If you thought bad trains, crumbling roads, tacky hotels and dodgy kafans are the worst you can expect when visiting Serbia, prepare to be frightened. Serbia offers many super-natural ways to die, be abducted by paranormal forces or just suffer at the hand of the locals. It isn’t all that bad: these scary, orientalising stories inspired Marina Abamović’s interesting Balkan Erotic Epic and a group … Continue reading Horrific Things to Do in Serbia
One of my favourite family trips was going rafting on the Tara river in the summer of 2011. Back then, I had little knowledge of how beautiful the nature is in the Balkans, and was sad that I will not get the chance to explore it at leisure as I was set to move half-way around the world (that, thankfully, did not happen, but I … Continue reading Autumnal Road Trip Down the Drina
The first time I heard live gusle singing, a UNESCO-protected Serbian national ritual, was not fortuitous. I was fifteen, and my stern Serbian teacher took our High School class to a local library to hear poems and stories written by fellow high-schoolers. The boredom of this dreary event was somewhat lifted when one guy decided to perform his longish poem, written in traditional decasyllabic verses, … Continue reading Rediscovering the Magic of the Gusle
Apart from expressions of admiration for the beauty we were almost constantly seeing, the most common conversation topic within my group touring Serbian heritage sites in Kosovo and Metohija was hushed and almost embarrassed question: „Why did you decide to come here?“. It was closely followed by an admission, that seemed to unite all of us : “My friends and family thought that I was … Continue reading Going “Down South”
When I first laid my eyes on Ravanica’s Church of Ascension last spring, it became apparent why medieval Serbia’s first and last autochthonous architectural style inspired so many artists through the centuries, from the graceful architecture of Branko Tanazević to the subtle poetry Vasko Popa. That cold April morning, I could not peel my eyes from the intricate rosettes and writhing mythical animals, which enlivened … Continue reading Morava Style: Medieval Serbia’s Majestic Swan Song
For me, there is no better country to travel around than Italy. It was the first foreign country I visited when I was 3, and the country I most often went back to (without ever living there), and the place that I could spend each holiday exploring. This time around, a friend and I decided to treat ourselves with an 8-day-long road trip around northern … Continue reading Northern Italian Road Trip: Central Tuscany, a bit of Liguria and Turin
Hotels and resorts of Socialist Yugoslavia got a lot of press in the past few years (two examples here), especially as every summer more and more foreign tourists are heading to its coasts and cities over the summer. This recent fascination with ‘Yugohotels’ is more than just due to the trendiness of the Eastern Adriatic coast in the past few years, or the hipsterish love … Continue reading The Many Charms of Yugohotels
From the curvy floral beauty of the Subotica’s Synagogue to the Morava-style inspired rosettes on Belgrade’s telegraph building, Art Nouveau architecture takes various shapes in present-day Serbia. This diversity was in large part because this sensuous new style, originating in late 1800s France, was used as an artistic expression of national romanticism that gripped Europe those days. Back in early 1900s, north of the Sava … Continue reading Faces and Blossoms of Art Nouveau in Serbia
Stunning scenery, beautiful historic sites and friendly faces are what you can find almost anywhere in Northern Macedonia. During both of my recent trips to the country, I was in equal measures surprised by the how wonderful many of its sites are – from the ruins of Marko’s Fortress in the dramatic hills over Prilep to the bustling Bitpazar market in Skopje – and shocked … Continue reading Northern Macedonia: (Quint)essential Balkan Country
Through a set of lucky circumstances and generosity on part of a friend of mine, I found myself at an event which I wanted to visit for a long while: preview of the Venice Art Biennale. It was on my radar ever since I became interested in the fascinating workings of the world of contemporary art and I actively yearned to visit after reading Geoff … Continue reading Interesting Times at the Venice Biennale
Visiting Serbia’s most stunning fortresses. Continue reading Golubac and Ram: Serbia’s Fantastic Fortresses
Although I had almost no knowledge of its history, culture and language, like many Europeans, I became intrigued by Japan when, as a student, I was exposed to a heightened, almost surreal image of the country. This pastiche of curious places, objects and characters that drew my attention to this peculiar civilisation, did not come from the common vehicles of manga, anime and hentai– but … Continue reading Misunderstanding Japan
Discover stunning churches, spas, vineyards and craft breweries within two hours of Belgrade Continue reading Serbia’s Scenic Heartland: Topola, Arandjelovac and Kosmaj
Magnificent castle ruins, 12th Century Catholic monastery and an atmospheric hammam: all in Continue reading Bač: Vojvodina’s Forgotten Treasure Trove
Digital nomads give a village in north-eastern Serbia a chance at a comeback. Continue reading Mokrin House: A Global Village in North Banat
Famed and feared for elaborate Vlach death rituals, Serbia’s east is also home to Roman palaces, historical vineyards, medieval monasteries and more. Continue reading Serbia’s Magical East
While foreign rule and power struggles often brought havoc to the Balkan peoples, it also left behind a diverse cuisine in which various influences merge and make the best use of the region’s fertile lands. While some regional specialities do not cross borders, the limits between the national cuisines in the Balkans tend to be blurry, with many nations enjoying same foods, albeit claiming them … Continue reading Brief Histories of Favourite Balkan Foods
In the past few years, tourism has been booming in Serbia thanks to the country’s better connectivity with the rest of the world. According to the Serbian Statistical Office, between January and September almost two million people visited the country, a growth of about 11 per cent compared to the same time period in 2017. While most of those visiting the country stay in its … Continue reading Four Places You Need to Visit in Serbia in 2019
For anyone who has had any kind of brush with the Serbian education system or the Serbian Orthodox Church, Hilandar is etched in the memory as the place where the glory of medieval Serbia survived almost intact for more than eight centuries. Hilandar was founded in 1198 by Stefan Nemanja, the first ruler of the Serbian medieval Nemanjic dynasty, and his son, Archbishop Sava, who … Continue reading To the Holy Mountain: A Pilgrimage to Hilandar
From world-class architecture to tasty food and cafés galore, Ljubljana is much more than just a stepping-stone to the country’s famous lakes. Continue reading Ljubljana: More Than Just a Pretty Place
