Serbia’s capital Belgrade, which means the White City in Serbian, might not have it all, but it has a lot. It’s has a magnificent fortress located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, with stunning sunset views over the plain.
It’s got a cobblestoned Bohemian quarter, unchanged since the national awakening in the 19th century. It’s got some of Europe’s newest war ruins, dating back only to 1999.
And finally, it’s got a pulsating nightlife that on balmy summer nights on the banks of the Danube and on the dance floors of the myriad river boats has no parallel in Europe.
For those not yet in the know: Belgrade – only recently a pariah capital under NATO bombardment – has metamorphosed into one of Europe’s premier summer nightlife destinations.
A legion of enthusiasts claim it’s on par with Barcelona, Berlin and Ibiza. Locals shrug off the hyperbole, saying “it was always like this except during the bombs,” but are happy to see hip youngsters from all over the world flock to their new-found dance Mecca. While Kyiv also has a disco boat or two on the Dnipro River, Belgrade boasts dozens of them parked end to end where the Danube glides through the city center.
With revelers filing from one club to the next along the packed river banks in the warm summer night, the boats form one vast nightclub with countless dance floors, boasting some of the finest sounds in European dance, with Balkan turbo-folk thrown in as well. And this is not twice a week, but night after night while the heat and college vacations last.
A cover charge is rare, drinks are reasonable and the people are as happy as can be and looking good. So put on your red shoes and drop in on Red Shoes, H20, Freestyler and Plastic Light, to name just a few.
All the post-modern merrymaking takes place in the prominent shadow of Belgrade fortress – the ancient heart of the city dating back to the Middle Ages, and existing in its present form since the 18th century. The castle is enthroned on a promontory overlooking the junction of Europe’s longest river, the Danube, with the local tributary Sava.
This is where you should come to see the sunset, stroll through the park and soak up some mellowness and history before descending to the boundless hedonism on the river banks. But there’s some light relief here as well. You will be sharing the inspiring view with a certain Victor – a war memorial consisting of a soldier on a column. Unusually for the genre, the sculpture depicts Victor stark naked.
The sleepy former Hungarian town of Zemun. (Courtesy)
Originally intended to be erected on a central square, Victor’s full-frontal nakedness was thought inappropriate, so in the interest of modesty he was made to tower over the fortress walls looking out across the plain with his back to the town.
While the castle bears witness to the medieval struggle against the encroaching Ottoman Empire, Belgrade’s martial history extends sadly enough right up to the present.
Subject to NATO bombardment in 1999 during the Kosovo crisis, a number of ruins – twisted masses of concrete and steel – have been left standing as a reminder, and any visitor should have a look. What impresses is not so much the scale of destruction but the precision of the strike, leaving the immediate vicinity unscathed and even avoiding a total collapse of the building.
Of prominent buildings suffering direct strikes in central Belgrade, only one has been restored to pristine condition – the Chinese Embassy, one of the most controversial strikes in the war.
A visitor can also tap the positive sides of Serb pride by visiting the Bohemian quarter on the Skadarska street. A less steep version of the Saint Andrew’s descent in Kyiv, it is lined on both sides with traditional Serbian bistros, or kafanas, with all the trappings of the 19th-century national awakening. Everything here is wooden except the service and the food.
Try “Dva Yelena” for huge portions and a Serbian folk band serenading your table, which you’ll pay to stay rather than to move on. The waiters seem as old and gnarled as the oak tables but charm with their gruff knowledge of English and twinkling eyes. Order Muchkalica, a cocktail of stewed meats, or Karadjordje steak, for the full Serb culinary experience. Prices, as everywhere in Belgrade, are well below the European norm, if higher than in the rest of Serbia.
One of Europe’s newest war ruins in Belgrade. (Courtesy)
The Balkans would be unimaginable without coffee and Rakia, a fruit schnaps. Belgrade’s cafe culture and street life is an Ottoman legacy, but has an Italian flair for the modern day visitor.
At the same time, there are some peculiarities. Considering Serbs call themselves a nation of coffee-lovers, you will be surprised to find most menus including a range of concoctions based on Cafe Nes – the Balkan euphemism for instant coffee. But you’ll never think of instant the same way after sipping a Nescafe with whipped cream under the restored art nouveau facade of Hotel Moskva.
To have the real Rakia experience, try a full-blown Rakia bar, where staff will advise you which drink to choose from the enormous selection. But men beware, no waiter will look you in the eye if you order a lady’s Rakia such as cherry. Better save face and choose a 65 percent quince Rakia that is so pure you are guaranteed no regrets the next day.
Belgrade is a big bustling city that has no metro system, meaning that traffic jams and air pollution are possibly even worse than in Kyiv. But it’s easy to get out of the bustle, once you’re finished with the main sites. Drop by the tiny colorful old houses of the sleepy Hungarian-German town Zemun on the outskirts of Belgrade.
Zemun was formerly not only an independent town, but for periods separated by a border from Belgrade as part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Zemun’s main landmark is in fact the crooked Millennium tower, built in 1896 to commemorate a 1000 years of a local Hungarian settlement. After strolling the winding streets, relax in one of the local riverside fish restaurants to the sound of jazz, staring across at the forests on the far bank.
Kyiv Post staff writer Graham Stack can be reached at [email protected].
