5 Good Things About Belgrade

This is the first post of a ‘mini-series’ dealing with the advantages and disadvantages of living in or visiting Belgrade. Click here to read the Top 3 Bad Things About Belgrade.

After reading a survey on the likes and dislikes of Belgrade’s foreign residents, I thought I’d write about the things I personally find good and bad about living in Serbia’s capital. This will be a 2-part post and I’ll begin with the good stuff in no particular order:

Cafe Culture

Belgrade has an excellent cafe culture – Serbs love nothing more than to spend time sitting and chatting with friends over a cup of coffee. There is an abundance of independent, unique and diverse coffee shops all over the city, many of which place chairs and tables on the street during spring and summer. The large, international chains, which truth be told are generic and boring, have yet to make a serious impact here. Whether you find yourself in a cosy, intimate coffee shop, an upmarket, luxurious and well-designed cafe or simply a place with a few plastic tables and chairs,  coffee is drunk slowly and fully enjoyed, and it comes in a normal-sized cup (who needs half a litre of coffee in one go?!).

Security

Although Belgrade is a large, European capital, it is a very safe city to visit and live in. Of course, there is crime, but as long as you’re not involved in anything dodgy, tourists and residents really don’t have much to worry about. Violent crime, murder and rape levels are well below Western European averages. In all the year’s that I’ve lived in Belgrade, I have never been a victim of crime or felt threatened – even when walking around well past midnight and outside the city centre area. It’s really a breath of fresh air compared to the UK where you feel quite intimidated with all the drunken and rowdy behaviour at weekends – Belgraders love to drink but there is a distinct lack of loutish behaviour in public.

Nightlife

Belgrade has a vibrant and energetic nightlife scene. Whether you want a quiet pub drink with friends, a live music concert, an energetic and friendly house/progressive party or a dark, underground techno party, you’ll find it in Belgrade. The floating nightclub rafts on the Danube and Sava rivers cater for a more mainstream crowd while in the centre you’ll find smaller, more hidden-away clubs catering for the ‘more serious’ or underground clubber.

There’s also a diverse selection of pubs and bars in which to sit down and chat with friends over a few pints, a glass of wine or a cocktail or two (or three) all with a different atmospheres and music policies. International DJs and singers frequently visit Belgrade and the local talent is top-notch as well. Belgrade is a nightlife hub for this part of Europe with people from neighbouring countries coming to join the party.

Compact

Even though Belgrade has over 1.5 million residents, the city centre is very compact and you can walk virtually anywhere you need to be, which is very handy during the summer when you really want to avoid the sweaty, cramped busies, trolleys and trams! I only take public transport when I need to go over the bridge to New Belgrade or if the weather is particularly nasty.

Parks and Recreation

If you enjoy being outdoors, again Belgrade has something for you. At first the city can look like a grey and ugly concrete jungle, but do a little exploring and you’ll find that Belgrade has a lot of green space. Kalemegdan Park, with its view of the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, is always packed with couples, families and individuals. Ada Ciganljia, a river island, has facilities for swimming and watersports, as well terrain for football, basketball, cycling, fishing, running and countless other activities. The weather in Belgrade during spring and summer is perfect for being outdoors and walking (or cycling) along the paths by the banks of Danube and Sava rivers, which have plenty of restaurants and cafes to relax in along the way.

Those are my top 5 good things about Belgrade – I suppose they’re pretty typical. What are yours? What have I missed? Let us know by leaving a comment.

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