PHOTO STORY
Belgrade and Novi Sad, Serbia
Belgrade and Novi Sad, Serbia
Belgrade is creative, entrepreneurial and energetic. Home to the region's best nightlife, but it is Serbia's modern yet somewhat fractured history I keep coming back for.
I became fascinated with Serbia's history and energy right from the first visit in 2016, and decided to embark on a mission to explore the entire former Yugoslavia - Belgrade being the centre of Tito's legacy was also a convenient transit to base out of.
Belgrade I find is one of the most underrated major cities in continental Europe, and thanks to that, it managed to maintain its charms (and scars), without travel anxieties like pick pockets and drunk tourists to derail your travels. (At least not from my experience)
As I wander around different parts of the Balkans following traces of Tito's Yugoslavia, the longer I spend in the area, the more fascinated I became about the republic's chief architect - Josip Broz Tito, and how one person's influence held everything together until his death, which lead to a 10 year destruction of the region over national identity and political differences. Interesting fact, as part of the hard-won peace plan, Bosnia and Herzegovina operates with 3 active presidents, one Bosniak, one Serb, and one Croat.
BONUS I spotted a Serbian Simon Cowell (pictured above)
It is always a good sign when a city is filled with younger folks, it is a sign that opportunities are within reach and naturally the city becomes livelier too.
The Serbs are some of the most passionate people I have met, and in Belgrade the entrepreneurial energy is most evident in the growing efforts to revive and repurpose it's war torn compounds into creative hubs, bars, galleries and restaurants around the city. The best part of this is that we are right at the beginning and the opportunities are all up for grabs.
When it comes to nightlife, Belgrade knows a thing or two.
From century-old Kafanas that are still popular today to Splavs in the summer months. My two favourites are Cetinjska 15 – a repurposed factory area that is now an address synonymous with Belgrade's nightlife and a concept restaurant house within a nondistinct apartment building called Iris, that takes a more refined approached to the hearty Balkan cuisine, also where I generously sampled an intoxicating range of small-batch rakija they carry.
RAKIJA is spirit distilled from fruits with 40-60% ABV that is commonly consumed before and/or after meals regardless of time, it cures fever, reliefs toothaches and virtually homemade by every Serbian grandpa.
