Belgrade: How does the Serbian Capital Survive?
Brotherhood Serbia lies like a tired tiger in an extended hunt on a steep hill, the capital of Belgrade. Travelers have to work hard on foot. It’s good for health, perhaps. And at the same time, the steep hills of Belgrade have their own attractions. However, relief alone is not the cause of sensitive feelings.
Slavic city
Surprised and delighted by the streets of Belgrade, the city remains Slavic. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, as in the European capital, there are no restricted visitors, no immigrant crowds. Since Serbia is not yet a member of the EU and is not among the richest, the country is still less attracted to the influx of refugees.
Security
During our stay in the Serbian capital, we saw police officers only twice, and then at the central airport, where NATO bombs exploded near the Ministry of Defense building. In this case, even at night, you can walk quietly. We are in the private sector, where we live in the city, and a few stops from the center, the owners go out for a walk or for bread without closing the gates.
On weekends, in the evenings, you see occasional drunken people (after all, Serbia is a Slavic country). Still, they are not usually aggressive, carrying bottles, sometimes even glass, and the passengers are not violent. So, the crime may be in Serbia, but we did not notice any manifestation. Even at night.
The state of the city
Perhaps, the state of housing stocks in Belgrade and on the streets is sometimes seen as my worst in Europe. However, this does not mean that the whole city is collapsing on the one hand, but it is far from the truth on the other. When we reached the final stop at Calemegdan Castle, we had to cross the other side of the road when we got to the old tram (there was so much noise at the bottom that we thought we were going to make the journey). We stood at the traffic light, and I pressed the big button for pedestrians.
The button did not respond and was not pressed, and then I tried harder with the thumb of my right hand – and all of a sudden, that traffic light column stopped! I was afraid that he would fall on the road like this with one finger from my pressure. How was it fixed? The traffic lights were almost down, but the countdown was on, and half a minute later, we were on the right for us.
Sometimes Belgrade literally looks like a sweetie in some areas. Nice house, well-kept lawn. But right in the center, in the courtyards, you’ll see crumbling, crumbling walls, cracked walls, rusty storm pipes hanging from the roof like headless snakes. Even at the center, asphalt seems to have been lying since the Soviet era and has not been updated. The benches are painted. Yes, there is the feeling of being in La Soviet Union. A tourist sees that Serbia is not the richest country in Europe, but it is a proud country.
Belgrade, as a city, does not have a wide range of colors. Most buildings have a gray color. Monuments are completely green in color, often not restored. There are virtually no bright, colorful objects here, so the architectural sights here (though they are), but for the wonderful atmosphere of the Slavic city, try the local food, and it is not good to breathe the Danube air. It seems to me that the Slavic spirit is still alive here. In Belgrade, the atmosphere of friendly relations with Russian-speaking tourists is valuable.
Public administration
Buses are the main mode of transportation in Belgrade; Tram and trolleybus lines were established during the Soviet period. It should be noted immediately that bus traffic intervals are sometimes very large, waiting up to 40 minutes for the exact number. After the Moscow transport, the word frankly does not give pleasure, but the city here is ten times smaller than Moscow, and the budget of this capital is not comparable.
Original – Traced ones are seen in ones, gurgling, and sometimes it seems they will get annoyed as they go. However – they drive, and it’s pretty good. It happens that the tram does not have enough rotating stock, and then the same number of buses or minibuses have to run on the train. Again, the interval between the required number can be up to 20 minutes. But the pace of life here is different than in Moscow. People live measured lives, not in a hurry.
The whole time we were in Belgrade, we never met the controllers. Local youths often travel with rabbits. How much we tried to pay the driver for the direct ride, our dinars stuck – and by then, a sour mine appeared on the drivers’ faces, as if they had swallowed up enough booty. Our money was not taken. I regret, we are also “disappointed,” because you can buy tickets from anywhere.
The fare, however, costs about 70 days and you can board any public transport for 90 minutes. Drivers keep looking at us, they say, don’t interfere with the important work of operating a big machine. We left without a ticket.
Travel cards can be purchased in advance at the press kiosks next to the bus stop. In the network of states of the “My Kiosk” stall, you can buy a 24-hour transport card without limiting the number of trips for 300 diners. There are no stops at stops, so it’s hard to know when the next bus will be. Below the bus number plate is a local phone number where you can call and ask about the next bus: when to wait and if to wait a bit. However, it is impossible to understand what the operator says, although the Serbian language is Slavic, like the Russians.
Smoking
This is a big problem for smokers. In Serbia, they smoke almost everywhere and voluntarily. If a tourist does not smoke, it isn’t easy to find a cafe without smoke. Yes, smoking is not prohibited in cafes or restaurants. Both the USSR, smokers, and non-smokers shared their meals together and in Serbia.
My conclusion from the description of the city is that Belgrade is suitable for sightseeing, but the long stay here is not quite suitable. But here is the wonderful atmosphere of the Slavic center and many beautiful girls.