5 Fun Facts about Belgrade, Serbia

1. Get the right words for drinks before you go

It’s easy to slip up when ordered a drink in Belgrade because they don’t seem to resemble the English version at all. Before you arrive in the capital, note that a Pivo is not something that a beer finishes up as, but something it starts as. A Sok is not something you wear on your feet but a fruit juice. A Nes is not a Scottish monster but rather a cup of coffee and a Voda is not…repeat not…a shot of something alcoholic but a simply water.

2.  Another funny way with words

If you hear someone being called Jonny then chances are there are actually called Nikola. So how do the Belgrades get to this? Well Nikola is Nicolas and a short version of this is Nijo. Then the Serbians thought it clever to jumble up the letters to this and come up with Joni.

3. What is Silicon Valley?

Well it’s certainly nothing like the one in the west coast of the United States. This one has nothing to do with electronics and computers but does have something to do with money and technology. It’s a term that locals have taken to calling the area of pubs, bars, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs where the girls are famous for their breast implants and the men are famous for swarming around with them flashing their wallets and cars.

4. Doe a deer a female deer

And it’s also the name by which the famous city forest in Belgrade called Kosutnjak is named after. But the funny thing is, there’s actually not sign of any does in the forest at all. There are plenty of other animals though, from peacocks to stray cats and dogs but no doe.

5. From doe to duck

In the square under the towering Slavija hotel in Belgrade, inhabitants during the early 19th Century would gather and go hunting for wild ducks where boats bobbed on the ponds. One of the many funny and quaint unifying traditions of the city.

Photo by tamo neki

Topic:  General Travel | 2 Comments
Tags:  Eastern Europe

About the author

Phil is a freelance writer working on various writing and editing projects ranging from feature film scripts to travel writing. He enjoys writing from experience and sharing information on the many places he has visited over the years