Going away for a while has been on my mind since the beginning of this year. My 30th birthday(the big 3-0, as they say) seemed a fitting time to make such a trip. I decided to book a solo trip for Serbia as a self-appreciation gift a month-ish ago to celebrate the end of my 20s and to welcome a new era, that is the 30s.

via GIPHY

In this post I talk about the following topics. Feel free to skip through sections by clicking on any of the following:

• Best spots in Belgrade
• Where to live and how to get around
• My experience with a street art tour
• Travel Tips and Final Thoughts

Best spots in Belgrade

• Belgrade Fortress

  This was one of my favorite touristy things to do in Belgrade. It is kind of a long walk from the nearest bus station but its worth the hype as it offers such a great view of the sunset over the river. I ended up going there twice during my trip. There are a couple souvenir shops that also sell snacks and drinks. There are many park style benches where you can people watch and enjoy the view over a drink.

  

• Saint Sava Temple

  The church of St. Sava is the largest church in the Balkans and also one of the largest in the world! It is a mesmerizing piece of architecture that is stunning to observe. The Cathedral has very beautiful interior and a calm atmosphere.

  

  This hashtag Beograd sign was on my way to the Cathedral.

  

• Republic Square

  This is the main downtown area I believe and the pivot of all touristy activities. All walking tours seem to start from here and the Nikola Tesla Museum and other sights are nearby.

  There are places to shop close to the square including Reserved, H&M, and Zara and lots of restaurants. One of my frequently visited restaurant(Red Bread) is close by as well along with other patio coffee shops.

• Manufaktura Restaurant

  Manufaktura was a bullet point on almost every list in any blog post that I read about Belgrade prior to coming here. It is known among the tourists as ‘that restaurant with the red umbrellas’ and they indeed make a pretty background.

  

  The menu is in english and they serve all kinds of meat and authentic Balkan food. So there is Cevapi on the menu but also some regular meat dishes. This place(and actually all of Serbia) may not be a good choice for vegetarians or vegans to visit as there aren’t many vegetarian food options. You’d really have to do research in advance to find places where you can eat.

  The road leading up to the restaurant and the square it is lively with music performances and small street art exhibits. I bought a very cute pair of ear-rings from a local artist on my way back in this square.

Where to live and how to get around

If you’re traveling solo (and/or are an extrovert) it is recommended that you live in a hostel. It is easier to meet people and make friends to go do touristy things as a group. In my case, I really wanted to enjoy, understand, and embrace solitude and have time to self-reflect and resurrect my self-sufficient streak (after having lived with my parents for the past ~1.5 years), so I decided to stay by myself in an airbnb. Although challenging, there is nothing more freeing and badass than living and exploring a foreign country on your own, making your own schedule, and having a lot of time to journal and self-reflect through the trip.

This is the airbnb I chose. It had a grocery store, a bus stop, and a decent collection of restaurants nearby. The host Dubravka is very helpful and responsive and speaks good english. The studio is great for solo travelers but can also accommodate couples and 3 people(if one is willing to sleep on the couch). There is a beautiful patio to enjoy the view over drinks or a meal. The studio also comes equipped with a full kitchen which was an important factor for me as I like at-least one of my 3 meals to be home cooked during vacations.

Best way to get around is through public transport aka buses. Make sure you choose a place that has a bus stop nearby. You need to get a bus pass to be able to ride the bus. Make sure you know how much money you have left on your card at all times and understand the pass rules as you can be fined 5000 RSD if you don’t have enough money/miles left on your card and are found to be riding the bus.

There is a no Uber or Uber like service in Serbia(big bummer for me!) and if you miss a bus you will have to call a taxi service. Pink Taxi and Lux Taxi are the ones I used a few times.

My experience with a street art tour

On the day of my birthday I booked a street art tour for myself via Belgrade Alternative Guide. My tour guide Katarina responded to my request promptly and was easygoing and great to talk to/tour with. We met outside Hotel Moskva which is an important landmark in Belgrade.

The tour included the Street Art Gallery, Design district, Skadarska, Cetinjska street, Lower and upper Dorcol and we finished in Kosancicev Venac.

It was a great experience! Katarina told me about the history behind all the art and their artists. The art were painted on street walls, apartment buildings, schools, and other places. Some were legal, some weren’t. Most contained a message and purpose behind them which Katarina went into great detail of. She was willing to dig deeper and knew all the answers as she is a Belgrade local.

Here are some of my favorites, the first one being a ‘Welcome to Beograd’(written in Serbian) painting:

Travel Tips and Final Thoughts

• Serbia is a beautiful country to visit but there can be language barrier when it comes to asking for directions, buying a sim card or a bus pass at the kiosk, ordering at restaurants etc. If you have time you can learn the Cyrillic alphabet a little bit to be able to read bus stop names and menus in a restaurant (not all restaurants provide an english menus).

• Bring a power bank/portable charger with you whenever traveling as the two most necessary apps during my travels were Google maps and Google translate. It really hard to navigate travel in a foreign city without these two apps and without a phone in general as you may have to call a taxi at some point too, if you miss a bus or just can’t walk to your airbnb.

• Be alert at all times, but also, ENJOY!! There were many times during my trip where it felt like I was doing work by reading maps, calculating bus times or the currency exchange or my next move etc - all the stuff that is necessary for a day out in a foreign country but can also sneakily take away from the fun times you’re supposed to be having. Once you’ve figured out your destination, chill out, and walk/ride towards it with confidence and look around, instead of double checking and getting lost in your phone. Again, solo travel is the most liberating and badass thing you can do; and although it does require you to have the street smarts, don’t let that take away from one of the most exhilarating experience you can have.