Emerging From a Gloomy Past

To many Westerners, Serbia is a country they remember hearing about on the news about twenty years ago. Yes, Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia fought a series of wars and insurgencies in the 1990s, but now the entire Balkans are abuzz with new investment, activity, and cosmopolitan lifestyle. One can live a comfortable-- even lavish-- life in Belgrade at a fraction of the cost of the same lifestyle in Western Europe.

Belgrade is the capital of Serbia, so whether it's theatre, music, dance, architecture, or sports, you can find it here. Belgrade's imposing fortress looks out across the city, an enduring monument that outlasted the Celts, Romans, Goths, Huns, and Ottomans that occupied it over fifteen centuries. Today, it's a pleasant park, but it's also a reminder of the fact the Serbia is and always has been an important crossroads between west and east.

For those inclined to travel around Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport provides uncommon accessibility to all three. It's easy and cheap to fly from Belgrade to most European capitals, New York, Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Istanbul, Doha, Moscow, and many others. From any of those cities, it's possible to connect onward to pretty much anywhere in the world.

Belgrade is one of the few European capitals with no metro system, though one has been planned for decades. It has become something of a running joke that the project is always two years away from breaking ground. At this time, there is still no firm plan to begin construction. As a result, the city suffers from more traffic jams than other cities of its size in the region. That said, the city has an effective network of buses, trams, and trolleys, as well as a commuter rail network that reaches many of the surrounding suburbs. Public transport is a viable option... it's just slower than it would be elsewhere on the continent.

Belgrade's experiences cold winters and hot summers, so it's ideally suited for those who enjoy the entire range of seasons. It's also, generally speaking, a very safe city, and the people are very welcoming to outsiders.