Speaking of Belgrade, the city seems to be full of contrasts, OLD and NEW, TRADITIONAL and MODERN, RETRO and at the same time UP TO DATE.
Belgrade is all about hidden gems, secret paths, undiscovered stories waiting for you to uncover them. But what is so beautiful about it is that you do not need to go to great lengths to reach for them, just get lost intentionally, just change your usual daily routine, explore some of the back alleys, brace yourself for a surprise with the treasures you are bound to find.
Let me take you to an one hour tour. We need to start with the very heart of the city, Kosancicev venac, cobble road with history indelibly marked in its every pebble. You can literally smell it, absorb it with all your senses, this retro touch, the view over the Sava and the Danube confluence, the house and the balcony of Mika Alas, a convivial jazz garden right across Brankov’s Bridge, all the way up to Konak Knjeginje Ljubice where you can drink coffee with her in specially themed program.
Try going for a hunt, finding the perfect souvenir of Belgrade. I can give you a hint… have you ever been to Etnographic museum? You would be amazed with tradition in their period outfits that this piece of history has to offer. Fancy taking something more modern as a memento from this Royal city, try with Remake concept store, a lucid combination of words imprinted on old crockery, it is bound to bring out a smile in you because you cannot help but have this as your own piece of Belgrade soul in your house collection.
Toplicin venac and Vuka Karadzica Street are the new hub of the city if you ask me. Packed with nice little shops ranging from family owned pastry gems, ice cream wonderlands, local cuisine with tradition, to the famous coffee places where you can feel the very heart of the city but so away from the traffic jams, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life typical of a metropolis.
But everything mentioned is just on the surface, you should dig deeper between the lines, underneath it all and try to discover true stories so let me give you a few hints. An old perfume shop in Kralja Petra Street, traditional family owned shop selling eye glasses in Vuka Karadzica Street, Bosiljcic Serbian shop making lokum and other candies and sweetmeats made by hand for decades in Savamala, handmade ties in Nusiceva Street, Maskot, or try and approach and get to know the two girls in Le Petite Cantine in Dorcol; they are French who make their own handmade pastries afresh on a daily basis. I could go on talking for hours on end but I’ ll stop right here because I would like to leave you to it to discover the beauty on your own.
Knock on the door of House of Jevrema Grujica, right next to Atelje 212, this is the place of first discotheque in town, but now, you can drink tea in the period ambience which left all the original family details for a tale to be told.
Public relations literature of Belgrade over the decades has been communicated across as the place with all manner of lofts and beautiful women, which is so indeed, truth be told. But I do suggest that you give yourself small errands to run and tie up loose ends , and in the process charge your batteries by exploring the true sense of this city.
In doing so you might like to try to reach out for the lifestyle of true Belgradians, get to sit in coffee shops for a while, go and run around crowded streets, do your shopping in hand made designer boutiques, eat locally but think globally, and make sure you do everything in style, because the STYLE is the middle name of genuine Belgradians so let them surprise you and welcome to Belgrade.
MILES TO WALK!
Miles we left behind, miles we cross, miles to come, (s)miles we share.
Nikola Milovic is a lifestyle and a travel blogger and this is his focus:”The journey begins! Experience the taste and smell of everyday life from my point of view. Story made out of experience, impressions and pure personal research. Welcome!”
By telling the story through photos with his blog he takes us to a tour of Belgrade, Serbia & the region.
He tries to convince us to look up, to see the beauty of the city architecture, to find secret corners and to focus on positive energy. Belgrade is all about quality life, a good day spent with friends
All about the walk, only in this way you can see and experience things and create your own map of Belgrade.
Join him on this ride by following: www.milestowalk.com
Writer. Blogger. Traveler. Researcher. Electronic Music Lover.
