In this installment of my Top Three series Elle Pollicott from Dressing Danishly shares her impressions from Belgrade in Serbia.
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Top three in Belgrade
I visited Belgrade back in October 2016, after years of wanting to go. The Serbian city has such a turbulent history, and I can honestly say it was like nowhere I’d ever been before. Whilst some may dismiss the city from what at first glance may appear to be an ugly exterior; I loved discovering the Serbian capital, and am so glad I paid a visit!
Top three smells
Honey Rakia
Rakija is the traditional drink of Serbia and at 40% proof, it’s pretty strong! I opted for the honey rakia to go with a classic Serbian dinner, and the smell was divine!
Chocolate pistachio cake
Serbia does cake and sweet treats really well, and I made sure I had at least one slice of cake a day (well, I was on holiday!).
My particular favourite had to be the chocolate pistachio mousse cake I had whilst at Ušće shopping centre. The chocolatey smell was mouth-watering, and left me wanting more!
Angel Perfume
Technically this wasn’t in Belgrade, but definitely worth a mention. I’m quite picky when it comes to perfumes, but came across Angel by Thierry Mugler in duty-free, and now it’s a staple scent of mine.
Top three views
Derelict buildings
Photo credit, Dressing Danishly
It’s not your classic cityscape is it? In fact, it’s not very pretty at all. But Belgrade is a city that’s steeped in tragedy, and I feel like this view sums up much of the sadness it’s been through.
We were walking back from the city centre to our apartment on our first day, and just stumbled across the buildings. Jokingly, we remarked that it looked “like a bombsight”.
When we got back to our apartment, I had a Google and realised that it genuinely was a bombsight. This was a result of NATO’s attacks on the Serbian capital in 1999 during the Kosovan war.
Over the three months that NATO bombed Belgrade, over 1,500 people died. The derelict buildings serve as a reminder of this awful fact; showing the damage that the city and its people suffered.
Whilst some people may say that the buildings should come down, I would disagree. Whilst I can’t say it’s my favourite sight, or that I enjoyed seeing it; it was an important part of my trip to Belgrade; and it encouraged me to read more into their history.
Danube meets the Sava
Belgrade is not a pretty city, and there’s no denying that it can’t compare with picturesque Budapest, or the medieval Old Town of Tallinn. It’s a classic concrete former communist country, but that’s the kind of thing I’m interested in!
On our first full day in Belgrade, we visited Kalemegdan Park, and despite the weather being misty and murky, we got to see the point where the Danube and Sava rivers meet – just image how pretty this view would be in the summer!
Traditional Serbian restaurant
We met up with my dad’s friends who took us for a traditional Serbian meal at ‘Tri Sesira’ in the Skadarlija district. Alongside experiencing a traditional Serbian meal, we got to enjoy the performance of a band, complete with a piano accordion. So much fun!
Top three tastes
Traditional Serbian cuisine
Photo credit Dressing Danishly
At ‘Tri Sesira’ we got to experience a traditional Serbian meal complete with an array of cold meats, cheese and picked vegetables – all washed down with Rakia of course! I love trying out a country’s traditional dishes, and it didn’t disappoint (despite not eating much meat myself!). Plus, when you’ve got vodka to wash it down with… well, what’s not to like!
Cocktails
Photo credit Dressing Danishly
I’m not going to lie, I can’t actually remember what was in the drink I had, but we’d searched for a decent cocktail bar for so long, which made it taste all the more sweeter!
Both before and during my time in Serbia’s capital, I was googling the best bars and we found one a twenty minute walk away from our restaurant. It was on an empty street, and we soon discovered the bar was shut.
Giving up hope, finding the welcoming Blaznavac bar was so nice. I loved the quirky interior (hello glittery horse head!), and as this was the only cocktail I had whilst I was in Belgrade, I savoured every single sip!
Chocolate and cake (my faves!)
One of my favourite things about Eastern Europe is the amazing hot chocolate they serve. It’s unlike anything I’ve had in the UK: they literally melt chocolate and serve it as a drink.
I stopped off at ‘Choco Caffé’ on the busy Kneza Mihaila for a cup of liquid chocolate and slice of cake, and the amount of calories I consumed in that one sitting was so worth it. A must for anyone with a sweet tooth visiting Belgrade!
Are you inspired to visit Belgrade now?
Dressing Danishly
Big thanks to Elle from Dressing Danishly for sharing her experiences in Belgrade, you can read more about her visit to Belgrade here. Elle is a fan of fashion, cocktails and Scandinavia! Digital Marketer by day, in her spare time she loves nothing more than to travel around Europe, checking out the latest fashions and the best bars.
Click here to follow Elle on Facebook at Dressing Danishly and Twitter at Scandi_Girl.
Alaine says
That’s sad to see the picture of the bomb site. The platter looks yummy. I can picture washing that down with the honey rakia
Katie Hughes says
I’d like to try that too Alaine
Jessica says
Perfect timing! I’m headed there next week. Thanks for the tips!
Katie Hughes says
I hope you have a good visit Jessica!
Jewels says
Hot chocolate and chocolate cake sounds amazing. Would love to have that right now! I’m glad you enjoyed your trip. Looks like the perfect mix of great sight seeing, nightlife, and yummy food.