Tag 176 - Nis, Serbia (05.07.2020)

Good day from Serbia!

We have finally made it to the Balkan region.

After leaving Lysvik in Sweden by train, we had some difficulties with our flight at Gothenburg Airport. Due to technical problems and a thunderstorm, we could only depart for Belgrade late in the evening and with a two-hour delay.

When we arrived at the airport there after midnight, we fell victim once again to the local taxi mafia and paid an outrageously high price for the ride to our apartment in the city center. However, we didn't care as we were completely exhausted and just glad that we had made it to Serbia without any major issues.

Over the next few days, we explored Belgrade on foot, despite the very hot temperatures (up to 38 degrees). From the old fortress, we enjoyed the view of the Danube, walked through the government district, and made a stop at the Holy Sava Temple.

Belgrade certainly doesn't have the most beautiful city center; you can clearly see that there was a war here 20 years ago and the city was bombed during the NATO airstrikes. However, we constantly discovered beautiful spots and impressive buildings, which gives the city a unique charm.

After exploring Belgrade, we decided to rent a car to explore other parts of the country.

We had read and heard a lot about Serbian traffic, especially the bad road conditions outside the toll roads and the reckless driving of the Serbs. But we thought it couldn't be that bad - or so we thought as we picked up our car early in the morning. After a 5-minute drive, we were proved wrong when our side mirror was knocked off by a passing motorcyclist. Michi had stopped at a pedestrian crossing to let pedestrians pass, which the motorcyclist behind us didn't like. He overtook us while cursing loudly and knocked off the left side mirror as he passed us, then disappeared. Luckily, we were able to reattach the mirror without any damage.

Just 3 minutes later, we stopped at a traffic light and witnessed another car behind us being hit by another car.

What kind of adventure had we gotten ourselves into?

However, the remaining 4 hours of our drive on a fairly decent road went smoothly.

Our destination was Zlatibor, a holiday region that is particularly popular among the locals in winter. It feels like a new holiday apartment complex is being built in every street, which makes the place look like a huge construction site.

From Zlatibor, we went on a day hike in Tara National Park, which borders Bosnia and Herzegovina. From a viewpoint, we had an amazing view of the river delta and the neighboring country.

Our next stop is in the south of Serbia. We will spend a few days in the city of Nis.

See you soon!

Bianca & Michael