04/07/2018 - 08/07/2018
Ok, let me start by saying that Belgrade really doesn't like having its photo taken, there is concrete.... and a hell of alot of it! Its surface is drab and its streets are gritty. Even in places that do behold beauty, it is often masked by sprawling graffiti and crumbling brick work. I feel Belgrade really is a city you need to experience rather than to see. Despite its bleak exterior, when you delve into the cities past you get so much more of a reward and this is exactly what we did.
We both love a good walking tour, its a great way to get your bearings when you first arrive in a city and to get a glimpse of the local history so we did one of the old city of Belgrade. The highlight of this was probably the Belgrade fortress which offers sprawling views out over the city and best of all, entry is free. Here you can also visit the military museum for a cost of 2 euro and an old Roman watering well which goes 35 meters deep for a cost of 1 euro. While you wander through the meandering stone pavements there is a sense of peace here in contrast to the hustle of the city. Locals come to relax here and you might even get to see some local men playing chess, a past time they seem to cherish here. Our tour guide let us sample some local brew, rakija, which by the way if you don't sample before you leave Serbia...have you even been? She taught us how to do a Serbian dance and some of the local language including the word for 'Thank you', pronounced like the 'Koala' bear which I definitely won't forget as I love a good furry animal!
Later on that evening we paid a visit to the bohemian quarter of Belgrade in an area known as Skadarlija consisting of cobbled streets and laneways. Here you can find some quirky little bars and places to eat and the bands in the restaurants play traditional serbian music while you dine. It might be best to visit this place at night where you get the full effect of the ambient and colourful lighting as you stroll down the street.
What we love even more than a good walking tour is a good bike tour and after alot of walking the previous day, this was a welcomed treat. This tour enables you to see the new town of Belgrade and on as far as the town of Zemun. It is the central business district in Serbia and was built on a previously uninhabited area of land across from the Sava river. Here you can see many aspects of brutalist architecture, meaning the choice of material for many of the buildings is exposed raw concrete, hence why I initially stated that belgrade does not look good in photos! On this tour you will also learn about the history of Yugoslavia and the kosovo conflict with the remnants of these clashes still very much evident today. You will pass many ruins of government buildings damaged in the 1999 Nato bombings.
Continuing on along the river we came to the town on Zemun which is one of the oldest districts of Belgrade. It is a river side town spread out across the Gardos hill and with a short walk up to the top you will be rewarded with views out over the river Danube and the old Belgrade town. A nice oasis from the restless spirit of the city.
As we had a bit of time to spare in Belgrade, we also took in the Nicolas Tesla Museum and the Zepter Museum and then to finish up on our last night we went to watch Russia versus Croatia in the fan zone of the city. Not many Croatian fans and if there was the they were staying quiet! Of course, we could not leave Belgrade without Paul sussing out a bit of Serbian rock so we managed to find a great band called Mr Swagger -Texas Flood who were playing in a rooftop bar called Sinnerman. Highly recommended if you want a bit of live music, city views and dabble in frequenting blues and rock bars.
There is alot to tell of Belgrade, the history can be overwhelming, the landscape can be brutal, they don't give you beer mats with your drink, que cold drips of beer on your legs but one thing is for certain, the city does have soul and with soul, according to the Jimmy Hendrix lyric that the band we enjoyed on our last night blasted out, 'If you have soul anything is possible'.
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