BIG CITY SOUNDS Belgrade calling: spring is arriving From Kalemegdan to the quayside, from the trams to the first balconies, we know the new season is arriving when trees come back to life and the capital starts sounding completely different T he first sign of the city’s springtime awaken- ing comes from the tree- tops. In Kalemegdan Park, particularly as the day is breaking, the chirping of birds drowns out the sounds of tourists’ footsteps and rustling jackets. The benches fill up ear- lier than they should, while the lanes leading to the Victor monument and the observation point once again be- come routes for aimless wandering, un- til strollers reach Mali Kalemegdan, the Roman well, the plateau overlooking the confluence of the rivers or the park around the Cvijeta Zuzorić Art Pavil- ion, where the most birds can often be heard. In the early morning hours, while the city is still slowly rising, this place is dominated by the sounds of sparrows, blackbirds and tits, and their chirping is so persistent that it sounds as if Belgrade in March comes to life in the treetops first, and only later in the streets. The air carries the scents of wet earth and the first flower buds, and the view of the confluence gives the impression that the city is taking a short break from its own rushed rhythm. Cups clinking on the balconies of Dorćol and Vračar When the first sunshine appears, Belgrade has the same reflex: chairs are placed outside. In Skadarlija and on Dorćol, around Kalenić Market and in Njegoševa Street, the sound of spoons hitting cups becomes the city’s everyday background music. March is the month when the habit of going for spontaneous
coffee returns, and in Belgrade that rare- ly means a single coffee. The terraces are still wrapped in their winter garb, but the atmosphere is springlike and the conver- sations last longer. The sounds of trams traversing the city When windows start being opened more often, the screech of the rails and the rhythm of the trams become part of the city’s ambient music again. That’s particularly true in areas where Bel- grade is best seen in motion – such as the stretch from Slavija Square to Vuk’s Monument. That’s the sound that re- minds us that the city is alive and always going somewhere. The quayside sounds of the Sava and Danube Quaysides have a different tempo at the beginning of spring. Compared to summer, there are no crowds, no loud music and no excessive heat that forc- es you to find shade. There is only wind, light fog, cyclists and people walking. Everything bustles with pets and chil- dren on the Sava Quay, while the Dan- ube becomes darker and more serious in Zemun. The view from Gardoš, which is always magnificent, receives a touch of romance that unsurprisingly attracts
couples in love at this time of year. March is the ideal month for walk- ing in the forest park of Topčider, where you can hear streams flowing, and in Košutnjak, which is still free of its sum- mer crowds but already smells of spring. A similar effect is felt in Tašmajdan park, particularly around the Church of St. Mark, where the sounds of the city and birds mix throughout the day. The city’s Jevremovac Botanical Garden is one of the most tranquil spots in the down- town area – a place where Belgrade brief- ly stops sounding like the capital city. Music from cafés and the city’s evening buzz And, yes, Belgrade’s famous night- life returns at full capacity. Not the un- bridled summer nightlife, but that slight- ly snobbish urban scene – complete with concerts, DJ sets, gigs, theatre shows, street performances etc. Cetinjska Street once again sounds like an entire mini city in the evening: murmuring patrons, laughter, clinking glasses, music flowing from one bar to the next. Savamala al- so attracts revellers again in March, with its concert and club programmes, while music can be heard in the city centre em- anating from the smaller venues and bars of Dorćol, Skadarlija and the areas around Student Square.
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