Bohemian Belgrade

March 24, 2026

Belgrade, Serbia

The Belgrade Fortress looks out over a park and the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers.

Fun Facts About

• Serbia shares borders with Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. WOW!

Fun Facts About Belgrade

• Luciano Pavarotti performed his first opera outside of Italy in Belgrade, where he performed La Traviata.

• One of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with a history spanning over 7,000 years, changing names 15 times.

• Known as the "White City" and a "White Phoenix," it has been destroyed and rebuilt over 44 times in 115 wars.

• Strahinjića Bana Street is nicknamed "Silicon Valley," but it has nothing to do with technology. It is famous for its high-end bars and, according to local humor, for attracting people with plastic surgery.

• Many buildings in the city feature Freemasonry symbols.

• The city is famous for its stunning sunsets.

• Belgrade is known as a “cat city,” with numerous stray cats roaming the streets. Many locals have even adopted these felines as their own.

• Legend tells of a phantom horseman who can be seen riding through the streets of Belgrade at night. Some say that he is the ghost of a nobleman who was killed in a duel, while others believe that he is the spirit of a fallen soldier.

The weather is improving as we cruise along the Danube. Today we started out all bundled up in our warm jackets and scarves as we left on our four-hour bus/walking tour of Belgrade. By the time we were done, our jackets were off and we we were enjoying the Spring weather.

Our tour started with a bus ride to the Fortress in Belgrade. The park around and within the Fortress was full of budding trees, early spring flowers, and animals. And, of course, there were also statues and ancient ruins.

We also saw some Flying Squirrels in the trees. Then this little cutie crossed in front of us. Check out those ears! Flying squirrels are exceptionally fast!

Below is the statue we saw near the gate of the Fortress. It is the Statue of Gratitude to France for their military and educational aid during and after World War I.

Close to the the fortress, the city found 7,000 year-old ruins and artifacts, but since the city didn't have the resources to properly excavate and catalog them, they were reburied and left where they were found.

After visiting the Fortress, we walked down a wide shopping and dining street. We were surprised at how few souvenir shops there were, and how many book stores we passed.

Wide City Street for Pedestrians:

Bookstores:

Then we got back on the bus to tour another area of the city. We passed the Museum of Yugoslavia, which had paintings of the leaders of the six republics (Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Macedonia) that made up Yugoslavia on the front of the building. The museum focuses on the life of Tito, the Leader/Dictator who ruled Yugoslavia for 30 years. Tito was buried behind the museum in the House of Flowers.

We also passed Hotel Moscow. This hotel was one of the few buildings in the city that was undamaged during the war, probably because the Nazi's were using the hotel. At a later time, Agatha Christie stayed at the hotel while writing "Murder on the Orient Express".

Our last stop was at the Eastern Orthodox Church - Cathedral of St. Sava. This was a beautiful, and unique church, inside and out. An interesting fact is that they don't have organ music in the church, all they allow is acapella singing.

This church can hold can hold 7,000 people, but the reason is that they don't sit during the service, they stand the entire time. And, there are several balconies that are also available.

Evening in the Bohemian Quarter:

We ended our day dining in Belgrade's Bohemian Quarter where we ate an authentic Serbian meal at a local restaurant in the Old Town. This was a true local experience, combining delicious food , beer and wine, and roving musicians. During the meal, we enjoyed a lively, toe-tapping performance of music from around the world played in an upbeat way with clapping and dancing by the guests. The menu included urnebes, a popular Serbian paprika spread, a tasty meat selection including grilled Serbian sausages, and a delicious chocolate dessert. We had a fabulous time!

Neighborhood and Restaurant:

Appetizer and bread:

Meat dish and dessert

Music and Dancing:

A wonderful end to a great day!

Dogs of Belgrade

Tomorrow we wake up in Donji Milanovac, our final stop in Serbia. Laku noć (good night)!