Belgrade has been one of my favorite destinations thus far, something that I did not expect to be able to say before coming here. Paramount to my experience has been the friends I've made and all the fun we had. Isabel from Spain and Anke from Belgium, as well as the hostel owners Dragan, Ivan, and Nikoli all made my stay here unforgettable, along with the other hostel guests that passed through Belgrade while I was here (including a relatively famous YouTuber, FreddyFairhair).
The cultural scene in Belgrade is flourishing at a pace you would not believe for a city that was being bombed by NATO a mere 18 years ago. I feel like I barely scratched the surface while I was here, but if you are interested in music, art, design, or food, I'm confident you will find your fair share of things to love about this city.
The city is very walkable. I never bothered to buy a public transportation pass while I was here, but the public transportation network does seem relatively extensive and modern.
I found a great cafe called Jazzayoga, with large windows that look out onto Tasmajdan Park across the street. Jazzayoga not only has amazingly cheap and delicious coffee -- espresso with milk (macchiato) and a cookie for 130 dinars, about $1.20 -- but also a fantastic atmosphere for both socializing and working (I did a lot of work on my laptop here). The owner was also very nice and spoke English with me.
 |
| Jazzayoga upstairs seating area |
Although I had originally only booked through the weekend, I decided to extend my stay at El Diablo Hostel to cover the duration of my 9 days here in Belgrade. Besides being very clean, cozy, and sociable (but with good sound obstruction between rooms), the location is near impeccable. A 5-minute walk from old town, on the same block as two convenience markets and a gelato cafe, a nearby 80 dinar pizza by the slice hole in the wall open for all but 5 hours of the day, and the coziest rooftop terrace you could possibly find in Eastern Europe.
 |
| Hands down the #1 place to chill with your friends in Belgrade |
But I'm still not done describing how awesome this hostel is. While I was there I was treated to multiple free meals and a couple free beers and cocktails. When I extended my stay, Dragan rounded down the total cost of 5 more nights from 6800 dinar to 6000 dinar. Sheets and towels were refreshed every few days. The willingness of the hostel staff to go way, way, way above and beyond the usual obligations made an already great experience amazing. I'm glowing just thinking about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment