Hip Markets to Majestic Mosaics: Four Things to Look Forward to in Belgrade in 2019

Due to a culture of unrealistic promises and hectic decision-making, it is often impossible to know for certain when, and even if things will happen in Belgrade. Nevertheless, in order to keep the spirits up during these dark snowy days here are four things, with a reasonably high probability of happing, which I hope will make life in Belgrade a bit more fun this year. … Continue reading Hip Markets to Majestic Mosaics: Four Things to Look Forward to in Belgrade in 2019

Christmas in Belgrade

Like with many thing, I only became aware of the joys of Serbian Christmas (explainer of what that means, and why it is on Jan 7 here), when I could no longer enjoy them. The day when it happened was 6 Jan 2008, at Heathrow,  and during the train trip to the outskirts of Coventry, UK where I was going for my second term at … Continue reading Christmas in Belgrade

How to Bust Post-Holiday Blues in Belgrade

Although I love Summer (and especially late Summer) in Belgrade, coming back from holidays is always a shock, especially if you have to immediately go to the office. All the golden, calm feeling of chilling at the beach, hiking or just doing something  different can quickly disappear, to be replaced by the seeping anxiety of returning to the glum daily grind and all the problems you … Continue reading How to Bust Post-Holiday Blues in Belgrade

Best Three Places to Visit If You Are Planning a Staycation in Belgrade

Belgraders are often restless to escape the congested streets of the capital. Thankfully, they need not go far: there are plenty of hidden gems within reach to sate your wanderlust if strapped for time or money to venture further.   Grocka’s Archeological Treasures  A 40-minute drive east from central Belgrade, spread over hills above the Danube, Grocka has been a popular place for Belgraders to … Continue reading Best Three Places to Visit If You Are Planning a Staycation in Belgrade

National Museum of Serbia, preview

On this rainy day, I had the privilege of being allowed to see a preview of the National Museum’s new permanent display. As the old one was removed 15 years ago, the Museum for me is a vague memory, conspicuous by its absence. It was a place where I can’t take my visiting friends, it contained artworks that I, alas, cannot see, and was proof … Continue reading National Museum of Serbia, preview

Best Contemporary Architecture in Belgrade

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that everything in Belgrade was better in the past. This permanent lament for the supposed long-gone “Golden Ages”, whether it’s the Socialist Yugoslavia or the rarified pre-WWII bourgeois Belgrade, can make us blind to the good things that are happening around us now. However, instead of despairing, in hard times, it is especially important to celebrate examples that buck … Continue reading Best Contemporary Architecture in Belgrade

Belgrade’s Socialist-era Interiors

With a MoMA exhibition of Yugoslav-era brutalist architecture coming up in the summer, countless photos of Spomenici (aka WWII monuments) making weird architecture listicles and the never-ending appeal of mid-century architecture, it seems like a high time for Serbia to start preserving its Socialist-era architectural heritage, including its peculiar interiors. Although there have been some notable public efforts recently, like reconstruction of Belgrade’s Museum of … Continue reading Belgrade’s Socialist-era Interiors

Belgrade snobs – a guide

“Local Belgradism, we are all snobs here” drawls Serbian rapping sensation Sajsi MC. Born Ivana Rasic in Vracar, Belgrade’s original “posh” neighbourhood, Sajsi often plays with themes of snobbery and class, and has even developed an alter-ego called Tiffany, a nouveau-riche teen obsessed with expensive tacky clothes, unnecessarily dropping English words into her affected Serbian. If you stroll down Vracar’s unofficial main drag, Njegoseva, on … Continue reading Belgrade snobs – a guide

10 ways to win at winter in Belgrade

There is no denying that Belgrade is a city best enjoyed from April to October. Apart from the cheer over the extended holiday season (lasting roughly from Gregorian Christmas on 25th December to Julian New Year on 14th January), between November and March, the city is quieter, people are more irritable, while grey dilapidated facades and rusty infrastructure show themselves more against the gloomy winter … Continue reading 10 ways to win at winter in Belgrade

The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade (2014): Top foods

Serbian food is getting a lot of good press lately, and it is quite something: no good night out ever ends without a pop to a street food stall (pljekavica and burek are the most common), and the people tend to take their food quite seriously (not to mention plentifully). A mix of various influences, from Turkish to German, it tends to be on the  heavy side … Continue reading The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade (2014): Top foods

The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade (2014) : Sights

Although Belgrade has been around for quite a while now (as a Neolithic village in Vinca, the a Celtic and then Roman fort, then a border city of many an empire, and finally the capital of Serbia) it has constantly changed, often violently, and the winds that sweep though the Danube valley constantly blow its people to and fro. Hence, somewhat surprisingly, there is precious … Continue reading The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade (2014) : Sights

The Nutshell Guide: Belgrade – listicle extraordinaire 2014 – Cafes

Having my life compressed to a string of weekend getaways (many of them back home to Belgrade), I have become more convinced of the worth of the most august of all writerly forms – the listicle. When an indecisive tourist traveller needs to know where to find the best coffee/ice cream/quick bite in an unfamilliar town nothing saves more time than an authoritative voice to … Continue reading The Nutshell Guide: Belgrade – listicle extraordinaire 2014 – Cafes

The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade: Fast Food/Bakeries

Waking up to grab 250gr of burek with cheese and a yogurt, gobbling đevrek for lunch and having a late night pljeskavica  are marks that distinguish a Belgrader (well, at least aspiring) from a mere tourist and should thus be indulged by shoe-string and business travelers alike. This second installment of the guide cover the best grills, creperies, pizzas places and, of course, bakeries to … Continue reading The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade: Fast Food/Bakeries

The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade: Cafés

After a long hiatus spent in arduous research, in order to help discerning locals and tourists navigating the urban jungle (or over-sized village) of Belgrade, The Nutshell Times is writing a guide series to steer you to the perfect pljeskavica, kafana or exhibition. The aim is to make it as no-BS and informative as possible so do take our word for it: we like quality, character and … Continue reading The Nutshell Guide to Belgrade: Cafés