An urbanistic oasis – that’s how I would shortly describe the metropole of Serbia. For me, this city symbolizes friendship, entertainment, nightlife and lively socializing within the labyrinth of both historical and modern buildings.
Belgrade was the last city we were visiting during our Balkan roadtrip, and thus (and now I think I can speak for all of us) we were considering it to be the relaxing last part of our 2 week pursuit of must-see places in the 5 Balkan countries we visited. Also, Belgrade was the first city where we got a little bit of rest from the heat that was in our tracks during the entire journey. As we were approaching the city, guys were playing a game on finding a specific supermarket (I think it was Spar) in the streets of all towns we passed through and I was pretty much consumed by reading one of the heartbreaking short stories by one and only, Mr. Oscar Wilde.
Just as I finished reading the story, we stopped by the apartment block where our accomodation was. It was a nice sunny evening and the city seemed friendly and welcoming. The first impression of the city was overall good, if only Belgrade was not a little bit of a prankster and didn’t prepare a funny surprise to welcome us.
As I was mentioning, we were in the street where we were supposed to be accommodated apartment block in which our apartment was. However, when we tried to ring the bell, nobody was answering. So we tried to get inside, we even walked to the toppest floor and back, trying to see the name of the apartment on some of the doors in the building. Unfortunately, we did not find it. And hence we were outside EU, no one of us had low price data at their disposal, which made it impossible for us to figure out what went wrong with our reservation. So at first, we had to go and search for wifi, only to find out that our reservation had been cancelled.
So in mild panic, we reserved a completely different apartment (one of few that were free) and went to find it. We got to the right place in about 20 minutes. But again, there was nobody waiting for us in front of the building where our apartment was meant to be. And the old door of the building made me even question the possibility that the apartment actually is in there. It seemed as if it was door to some old-forgotten basement garage that has not been used for decades now. But then, an old lady helped us get into the building where we could actually see the name of the apartment on one of the mailboxes.
We were so content to see that we found the right place. And after a while, a guy responsible for the apartment appeared and advised us to squeeze into a small elevator (made originally for just 2 people). You should have sensed the excitment of the first claustrophobic attack in my life. Especially, when the elevator stopped because one of my friends opened the inside door.
I could go on and on with this story, but in the end we got accommodated and could enjoy one of the best apartments we had during our entire roadtrip (reserved by a lucky chance). And sitting on a bed, watching Serbian comedy show, I felt really excited on finding out what else has this city prepared for us.
And turns out that the first story was not the last example of spontaneity and surprise element which Belgrade definitely doesn’t lack. What awaited us were new acquaintances, dialogues with kind locals and impulsive deeds leading to a handful of amusing memories.
I remember that unlike in other Balkan cities we were going through, in Belgrade no one really knew what to do. Even when we were picking a place to stay for dinner, we could not decide for the specific restaurant for nearly half an hour.
The same indecisiveness continued during the next day as we were passing by the stunning old hotel Moscow that survived from the era of secession until now. This now makes Hotel Moscow actually the oldest hotel in Belgrade which still works from its grand opening in the early 20th century. The hotel is really close to the main square in Belgrade (Trg republike, in Serbian) with the building of the Serbian National Museum and the statue of Prince Mihail.
This square was meant to be the starting point of our city tour that day, but as you can see, Belgrade and its surprise element didn’t let us search our way on our own. As we were standing at Trg republike, we noticed there was a girl with an umbrella which was gathering people for a free walking tour across the city centre. And so, out of nowhere, there came a nice idea. Why not to join her?
Long story short, our potential wandering across the city centre with one eye on the sights and another in Google Maps has turned into a nice walk full of historical facts which the girl, let’s call her for example Kathrina, told us. And in the end, we ended up having smoothie with her in one of the cafés of the old town. That’s how easily can Belgrade bring new people your way. It is said that the Serbian metropole is the most lively city of Balkan, with the wildest nightlife and the best parties. A city that never sleeps (if only the bars didn’t all close as 1am). But still, new friends and acquaintances are so easy to be found in Belgrade, since socializing and fun are the essential characteristics of the city.
During our walk with Kathrina – our guide, historian and young musician – we visited places like Historical Museum of Serbia and palaces, both new and old one. What is interesting about the Old Palace is the fact that Serbians have a long tradition of celebrating all the great deeds and achievements of their compatriots at the balcony on the first floor. Kathrina has told us, that even Novak Djoković, Serbian tennis player who has for a long time been the number one player of ATP ranking, celebrates each and every Grand Slam title with Serbian folk on this balcony.
When you cross the street in front of the old palace, you’ll find yourself standing next to the House of National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, a very important building for all diplomatic meetings, negotiations and summits. An interesting story is connected to the history of this and its neighbouring building, St. Mark’s Church. You see, Serbian government did not consider it very wise to have the building of parliament right next to an orthodox church, because they claimed that the neighbouring building might raise outrage in many politicians from abroad and heat up the diplomatic debates with them. Thus, they proposed to destroy the orthodox church, but citizens of Serbia did not respond to that idea very well. So here’s the thing – how has the government decided to solve this problem?
They have built a post office right between the building of parliament and St. Mark’s Church. Imagine a post office that would cover the entire view of a huge church with a high tower. I think you must sure know now that the post office is incredibly big. Even unnecessarily big. To show you how big it is, I’m adding a picture of it (and notice how small the people are in the picture in comparison to the post office). Though still, we must admit that building of the Main Post Office of Serbia was an elegant solution to the problem of Serbian government.
This way, you can go pass the big post office and walk right to the orthodox church which is one of the most significant churches of the city of Belgrade till this day. Though, please respect the manners and mind taking long trousers and long-sleeve T-shirt when you’re planning to visit the interior of the church. Even if it should mean, that you’re going to get changed right in front of the church (like one of our friends did).
Belgrade (like most of the Balkan cities) still carries memories of armed conflicts in various corners of the city and also, its inhabitants can still tell their own stories of living under danger of death.
Unfortunately, even such young people as Kathrina still remember what it was like when the city was facing bombings and people were hiding in their basements and vaults. Such vault is also hidden underneath Tasmajdan Park which is located very close to the St. Mark’s Church. It is always nice to walk this park – when we were there, it was in full blossom and sun was shining through the trees whose branches were throwing shades on people passing by, trying to protect them from the sun. If I hadn’t been told that I was walking on a vault at the time we were there, I would never have guessed it. But it is true that the entire park is located on a small (artificially seeming) hill…
Nowadays, the vault is already reconstructed and rebuilt into the style of modern hall which is being used for concerts and parties for young people. So luckily, the place of sorrow and uncertainty has changed into a place full of happiness, entertainment and recklessness.
At the time we visited the park, I remember the weather changed while we managed to walk from one part of the park to another. So when we were leaving, grey clouds were finally away and we could see Belgrade in its summer mood, full of light and colours of buildings glimmering underneath the warm sunbeams.
Not that far away from the park, there is an old house of Mr. Nikola Tesla. As you may have noticed, the story of this inspirational scientist is connected to many of the Balkan countries (like Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia) but it is well-known that Nikola Tesla had Serbian origin. And hence, the museum that’s dedicated to him and inventions is telling us a much more detailed story about his life than the Tesla museum in Zagreb (which is mostly dedicated to various kinds of vehicles and ways of producing honey).
On our way from the museum, I was already ice-breaking with our guide Kathrina, realizing that she is actually not a professional guide but only does this kind of activity for fun and also to make some additional money. Her true profession is making music and playing at festivals all around the country. This was a really nice realization to me, since I am an amateur pianist and drummer and therefore, I always enjoy a good conversation about music. So again, I must put an emphasis on how sweet, easygoing and warm-welcoming people Serbians are and also, how many nice encounters can come your way once you visit Belgrade, the city of unexpected stories.
Another unexpected thing was my enchantment by the biggest jewel of Belgrade, the unique Church of St. Sava, dedicated to the patron of all saints and national hero of Serbian folk. This immense beauty with green roofs and chambers of pure gold hidden in its cellars was constructed with the main idea to resemble Hagia Sophia in the Bulgarian capital city. And I think this purpose has been successfully achieved.
The interior of the church was unfortunately under reconstruction at the time when we were visiting (therefore, I cannot attach any nice pictures of it) but the chambers lying underneath the giant construction are just a phenomenon which can’t be compared to anything I have ever seen before.
And I promise I’m not exaggerating here! Though, I guess you will not believe unless you see it. I myself didn’t imagine in my wildest dreams what I saw down underneath the Church of St. Sava. Just look at it. Ain’t it breathtaking?
This mesmerizing shrine of Belgrade was the final stop of our walking city tour and also, the place we planned to say goodbye to our guide Kathrina and continue in our journey through the city on our own. However, Belgrade is the city of spontaneous ideas and surprises, which again led us away from our plans and drawn us into a small café in an old centre (I think it was at the street called Skadarlija which I’ll tell you more about later). Sitting at a table with a new acquaintance of ours, talking about life and sipping our cold smoothies through a straw was one of the most relaxing moments of the day we spent in Belgrade. I myself enjoyed it very much, just as I enjoyed the vintage style of café’s interior.
But Kathrina was not our only friend we managed to make in just one day we spent in Belgrade. In just half an hour since we said goodbye to her, we entered a restaurant with bagels at the south corner of the city centre. We ordered our bagels and since we enjoyed them really much, we wanted to take the second round of bagels with us, so that we could eat them at the Kalemegdan Fortress (which was our next planned spot). When we were leaving, a certain man noticed that we were speaking English to the cashier, but the language which we used to communicate among us sounded quite similar to Serbian. So, he started a conversation. And he didn’t even bother trying to talk in English, that was the sweetest thing about him. He asked us where we were coming from and he cheered very utterly to the fact that we are from former Czechoslovakia. He started telling stories about how he was in Prague through the years of Velvet revolution and how he visited Košice when he was at our age. And we were just standing there and smiling at him… because each one of us understood approximately every 10th word he said. In the end, we managed to put the story of his life together, after a discussion that took some time, of course. But the point is that the man was so nice. He even asked if we had somewhere to live while our stay and then started reassuring us that if we really needed it, he would have no problem to accomodate us in his student dormitory. Such hospitability is rare nowadays, but in Belgrade it is still remarkably present.
These are my stories of Belgrade – and now let’s move on to some legends. People say that Serbia is the country of many mysteries and Belgrade as its capital city is woven from invisible strings of mysteries connected either to legends of Belgrade history, and also to many houses and big landmarks characteristic for its city centre.
The most important to mention is definitely the mystery of Roman well, located in the area of Kalemegdan Fortress, built at the meeting point of rivers Sava and Danube. The legend says that the Roman well is the very place where Orpheus descended to the underworld. The well is also mysterious because even though that contains 200 steps, many treasure hunters and adventurous historians disappeared in its depths and were never found again. Till this day, the well at Kalemegdan Fortress is covered by mystery and certain amount of adrenaline for anyone who would contemplate trying to find what is at its bottom.
But let’s go back to the light! The Belgrade Fortress (or Kalemegdan Fortress) is the biggest temptation for tourists from all around the world once they come to Belgrade. It offers views like no other spot in Belgrade. Seeing the point where Sava and Danube meet while sitting at the fortifications of the white fortress and enjoying another mellow summer day in a city that’s buzzing with life is so nice.
I remember that not even a migraine could ruin this moment of sitting on walls of Kalemegdan Fortress for me. It is one of the places that makes you live in the moment, even though that many of us forget how to do it most of the time. And when the moment is gone, you carry its memory, to be able to visualize it in your mind through harsh days and sleepless nights.
The entire complex of fortifications from 279 B.C. is truly immense. It is so big that such insitutions as ZOO, planetarium, military museum and many others can fit in. During our visit, we have been focused mainly on the historical Ružica church which is very interesting because of its interior decorations (made up from old bullets and armor). It is said that the decorations were created by a designer who wanted to emphasize that the military material should be used for creating artwork and bringing more happiness into people’s lives instead of killing. So here it is, now we can see the metal chandeliers of Ružica Church and sigh in awe…
One thing that is important to point out is that even Kalemegdan Fortress is still focused on the crimes of war, since it holds a huge exhibition on tanks and other types of war vehicles. On the other hand, right next to the exhibition there’s a dinosaur park for little kids. A bit extraordinary, I must say.
And last but not least, at the viewpoint on the city of Belgrade, which literally lays at your feet once you’re on the top of Kalemegdan Fortress, there is a statue called Victor.
Kathrina has told us that this monument was built in order to remember the great victory during the Balkan War and was originally placed somewhere else, in the city centre. However, the Victor depicts a fully naked young man holding a dove and a sword. The nudity of the statue outraged feminists to strike and demand this statue to be taken away from the eyes of public. So the government did… and placed it up to the Kalemegdan Fortress, from where it looks at the entire city from celestial heights. Shit happens, said Kathrina when she finished telling the story of Victor’s monument to us and we all burst into laugh. You see, sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to. But what is nice, is that sooner or later, life leads you on another path, which is even more delightful and exciting than the path you were planning to take.
One more time we got misled from our path while being in Belgrade. We were heading down the hill from the lovely Kalemegdan Fortress, when we decided another place which Kathrina recommended us to visit. The place is called Sava and it is a well-renowned parfumerie which exists ever since the half of 20th century. It is still run by the former owner of the place, whose name has its pizzazz even in Paris, London or New York. He has been collaborating with Chanel and other world famous perfume producers. His shop is rather old and small but still, he gains an international recognition which is also the cause of visitors from all around the world coming into his shop and ordering a perfume. Also, the way of how you can get your perfume are very original – the elderly man just asks you what kind of perfume should it be, and then proposes 4 different perfumes to you. He usually sprays these 4 kinds of perfumes on your arms and then leaves you decide (in our case, this was a veeery long decision-making).
In the end, you just point at the part of your arm where he has sprayed your favourite perfume and he immediately knows which one he should prepare into a bottle for you. And also, an upgrade for every customer is granted in the price of newly bought perfume. After the upgrade, we were so smelly that our friends wanted us to stand 3 metres away from each other, so that the smells won’t mix up. But I can tell you, it’s really worth it. You feel like taking part in one of the most prestigious Belgrade stories, as stepping into the shop really feels like stepping back in time. And also, the prices of perfumes are really not that expensive.
So this is the main part of our story. One last thing is crucial though… And it’s the Belgrade nightlife. We were thinking about possibilities of a fun night in Belgrade and in the end, we decided for having a drink night. By drink night, we expected visiting various bars of the old centre around Skadarlija, the most romantic street of the entire Belgrade, and in every bar ordering one drink.
And so we did – starting in Skadarlija street, which is so full of people at night. In summer it is even more sensible, since everybody is sitting outside and enjoying the warmth and comfort of summer nights. The bars are really full after sunset in Belgrade, so the reservations are a true necessity. As we did not know where we would want to go that night, we were just wandering from bar to bar, looking for a free table without any reservations. After all, we managed first 3 rounds quite fast, but then came the complication. I started being hungry, and so we had to hit pause on our pub crawl and crawl right back to the Wok Republic which hosted our empty stomachs the night before. We had delicious noodles at that place, I remember my mind bursting with euphoria as always when I taste a meal which is a dream come true.
But then one last unexpected thing happened to us. When we left the Chinese restaurant to continue in our pub crawl, we came back to the streets of the old centre only to realize that all the bars were closing. You can imagine that one last prank that this prankster city pulled against us was not that pleasant anymore. But we managed and spent the rest of the night on the balcony of our apartment, drinking wine and eating cheese and olives. True gourmets we were, dressed in our summertime pyjamas and flip-flops. But that moment is again one of those I will remember for a long time.
The abstract view from our balcony with a few socialistic buildings and the old railway museum was for some strange reason filling all my expectations at that moment. I am a person who loves to explore details on the facades of old-timey houses, and capture the sunlight coming through the curtains of vintage framed windows, and that’s why I thought that Belgrade with its visible marks of previous regime would somehow not be sufficient for me in terms of what I search for in a city. But what I saw, and what I experienced in a couple of days we spent there, has persuaded me about the qualities of the Serbian metropole. And the moment as we were sitting on the balcony, I realized it. It is a typical student city, where I would imagine getting lost while partying with my friends, or run for a tram so that I would not miss the first minutes of lecture at school, or just sit at the walls of Kalemegdan Fortress with someone I love very much and watch the rivers of Sava and Danube intertwine, just like our paths have. All this are things that Belgrade can offer, and thus not even closing bars at 1am can stop you from making unforgettable memories once you’re in the capital city of Serbia. So just go with the flow and let yourself be nicely surprised. That’s all I can say.
Love,
Antonia
P.S.: This has been the records of the memorable two weeks I spent at Balkan, with the most remarkable people that have ever come my way. I hope you all like my impressions on the cities we’ve managed to explore, I hope you also like the pictures (which are partly my creation, but partly creation of my friend who has a great deal of talent and potential for photography) and also I hope you’re already looking forward to another set of Love Letters, dedicated to another beautiful part of Europe, the central Europe.
P.S.2: My dear three musketeers, thank you so much for taking me on a journey that so many times compromised both my physical and emotional strength. You said it would be a journey which strengthens my soul and character. Now I am sure that it not only strenghtened me as a person, but also it offered me a whole new point of view on life in other countries and made me discover much about the world and about myself. For that I will be forever grateful! Love you, guys 🙂
Have you enjoyed reading the Love Letters?
Follow us to get new content delivered right to your inbox,
Love Letters to the World 