My favorite Things To Do Belgrade

My Favorite Things To Do Belgrade - Introduction

  Belgrade is the capital of the former Yugoslavia. Now it's just 'Serbia' but the capital has done well and it almost seems communism never happened. Belgarde has a small-town feel to it and has a lot of green areas to enjoy.   Serbians (like Croatians) can be uber-friendly or plain rude - there seems to be not much in between. Generally, there is a sense of 'me first' in social environments. People are more friendly than in Russia but less so than Greece (for instance). Belgrade is generally cheaper than the US - however good food tends to be expensive. There is generally little drama and things work as expected. Belgrade is thankfully not as overrun by visitors as many other EU capitals. In fact, it often seems there are no other visitors at all.

My Favorite Things To Do Belgrade - Get Around

As with many former communist cities, the central planning got one thing right usually - infrastructure. There are plenty of wide roads and they are typically in good order. Traffic jams are rare even during rush hour. I used the local taxi app called Car:Go which is only available in Serbian language but worked quite well. It's just a little cheaper than taxis which are also fine (if you can find one). Uber itself is not active as a ride-sharing service in Serbia. There are currently no scooter rental services in town (i.e. Lime or Uber). Many parts of the city are perfectly walkable.  

My Favorite Things To Do Belgrade - Connectivity

Internet connections are typically fast - often very fast! Don't be surprised to get 100 Mbit at a random coffee shop. 200Mbit anyone?

My Favorite Things To Do Belgrade - Pollution

Like other European capitals, the diesel exhaust particle pollution can be made along major city roads. Apart from that pollution isn't a big problem at all.

My Favorite Things To Do Belgrade - Things to See

Kalemegdan This old fortress sits on a strategic hill overlooking the Danube river. It's where most of Belgrade comes on a summer day to enjoy the incredible sunsets.     Nikola Tesla Museum This is a must-do on most visitors itinerary. That exactly is the problem as the museum only allows 65 visitors per hour (on a tour). There are no reservations and not all tours are in English. The daily schedule changes at any time. You will need to get in line early to guarantee that you can get in at the full hour (no entrance after that). It's frustrating and I ran out of patience but it's worth it from what I could gather. National Museum This museum is run like a 'Gulag' and the staff would do well in a movie of the 'Gulag Archipelago' - it is just horrific. However if you can deal with that the huge ground floor timeline installation on how how Serbia developed from the stone age to the late Roman Empire is great. The rest of the museum is a skip (if you ask me).

My Favorite Things To Do Belgrade - Eat and Drink

The good news - there is a lively coffee culture in Belgrade and locals love to socialize in coffee shops. The problem? Smoking is allowed (and encouraged!) inside and outside premises and it seems everyone in Serbia is a chain smoker. In most restaurants and coffee shops you will have a hard time finding a single patron who is NOT smoking. That is a big turn off. Radost fina kuhinjica This vegan/ vegetarian restaurant is a hidden location (confusingly there is NO sign anywhere and I walked by several times without noticing it) comes with a small but eclectic vegetarian menu. Bring some time as service is spotty (but friendly) and the dishes are great. Red Bread I'd expect the sandwiches to be best at a place called' Red Bread' - it was disappointing - however, the atmosphere and great juices (almost) made up for it. Koffein This local mini-chain has great coffee but the food can be hit or miss. Just have coffee. Free Wifi comes included though. Przionica The city's best coffee hands down and a great location. However, it can be loud and well the smokers can be annoying. Pizza Bar Great pizza - a little too cheesy but still - fresh ingredients and huge size for a moderate price. Luff Gelata Awesome ice cream creations - not just Gelato. It's cozy inside and the coffee is excellent too. Great find!