Impressions of Serbia

If you wish to tell us your impressions about Serbia or you want to send us your trip diary, just write us to info@stemaguide.com and send us your photos and your texts!

A Canadian in Belgrade

Visit Anthony's blog Balkan break where you can read of his "Belgrade adventure".

"My last day in Belgrade was spent souvenir shopping on Knez Mihailova, the city’s main pedestrian street. Knez Mihailova is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful pedestrian zones in the Balkans and is filled with modern shops as well as homes built in the late 1800s.

I had walked along this very street on my first night in Belgrade and at the time everything had felt so foreign to me. Now, on my last night, I almost felt like a local. I had my favorite bakery I visited every morning, I hadn’t gotten lost and I’d started to pick up bits of conversation around me. Well, at least the conversations where the locals were talking about me.

I visited my favorite sandwich store to grab some lunch and sat down across from a Spanish speaking band that were dressed as North American Indians while playing South American music. I couldn’t help but laugh as this multicultural band fascinated the Belgraders shopping nearby.

After a few hours of shopping I decided to take a break and walked to the end of Knez Mihailove street to visit the Kalemegdan Fortress. Built in the 3rd century BC the fortress is one of the oldest structures in Belgrade and at one time the entire population lived within the fortress walls.

The fortress has a very long history dating back to the days of the Romans and was destroyed several times by invaders. Rebuilt by the Byzantines in the 12th century, the fortress once housed the palace of Serb Despot Stefan Lazarevic. The name Kalemegdan literally means “battlefield fortress” and is derived from two Turkish words, kale (fortress) and megdan (battleground).

Walking around the fortress with its military armement I was reminded of playing cowboys and Indians as a child or in my case "Nam" since I grew up in the 80’s with movies like Rambo. We used to build cardboard forts and with wooden guns hold mock battles in the mountain behind my house. If we only had a fort like this!

Today the fortress is a peaceful getaway from the city where older Belgraders come to discuss the past and young couples to discuss their future.

For me, it was a place to say goodbye to Belgrade."

Text and photos taken from blog Balkan Break 

back

Visit Belgrade - dive into an multifaceted metropolis

Spend an unforgettable week-end in the city that never sleeps! Rediscover clubbing and partying - enjoy Belgrade's rich nightlife.Spend the day discovering the various sights of Serbia's heart.

Click here for a week-end in Belgrade