RITAM GRADA / RHYTHM OF THE CITY
ON THE 14 TH OR ANY OTHER FEBRUARY DATE Fall in love in, and with, Belgrade The capital city loves you in discussions that end in laughter, in long nights that don’t have plans and in encounters that happen by chance. That’s perhaps why love is never perfectly packaged here – but it’s always genuine
If you’re alone For those choosing solitude, Bel-
grade offers perfect little rituals. An- tique shops in the city centre, such as those located around Student Square, aren’t only places for reading books, but also for casual conversation. The small galleries of Dorćol and Savamala of- ten offer exhibitions that can be dis- covered without crowds, with a glass of wine and a story that doesn’t have to be continued, but nonetheless remains remembered. There are also independ- ent exhibition spaces in Karađorđe- va Street. Jazz clubs and small concert halls offer an intimate atmosphere, par- ticularly on winter evenings, where mu- sic becomes your best companion. If you’re a couple And if you’re happily in love – Bel- grade won’t restrain you, though it will take you a little further than you expect- ed. Instead of a classic candlelit dinner, you will be offered walks that last until midnight, conversations that continue with tea or rakia at one of the small bars hidden behind the main streets. A win- ter stroll around the Belgrade Fortress in the twilight hours, when the city lights slowly turn on, is one of those Belgrade scenes that requires no filter. Attending small theatres or independent shows al- so brings a sense of closeness – and not just between two people. For lovers of culture, the city’s mu- seums and galleries offer a different rhythm on Valentine’s Day. The Muse- um of Contemporary Art, overlooking the confluence, or smaller exhibition spaces in the city centre represent per- fect spots for a date that’s remembered for the conversation. Bookshops that have their own cafés provide the op- portunity to stay a little longer – with a good book, steaming hot chocolate and the feeling that time doesn’t matter.
I t is said that Belgrade is a city that you most often fall in love with when you’re alone – sitting with a coffee that’s gone cold be- cause you forgot about it while staring at the river, wandering the streets without a plan or realising that it’s totally fine to spend the evening with people you’ve just met but are al- ready fraternising with at some tavern. Love for the city If there’s a kind of love in Bel- grade that doesn’t depend on the date, then that’s love for the city it- self. It begins quietly: with a stroll through Dorćol in the late after- noon hours, when the shadows of the buildings lengthen and the Danube and Sava seem to whisper old secrets. February might not be the month for picture postcards of Kalemegdan for-
tress park, but the cold air does clear the mind as your gaze takes in the snowy slopes below the ramparts... You get the feeling that you’re part of something that lasts much longer than a holiday. The fortress’s upper town and paths leading to the Victor monument offer views over the con- fluence of the rivers Sava and Dan- ube. When it comes to unplanned wandering, Dorćol offers one of the most beautiful routes in Belgrade – from Strahinjića Bana Street to the Danube waterfront, via Dubrovačka and Jevrejska streets, all the way to the quayside. If you want to continue walking, the Sava and Danube quays are ideal for longer breaks, taking in views of the city from a distance and enjoying a slower pace that Belgrade rarely offers, which is why it’s so un- forgettable.
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