Ćevapi in Serbia & Montenegro

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(For English version see below)

Herzlich Willkommen im Gulasch der Gegensätze: ob westliche und orientalische, kapitalistische und post-kommunistische oder auch liberale und autokratische Welt; hier treffen sie derart geballt aufeinander, dass man erst nach etwas Eingewöhnungszeit erkennt, wie spannend diese Jahre der Veränderung in Serbien und Montenegro (zuletzt als „Restjugoslawien“ vereint) gerade sind. Wer kann, bereist diese Länder bald, bestenfalls außerhalb der Hauptsaison, denn zu unserer Überraschung wurden sie schon längst von Touristen als Lieblingsdestination auserkoren und „bevölkert“.

Was hier spannend ist:

  • Das Hackfleisch! Es schmeckt um Welten besser – ob als Ćevapi oder Pljeskavica… da ließen wir Flexitarier mal etwas mehr Flexibilität zu.
  • Rauchen in Cafés und Restaurants ist ebenso üblich wie erstaunlich lange Listen alkoholischer Getränke in den Speisekarten.
  • 13 Tage Unterschied zwischen unserem gregorianischen und dem julianischen Kalender (nach welchem die orthodoxe Kirche hier die christlichen Feiertage bestimmt und Weihnachten momentan auf den 7. Januar fällt).
  • Eine Wassermelone ist so günstig und so groß, dass wir uns fragen mussten: „Können wir eigentlich an zu viel Wassermelone sterben?“
  • „Ökotourismus“: Interesse an einer Fahrt im Nachtzug-Abteil der 70er? Hier werden die alten Wagons der Deutschen Bahn noch sinnvoll genutzt.
  • Die Überholmanöver der heimischen Colin McRaes.

Unsere Favoriten:

  • Die Use-It Travel Map, denn es gibt kaum einen abwechslungsreicheren Guide, um Belgrad zu erkunden: Von Locals für junge Reisende (Link).
  • Mit dem Fahrrad Sowjet-Architektur in Neu-Belgrad erkunden. Schon die authentischen Jungs vom Belgrade Bike Central (Website, Map) waren den Ausflug wert (Red Belgrade!).
  • Burek in der Belgrader Trpković Bäckerei (Map) essen (mehrmals).
  • Slow-Food-Abendessen im Kaldrma (Map) im gemütlichen Stari Bar, unserem Lieblingslokal in Montenegro.
  • Die Aussicht über Sveti Stefan und die Bucht von Budva von der kleinen, (noch) „geheimen“ Kapelle (Map: wir haben die Stelle heute bei googleMaps als Aussichtspunkt vorgeschlagen).
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Cozy German night train from the 70s.
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Witness of the ’99 NATO bombings in Belgrade (and how locals protect themselves from additional harm).
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Felt like home: Lovely surprise to see Basler Trämmli with Swiss greetings rolling through Belgrade.
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On the walls of Belgrade.
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Our favorite bakery: Trpković!
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Zemun old town - now part of New Belgrade.
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Exploring finest Soviet architecture in New Belgrade by bike.
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Brutalism throughout New Belgrade.
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Jugendstil or maybe not? A typical building in Belgrade.
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The train ride from Belgrade to Montenegro offers spectacular views!
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You may think we were lucky enough to enjoy a lonely beach in Montenegro…
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… but looking from a wider perspective shows the inevitable during high season in Montenegro.
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A kayak finally took us to some more private swimming spots.
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Protection needed.
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Crytsal clear water at the beginning of Mrtvica Canyon.
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Entering the Mrtvica canyon in the mountains of Montenegro.
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Ralf on a quite unusual hiking track through the Mrtvica canyon.
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Us hiding from the sun.
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Ćevapi: We loved it so much that we even cooked our own in our apartment!
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Some guys actually paid 100 € to have some privacy at the beach of Sveti Stefan.
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Porto Montenegro – a place that didn’t even exist a couple of years ago and a constructed paradise for those who didn’t catch a berth for their yacht in Monaco.
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Kotor and its walls: Probably the biggest attraction in Montenegro (but where are the locals)?
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The gorgeous view over Kotor bay.
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Our favorite: Dinner at the Kaldrma restaurant in Stari Bar. The handwritten menus with the 2-page introduction won us over.
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… an the veggie food of course.
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The river feeding lake Skadar – reportedly Montenegro’s most photographed spot.
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A “secret” viewing point above the island of Sveti Stefan and across the Budva bay (our landlord gave us the hint).

—

Welcome to this goulash of contrasts: whether western and oriental, capitalist and post-communist or liberal and autocratic – here these worlds clash so obviously that it takes some time to realize how fascinating the current years of transformation in Serbia and Montenegro are. If you can, come here soon (preferably off-season), as to our surprise many others have chosen and “occupied” these countries as their favorite travel destination already.

What’s exciting here:

  • The minced meat! It tastes far better than at home – if as Ćevapi or Pljeskavica… here we allowed ourselves as flexitarians some extra flexibility!
  • Smoking in cafés and restaurants is just as usual as surprisingly long lists of alcoholic drinks on each menu.
  • A 13 days gap between the Gregorian and the Julian calendar (according to which the Orthodox church defines the Christian holidays, Christmas is currently on January 7).
  • A watermelon is so cheap and so huge that we had to ask ourselves “Can we actually die of too much watermelon?”
  • “Eco tourism”: Interested in a ride with a night train from the seventies? Here the old coaches of the Deutsche Bahn are still on the tracks.
  • The overtaking manoeuvers of local Colin McRaes.

Our favorites:

  • The Use-It Travel Map: there is hardly a more diverse tourist guide to explore Belgrade, hand-crafted by Locals for young travelers (Link).
  • Explore Soviet architecture in New Belgrade by bike. Meeting the authentic guys from the Belgrade Bike Central (Website, Map) was worth the trip already (Red Belgrade!).
  • Traditional Burek from the Trpković bakery in Belgrade (Map) (again and again …).
  • Slow food dinner at Kaldrma (Map) in cozy Stari Bar, our favorite restaurant in Montenegro.
  • The outstanding view across Sveti Stefan and the bay of Budva from the little, “secret” chapel (Map: we requested to add this location as POI at google maps today).