Belgrade had never been on my must-see list. What I knew about the Serbian people didn’t help either to motivate me. In the end it was the lack of other places nearby and a cheap ticket to get there, which tipped the scales for Belgrade. Oh boy was I wrong though. After one long weekend in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, I am ready to explore the rest of the country. Most people were friendly, the food was good and varied enough to eat it easily for a longer stretch, and the people of Belgrade are readers. The best argument in my book for a great civilization. Anyway, here is what I learned during my weekend in Belgrade. Yours, Pollybert
1.) The taxi voucher system, especially created so that tourists feel safe and not cheated on, doesn’t work. You can get the voucher with the quoted price all you want, once you show it to the cab driver he tells you that the price is higher. It didn’t work until we came with the airport security and then we had to share a cab with someone else. I definitely felt taken advantage of.
2.) There are so many book stores in Belgrade, this city is a haven for book lovers!
bookshop with wonderful chandeliers @Belgrade
3.) Smoking is still allowed indoors and it’s so weird! It took forever in Austria to get forbidden, I still remember the weird discussions, when even Italy had managed long before us to prohibit indoor smoking. In Belgrade I felt as if I was back in the ‘80s with all the smoke around me.
4.) The Serbs were not so big on cleaning toilets. But I have also seen some very nice ones.
5.) Water is usually not served with your coffee. You’ll have to ask for it in most places.
6.) In regards to water, tap water is drinkable, especially when served cold. Only when it gets warmer is there a hint of chlorine in it.
7.) Popcorn is not limited to movie theaters, but sold and eaten wherever people are.
popcorn concession stand in Kalemegdan park @Belgrade
8.) In case you run out of juice for your mobile, Belgrade offers park benches with solar panels to plug your phone. Not sure how well it works when it’s overcast, but it was still impressive. There’s nothing like it in Vienna.
plug your phone @Belgrade
