Hey there! Nice to see that you're still reading ;)
This travel report might be the hardest one to write. Firstly, because Belgrade already feels so long ago to me, and secondly because I'm sure Milica will closely read what I think about her hometown ;)
Well, where should I start?! Most of you probably know Milica, and for those who don't: Milica studied with me but is originally from Belgrade. For her free time at the moment, she flew back to her parents in Serbia. During our 3 years of studying, Milica frequently raved about Belgrade: 'Mannheim is boring, nothing ever happens in Germany, there aren't enough cafes here!'. So naturally, I was curious to get to know Milica's hometown for myself. And later, I can compare it myself ;)
All in all, I was incredibly lucky that Milica was also at home when I visited Belgrade.
I arrived early in the morning by night bus and was picked up by Milica and her mother. Her apartment is located beautifully on hills southwest of the center with lots of green spaces all around.
In the evening, I went to a restaurant with Milica's friends, and it was really impressive! Of course, Milica speaks a lot of Serbian with her girlfriends, but that doesn't bother me - it gives me more time to admire the colorful interior of the place! ;)
The Hostel Bongo
I don't want to advertise here, but this hostel will surely be the most beautiful one I see on this trip!The decor is brand new, it's constantly being cleaned, and they wash my laundry for free! A backpacker's dream! If anyone wants to see for themselves ;) http://www.hostelbongo.com
Nova Belgrade
In the hostel, I met a nice Swiss girl who impressed me a lot. (I'm just going to assume she'll never read this ;) She's in her mid-twenties but she's traveled so much that she tells stories from everywhere. The next day, she went on a bike tour to Nova Belgrade, the new part of Belgrade. A New Zealander and I joined her, and it was really fun cycling in the great weather! Before we set off, the Swiss girl told us she wanted to go to Nova Belgrade to see the many amazing buildings there. When she said 'interesting buildings,' I imagined beautiful historical buildings. However, it turns out she studied architecture and is just as interested in the huge panel buildings in Belgrade. Here's just one of many ;)
At the end of our bike tour, we randomly ended up in a private café on a boat on the Danube.
The view to the left Some people even jump in the water ;)
Zemun
Zemun is located on the other side of the Danube, a bit away from the city center. Milica and I walked through the streets, and she showed me a viewpoint from where I took the photo.
Restaurants & Cafés - Serbian Highlights
Okay, I admit that the photo unfortunately doesn't reflect how unique and original this place was. It's one of Milica's favorite restaurants in Belgrade because the fish I tried was great, and later a band performed. As soon as the music started, the first guests stood up, many danced - unthinkable for a German restaurant, and Milica laughed at my astonished expression! The next evening, I met Jana, one of Milica's friends from Belgrade. Jana is super nice - and to my advantage, she also studies German, so she can tell me a lot about Belgrade's history. Together, we visited the Belgrade Fortress, and they showed me what a 'Plazma Shake' is: Plazma cookies (similar to Leibniz cookies) cause a lot of excitement in Serbia and the neighboring countries. The shake is made with crushed cookies ;)
Remains of the Kosovo Conflict
In the following days, Milica also showed me a building that was hit by a bomb during the Kosovo Conflict in 1991. This multi-story house has not been bought by anyone or demolished until today, so you can still clearly see the destructive power of the bomb. To our surprise, a huge poster promoting the military was hung over the front of the building, which is quite ironic. I had such a great time in Belgrade that it's quite difficult for me to report on everything here... Belgrade doesn't impress like Budapest or Prague with unique architecture or major sights, but Belgrade exudes a lot of charm with all its bars and cafes, live music on every corner, amazing food, and very friendly people
