An American in Belgrade, Serbia

During the 1990’s horrible things transpired in the former nation of Yugoslavia, bringing devastation not witnessed on European soil in decades. The country experienced civil war as old rivalries over land and religion stirred ethnic violence. The end result was a bombing campaign by the USA and its allies on the former Yugoslavian capital of Belgrade, which became the capital of Serbia after the country broke apart into the new nations of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Kosovo (still not recognized by Serbia). Montenegro eventually peacefully split from Serbia also.

Train Travel Between Zagreb, Croatia and Belgrade, Serbia

Bell and I had rented an apartment in Zagreb, Croatia for 3 weeks two summers ago and I decided to take a two day trip to be an American in Belgrade and get a small taste of Serbia. The train ticket was cheap enough, only the equivalent of €40 ($50 US) roundtrip for two 7 hour legs. The train carriages aren’t the most comfortable ride in the world, but sparse passengers on board made the journey ideal for contemplating life.

Belgrade Train Station. American in Belgrade
Belgrade Train Station. Not the most welcoming place after a 7 hour train ride.

Belgrade Train Station and Novi Beograd (New Belgrade)

Upon the train’s arrival into Belgrade, I was taken aback by Novi Beograd (New Belgrade). A small cluster of towering grey communist era housing blocks was a spectacle of a greeting. The small run down train station featured a broken electronic currency exchange board with rates hand written and taped over the electronic grid. Then there was the incredible souvenir stand pictured below, basically a shrine to Ratko Mladić. This was not the most welcome of greetings for an American visiting Belgrade solo.

Right out the front of the train station a merchant was selling Ratko Mladić t-shirts- who had just been apprehended by the tribunal in The Hague for war crimes. American in Belgrade
In front of Belgrade’s train station a merchant sellis Ratko Mladić t-shirts. Mladić had just been apprehended by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague for his role in ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. Welcome to Belgrade!

Staying in Belgrade’s Stari Grad District (Old City)

I hadn’t booked a hotel so my first order of business was finding a place to stay on a blisteringly hot July evening. After grabbing a map from tourist information in the train station, I set off for the Stari Grad district (“old city”). I checked rates at a few hotels until I found the reasonably priced Hotel Royal Inn (the Queen of England would not be caught dead there). The lobby is well appointed, but rooms are dated, small and extremely hot in summer. But for €33 (just over $40) for a private room with shower in one of the best locations in the city, it’s ok for a young traveler for a couple nights.

View of Belgrade from the "Royal Hotel. American in Belgrade
View of Belgrade from the “Royal Hotel.” Not the prettiest view, as Belgrade does have some beautiful architecture.

Cultural Exchange and Stories in a Belgrade, Bar

After changing and checking the bed to be sure there were no bed bugs, I set out to grab a few drinks. I stumbled on a bustling venue with a huge outdoor bar and managed to find an open stool among the crowd. After ordering, the man next to me inquired where I was from. “American?” he replied. “What are you doing in Belgrade?” He immediately offered me a shot and later subsequently told me he was banned from the US for 10 years because he told the US embassy they were terrorists after they continued denying him a tourist visa to visit his sister in Chicago.

He also told me that Americans misunderstand Serbia and that it is a safe place. “You can sleep here all night and nobody will bother you” he said, pointing to the concrete in the middle of the city. He also insisted on picking up the check for the beer I ordered, along with the shot he bought me, after I decided to move along to another venue. I quickly discovered that Serbians are both hospitable and very outspoken. Being politically correct or afraid to offend is not in these people’s DNA

Belgrade's Parliament lights up the night sky. American in Belgrade
Belgrade’s Parliament lights up the night sky.

Knez Mihailova – the Main Shopping Street of Belgrade

Fashionable citizens dot Belgrade’s main shopping promenade of Knez Mihailova. Belgrade’s residents dress just as sharp as those in wealthier western European capitals. Knez Mihailova is a wide pedestrian only shopping street. I prefer it to narrow ones like the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam or Grafton Street in Dublin, that are almost always too congested during business hours.

A wide variety of luxury and brand name stores line Knez Mihailova, complemented by great architecture. Surprisingly, I think it’s one of the absolute best shopping streets in Europe to stroll down.

An awesome view of Belgrade and the Danube river can be seen from Kalemegdan Park. American in Belgrade
An awesome view of Belgrade and the Danube river can be seen from Kalemegdan Park.

Kalemegdan – the Oldest Area of Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade also offers some great sites to see, like the Kalemegdan fortress and park. This is the oldest part of Belgrade that dates back over 2,000 years. The park is great to stroll around and offers fantastic elevated views of where the Danube and Sava rivers converge. Serbians aim to flex their military muscle by showing off a plethora of old tanks and automatic weapons at the military museum. The large Belgrade zoo is also located within the complex and houses some 250 species of animals, making it one of the largest zoos in Eastern Europe.

A man enjoys his bench and the intersection of the Danube and Sava rivers in Belgrade. American in Belgrade
A man enjoys the wonderful view overlooking the Danube and Sava Rivers confluence in Belgrade.

Belgrade’s Skadarlija District – a Must for a Meal!

Belgrade offers fantastic eats for reasonable prices. A tasty meal in the beautiful restaurant and pub in the Skadarlija district is an absolute must on a visit here. I even received a complimentary honey liquor shot after my meal. In just 2 days in Belgrade I received about 5 free drinks. Serbians are not spoiled by over-tourism, and hospitality is ingrained in the culture of their service industry.

Lovely flowers, great food, live traditional Serbian music, sociable crowds and good hospitality adorn Belgrade's Skadarlija district. American in Belgrade
Lovely flowers, great food, live traditional Serbian music, sociable crowds and good hospitality adorn Belgrade’s Skadarlija district.

Recap on Whether Belgrade is Worth Visiting

Belgrade offers a unique Balkan city experience, void of mass tourism. It’s not for every type of traveler, and that’s part of what makes Belgrade unique. Fantastic food, hopping nightlife, history and hospitable locals are noteworthy highlights of the Serbian capital. Don’t miss the Skadarlija and Kalemegdan districts.

Have you visited Serbia or is it on your travel bucket list? If you have an interesting story about travel in Belgrade, share it in the comments below! I look forward to exploring more of Serbia on a future trip.

Author

  • Alex&Bell

    Alex and Bell originally met while solo traveling after finishing university in 2002, in Brugge, Belgium. Alex grew up in the USA and Bell hails from Australia. During our nearly 20 year marriage we've lived around the world, including spending six years living in the Netherlands and Ireland. We have traveled to nearly 70 countries and enjoy giving readers authentic and quality travel tips. Alex is an award winning travel journalist and travel planner, who also freelances for other outlets. Bell is an award winning PhD scientist who currently works for a non-profit lung cancer advocacy research organization called Lungevity. Happy travels and if you have any questions leave a comment or drop an email!

4 thoughts on “An American in Belgrade, Serbia

    1. Thanks for reading and for your comment. Perhaps I should have made the post a smidge longer. I try to be cognizant of people’s short attention spans these days 🙂 I should have touched on the military museum with many old tanks and weapons displayed outside a section of the old fortress. It was a tad on the creepy side, but also interesting. And the excellent Serbian chivapi (minced hamburger Kafka kebab type meal), though every Balkan country touts that they have the best chivapi, I did think the one I had in Belgrade was better than what I had in Zagreb. But with so much good food in the region, I didn’t eat too much chivapi- and I would have left the size of an elephant if I did 😉 I also randomly saw a building that appeared to not be re-built after being bombed, but I couldn’t be sure. It may have just been left half demolished, but I’m guessing the former was the case. Shockingly, Nike sneakers cost more in Belgrade than they do in the US…

    1. Thanks! I’d like to go back some day and explore the country more when Bell can visit too. If I get back to the region I’d really like to see Sarajevo as well. I have to be sure to try their chivapi and make a final verdict on the region 😉

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