Belgrade (Serbia)

1999 shelled building. Back section still in use.

My first introduction to Belgrade was our walk from train station. It was dark out; and, we were quite tired of sitting around on a train by this point. Therefore, two of us elected to walk our luggage the kilometer to our hotel. On the evening walk, we passed two bombed out buildings. We were shocked to see them. Upon further internet investigation, I learned that these buildings were bombed by NATO in 1999. The shelled buildings still stand; and, half of one of the buildings is still in use. An eerie beginning to our stay in Belgrade.

St. Sava Orthodox Church

 The next day, I started early in the morning in order to see some of the churches. Near our hotel was a large orthodox church, St. Sava Temple. It was still under construction. However, it's green dome could be seen raising above the trees. Inside, there were no pews or chairs. I thought that this was because it was under construction. Instead, I've learned that Orthodox churches do not have seats inside them. The congregation stands throughout the entire service. The next church that I visited was also an orthodox church, St. Mark's. Just outside the main entrance, women were selling bundles of basil. What an inviting scent!

Kalemegdan Fortress

A speed walk back to the hotel; and, I met up with our tour group. Our Croatian guide led us down the hill through downtown and then to Kalemegdan Fortress. This complex boasts something for everyone: an old Roman well (not free as advertised in linked newspaper article), a military museum, dinosaur models, tiny chapels, and souvenir shopping. It's well worth a visit.

Tito and his second wife's tombs in the House of Flowers

After our visit to Kalemegdan Fortress, we decided to head off to the Yugoslavia Museum and Tito's grave at the House of Flowers. While the Yugoslavia Museum was closed for renovations, the House of Flowers was still open. We learned a lot walking in the exhibition halls around Tito's grave. First, a little about Tito. He was the charismatic President of the former Yugoslavia from 1953-1980. During this time, Tito held the former Yugoslavia together while at the same time building ties with the rest of the world. It was so interesting to see all the photos of Tito traveling the world and hobnobbing with the leadership of other countries. His funeral was attended by delegations from 128 different nations! Part of the House of Flowers included a museum of the different gifts that Tito had received from different nations during his lifetime.

After trying to cram all of Belgrade into one day, I was exhausted! With my remaining energy, my roommate and I went postcard shopping. It took quite a while to find any place selling postcards. While Belgrade's war is in the past, it may still be one of the most unadvertised or tourist ready stops in Eastern Europe. Get there and enjoy this city before it, too, becomes another tourist trap.