: Ralph Menz, 46, journalist from Germany. Online, I’m also blogging about media and digital life (German).
What can I read on Sombor Blog?
In Germany, they often ask me what is Serbia like. When occurring in the German media, it is often about the Kosovo conflict or economic problems. But that is by no means everything that people in Sombor – a fascinating city in the middle of Europe – are occupied with and that shapes their life. On this blog, I want to share my impressions of the city and the country, with its fascinating places and interesting people, with you. Captured in word and pictures through a journalist’s eye. Perhaps you will be intrigued and you will stop by in Sombor during your Danube bike tour, or you plan a trip to the Vojvodina on your Balkans tour. Maybe we will meet at the pedestrian precinct in Sombor for a coffee some time. Reports in English you can find here.
Where is Sombor located, what is interesting there?
Sombor is located in the Northwest of Serbia in the province of Vojvodina. The municipal area of Sombor borders on Croatia and Hungary and covers apart from the city Sombor 15 other towns. Thus, Sombor is located right next to the external frontier of the EU. There are about 50.000 people living in the city, in the municipal area (Opština Sombor) about 90.000. In Bezdan and Bački Breg, there are border checkpoints to the neighbouring countries. In the East, Sombor borders on the Danube, which is there surrounded by broad meadows and protected as a nature reserve (Gornje Podunavlje). Larger cities in the surrounding area are Novi Sad and Osijek (Croatia). During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the airbase between Sombor and Apatin was one of the first targets. The city was also hit.
The city of Sombor is located right next to the Great Bačka Canal, which branches off the Danube at Bezdan and is part of the Danube-Tisa-Danube Canal of Vojvodina. The city centre is about 15 km away from the Danube bank.
Sombor is the middle-order centre of that rural region. It offers its inhabitants and guests all shopping possibilities, several markets, catering industry, a swimming pool, a cinema, a theatre – there is only a lack of workplaces. Sombor is located right next to the Danube Bike Path. Cyclists like to stop off here. The average income of a person is about 350 euros per month. In Sombor, a lot of architectural periods have left their marks: Ottoman Baroque, Biedermeier, Art Nouveau, Eclecticism. The changeful history of the city and the region between the regional powers Serbia and Hungary is visible. The settlement history of the Danube Swabians is also still alive. There exists a German association. But the people are the most interesting – that is what this is about in the first place.
How does the page navigation function?
Very simple: the home page is designed as a blogroll, the latest at the top. However, you can also choose one of the three categories:
Sombor: Here you can find all posts that are directly linked to Sombor (German).
Serbien: Here are posts from the neighbourhood or other posts from Serbia (German).
Foto & Video: You can find photo galleries and videos from our YouTube channel, usually with short texts, here. Sometimes, videos are embedded into the posts. The respective link is always next to it.
English reports: Here you can find all translated posts (English).
Furthermore, you have the possibility to search for key words on the page by using the search mask in the right column.
What do the maps below the posts mean?
For every post that can be clearly localised, there is an extract from Google Maps at the end. The location mentioned in the post is marked there (below as an example the town hall). Thus you can easily orientate yourself and also change or shift the map extract. At the top of the right column of the blog, you can find an overview map. There, all posts are located. If you click on one of the red spots, you can see the title of the post, as well as a thumbnail, and get to the post via link.
Can I comment on posts?
Yes, of course. We are looking forward to getting feedback, tips, suggestions, questions and information – even if you didn’t like something. Comments have to be enabled by the admin, thus, please, have a little patience. We want to maintain an objective and respectful communication style.
How will I be informed about new posts?
Sombor Blog has a newsletter that informs you about a new post via email. Beyond that, you won’t be bothered. Email addresses won’t be passed on. You can register for it with your email address and name in the right column of the blog or here.
Where else on the Internet is Sombor Blog represented?
Sombor Blog is represented on social media: you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and share contents with your friends and contacts. We explicitly want our contents to be spread. On the left side of the posts you can find the usual social media buttons. On Twitter or Facebook, we do not only post new articles, but sometimes also some photos, links about Sombor and the region, or share photos or clips from friends, journalists or travellers on site. On all channels we use the logo on the right side. The green colour stands for the green city centre with its many trees and alleys, the blue colour refers to the Bačka Canal and the nearby Danube.
Is Sombor Blog committed to something else?
Sombor Blog doesn’t only want to report from Sombor, but also wants to give something back. As I can look back on 25 years of commitment as a volunteer fire fighter in Germany, this issue matters to me in Serbia, too. In the past years, my curiosity drove me to take a look behind the doors of the professional fire department of Sombor and the volunteer fire department. Thereof friendships and a lot of contacts have been established. As regards modern equipment, volunteer fire departments in Serbia usually can only dream about it. They often lack even basic safety clothing in order to be protected while in action and to come home safe. At the beginning of the year, we ran a fundraising campaign for the volunteer fire department in Sombor-Stanišić. Thanks to the support of German companies, we were able to provide the fire fighters almost completely with modern, personal safety clothing (helmets, flame-retardant clothing, gloves and boots). Previously, they put out fires wearing jeans and shirts. We were also able to arrange new fire proximity suits of a German producer for the fire department in Sombor. We want to continue this engagement and offer help and advice to the volunteers. We are going to report about new projects on the blog. Please contact us if you have any questions.
How can I support Sombor Blog?
The blog doesn’t live on love alone. Time is the greatest investment. Nevertheless, some things like hosting, web support or petrol for the one or other appointment for the blog cost some euros or Serbian dinars. Of course, we are glad if you support us. However, tips concerning contents are even more important. You found something interesting about Sombor or Vojvodina on the Internet, you took your own photos or posted a travel report about your bike tour online? Or you have your own project in Sombor? We are looking forward to being informed! We are happy to share it. This is what the Internet is about, this is what social media is supposed to do.
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Please contribute by appreciating and sharing: Do you like this article? Please share it on social media – and also follow Sombor Blog on Twitter and/or our Facebook page! Thank you!
More english reports on Sombor Blog You will find here.
Translation: Aleksandra Davidović, Belgrade
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