Belgrade is located around the confluence of two famous European rivers: the Danube and the Sava. It was formerly the capital of the old Yugoslavia.
By Abdullah Usman Morai
The joy of exploring this magnificent world created by the Almighty only grows deeper when your travel companions are heartfelt friends. It makes the journey all the more delightful. Eventually, Wizz Air announced new flight routes, including one from Stockholm to Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. Belgrade is located around the confluence of two famous European rivers: the Danube and the Sava. It was formerly the capital of the old Yugoslavia.
My close friend from the early days of living abroad—Dr. Imran Jamali—who was also my classmate during my Master’s studies at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm- and I decided to take a long weekend trip. Wizz Air’s offer seemed quite appealing, so we didn’t waste time and booked our tickets.
Our flight was scheduled for late at night on March 9, 2023. Imran picked me up from home in his car. Whenever we go on trips together in his car, it’s become a tradition to listen to Sarmad Sindhi’s songs. Songs like “To Achan Ji Na Kaee, Mund Aaee Vaei”, and others like “Jadahn hin dunya maan guzaree wendasen” bring back strong memories of our childhood, especially when Sarmad Sindhi used to perform in Moro. The venues would be packed, and the energy of the crowd was electric. Sain Rashid Morai, who was the headmaster at Moro Primary School back then, used to host him, probably for poetry sessions.
In just over an hour, we reached Stockholm’s Skavsta Airport. While parking the car, we noticed four Swedish girls also parking their car beside ours. Soon, two proud sons of Sindh, Jamali from Daur Nawabshah and Soomro from Moro, boarded the flight—and interestingly, those four girls were on the same flight too.
We landed late at night at Belgrade’s airport. Thankfully, we had pre-booked our taxi. The owner of the taxi company, Darko, had already been in contact with us. At the airport, his driver was waiting for us. He was very talkative but also gave us a lot of information about Belgrade. While driving, he pointed out some apartment blocks and told us that he lived there. As we approached the city center, we passed a bridge wall where the words “Kosovo is Serbia” were boldly painted. Kosovo is now an independent Muslim-majority country, but Serbia still refuses to recognize it officially.
The taxi dropped us at the Palace Hotel on Toplicin Venac Street in the Stari Grad (Old Town) district, telling us that our hotel was right in the heart of the city, perfect for exploring on foot. We thanked him and entered the hotel. The elderly receptionist at the front desk asked for our passports and said we should collect them the next day. Usually, hotels don’t keep passports overnight, but perhaps it was part of their process. It was late at night, and after chatting for a bit in the room, we drifted off to sleep.
Day Two: First Impressions of Belgrade
The next morning, when we looked out from our window, it was lightly drizzling. We quickly washed up and headed down for breakfast. Surprisingly, the elevator door was opened for us by someone else—it turned out to be school-aged girls standing outside. They were likely working part-time at the hotel during their school holidays. It felt odd having someone else open the door for us when we were perfectly capable of doing it ourselves, but maybe that’s part of the hotel’s service policy.
In the breakfast hall, we noticed that more school-age staff were working than actual hotel guests. Gradually, more people arrived, and the place became lively. Suddenly, we noticed cigarette smoke in the air. A few guests were openly smoking in the hall itself—something that caught us off guard. We then realized that in Serbia, smoking is still allowed indoors in many places, including restaurants. This could be uncomfortable for non-smokers or those with allergies.
Anyway, every country has its own rules. Like most continental hotels, the breakfast spread had many options, but nothing specific that one could call “special.” Imran wanted an omelet and asked one of the young workers. The girl didn’t understand. Another staff member came over, still didn’t understand. Finally, the cook came out, and Imran showed him a picture of an omelet to successfully get one!
After breakfast, we picked up our passports from reception. This time, young, attractive women were working at the desk instead of the elderly receptionist from last night. We took some maps from them and also gathered a bit of information about nearby places to visit. We went back to our room, got properly ready, and headed out.
As we stepped outside, Belgrade looked like a fairly ordinary developed European city. But my mind was caught in a mix of its past and present. These Balkan regions, once scarred by brutal wars, now seemed to be enjoying relative peace and stability in their new national borders.
Wandering the Streets and Soaking in the Atmosphere
It was a bit gloomy outside, and the rain seemed like it would persist. We didn’t mind and began exploring. The streets looked clean. Seeing so many air conditioners mounted on the apartment walls made it clear that summers here must be quite hot. Birds were cheerfully hopping around on the ground, searching for food or seeds without a care in the world.
We wandered until we reached a street called Kara Lazara, where hundreds of red umbrellas were suspended overhead, creating a magical canopy. It was a lovely place to take shelter from the drizzle and click some photos.
After spending some time there, we made our way to Knez Mihailova Street, a popular pedestrian avenue in Belgrade. The place was bustling. All around were restaurants, bars, cafes, and souvenir shops. Rain was falling steadily, and the streets glistened, adding charm to the whole scene.
While we were strolling down Knez Mihailova Street, one of the two blonde-haired girls stopped us and tried to sell us a ticket for a boat cruise along the Danube and Sava rivers, organized by their company, “Cruise Belgrade.” The ticket wasn’t too expensive, and the idea of cruising along the Danube and Sava rivers seemed very appealing. So, we said yes and booked tickets for the 12th. The girl, however, said they only accept cash.
She pointed toward the Rajiceva Shopping Center nearby, telling us that there was an ATM inside where we could withdraw money, and assured us she’d be right there when we returned. We went inside the shopping mall—it was huge! Once inside, we felt that it deserved a proper visit, so we kept exploring the different floors. Most of the shops were run by young women. The fun part was that the mall and its surrounding area offered free internet.
After browsing some shops, we withdrew the money from the ATM and returned to give the cash to Tamara, the girl from Cruise Belgrade, and secured our tickets. We then sat at a nearby cafeteria for tea. Since we also wanted to visit another Serbian city, Novi Sad, we contacted Darko, the owner of the same company we had booked the airport transfer from, and asked if he could arrange a one-day tour for us. He said he’d let us know in a while. Just as we were enjoying our tea and cake, Darko called and informed us that he had booked the tour for the next day.
We were still in the cafeteria when Tamra sent a message saying, “We’re sorry, but due to bad weather conditions, the boat trip has been canceled. You can come and collect your refund.”
The rain had become lighter, and after finishing our tea and cake, we resumed walking. We crossed the road and headed toward the Belgrade Fortress. On the way, we passed many souvenir shops and saw several tourist groups exploring with their guides. At the first gate of the fortress, we entered through a lovely arched entrance across a wooden bridge. On one side was the fortress, and on the other, a path, with a moat in between. Perhaps in the old days, they used to fill it with water to repel invaders.
Even cars could pass through the fortress gate. The gate itself was very strong, adorned with large iron studs to prevent it from being broken. Just before entering the main area of the fortress, the bridge, the gate, the arched structure above it, and the stone flooring glistening from the rain gave the place a truly magical look. We took many memorable photos there.
Further ahead, we crossed another wooden bridge and passed through another archway, above which stood a clock tower. As we continued wandering, we learned that this was Serbia’s open-air military museum, where not only cannons but also tanks and missiles were on display. The thick fortress walls had stairways built into them for climbing. This second gate was also very strong and decorated with similar iron studs.
Once inside the fortress, it felt like we were in a huge garden, with well-paved paths and green lawns all around. The rain started to pour again, but we kept walking and eventually reached the walls facing the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. The view from there was breathtaking, especially where the two rivers meet right below the fortress. After merging, the Sava becomes part of the Danube. It reminded me of Domel in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan where the Neelum and Jhelum rivers converge, and the Neelum becomes part of the Jhelum. I had seen that view back in 2003 during a trip with Bha Noor Muhammad Soomro, Bha Nusrat Hussain Seehar, and Bha Farooq Soomro.
We were still wandering inside the fortress when the rain started pouring even more heavily. We noticed a tree with completely white blossoms, standing alone separate from the others. It reminded me of a saying: “The one who stands apart from the crowd is visible even from afar”—just like that tree. The stone pathways inside the fortress looked even more beautiful in the rain. We also saw another small bridge connecting the fortress to the outer world. The stone stairs enhanced the beauty of the surroundings.
Interestingly, in a small hill within the fortress, there was a dug-out bunker with trees and grass planted on top. That bunker now housed a souvenir shop and a café, accessible via stairs, though we didn’t go inside. Many places inside the fortress had stairs and slopes leading up and down.
One of the most notable features of the fortress is the Victor Monument, also known as Pobednik—a 14-meter-high statue of a man standing atop a tower, holding a sword in one hand, symbolizing war, and a falcon in the other, symbolizing peace. The statue faces the Danube and Sava rivers, and from there, you can see the other part of the city across the rivers. Some parts of the fortress walls were made with traditional bricks, while others used stone blocks. We spent a good amount of time there, walking around, and finally exited through the same path we had entered.
On one side of the fortress, there was a beautiful garden where small plants had been planted with a drip irrigation system. After leaving there, we headed back toward the lively Knez Mihailova Street and finally returned to the hotel. Due to the rain, our shoes were wet, so we dried them using toilet paper and hair dryers—and thankfully, succeeded.
While we were still in the room, we saw sunlight filtering in through the window—the clouds were beginning to clear. That was our sign that it was time to leave the hotel room once again.
Once again, we left the hotel and wandered around until we found ourselves back on Knez Mihailova Street. Near the Rajiceva Shopping Center, we decided to take a short break for a meal at a small restaurant. We sat on their colorful chairs arranged outside and placed our order. While waiting for the food, we noticed another tourist—perhaps Italian—having a discussion with the person at the order counter. He was saying he wanted a gyros, but without chicken. The guy at the counter kept telling him that a gyros simply doesn’t exist without chicken. Their exchange continued, but neither seemed to understand the other properly.
The matter was actually quite simple: the tourist wanted all the ingredients of a gyros—salad, sauce, pickles, etc., wrapped in bread, but just without the chicken. The conversation was getting a bit intense. Eventually, a couple of others stepped in and helped resolve the issue. Later, when the same guy from the counter came over to serve our food, we asked him, laughing, what the issue was. He replied, “Gyros without chicken don’t even make sense, but the guy kept insisting on one.” Then, glancing toward the Italian tourist with meaningful eyes, he added, “Life is hard.” That made us laugh even more.
Around us, nearby restaurants were preparing for the evening crowd—arranging tables and chairs, placing ashtrays on the tables. After living in Sweden for the past fifteen years, it still feels odd to see people casually smoking in public places.
Knez Street was bustling with life. Tourists were strolling about. A street artist was twisting silver wires by hand, crafting names into pendants and setting them into silver chains, selling his handmade jewelry to passersby. People were getting custom name pendants made for their loved ones. We continued walking along Knez Street, which is lined with large trees. On both sides of the street, one sees restaurants, cafés, shops, and souvenir stalls. Clouds and sunshine kept taking turns.
Some older tourists, after walking for a while, were sitting on benches to catch their breath. When I see elderly couples walking hand in hand, I’m convinced they must have shared long journeys and explored much of the world together. They likely carry with them many fascinating stories of their travels. Seeing such couples always reminds me of a travel-loving pair from Sindh: the respected Rafiuddin Jonejo and his wife Safia Ansari, who have together visited some seventy to eighty countries so far.
Now, beautiful faces were starting to emerge along Knez Street, and people looked genuinely happy. And truly, there’s no doubt that travel brings peace to the heart. We kept walking ahead, continuing to explore the city. Knez Street is beautifully designed, with classic globe streetlights and soft-hued flowers arranged in pots beneath them. We thoroughly enjoyed it there.
Suddenly, we spotted the same four Swedish girls from the Stockholm airport parking area. They, too, were exploring and roaming around. We kept walking and soon arrived at the Belgrade Milestone Pyramid, where the GPS coordinates of that exact spot were inscribed. Arrows pointed in various directions. We took several memorable photos there before moving on.
Along the way, we noticed a shopping center named Millennium and took a quick round inside. The restaurants and cafés in the vicinity gave the impression that locals enjoy their food and drinks. Our next destination was Terazije Square and its famous fountain. Due to its historical and cultural significance, Terazije Square and its fountain have been placed under legal protection.
Around the square, we saw more historic buildings. The sky had cleared considerably by then. We crossed the road and walked toward a green-domed building visible from a distance—it was Serbia’s National Assembly. The structure was architecturally beautiful. All across Belgrade, various monuments can be seen. Flowers and greenery adorned the city at every corner. We continued taking pictures to preserve the memories.
As we walked further, we noticed the city’s public transport network included tram lines, with both modern and older trams operating. Eventually, we reached the famous Nikola Tesla Museum. Unfortunately, they didn’t accept card payments, and their ATM wasn’t working either. So, we just took some pictures outside and moved on, soaking in the atmosphere around us.
We kept exploring until we reached the Temple of Saint Sava—a massive church occupying a large area. We thought of going inside, but it was closed at the time. Still, plenty of tourists were roaming around outside, and so did we. The surrounding area was well-maintained, with lush greenery and spotless cleanliness.
It was almost five in the evening, and we decided to take a break before dinner. We chose a nearby café to enjoy some tea and cake and catch up on the internet. We sat and chatted leisurely, talking about all sorts of things while also enjoying the ambiance.
After relaxing at the café for over an hour, we once again set out to explore the streets of Belgrade. Eventually, we arrived at Slavija Square, another major landmark of the city. It was full of people coming and going. Lights on nearby buildings had started to flicker on. In the middle of the square stood a statue of Dimitrije Tucović, and next to it was a large hashtag installation spelling “Belgrade” in the local language, “Beograd.” Every tourist who visits Belgrade seems to take a photo there, and so did we.
There was also a fountain designed to dance to music, but it wasn’t running at that time. Nearby stood the grand building of the National Bank of Serbia.
Imran and I thought that if we walked from there, it would take quite a long time, so we decided it was better to take a direct taxi to the hotel, and that’s exactly what we did. Sitting in the taxi, we continued observing the city and reached the hotel in about fifteen to twenty minutes. There, we took a short rest for about an hour and then stepped out once more. As we came outside, we sensed a slight chill in the air.
We headed again to the lively heart of the city—Knez Street, to experience its nighttime atmosphere. We wandered back and forth, soaking in the energy, and since our main purpose of coming to Belgrade was to explore, we tried to make the most of our time. Suddenly, when I looked up, I saw the moon peeking radiantly through the clouds, casting a romantic glow over the city.
The surrounding streets and Knez Street itself were bustling with people, filled with restaurants and bars. The aroma of food, the clinking of glasses, and clouds of cigarette smoke floated in the air. Eventually, we found a restaurant named “Boutique” and decided to sit there for dinner.
We had hoped to find a spot outside, under large umbrellas near the heaters, but there was no space available at first. So we settled for the seats that were free at the time. The ambiance was delightful, with stylish people around and soft music playing. After sitting there for about half an hour, the seats near the heaters became available, and we quickly moved there. We ended up sitting for another two to two-and-a-half hours.
Imran, during those days, was involved in building his house, so we chatted about its design as well. Honestly, it felt like we never wanted to leave, but we had to, as the next morning we were heading to another Serbian city—Novi Sad. Imran, as always, gave a generous tip to the restaurant staff, who were visibly delighted. After paying the bill with the tip, we left the restaurant.
Before heading back to the hotel, we took one last stroll through Knez Street and stopped at Belgrade’s Mile Zero Stone. After wandering around a bit more and feeling a little tired, we took a different route back to the hotel. The elderly receptionist from the previous night welcomed us again. That night, we stayed up late, chatting away until eventually sleep took over in the early hours. (Continues)
Read – Travelogue: Sarajevo Sojourn
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
