Serbia has more than just great tennis players

We’re back in the Balkans for the first time in five years, this time Serbia. We were struck by the lack of tourists. Except for surges of people when the Danube River cruise ships arrived, we felt like we had the country to ourselves.

We barely scratched the surface. We spent a couple of weeks in Belgrade, followed by visits to the cities of Novi Sad and Nis.

Belgrade

Belgrade is a tale of two, or more, cities. We stayed in the Belgrade Waterfront neighbourhood, a new master-planned community built with oil money from Abu Dhabi. It is ultra-modern, with chic cafes and restaurants and a glitzy high-end mall. The project is only half-finished, but there is a major push to have it done by 2027, when Belgrade hosts Expo 2027.

Stari Grad, the old town, was only a 15 minute walk away. It recalls the glory years of the 19th century. Its streets are lined with elegant neoclassical buildings, interspersed with Brutalist communist-era structures. Across the Sava River is Novi Beograd, “New Belgrade”. Despite its name, construction began in the 1940s as a model communist city. It is filled with depressing, monolithic, bare concrete apartment blocks. The contrast to Belgrade Waterfront could not be greater.

Belgrade Fortress and the adjoining Kalemegdan Park loom over Stari Grad. Many of the fortress’s fortifications remain, but most people are there for the miles of walking paths. Kalemegdan Park is a relaxing space to enjoy nature and walk dogs. Maria was in her glory. Belgradians adore their dogs. They are everywhere – stores, restaurants, malls, parks – and are pampered better than the children.

The Church of St. Sava, the patron saint of Serbia, is one of the main attractions in Belgrade. It is the largest Orthodox church in Serbia, and one of the largest churches in the world. Construction began in 1935, then got sidelined because of World War II and the communist-era. It was finally finished in 2018. The interior is ornately-decorated with frescoes and golden mosaics, depicting scenes from the Bible. Even on weekdays it attracts crowds of worshipers.

Exploring the suburbs

Belgrade has an extensive, modern public bus system – and it’s free! We took full advantage. When we had nothing else planned, we hopped buses to explore random neighbourhoods. The nicest was Zemun, on the banks of the Danube. Once an important town itself, it is now a suburb of Belgrade. The bus dropped us beside the busy vegetable market. We strolled the quaint cobble-stoned streets admiring the colourful, tidy buildings.

After coffee in the main square we climbed to the top of the Gardoš Tower, built in 1894 to celebrate a thousand years of Hungarian settlement. It offers a panoramic view along the Danube, Belgrade and the plains surrounding the city. After the strenuous (not really) climb, we rewarded ourselves with a relaxing lunch in one of the many traditional restaurants lining the bank of the Danube.

Our visit to Belgrade ended with a sunset cruise along the Danube and Sava Rivers, with iconic views of Belgrade Fortress, Stari Grad and Belgrade Waterfront. It was a perfect way to spend a warm September evening and cool down from the 30°C daily high temperatures.

Niš

We rented a car to visit the city of Niš. It is a short 2-1/2 hour drive from Belgrade on the motorway. We wanted a more relaxing drive along the backroads to Manasija Monastery. Google Maps had other ideas. It directed us onto a “shortcut” through the countryside on rutted dirt tractor paths. An hour later we had made a few kilometers progress. We did get to see some impressive crops though.

After finally finding the monastery, and sampling the beer made by the monks (why do all monks make beer and wine?) we continued to Niš. The center of Niš is small and easy to get around. A few pleasant pedestrian-only streets and the remains of a historic fort that have been converted into a sprawling park. There were no other tourists in sight. Our apartment was an experience. It was in a communist-era apartment block. The front door had all the appearance of a derelict tenement. The apartment itself was gorgeous – newly re-modeled and beautifully furnished.

Crveni Krs Concentration Camp

The most significant site in Niš is the Crveni Krs (“Red Cross”) Concentration Camp. During WWII it housed up to 35,000 prisoners – Jews, Romas, Gays and political prisoners. Those who were not sent to slave-labour camps or to Auschwitz to meet their demise, were executed in the nearby Bubanj Park, now a memorial park. The camp has been left intact, as it was when the Nazis fled after executing the remaining prisoners. The visit was a sobering experience, especially considering what is going on in the world.

Novi Sad

Novi Sad is a historic university city on the Danube. It has one the prettiest, best-preserved old towns we’ve encountered. The whole of the centre has been turned into a pedestrian zone. The squares were full of locals relaxing over cups of strong espresso and decadent desserts. Off the main streets there are hidden alleys full of cafes and wine bars. Novi Sad’s main attraction is the Petrovaradin Fortress perched high on the river bank overlooking the city. The fortress offers panoramic views of the city and surrounding country side.

Anti-Government Protests

We were apprehensive about visiting Novi Sad, and Serbia in general. In November 2024, a concrete canopy on the front of Novi Sad’s main station collapsed, killing sixteen. The collapse was blamed on corruption related to the contract to renovate the station. Mass anti-government protests have followed.

Students at Novi Sad University first protested against the government corruption and media censorship.The protests soon spread nationwide, and have at times turned violent. We were fortunate to avoid any direct contact with the protests, but did get caught in a massive traffic jam. Every Friday at 11:52 a.m., coinciding with the time and day of the Novi Sad collapse, students country-wide block traffic for 16 minutes.

P.S. We didn’t get to meet Novak. He was busy at the U.S. Open.