SERBIA
Country Overview:
“Belgrade is a beer-loving, stylishly-hip, graffiti-covered, European capital that hates its current president”
I visited Belgrade, Serbia after almost 3 months in Istanbul at the end of 2020. One of the biggest things I noticed was how friendly everyone is. Asking for directions, needing help, or just chatting to the clerk at the corner store, everyone went above and beyond to engage in conversation. The architecture is amazing, the food is great, and there are tons of craft beer bars. Despite a tumultuous history and its ongoing feud with Kosovo, I really enjoyed spending time in Belgrade and if you’re a fan of street art, this is the place to be. Keep in mind, that I visited Serbia twice and both times were in 2020 during the COVID epidemic. As such, many bars closed early and the bars on the large river barges were closed.
Hello Belgrade
I came back to Belgrade, Serbia so I could handle all of my Thai visa stuff - only country in Balkans that’s issuing Thai tourist visas. Should be flying out December 10th if everything goes smoothly, but it’s quite the process
Tacos
Without thinking, I bought my ticket to Albania on Nov. 1, only to realize it was the day after Halloween and so I wouldn’t be able to go out on the 31st. This is my first year in a long time not celebrating Halloween and although there is that slight feeling of FOMO, it’s going to be a wild next week with elections and my birthday. Hope everyone has a nice (and safe) Halloween!
National Assembly
The House of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was completed in 1936 was the seat of the Parliament of Yugoslavia and the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro.
Novi dvor "New Palace" was a royal residence of the Karadordević dynasty of Serbia and later Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Today it is the seat of the President of Serbia.
Stari dvor "Old Palace" was the royal residence of the Obrenović dynasty. Today it houses the City Assembly of Belgrade. The two palaces sit opposite each other with a flower garden between them.
The two dogs at my gym were a bit worn out from me throwing the tennis ball around in between sets.
Church of Saint Sava
The Church of Saint Sava is a Serbian Orthodox church, with its first stone laid in 1935. It is the largest Orthodox church in Serbia, one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches and it ranks among the largest churches in the world. It is the most recognizable building in Belgrade and a landmark, as its dominating dome resembles that of Hagia Sophia, after which it was modeled.
The Nikola Tesla Museum holds more than 160,000 original documents, over 2,000 books and journals, over 1,200 historical technical exhibits, over 1,500 photographs and photo plates of original, technical objects, instruments and apparatus, and over 1,000 plans and drawings. The picture with the gold ball is actually an urn that holds the ashes of Tesla.
Belgrade Fortress
Belgrade Fortress (built in 279 BC) consists of the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers. Belgrade Fortress was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and is protected by the Republic of Serbia.
Fun Fact: It is the most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade, likely because admission is free.
Belgrade // Day 1
I don’t know what the deal is, but there are murals ALL over this city. I assume they are famous Serbian people but because I haven’t had the time to master the Serbian language, I really have no idea