Via de Zenta, known simply as Zeta (Serbian: Зетски пут, Zetski put) was a medieval road connecting the Adriatic with Nemanjić' Serbia (see Serbian Grand Principality, Kingdom, Empire). It started from the mouth of the Bojana, the Skadar port, (alternatively Bar then Cetinje) along the Drin Valley to Prizren, then to Lipljan, then through Novo Brdo to Vranje and Niš. The Republic of Venice and Ragusa used the road for trade with Serbia and Bulgaria. The road ended its use with the conquering of this part of Serbia by the Ottoman Empire (1392), the Ottomans had earlier conquered the southern provinces of Macedonia (1371), beginning their European conquest in Gallipoli (1354).
The Venetian traders, who were the most using this road, used it for export of wheat, animals, silver and grape from Serbia and Bulgaria to Italy. It was the second most important communication link by land of Ragusa. The other road connecting hinterland Serbia with the Adriatic was that from Niš, through the mining-oblasts of Kopaonik. From Niš continued the ancient Roman road of Via Militaris all the way to Constantinople. Two other [smaller] roads were those to the northeast: one from the canyons of the Neretva, the other from Split, over the Dinarides through Klis and Sinj, to Bosnia.
It had an important cultural role as in connecting the hinterlands with the Adriatic cities which also had a Latin population, and Venice.