This will be part one in a series of multiple posts in which I cover my time more specifically in the countries I visited: Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro. To read part 1 first, about my time in Croatia and Bosnia, click here.
After spending time in Bosnia, I took a small bus to Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade is the capital of Serbia. Belgrade is a growing city, like much of the Balkans. It has many monuments like lots of Europe. To be honest, the city did not make much of an impression on me. However, the people I met there and the hostel I stayed at did. And it altered the rest of my time in Serbia.
Coming into the city, I met a nice girl on my bus into Belgrade who was from Austria, her name was Pia. We explored much of the city together and hung out at our hostel. Also, we had one night where her and I along with other guests had late night chats. In the video below from my Instagram, you will see the beauty of travel in the fact that you meet people from all over the world. One night in Belgrade, I was sitting in a circle with a Dane, an Austrian, an Indian, a Turk, a Serbian, a Russian and an American (myself). That night, I heard many different perspectives. Not only that I met Milan (from Serbia) and his friend, Emre, from Turkey. Milan invited to host me and to see his city, Nis, Serbia. Without much thought, I accepted his invitation.
Nis, Serbia
Nis is in the southern part of Serbia and is in the top 3 largest cities in the country. I learned the most about Serbian culture from my time there. I spent 4 days there.
The most outstanding impressions I got from Serbia was the warm hospitality I received. I stayed in Milan’s home and his aunt made all of us a traditional Serbian dinner. He taught me common Serbian words and traditions. He introduced me to his friends and family. He along with his friend, Emre, also took me to locally-run traditional Serbian restaurants. One of the nights we went to a Kafana, a traditional Serbian restaurant. I had cevapi (traditional Balkan dish) and raquia (like a plum brandy). That place had original music unique to the country, sung all in Serbian!
Milan and his friends took me sightseeing around the city. We visited the city’s fortress, an old fortress than spans back 500+ years into the Ottoman Empire. One of my favorite memories was sitting in their local park and sitting on a park bench, relaxing and having discussions. Another day, Milan took me to what is called the “Skull Tower,” which is literally a cement wall that is full of human skulls from 1809, which was during the Serbian war with the Ottoman Empire. I don’t have any pictures out of respect for those died, but there is more information and pictures at this Wikipedia article.
While absorbing the city and the culture, I also learned about the youth organization, KOM018, Milan and Emre were part of. Their organization works to empower youth for social acceptance and growth. I went to the organization’s office and watched Milan and his friends do some cool stuff. For example, they were working on promotion for a musical festival they were doing later the next month. Or when Milan and his friends were recording lyrics for a rap song in Serbian and French. What I most enjoyed hanging out with this group was their high energy and drive for life. They all spoke English really well and I learned much from all of them. Check out their organization here.
I am so grateful to Milan and his family and friends who made my experience in Serbia so special. This is hands down one of my favorite moments of the year I’ve had.
This is the second post in a series of my experiences in the Balkan Region. Stay tuned for more posts with the next one being my time in Bulgaria and Macedonia. Stay tuned!
Brilliant description of your holiday. Thankyou Justin