Likes & Dislikes

Opinions

Belgrade - Sava Mala neighborhood - e.v. photo

“Belgrade has clearly become the new darling of Europe’s hedonists – the food is cheap and good, and even in the early hours of the morning it’s hard to find a bad pastry or sandwich.

The atmosphere in the city is sometimes a romantic mix of Mediterranean and Balkan, but mostly depressingly gray post-socialist-realism. The nightlife, on the other hand, is great. It’s much cheaper than in Budapest, and less fake and touristy – there’s an honest authenticity about the scene here.

The best places in the city are the boat-clubs on the banks of the Sava river, which include everything from run-down grime to suited-and-booted swank. I think it’s important to mention that all the locals we met were proud, temperamental and friendly.

Altogether I’d say Belgrade is a great place to eat, drink and have a party – we’ll definitely be back.

Food: Prilog, which is an eatery in the center of town. It serves ćevapi, pljeskavica, and similar dishes. Fantastic.
Stara Hercegovina restaurant. Mid-range prices. Great side dishes.

Party: 20/44 Raft
Alternative boat club, young, yuppie-ish crowd. Very good music.
Cetinjska 15: A ruin-bar-type place in an old beer factory. (Andreas, 2016)

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“There were plenty of parking areas around the hotel and in the city center, although we had to look for free spaces. And you also have to pay attention to the zone. You can park in zone 1 for 1 hour, in zone 2 for 2 hours, and in zone 3 for 3 hours. The ticket can be bought via SMS, at a kiosk, or on the app. The parking garage/courtyard is the best option. We ended up going to a nearby parking lot, where we could park for 1,500 dinars (11 euros) for the whole day.” (b.l., 2021)


Practicals

Transport

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Belgrade - tram (in 2018) - Krista photo

Belgrade - free wifi on the old tram - Krista photo

Belgrade - public bus - Krista photo

Food

“Our favorite restaurant here is Crvena Ruza (Red Rose), but we also had a delicious meal on the terrace of the popular Dva Jelena (Two Deer) restaurant. All of the restaurants offer dishes from traditional Serbian cuisine, which is very meaty. The local meat pastry, pljeskavica, is very tasty, as is čevap, which is similar to Romanian mici.

From the appetizers, I recommend the ajvár, which is a kind of spread made from peppers, eggplant, and garlic. Another authentic Serbian dish is kajmak, which is also present as a dip on menus. This curd made from cow's milk has a very creamy character and is sometimes called milk pudding. There are also local specialties for those who like alcoholic drinks. The local brandy, rakija, can be tasted and bought not only in restaurants and bars but also on the street.” (2021)


Belgrade - high-end restaurant - Krista photo

Shopping

“We were able to pay by card in restaurants, nightclubs, shops, and parking lots. In the kiosk where you buy bus tickets, parking tickets, tobacco products, or soft drinks, we could only pay with cash. We saw only one souvenir shop in the city, but there are many clothing stores and hairdressers. It was interesting to me that the pharmacies are also combination toy stores.” (b.l., 2021)

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"If you want to buy cheap, fresh products, go to the local market. For all this, I recommend Zeleni Venač, one of the oldest markets in the city, located next to the bohemian quarter. In addition to fruit, vegetables, and meat, you’ll also find flowers, seeds, sweets, clothes, and even cleaning products or electronic devices; in a word, everything.” (2021)

Belgrade - Knez Mihailova shopping street - Krista photo

Belgrade - supermarket - e.v. photo

Public safety

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Belgrade - police car - Krista photo

Health

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Belgrade - This mural is not about smoking but still made us think that too many locals smoke in public places. - Krista photo

Others

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Belgrade - graffiti or street art? - Krista photo

Belgrade - Sava Mala - graffiti&street art - e.v. photo

Belgrade - Sava Mala graffiti - e.v. photo

Background

Destination in brief

Belgrade is the capital of Serbia, the third-largest city along the Danube (after Budapest and Vienna).

Belgrade in Serbian is Beograd - means ,,white city" named after the white wall of the fortress that enclosed the city

Population (in 2020): 1.3 million- The population of the capital is homogeneous, with 90% being ethnic Serbs. The gypsy minority is quite significant.

Average net monthly salary (in 2020): 530 USD

Most of the buildings were built in the 20th century.

In 1999, the airforce of NATO bombed Belgrade to force compromises on the then Yugoslav leadership. Belgrade has suffered a lot of damage, and traces of the bombings can still be seen here and there

Tourist attractions: Kalemegdan fortress, Knez Mihailova walking street, Skadarska bohemian neighborhood, St. Sava cathedral, Parliament buiding, Tesla museum

History

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Belgrade - Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building severly damaged by the 1999 NATO bombing - ruins kept as a reminder - Krista photo

Belgrade - Even in 2018, many here curse Bill Clinton for helping Kosovo to break away from Serbia. - Krista photo

Belgrade - Sava Mala - The name of this cafe is SFRJ, the acronym for Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - presumably not a sincere Tito-nostalgia, but probably a kind of humor - e.v. photo

Belgrade - a street named after Gavril Princip, a Bosnian Serb who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 and his shot led directly to the first world war - Krista photo

Belgrade - A memorial plaque in Sava Mala for 6300 Jews who were transferred through this location in 1942 and were exterminated outside Belgrade - e.v. photo

Nowadays

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Belgrade - Karadjordje street opposite Belgrade's old railway station - e.v. photo

Belgrade - gentrifiying Savamala neighborhood - Krista photo

Belgrade - modern - Krista photo

Belgrade - center - Krista photo

Belgrade - fancy walking area - Krista photo

Belgrade - Sava Mala graffiti and waste fusion - e.v. photo

People

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Belgrade - girls - e.v. photo

Belgrade - churchgoers - Krista photo

Attractions

St. Sava Cathedral

Belgrade - St. Sava Cathedral - Krista photo

Belgrade - St. Sava Cathedral - brand new interior - Krista photo

Skadarlija

Belgrade - Skadarlija vintage street (neigbourhood) - Krista photo

Parliament

Belgrade - Parliament building - Krista photo

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