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Bar crawl of the Balkans

Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro

By Tracey Davies

Deep in the depths of South Eastern Europe, hiding under Hungary, crouching behind Croatia, lies what’s left of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro.

To many, the name itself conjures up images of either war torn newsreels or at the very least cheesy ‘La La’ bands from recent Eurovision years. Serbia’s capital, Belgrade is a new face on the European party scene, and I’m here to see what it offers as a weekend city break for the more hedonistic of us.

Now I’m no Kate Adie, but from my first impressions of Belgrade, I would say war torn is a bit harsh, possibly more war ruffled. With only a hint of the devastation the NATO bombings left behind six years ago, Belgrade with its contrasting skylines of modern high rises and old Russian-influenced architecture is a surprisingly pleasant city to visit. Now, in 2005 with a cracking nightlife, and tourism being actively encouraged back into the country, things are certainly looking up for Belgrade.

The city is split by two rivers, the Danube and its tributary, the Sava. Old Belgrade to the north has its ‘baroque meets bloc’ mix of old and new buildings. To the south, New Belgrade is an evolving business district, sprouting company HQ’s and international hotel chains.

There is plenty to do by day, visit the Kalemegdan Fortress with its sack loads of Serb history and panoramic views of the Old Town and rivers. It’s also worthwhile popping into the Royal Courts & White Palace for some insider Royal gossip. After a skinful of culture, you’ll no doubt need a beer. A good area to people-watch is Belgrade’s bohemian quarter, Skadarlija. A place for the local artists and literary crowd to hang, drink coffee and look beautiful. There is a host of street cafes and national restaurants in this area, most with resident gypsy bands to enhance the bohemian feel.

Belgrade by day offers plenty, but it’s the nightlife that I have really come to see. I was pre-warned that I should not expect to be in bed before 4am each night, and so far so true.

We kick off the weekend with a visit to a few of, what’s known as ‘underground bars’. When Milosovic was in power, many entrepreneurial Belgradians set up bars in the front rooms of their homes, so they could enjoy a Sljivovica (Serbian plum brandy) or two with friends, away from the watchful eye of the government. There are probably 20-30 of these bars around Belgrade, the whereabouts only known by word-of-mouth. My favourite is the World Travellers Club, a bar hidden in the basement of an unassuming apartment block in the centre of town. Descending down the steps in an unmarked building in a strange capital is slightly unnerving, but as soon as we enter through the red velvet curtains, I find myself in a hybrid mix of Moroccan kasbar and my grandma’s front room. Gorgeous young men (rather than old ladies, thankfully) in long cream Arabian robes, pay ego-puffing attention to my alcoholic needs.

Next stop on the crawl we head to Silicon Valley (Strahinića Bana). Named not for its technology, but for the hordes of surgically enhanced ladies who frequent the dozens of contemporary bars in the area. Again, it’s a great place to people watch, with most bars the seating stretches out on to the wide, tree-lined streets.

This area tends to wind down around 1 – 2 am when most head out to the river bars and nightclubs to disco down ‘til dawn. Clubs such as Aundergraund (Pariska 1A) and Mondo DC (Takovska 34) are some of the best in Eastern Europe attracting top international DJ’s. For the river clubs, take a cab (no more than 300 dinar) down to the banks and follow your ears.

The exchange rate is currently around 120 dinar to the pound and about 80 dinar will get you a beer and 200-300 dinar will get you a decent Margarita.

My advice is get to Belgrade before the masses do, and party like a local. Right now it’s cheap and very welcoming, in short, Belgrade rocks!

My top five Belgrade hang outs:

World Travellers Club – 29 Novembra 7 - Cool Kasbah-slash-Grandma influenced underground bar.

Ben Akiba - Nusiceva 8 – A slick bar hidden behind a huge, manned steel door, jam-packed with both beautiful people and modern art. Cocktails from 200 dinar

Tramvaj – Rusveltova 2 - A late-night music bar with an academia atmosphere. Good, cheap beer and live music most nights.

Insomnia - Strahinića Bana – A bar swathed in animal print in the heart or should I say cleavage of Silicon Valley.

Zaplet – A hip-swingingly cool restaurant offering a Gordon Ramsey standard of cuisine at Ronald McDonald prices.

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