The next 3 posts provide a summary of my first visit to Serbia, a small country in Eastern Europe. I travelled on my own and based myself in Belgrade for 3 nights however I wanted to experience more than just its capital city so I had pre-organised a jam packed itinerary:
- Friday: explore Belgrade old town
- Saturday: day visit to Northern Serbia and Novi Sad
- Sunday: day visit to Eastern Serbia
Until 1867 Serbia was under Ottoman rule before gaining independence in the Serbian Revolution. In 1946 Yugoslavia was formed and consisted of Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia in the first half of the 1990’s Serbia became fully independent in 2006.
My early morning flight from Luton arrived on time and by 11:00 am I was on a shuttle bus making my way to Belgrade Old Town. This gave me most of the day to explore. Deciding it was too early to check in to my hotel and having travelled with just a small backpack I decided to start exploring the city straight away!
Skadarska Street is the bohemian street of Belgrade and is said to be particularly busy during the evening as people enjoy the atmospheric bars and restaurants. I walked through during the daytime when it was quiet and I was trying to find my way around!
Studenski is one of the many parks of the city and on the edge of Dorcol which is an area I didn’t get to visit. Dorcol is a neighbourhood of Belgrade which is said to be filled with elegant bistros and coffee shops.
I had read that most people begin their visit to Belgrade with the Kalemegdan Fortress and its extensive surrounding park. There are a number of features within the park and in temperatures of around 25 degrees meandering through was a pleasant experience. Above is the King Gate which was first constructed after the Austrian siege in 1688 but demolished two years later by the Ottomans when they took over.
Kalemegdan Fortress is one of the oldest buildings of the city and for many centuries, the population of the city was contained within its walls. Belgrade was thought to have been founded in the 3rd century BC.
I walked past the Military Museum which was surrounded by canons, tanks and weapons on display in the park, many of them from the first world war.
The Fortress is at the confluence of the Danube and its tributary the Sava River and you have great views from here.
At 2,850 km, the Danube is the second longest river in Europe and flows from the Black Forest in Germany into the Black Sea. Among the many cities located on the river, there are 4 capital cities: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade.
Located within the park is the Victor Statue – the statue was originally planned for the centre of Belgrade but in 1942 it was thought it could be offensive to women so it was erected (possibly the wrong choice of word) in the park facing outwards!
Next to the park at the top of Knez Mihailova, the main pedestrian street, is the modern Rajiceva shopping center which contains a range of brand named retailers and some eateries.
As mentioned the main pedestrian street of Belgrade is Knez Mihailov which is lined with many bars and restaurants and has a fabulous outdoor dining scene both during the day and in the evening.
Waterfront Walk
Running for several miles next to the river is the Waterfront Walk which, having started construction in 2014, is a fairly new development. It is now lined with many restaurants, bars and luxury apartment complexes and makes for a pleasant late afternoon stroll.
Belgrade ‘cocktail capital of Europe’?
I had read somewhere that Belgrade is allegedly the ‘cocktail capital of Europe’ and decided to put this to the test with a different cocktail each night.
First up was Tequila Sunrise in the bar of the Jump INN Hotel where I stayed. My usual first choice is a Margarita but as this wasn’t on the menu I chose this old fave instead. Verdict? Wonderful! A deliciously refreshing drink in comfortable, quiet, spacious and air conditioned surroundings. And only for the price of about £3.50! So 8/10 overall 🙂
A Margarita had to be sampled and this was my choice in the Mama Restaurant Sky Bar the second night. “The best in town” said the bar man as he served it to me… Well… it was pretty good! Very tasty however a couple of points were knocked off as the glass wasn’t quite full so also 8/10 🙂
For the third night I walked for about 15 minutes down to the Waterside Walk to the Buddha Bar. Fancying something different I chose a Buddha Bar Special, a Club Tropicana which was rum based and included Aperol and orange juice. Verdict? Far too much ice meant I could hardly taste the drink and relatively pricey at about £8 so 3/10 for this one 😦
Evenings in Belgrade
Dinner on my first evening was enjoyed in the Ambar, a pleasant restaurant with an open air terrace overlooking the river. This was one of a string of similar restaurants which lined the section of the Waterside Walk next to the boat docking area. I chose this as it offered local Serbian food which I preferred on the basis I could have a pizza or pasta anytime!
This is me when travelling solo… Billy no mates at a table for one and pretending to read the Belgrade mini Rough Guide! Actually I did read the Rough Guide and used this opportunity to plan where to visit for the rest of the trip. The wine was a crisp, chilled and refreshing Serbian white.
This restaurant offers ‘small plates’ so I was advised to order a couple of dishes to begin with. The bill for this meal of grilled sea bass (above), grilled aubergine with kalamata olive jam and crumbled feta cheese and the wine was £19.40 which was expensive by Serbian standards however I guess you pay for the view, the ambiance and that you are exactly where the river cruise boats stop!
Close to my hotel was the Kulturni Culture Centre ‘KC Grad’. I called in to have a look and find out more… I ventured upstairs and while I was welcomed in, I didn’t stay as a presentation on ‘Could blockchain impact the energy market’ was taking place. It may have been interesting but was all in Serbian so little point in me staying!
Instead I went back downstairs and sat in the garden with a drink for a short time. A band was setting up and apparently this place gets really lively at night.
The Buddha Bar is located along the Waterfront Walk and is part of an international chain. I usually prefer to avoid these and seek out local independent, quirky and traditional places (like the cultural centre above) but it was pleasant to sit in the outside area of the BB in a comfy sofa-like chair close to the river.
Seeking a bar with a view on the Saturday evening I decided to try the Mama Skybar which is located at the top of the Rajiceva shopping center. The views were nothing too special but I enjoyed sitting in the warm early evening sun in the open air bar with a nice warm breeze. There was a great atmosphere and I felt quite comfortable sitting at the bar with my Margarita.
The small area just in front of the shopping center was buzzing and very lively in the evening.
There were a number of market stalls selling local goods. One of these sold traditional dumplings which are a Serbian speciality. I was told the best place to buy these is from a small shop called Ferdinand Knedle. This was only a few minutes walk from my hotel but I ran out of time to visit!
Evening in Knez Mihailov the main pedestrian street was full of people bustling around and sound with a few buskers providing entertainment along the way.
Just off Knez Mihailov is Republic Square which is considered to be the centre of Belgrade. In 1882, Roman tombs were discovered which contained fragments of pottery.
Republic Square contains the National Museum, the oldest and largest museum of Belgrade with a collection of over 400,000 objects, many of which are masterpieces.
The 4* Moscow Hotel (Hotel Moskva) is one of the oldest and most traditional of hotels in Belgrade. Lots of famous people have stayed here including Albert Einstein, Audrey Hepburn, Tom Hanks and many more.
I made a special journey to the Moscow Hotel with one main objective… this was to try some of the famous ‘Moskva Snit’ cake which was invented in 1974 and soon became a popular staple. The cake made with almonds, sour cherries and pineapple was delicious… light and not too sweet and at a cost of only £7.77 for the tea and the cake.
I sat in a comfy regal chair with piano music in the background enjoying a final treat on the last evening of my trip, as I ate my cake and drank my tea. Most people were sitting in the outside pavement area and while the staff were very busy, one friendly young server made a point of having a chat with me and made me feel very welcome.
Accommodation
I spent 3 nights in the Jump INN Hotel which was a 10 minute walk from the edge of Knez Mihailov, the pedestrian thoroughfare. It was also under 10 minutes to reach the Waterfront Walk and under 10 minutes from the Moscow Hotel so centrally located.
I had an excellent stay in this comfortable 4* boutique hotel. The breakfast was excellent, the staff super friendly and helpful and my single room was very comfortable. The receptionist even gave me a little gift of homemade biscuits as I checked out!
At first the surrounding location seemed a little tatty and rundown but once I had been there a while and found my bearings and sense of direction I felt comfortable and pleased with my choice. I would definitely stay here again as a solo female traveller.
Flights
I travelled with Wizz Air from Luton airport which took around 2.5 hours. The ticket was £110 return however this was for the most basic of options. My carry on allowance was 40 x 30 x 20 cm and I had random seating. Paying for extras could have easily doubled my costs. However, as mentioned above, I enjoyed the freedom of travelling light with just a small backpack and no case to lug around.
Airport transfers
Upon arrival I took the ‘A1 Shuttle bus’ for 400 dinars (about £3) for the single journey to the city centre. This was a large air conditioned mini bus with comfortable seats and was half empty at mid morning. This bus runs every 20 minutes and the journey time is around 25 minutes.
When I left to return to the airport, Google Maps wasn’t my best friend as I found it impossible to locate the A1 shuttle bus stop. After 20 minutes of searching for it, next to a busy junction I got fed up and reverted to plan B and took a taxi to the airport for the cash equivalent of about £25.
Currency
The currency is Serbian Dinar which is a closed currency meaning I wasn’t able to obtain it in advance. Upon arrival I used my Monzo card at an exchange place at the airport where 5000 dinars cost me £37.03. Most places take card payment however it was handy having some local currency for example for the bus. Euros are also widely accepted by many places including taxi’s so I had these with me too.
Trip summary
I adore all kinds of travel and each travel style has its benefits. Travelling with other people gives you shared experiences and company during your trip however I value solo travel too. I can go at my own pace and not have to fit around anyone else. For example, I can return to the hotel following a busy day and go straight out again without ‘staying in the hotel for a rest’. I can rest any other weekend!
For me, time on these weekend getaways is precious and I would rather not waste a second but make the most of seeking something else to see or do. If I wake up early I can get up and get going without waiting for someone else to wake up and leave at our agreed time. I constantly chop and change my mind and direction of travel as I’m exploring the streets and I have the freedom to do this at a whim and without having to justify or explain my decisions…
Throughout the 3 days I met some interesting people… this started with an engaging chat with an Iranian soon after arriving as we both waited at the airport bus stop for the shuttle bus into the city. I met more fascinating people during the day trips to north and east Serbia… more on these coming up in the next two posts…
Overall I had an amazing weekend and I’m keen to do a few more at the earliest opportunity either with family, friends or on my own again 🙂
frombluetogreen.com 
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