 |
| Belgrade |
”Back then I needed to meet people who would not treat me superficially as was the case back home, people who could sit at a table for hours just chatting, singing songs and always having an awful lot to say. This Belgrade period simply healed my soul...”
Erskine Caldwell, writer
By Maya Toracki
Belgrade, capital of the Republic of Serbia
is outspoken, adventurous, proud and audacious*
city. It is also “my city”, where I was born and raised; where I love every quirky sidewalk, every
tree, every corner, every passage, beautiful doors, constant hum of both
rivers; I even love strong east wind named Koshava that blew in the sequences of
the 3 days
and clean city of smog; I love luscious smell of awakened vegetation
in the spring and the colors of fruits and vegetables on
the farmers' market in the fall;
I admire women who are dressed in the latest fashion although they
all live statistically on
less than 450 Euros
a month and I love all that lively hustle and bustle of people milling
about Belgrade streets and malls. However, more than anything I love these open
hearted people that make you feel welcomed.
* www.lonelyplanet.com
Why to visit Belgrade?
 |
| Knez Mihajlova Street |
No 1 reason, beside having
rich art milieu, amazing history and great food is
The Atmosphere of the city
coming directly
from its people! And my first advice when you are there is - befriend a
Belgrader!
Due to a number of unfortunate political and social changes that people of Belgrade and Serbia went through one would expect Belgraders to be grumpy and tired – and that is so not true!
In general, Serbs are proud, open, loud, outgoing, very
hospitable people and it is incredibly easy to make contact with
No 2 reason
to visit Belgrade
is – Food, Restaurants and Night Life!
Left - Travel friends enjoy coffee break downtown Belgrade
In last 20 years Belgrade
became famous for its nightlife. There
are many Night Clubs in Belgrade
but be prepared to start your night late and end it with sunrise. A common
dinner out could start at 9pm, drinks at a bar usually not before 11pm, and
many people don't even bother going to a club before 2am.
Left - Restaurants/Boats called Splavovi on river Danube during the day and bellow during the night.
.jpg)
Left - Restaurants/Boats called Splavovi on river Danube during the day and bellow during the night.
As a tourist
destination, Belgrade
is famous for its gastronomy and excellent restaurants. On the whole, prices
are cheap compared to Western Europe with main
dishes ranging from €5–20 per person.
Most Serbian restaurants offer roštilj
(BBQ) local cheeses, bread and great variety of salads
all fresh and organic from the farmer's gardens brought over daily from the
villages surrounding the city. You will notice the particularly good taste of
this produce. |
| Cevepcici in Lepinja with Onions and Kajmak |
Serbian cuisine is known for Sarma
(cabbage rolls), Cevapcici, and Kajmak
(creamy dairy product, rich, savory unripened cheese that goes-with-anything ...).
Cevapcici consists of
different types of minced meat mixed together, shaped like small sausages, and
then put on the grill. It is usually eaten with diced onion, and is very tasty.
Sarma is No 1 winter meal in Serbia. This dish is made of layered sour cabbage rolls, pork ribs and bacon and slowly cooked in crock pot. It is so tasty!
Sarma (cabagge rolls) bellow
There are many delicious deserts in Serbian cuisine but one that stands out for me, beside Chesnut Puree with whipped cream (a local specialty available mostly during winter) is Floating Islands (or Shne Nokle on Serbian) a dessert consisting of meringue floating on creme anglaise (a vanilla custard). It is also known as 'eggs in snow'. My mother made it to perfection!
 |
| Floating Islands / Shne Nokle on serbian |
No 3 reason to visit Belgrade is – Art, Culture and History
 | |
| The Victor ( Pobednik) by Ivan Mestrovic, 1928 at Fortress Kalemegdan |
Belgrade’s history is more then 7000-year-old. Due to its geographic position on Balkan it was exposed to numerous
invaders as well as influences of many civilizations.
It’s well known that people of Belgrade was among the first in Europe to say NO to Hitler and later to Stalin. In my opinion that would sufficiently describe the heroic attitude and vitality of the people living in Belgrade.
It’s well known that people of Belgrade was among the first in Europe to say NO to Hitler and later to Stalin. In my opinion that would sufficiently describe the heroic attitude and vitality of the people living in Belgrade.
 |
| Kalemegdan Fortress and a Rose Church |
 | |
| Ada Ciganlija, man made lake on river Sava |
Situated where the Sava river meets the Danube, with Mt Avala in its
‘backyard’ and Ada Ciganlija, an island on river Sava, with pebble beaches and
numerous recreational facilities, Belgrade offers to visitors a wide selection
of sports activities.
There are also menu places to experience such as downtown bohemian quarter of Skadarlija,
lively pedestrian street Knez Mihajlova with many historical buildings, shops,
cafes and restaurants and art galeries, bookstores and museums.
 |
| Saint Sava Church |
Architecturally speaking,
Belgrade has a rare variety of styles: from its contemporary and Art
Nouveau buildings to the ‘old’ European/Habsburg legacy and Ottoman relics.
Kalemegdan Citadel as well as the Church St.Sava, the largest Orthodox Church
in the world, is considered as the crowns of the city and the most monumental
places to visit.
At the end a few suggestions for the things you should do in Belgrade:
- Spend an afternoon at the Kalemegdan Park and enjoy the sunset at one of the fortress lookouts.
- Spend an evening on the terrace in one of the restaurants in Zemun next to Danube.
- Spend part of the day, enjoying some of the boats/ restaurants-cafes on the Sava River or on the River Danube
- Ride the tram number 2 a full circle.
- Spend an hour sipping coffee at one of Belgrade's cafés.
- Bargain at one of the green markets in the morning.
- Wander the Kosancicev Venac neighborhood preferably on a summer Sunday for a taste of authentic Belgrade.
- Have a cevapcici (grilled sausage look like burger) at one of the old style restaurants.
- And I would add – go to “La Vida Yoga Studio” where you will get superb yoga class by internationally recognized Instructor Vida Starovic. That would unwind everyone and disperse all worries!
 |
| LaVida Yoga Studio, Belgrade |
Facts about Belgrade:
- Belgrade is the capital of the Republic of Serbia
- In Serbian it is called Beograd, literally translate as ‘White City’
- It is also a ‘youth city’ due to the fact that 40% of its citizens between 15 and 44 years of age.
- Has population of almost 1.7 million
- Moderate continental climate, 4 seasons.
- The official language is Serbian (Srpski) and the official alphabets are Cyrillic and Latin.
- Belgrade and Serbia are in the CET (Central European Time) – GMT+1
- Area calling code is (+381) 011
- The electricity voltage in Belgrade is 220V
- The official currency of the country is the Serbian Dinar (RSD). Euros and US Dollars are accepted too, unofficially, due to the unstable Dinar currency.
 |
| Belgrade at Night |
If you have some more time and love nature and want to
know more about Serbian culture, please contact some travel agency in Belgrade and they will organize unforgettable trip to see Serbia.
Enjoy!
 |
| Sretenje Monastery in Ovcar and Kablar gorge |
 |
| Kopaonik, Mountain |
 |
| Decani Monastery, in Kosovo - Serbia |
 |
| River Tara |
Old Serbian Home, now a part of exhibition in the
Museum of South Serbian town Pirot
Resources:
LonelyPlanet.com
Voice of Serbia -Radio Serbia
wikipedia.org
tripadvisor.com
wikitravel.org
belgradeeye.com
Resources:
LonelyPlanet.com
Voice of Serbia -Radio Serbia
wikipedia.org
tripadvisor.com
wikitravel.org
belgradeeye.com
