Belgrade
Belgrade is not a very common
travel destination. Visiting Belgrade during the spring break, revealed to me so
many layers of this Serbian capital. Two to three days or a weekend are ideal
to discover Belgrade. It is a city that is full of hidden gems, and while its
streets are quite you have a vibrant and alternative scene tucked between its
streets. The city is divided between old and new Belgrade. The old part can be
roamed on foot. Everything is just on
walking distance.
The city lays on the confluence
of the Sava and Danube rivers. One of the landmarks of the capital is the
cable-stayed Ada bridge over the Sava river connects old Belgrade to new
Belgrade. The bridge is relatively new and was completed in 2013.
People speak English or at least know the basic. They may
need some time to become friendly. Walking through the city you will find a lot
of bookshops and shoes shops.
Street Art
Street art is a big thing in Belgrade, while not to obvious
but it is all over the city in different sizes. Art work on the side of the
building is very common in Belgrade usually it is modern abstract art. There are
some very remarkable graffiti all over the city promoting vegan life style
through same pig graffiti.
Food
It is all about the meat here. You cannot leave this city
without tasting their cold cuts and their he chargrill meat. The Balkani
cuisine is based on meat, olive oil, not much seasoning. Get familiar with
these names and dishes:
- · Kaymak a creamy dairy product similar to clotted cream,
- · Ćevapi or chevap a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of skinless sausage,
- · Pljeskavica is the raditional Serbian Burger. The name comes from the word pljesak which means “to clap hands”. You will never like the conventional burger after trying this one.
- · Lepinja (Serbian Flatbread) it is used to make the Pljeskavica.
- · Bajadera individually wrapped chocolate delicacies in foil with a distinctive gold and yellow design. It is a creamy hazelnut filling between two thin layers of milk chocolate (it is product of Croatia but can be found in Serbia)
Drinks
- · Rakia or Rakija: It is the national drink. It is a fruit brandy having an alcohol content of 40% common flavors are šljivovica (produced from plums) and kajsija (produced from apricots). It is very strong and you may not like it, for this reason you may go for the flavored ones. It is served typically in small jar looking glass bottles.
- · Beer: Serbian beer are not that bad, a common brand you may come across is Зајечарско (brewed by Heineken Serbia).
Restaurants
Belgrade's best and oldest traditional restaurants are
called Kafanas (Serbian). Note that many restaurants do not prohibit indoor
smoking. In a restaurant you find an area for smokers or non-smokers.
- · Tri Sesira or Three Hats: The first restaurant you may need to visit: http://www.trisesira.rs/en/ . Be alerted that portions are quite big there, like a platter for 2 can easily be shared by 4 people. So do not over order. What I recommend you to order is the Mezze for two people (selection of cold cuts along with delicious grilled red peppers) and Serbian plate (selection of chevap, kebabs, sausages, kaymak…)
- · Toro this is a latin gastro bar that is ideal to visit at night if you are lucky to find a place. It is a two floor restaurant, the lower part is more of the pub aspect (you can get squeezed in here) and the upper floor (which overlooks the lower one) is more of the dinning place. Do not miss the appetizers (the shrimps are very delicious). https://www.facebook.com/ToroBelgrade
- · Manufaktura: Here is one of the coolest places in Belgrade. First it is marked by hanging red umbrellas on wires outdoor. The indoor area looks more like a cow barn ( wood straws are intentionally left on the floor) and shelves are decorated with pantry items. The waiters are dressed like farm operators. The food is good; you may want to try some Balkani dishes there among them the famous gourmet burger: Pljeskavica. This have a live band performing which adds more to the ambiance. https://www.facebook.com/manufaktura.belgrade/
- · Ambar: Ambar is the first modern, international chain of Balkan cuisine restaurants.. Personally I liked this place during especially sitting on the terrace overlooking the river. Food is Balkani ( tried the bujurdi and not bad at all , the crispy calamari can be improved as it lacks taste). http://www.ambarrestaurant.com/about-us/
- · Moscow Hotel: Among the famous landmarks of Belgrade. It was built in the style of the Russian secession; it is a bit classical. It was inaugurated by King Petar I Karadjordjević himself in 1908. The hotel has a very nice outdoor cafe trottoir that is ideal for a coffee and deserts in the spring or summer time. http://www.hotelmoskva.rs/en/
For some hidden gems, check out this link: http://stillinbelgrade.com/top-10-bars-in-belgrade/
Old Belgrade Districts
- · Knez Mihailove Street or Prince Michael Street (named after Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia). It is one-kilometer-long and a common meeting point for Belgraders. In December 2006, BusinessWeek magazine included the street as one of Europe's notable Christmas shopping sites. The street is a pedestrian area that has international clothing brands. Its buildings have the Austro-Hungarian architectural style and Knez is the protected urban part of the city. It is buzzing with life, tourists, locals, street performs, popcorn kiosk (the smell is irresistible).
- · Skadarlija: It is the city's old bohemian neighborhood where the poets and artists of Belgrade gathered in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The center of Skadarlija is Skadar Street, which is paved and full of cozy restaurants, side street designers and tourists. Watch out for pickpocketing in this area.
- · Church of Saint Sava/ Hram svetog Save: Not to miss at any price, even if under renovation, this church is among largest church buildings and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. It is named after saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The underground part of the church is majestic, low ceiling painted with gold. There are any ceremonies taking place so the place is always alive.
- · Belgrade Fortress: this is actually a park (Kalemegdan) and a citadel. Once an important military fortification, it now serves as the central park of Belgrade.it is ranked as the number one destination for Belgrade visitors. It offers a panoramic view of the city given its elevated location. The park hosts the statue of Pobednik (Winner), one of the symbols of Belgrade. It is a 14-meter-high column on which a nude man stands, holding a falcon in his left hand and a sword in his right.
- · Karadordeva: This area can be considered as Belgrade waterfront. A long walkway by the river where several locals come for a walk. You may also see people on bicycles. On the other side there is a series of modern restaurants adjacent to each other. These restaurants get really busy at night.
- · Boat cruise: Near Karadordeva street, you can find several boats where you can have a cruise along the river. It is highly recommended to take a cruise during the sunset time.
Accommodation
It is recommended to stay around the
pedestrian zone of central Belgrade (knez), as it is at walking districts from
all the main attraction in old Belgrade. Personally we stayed at Enjoy Hotel, a
new hotel established in 2015. It is a modern boutique hotel with good rooms
and services. https://www.envoy-hotel.com/
Money
The currency is the Serbian dinar (one dollar is equivalent
to 112 RSD). In general Serbia is a cheap country. For instance, a cup of
coffee in a central café would cost you almost a dollar. Food is cheap as well
on average a generous meal in a tourist area with alcohol would cost around 15
dollars per person.
Getting out from the airport
The airport is located almost 20 minutes away from the city
center. A taxi from the airpot to the city center shall not exceed 1800 RSD. Outside
the airport there are cabs with fixed prices. At the arrival hall, there is a
small reception where you can ask for a cab giving them the hotel address. They
will give you a piece of paper with a fixed price in Serbian dinars. All you
have to do then is get out of the building to the left where the cabs are. You
shall present the paper to the first one in the row.
Souvenirs
Serbia has lots of souvenir to take home whether it’s food , wool products or gadgets. If you want to take food items, you make go for Rakia, but it might
not be everyone’s taste. There are also a wide variety of jams and honey that
are available in street markets and shops. In the toutistic places , you can
easily spot a kiosk in the middle of the street that sells the typical souvenir
gadgets magnets, special alcohol flasks, shots, army hats …
Getting out of Belgrade:
·
Krupajsko vrelo a waterfall
with mesmerizing beauty in East Serbia at an altitude of 220 meters. It is located about 35 km from Žagubica and
around 100 miles from Belgrade.
·
Crkva Svetog Đorđa: tGeorge's
Church also known as Oplenac (Опленац), is the mausoleum of the Serbian and
Yugoslav royal house of Karađorđević located on top of the Oplenac Hill in the
town of Topola, Serbia.
·
Djerdap National Park: Djerdap
National Park is located in south-eastern Europe, in the northeastern part of
Serbia, on the border with Romania. http://www.npdjerdap.org/?lang=en
