Nathan's Insights

Monday 22 April 2024
Highlights: Exploring Novi Sad, Exploring Belgrade, The bombed NATO buildings, Statue of Gavrilo Princip (starter of WW1), Belgrade Fortress

We had a late departure from Novi Sad today at 1 pm which meant time to explore the city a little more. Probably the biggest highlight was Eparhy of Backa, which is a Serbian Orthodox Church. This was closely followed by eating some more of the local ice cream 🙂

We arrived in Belgrade around 3.30 pm, and after checking in Nadya took us on a walking tour of Belgrade. This started with highlighting the many different building styles next to each other in particular the Communist Brutalist style next to classical Serbian buildings.

We stopped to admire Hotel Moskva (Hotel Moscow) the oldest currently operating Hotel in Serbia which opened in 1908 and represented a major investment from the then Russian Empire. Somehow the building has survived two World Wars and numerous small conflicts and NATO buildings. A magnificent looking building.

We then got to see the building used by the last King of Serbia and opposite a building used by President of Serbia today. In the same area was a statue to the last Tsar of Russia (Nicholas II) highlighting the close Russian links.

We then moved onto the Ministry of the Interior buildings bombed by NATO in 1999 to stop a complicated regional war with Kosovo. The buildings have not been repaired as the Government wants a permanent reminder of the USA bombing of their country.

We then moved onto the Statue of Gavrilo Princip, the Serbian who by killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand lit the fuse for World War I. The purpose of the assassination was to free Serbia from the Austria-Hungary Empire. Austria held Serbia responsible for the assassination of the Archduke, and with the support of Germany, Austria attacked Serbia, whose allies, Russia and France, were soon entangled in the conflict. The Ottoman Empire, Britain and later Italy and the United States also joined the fighting. To some Princip is a hero to others he is the villain who started a war that kill over 14 million people.

The last highlight of the day was a visit to the Belgrade Fortress. The Belgrade Fortress is the core and the oldest section of the urban area of Belgrade. A structure has existed here since 3,000 BC. It was used as a Fortress by the Romans in 378 AD and has been a major defensive point by various Empires and groups, including Ottomans, ever since.

Belgrade Fortress on a hill at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava rivers.

We then walked back to our hotel and later had a very nice group dinner. We learned that ‘burger’ in Serbian means meat not what a burger means in most other places. I live and learn lesson for me and others but nevertheless a nice if unexpected meal.