Weekend in Belgrade: An Early Spring Return to Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia (B)

Last year in October, I visited Serbia for the first time, to work on an archaeological project in the northern province of Vojvodina. I missed out on exploring Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, so when I was invited back to work on the project again in March this year, I knew I had to incorporate Belgrade into my trip. I made it my first destination in the country, and my boyfriend spontaneously decided to join me.

We arrived to the chaotic airport of Belgrade on a late Friday evening in mid-March. Since busses were no longer running, we tried to find someone to share a cab with, and ended up getting a free ride with a nice Chinese guy on a business trip (thanks, Mish!). We treated him to dinner at one of the few open places late at night, and then finally headed to our hostel in the centre of the city.

Eager to explore and see Belgrade in the soft light of sunrise, I awoke early the next morning and headed out on the quiet streets. I went to see St. Mark’s Church in the orange morning hues. The orthodox church, which is one of the largest in Serbia, was built in 1940 on the site of a previous early 19th-century church. In its close vicinity stands the building which is known as the most beautiful in Belgrade, with a mouthful of a name: the House of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. The building was formerly the seat of the Parliament of Yugoslavia, and today home to the legislature of Serbia. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).