Liberland
 | |
| Currency | Liberland merit |
| Population | 20 (2024) |
| Time zone | Central European Time |
| edit on Wikidata | |
Liberland is a self-proclaimed microstate located between Serbia and Croatia and just south of Hungary. It is accessed via the town of Zmajevac located in the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia. Although it has opened informal relations with a few UN member countries, is not formally recognized by any other country, aside from unrecognized Somaliland.
Understand
The Free Republic of Liberland claims a parcel of land on the western bank of the Danube river between Croatia and Serbia, sharing a strip of land as well as a canal that was the former path of the Danube as a border with Croatia.
The land on which Liberland is situated (locally known as Gornja Siga or Siga) is claimed by neither Croatia nor Serbia. Due to a border dispute involving the Danube River changing course, some large areas of land, administered by Serbia, are claimed by both countries, whereas smaller areas administered by Croatia are claimed by neither country, making them terra nullius ("no one's land"). Czech politician Vít Jedlička seized the opportunity to claim one chunk of unclaimed land (Gornja Siga) as "Liberland". At 7 km² (2.7 sq mi), Gornja Siga is larger than the two smallest nations on Earth, Vatican City and Monaco (in fact, Siga is only a little smaller than three times the size of those two combined).
Liberland states that it fulfills the Montevideo Convention criteria for statehood; it has a government, a people, a territory and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. In terms of diplomatic relations, Liberland, like most micronations, is recognized by some other micronations but does not have full diplomatic recognition by any United Nations member state. It has, however, signed agreements (memoranda of understanding) with governmental entities in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia and has met with government officials in El Salvador and Argentina. Argentine President Javier Milei has expressed support for Liberland. Beyond that, it has received statements of support from the government of Somaliland, a de facto independent country which is also not recognized by other countries and international organizations.
Local information
- Liberland website
Get in
Getting into Liberland is now easy. The best way to enter Liberland is by road through Croatia or by boat from Hungary. Entering from Serbia would be crossing the de facto Schengen Area border and is not permitted.
Border crossing into Liberland was often prevented in the past by Croatian border guards. As of 6 August 2023 the border was opened by Croatia to anyone who legally checks out of Croatia by just showing their national ID or passport. Shortly after access to Liberland was opened, people from outside the European Union (EU) or the Schengen Zone (including Americans, Australians, British and Canadians) were detained and were given Croatia entry bans ranging from 30 to 90 days, with 7 days to leave Croatia. However, EU or Schengen Zone citizens may enter Liberland without much trouble.
By plane
There is no airport or airstrips in Liberland, although you could land a helicopter in the clearing south of Jefferson Square. In Osijek, Croatia, there is an airport with direct flights from London twice a week, from Zagreb every weekday, from Dubrovnik every Thursday and from Split every Friday. Once you are in Osijek you can take the bus (see By bus) or drive to Zmajevac. Many visitors fly to Belgrade or Budapest then come by car or bus to Liberland or Ark Village.
By car
Liberland is connected to Zmajevac, Croatia by a service road that inaccessible to cars but can be accessed on foot and by bicycle.
By bus
There is no regular bus connection to Liberland; however, you can take a bus from Osijek to Zmajevac and then continue on foot or by bicycle. Bus connections between Osijek and Zmajevac are very infrequent, though — only twice a week.
By boat
The Danube River surrounding Liberland is vigorously patrolled by Croatian border police boats. Getting in from Serbia by boat is not possible, although you can sail up and down the coast of Liberland. It is important to have the proper boating licenses and not to exceed occupancy limits on vessels. The Croatian border police on the river do not allow water crossing to Liberland from Serbia; you would have to land at an authorized port of entry in Croatia (Vukovar or Batina) and clear Croatian immigration and customs and then proceed on land to Liberland.
ARK Village
It is possible to visit Liberland-operated ARK Village just north of Apatin in Serbia. Liberland holds many events throughout the year at this location, such as the annual anniversary (April), Floating Man (August), and beach volleyball games and cooking contests with participation from the local population. Cabins and camping sites are available at ARK.
Get around
If coming by car, it is recommended to park in the town of Zmjevac, Croatia and to enter Liberland by bicycle or on foot via the access road. You can park at the Liberbase center, located at Rajna ulica 24 in Zmajevac and rent a bicycle. You can then proceed by bike or on foot 1.7 km to the northeast on Ulica Maršala Tita (Road D212) to reach the access road. At the access road, proceed south for about 3 km, then take a left and head east for about 1.3 km to reach the entrance to Liberland. You will likely encounter one or two Croatian police checks en route to the entrance. Be prepared to show your identity documents.
Talk
The official language in Liberland is English. Since it is bordered by Croatia on one side and Serbia on the other, knowledge of Croatian/Serbian is very useful when communicating with locals. Many Czechs are part of the Liberland community, and Czech is often spoken. Some community members speak a pidgin-like mix of English and Slavic languages known as Liberlandish.
See
There is hiking, camping and fishing in Liberland. The majority of the land is covered by riverine forest. At the site of the former hunting lodge, settlers converge at Jefferson Square. There is a marina on the shore where the houseboat Swan was anchored. There are reported to be some abandoned structures and hunting towers at various points on the land.
Do
- Liberland anniversary (every April)
- Floating Man Music Festival (every August)
- Many who arrive will most likely do some maintenance and building; otherwise, you can ask if any help is needed.
- Hike the trails
- Bike the trails
- Birdwatching
- Fishing
Buy
The Ark Liberland Village gift shop sells flags, stamps, t-shirts, magnets, postcards, chili sauce and rakija (an alcoholic drink of the Balkans) made out of products grown in the area.
There is a fledgling economy in Liberland. Liberland encourages its people to use Liberland currency, the Liberland dollar (LLD) and Liberland Merit (LLM), but it is legal to use other currencies.
Eat
While you should bring your own food, you can also cook or prepare food together with other settlers. Bringing more food is always appreciated. There are shops in the nearby towns of Zmajevac and Batina, Croatia.
Drink
If you arrive on your own, bring your own drinks and water supply. There are shops in Zmajevac and Batina, Croatia.
Sleep
If you are going to sleep in Liberland, bring a sleeping bag, cot or tent. Depending upon the time of year, you may wish to bring mosquito netting as well.
There are bed and breakfasts in the surrounding villages and many hotels in Osijek, Croatia.
Ark Liberland Village in Apatin, Serbia has roughly 20 cabins and also offers camping.
Work
Liberland is looking for people with knowledge of Serbo-Croatian, holders of driving and boating licenses and those who can contribute to building infrastructure. Contact them for more information.
Stay safe
While EU or Schengen Zone citizens may enter Liberland after presenting ID documents to Croatian police, some travellers from outside the EU or Schengen Zone countries attempting to enter Liberland have been detained by the Croatian police on suspicion of lighting illegal fires or illegal camping. Many have been given a 30- or 90-day entry ban to Croatia, with 7 days to leave the country. During these seven days, it is possible to stay in Liberland. It is thought that the differential treatment afforded to non-EU and non-Schengen citizens is due to the fact that they may have less recourse against these actions.
Stay healthy
There is no health infrastructure in Liberland, and the area is undeveloped woodland, so you should ensure you have some kind of basic first aid supplies. For more serious health issues you are probably better off going across the border — the city of Sombor is about 20 minutes from Apatin and has a hospital.
Respect
The nominal values of Liberland are based on libertarian (classical liberal) ideals of personal freedom. As Liberland's population is small but growing, visitors should respect the customs and culture of the locals in neighboring Croatia and Serbia.
Connect
If you visit ARK Village, free Wi-Fi is provided. Staff may also assist with swapping to Croatian or Serbian SIM cards if needed.
Go next
Apatin, Serbia is a popular tourist attraction and spa town. Nearby Sombor is somewhat larger and has more nightlife, restaurants and historical sights. Subotica lies a little over an hour to the northeast by car. Novi Sad, which is about two hours south of Apatin, is a popular destination.
The Amazon of Europe bike trail is popular with cyclists as is the Gornje Podunavlje nature reserve.
Osijek, Croatia, the largest city in Slavonia and its economic and cultural capital, is only 36 km away from Zmajevac.
Batina, Croatia is close to the entrance to Liberland and serves as one of the border crossings to Serbia. On Batina's hill, you can visit the prominent Battle of Batina Monument, erected in 1947. A museum dedicated to the history of the battle lies directly across the river on the Serbian side.
Liberland is fairly close to the Croatian and Serbian borders with Hungary. The towns of Baja, Pécs and Szeged are interesting destinations to visit.
There is another micronation, the “Free Republic of Verdis”, south of Liberland, claiming an even smaller disputed area of the Serbo-Croatian border. Inhabitants of Verdis have received similar treatment by Croatian police, i.e. Croatia entry bans of 30 to 90 days for non-EU or non-Schengen citizens.