Belgrade (Beograd), Serbia

July 2010

When I first looked at my cruise itinerary, I felt curiosity, but also some apprehension, about our journey to Belgrade and through Serbia.  My first minutes driving through Belgrade heightened my concern, as we drove through older, crowded parts of town where tall, crumbling, concrete buildings nearly blocked the sun from the streets.   We passed empty buildings that were bombed in the 1999 NATO attack and the US Embassy with its covered windows.

But I know there are two sides to most cities. My feelings changed when I saw the charming old mosaics from a zoo that opened in 1936 (the original zoo was started in 1730) and  discovered a lovely city of parks, art deco and neo-classical buildings, cafes, stylish shops, and friendly people.   By the end of the day, I found myself comfortably exploring the areas around their famous Knez Mihailova Street and the Republic Square and walking back to the boat on my own.  Serbian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, but a number of signs also use the Roman alphabet--at times even in English which made it easier to get around.  Many people spoke some English, especially those in the shops or selling souvenirs in the middle of the stylish pedestrian streets.

Belgrade is an ancient site. Nearby, there are ruins at Vinca dating from the late-Neolithic period (5500-5000 BC).  They say Belgrade has been conquered and destroyed 44 times, most recently in WWII when the Nazis bombed it to get the city and then by the Allies to get the Nazis out.  It has witnessed 115 battles; had 40 names; and been a capital city 5 times. The Kalemegdan (ruins of a Turkish and later Austrian fortress)  rises above ruins of earlier Roman and medieval fortresses on the bank where the Sava River flows into the Danube.  Today the area is a beautiful park where children play and tourists enjoy vistas over the fortress walls.  We spent a windy, but pleasant, afternoon there.  Across the Sava,  we could see New Belgrade, a newly developed area of modern buildings and exclusive hotels.

In the area of the Patriachate  (home of Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church) is the neoclassical Saborna Church (1836)  with its gilded mosaics and, nearby, is the graceful residence (1831) of the  Princess Ljubica.  They say that the palace of the princess was more beautiful than that of her husband, the prince, although they were designed by the same architect (I wonder if that created any family issues).

Nearby is also an interesting Balkan-style cafe named "At the Question Mark" with a ? as  it's sign.  It is the oldest restaurant in Belgrade (1823).  In 1892, when it's new owners wanted to name it "At the Cathedral Church" due to its proximity to the church on St. Peter's Street,  both the church and authorities objected--it didn't meet the restaurant standards and I guess the Church didn't want to be associated with the first place in town to have a billiard table.  So the owner just put a ? on the sign, and it has been a popular eating place ever since.

I had come to Belgrade looking for a sun hat, as I had forgotten to pack mine, but had not found one as I headed back to the boat.  Then, I spotted a straw hat on the docks where a group of ladies were selling their hand embroidered and crocheted wares.  As we could not speak each other's language,  we bargained with gestures and nods, and I ended up with a "good deal" on the hat as well as a crocheted shawl with a couple of embroidered doilies because I didn't have the right change.  Whatever I paid, it was worth the experience, and I left Belgrade not only with a new hat, but also a new friend.

Click link for slideshow:
Belgrade, Serbia

Music: Ansambl Triola, Da smo se ranije sreli , Kolekcja pesama 2009 (Once again I don't know what the song means, but I enjoyed the Serbian group that performed it on the riverboat)


More information:  http://www.beograd.rs/cms/view.php?id=220 http://www.belgradenet.com/question_mark.html