BELGRADE - After almost two decades off the
tourist map, Belgrade is making a comeback with a reputation as
a 24-hour party city. Reuter's correspondents with local
knowledge help visitors make the most of the Serbian capital, a
city on the crossroads of Europe and the Orient.
FRIDAY
4 p.m. - Start on Terazije, one of the
central boulevards. Lined with neoclassical and modernist
buildings from the city's bourgeois golden age, it's a great
starting point for landmarks such as the city hall, presidency
building and the old Yugoslav Parliament, which was stormed on
Oct 5, 2000 during demonstrations that brought down nationalist
leader Slobodan Milosevic. You can never escape history in
Belgrade, so you might as well submit to it: walk to Kneza
Milosa street to see the ruins of government buildings - which
were bombed by NATO in 1999 but stand untouched as grotesquely
beautiful monuments to precision bombing and nationalist
defiance.
6 p.m. - Shake off any existential blues by
walking up the pedestrian Knez Mihailova Street, one of the main
promenades for Belgrade's emerging affluent class. Pavement
cafes and ice-cream stands will fuel you on the way up to
Kalemegdan fortress, originally a Roman outpost overlooking the
confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers that over the last two
millennia has been sacked, destroyed and rebuilt by Byzantines,
Slavs, Ottomans, Hungarians and Austrians. Chill out in the
shady park, get lost in the tunnels and gates and check out the
Military Museum's outdoor collection of 18th to 20th century
artillery and armored vehicles. For a stunning sunset, walk up
to the statue of the Victor to watch the light fire up the
waters and the city skyline to all corners of the horizon.
9 p.m. - Serbs eat late and party even later.
You can do both in the beautiful Dorcol neighbourhood, which
retains the bustle of its Ottoman-era past as a multicultural
trading center alongside its current incarnation as a nightlife
hotspot. Start with sampling Serbia's national drink at the
Rakija Bar (Dobracina 5), then try local specialties at Jevrem (Gospodar
Jevremova 36) and the Writer's Club (Francuska 7). For upmarket
international food head to Cafe Ipanema (Strahinjica Bana 68) or
Duomo (Strahinica Bana 66), and stay on this street - nicknamed
Silicon Valley for the breast implants favoured by its female
patrons - for after dinner drinks and dancing in bars like
Nachos and Insomnia.
1 a.m. - After midnight is when Belgrade
really gets going: Club White (Pariska 1, in a cave under
Kalemegdan) and the exclusive Magacin (Karadjordjeva 2-4, by the
Sava docks) are good choices for city slickers, while fans of
unpretentious, riotous fun should head to Andergraund (Pariska
1a), legendary Akademija (Rajiceva 10, in the basement of the
Fine Art faculty) or the well-hidden Apartman (Karadjordjeva 43)
that features a chill-out space with beds, a dance podium and
pumping 80s music.
SATURDAY
11 a.m. - Blend in with a late coffee and
people-watching at Republic Square or in the cobble-stoned
Skadarlija district before heading to the tree-lined Vracar part
of the city. Kalenic market, a vibrant open air market offering
the best in local produce, is a great place for a mid-day snack,
and just a stone's throw from the St Sava church, a gigantic
building that has been under construction for a century and is
still not finished.
2 p.m. - If you're in a shopping mood, buy rakija
fruit-flavored brandies or head to Schlitz (Palmoticeva 23) for
Serbian designer labels that stand out from the crowd. Once the
heat sets in, it's time to head to the shores of the Sava and
Danube rivers, the best places to spend lazy weekend afternoons.
Ada Ciganlija Island is a top choice with its seven 7 km (4
mile) promenade for cycling and rollerblading, watersport
facilities, a beach and dozens of bars and restaurants.
Alternatively, head to Topcider park, developed by the 19th
century Prince Milos Obrenovic and try the roast lamb at the
Milosev Konak restaurant - fit for a king. - Reuters
