Built ages ago, on the hills by the confluence of Sava and Danube, on the everlasting border of cultures, Belgrade, today the capital of Serbia is not “a tourist destination”, but “a travelers’ paradise”.
There is something strange about it… You can call it a vibe, a feeling, a spirit, or something, either way, it has the ability to turn its visitors into life-long admirers. It is so old, a “grandpa of cities”; so scared by wars- a “proud knight”, so many times built from ashes- a “rising phoenix”, and whatever epithet you give it, it’s what you feel about it that makes it so special. Nowhere else will you be greeted as a homecoming relative from abroad and be treated as one. There is no such place, where coffee is drunk for ages, not for the drink itself but a good company. It is a place where there is no way to be hungry because every local has a hidden desire to feed you. In Belgrade, you have to be ready for handshakes, hugs, kisses, friendliness, and hospitality at every step. Break the chains and set free, do what Belgraders do, and feel the sense of freedom and friendship, in Belgrade style.
“Belgrade is not in Belgrade, because Belgrade, in fact, is not a city - it is a metaphor, a way of life, an angle of looking at things.” Momo Kapor, Serbian painter, and novelist
“At that time I needed company from people who will not treat me superficially as it happens at home; I needed company from people who sit at the table and mingle, sing songs, and always have an awful lot to say. That Belgrade period just cured my soul.” Erskine Caldwell, an American novelist
“Whoever was lucky enough to wake up in Belgrade this morning, can be considered to have achieved enough in life for today. Any further insistence on something else would be immodest.” Dusko Radovic, Serbian poet and journalist
“It usually happens that a traveler goes to a famous place expecting a lot, and leaves disappointed and down. This happens with Athens, Rhine, and St. Peters Church in Rome. But then again, I went to Belgrade not expecting anything - the decorations, the sights, not even the joy or anything interesting - and now I am a victim of its seductive charm, and I have to leave it with utmost pain. This is a new feeling: to fall in love with a city.” Herbert Vivian, British journalist, and novelist
“When I arrived, I found the most beautiful place of old…” Despot Stefan Lazarevic, Serbian medieval ruler, poet, and patron of scholars
“In a short time, I identified two things that are very important to me: food is great, and the approach to cinema is much more intellectual than in America.” Jack Nicholson, an American actor, producer, and director
“There is no city in the world around which so many nations have rallied, under which walls so many battles have been fought, which has changed lords so many times and been destroyed fifty times, that it has risen from the historical grave again fifty times….” Borislav Pekic, Serbian writer and freedom activist
