If you love the films of Emir Kusturica, be sure to go to Belgrade. Of course, you will not see any architectural findings. In terms of appearance, it is inferior to other cities of Europe, but this is fully compensated by the atmosphere of the desired fun and freedom, which can be felt in the films of the cult director.
Huge red eagles. Do not proud, as on the coat of aristocratic European Europe, and the shaggy, as if pigeons, crowded near the street diner. Painting birds are sitting on the fence along the motorway and with obvious displeasure look at the tight flow of cars racing from Zagreb to Belgrade. Cars and trucks spoil feathered hunting, they do not give to catch the hares who pop up on Highway, which connects countries that have previously included in the Unified Yugoslavia.
The revealing point: the inhabitants of Zagreb and Ljubljana, despite the sad history of Yugoslav wars, about Belgrade always responds almost with sensual silence. "This is a beautiful city! There's so fun! " - These words I heard from the makeup artist in Slovenia, the owner of the pharmacy in the Croatian pool and the guide on the Plitvitsky lakes. Indeed, compared with the postcard little and well-groomed Zagreb in the capital of Serbia reigns a genuine holiday of disobedience. For example, you can smoke here everywhere. Even the border guard that testing our documents was lucually picked up by a cigarette right in the workplace. The garbage, it seems, does not interfere here, but the dilapidated facades of historic buildings on a pedestrian street of KNEZ Mikhailov authorities were given to the struck of artists, and those decorated their graffiti with images of unknown creatures.
One of the oldest parks in Europe "Calembal
Photo: Julia Malkov
It is found in the center of Belgrade and unparalleled art objects: how do you have a wall fresco in the form of a toothy town, devouring the forest? Songs and dances all night long there is also a casual routine. Young people have fun in clubs on the Beton Hala embankment. Bohemia meets in restaurants on Scandarlia Street. While a walk through her pavement, paved cobblestone sizes, we have noticed a group of gypsy guitars more than once, looking like the characters of the painting "Black Cat, White Cat." What seems to be free spirit for which we all love the films of Kusturians, from Slovenians and Croats, no benefits of the European Union to the end, and the capital of Serbia is his last stronghold, disruptive as the Belgrade Fortress, which rises on a hill above the river location Sava and Danube.
Grad on a hill
Science and Religion: Tourists are offered to visit the temple of Saint Sava ...
Photo: Julia Malkov
The naked young man with a hawk on his shoulder is incomparable to the side of Austria-Hungary, - the first, with whom every tourist, who turned out to be in Belgrade. It is called the sculpture is pretentious - a monument to the winner. Erected from the Belgrade Fortress, in the very place where two thousand three hundred years ago, the ancient Celts laid the first stone of Prapraded Belgrade - the city of Silginunum. Later, he won the Romans when the most powerful Empire of Antiquity began to crack along the seams, the settlement went to Byzantium. Then the city was occupied by Hungarians, from here the Turks were crowded out, and in just one hundred years old, the Belgrade Fortress survived hundreds of fifteen battles, during which she was destroyed and rebuilt forty four times. Thirteen gates lead inside, one of which is called Istanbul in memory of the dominion in the Balkans of the Ottoman Empire. The very fortress and the meadow adjacent to it today are part of the KalemveDan city park, the name of which means the "serf field". Once the powerful walls of the defensive structure now cleanedly asked, and on them without fears you can walk, admiring the five towers of the fortress. The most beautiful of them - with a clock, but the turrets with the speaking names of "beats" and "not be afraid" to this day have not been preserved. They were built in the XV century and were intended for strict adherence to the throughput mode inside urban walls.
Echo War
If you ask any resident of Belgrade, what names are associated with his hometown, he is most likely not remembered by Emir Kusturia or Harran Bregovich. But the Saint Sawvo and Nikola Tesla will be mentioned. Places associated with them are in the community of the doctor. From the historic center of Stari-Hrad, we got there on foot along Nemaancen Street, which is not like the rest of Belgrade. Rather, she resembles Gran Via Avenue in the center of Madrid. Clean and lept. All buildings are deliberately pompous, because it is here that government agencies of the capital of Serbia are concentrated. However, tourists on Namanin Street leads no desire to admire heights in the style of neoclassicism. Just here are the construction of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense, destroyed in 1999 during the bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO. The government does not intentionally restores them in memory of the tragic events. At the same time, almost opposite the memorial there is a historic bakery of trpkovi, where they sell the most delicious buns in the city. I try to break the Serbian pastries and state: Of course, in Vienna or in Paris, you can taste more exquisite desserts, that's just in Belgrade, I don't want to see the gourmet in Belgrade, but forget about the diet once and forever - very much.
... and in the Museum of Scientist Nikola Tesla
Photo: Julia Malkov
Visiting Savva and Tesla
The chief cathedral of the city is dedicated to Saint Savve. He lived in the XV century and became famous for the construction of schools and monasteries. A new temple was built on the site of the old, burned in 1595 by the Turks, and the other Church of Belgrade does not look like. Those, though Orthodox, but their subtle golden spiers are more reminiscent of Riga churches, here is a typical design of architecture in the Byzantine style. Outside, the Cathedral of Saint Sava seems to be a huge box, that's just inside the Larka is empty: the icon paints still color its walls with frescoes. Nearby hurt the temple of science - the Museum of Nikola Tesla. Although the famous inventor was born in the village of Smilan, which now applies to Croatia, and in the life of the scientist it was part of Austria-Hungary, Tesla considered himself Yugoslav. He and in the United States left only because he was easier for him to find sponsors for his ambitious projects. Belgrade Scientist Museum is a genuine treasury. Where else will you see miniature copies of the cars invented and you can experience the effect of the legendary Tesla transformer - devices for wireless electricity transmission? Guests are given daylight lamps, the tesla coil includes, and (about a miracle!) Lamps in the hands light on themselves. Just as in the film Nolan "Prestige". Meanwhile, the Museum of Tesla is his memorial. Here the urn is stored with the ashes of a scientist, she was taken from New York to the capital of Serbia in 1957. Received according to the will of the inventor: Nikola Tesla wanted to gain eternal peace in Belgrade, the city he was insanely loved.
Facades of the pedestrian street KNEZ Mikhailova decorate graffiti
Photo: Julia Malkov
Our advice to you ...
The main museums of Belgrade are located on the territory of Kalemvedan Park. In their number of the Military and Natural History Museum, the Institute for the Preservation of Belgrade Monuments and the National Observatory.
From national dishes Be sure to try Sevapchichi: sausages from chopped meat, roasted on the grill. In the Balkans they are made everywhere, but in Belgrade they are especially good.
From national dishes Be sure to try chevapchichi
Photo: Pixbay.com.
If you are interested in the work of local designers, go to the Concept Stor "Supermarket". There are not only clothes, but also very curious interior items, including posters with funny inscriptions in English.
The best place in Belgrade for evening leisure is the embankment of Beton Hala. Her project created the Spanish-Mexican architectural studio Sanzpont Arquitectura, and here are the most fashionable institutions of the city.
If local residents find out that you came from Russia, they will definitely begin to communicate with you in Serbian and will be surprised that you do not understand them. In this case, just smile and be polite.