March 16, 2009

Paris has Montmartre, Vienna has Grienzig, Athens has Plaka and Belgrade has Skadarlija. This downtown street in Belgrade is the most picturesque one in the city and is characterized by lovely taverns, old town music and a bohemian lifestyle. More from Jelena Gligoric.
  
Belgrade will be hosting University sports games this summer and one of the most popular places to go out will be Skadarlija. As writer Zuko Dzumhur onec said, this street would be just a plain, steep cobbled lane, were it not for its Bohemian past and art that has marked it. It has always been a venue of actors, poets, artists. Fascinated by Skadarlija, famous Italian writer Alberto Moravia described it as a magic corner of the history and culture of old Belgrade, which is by no means lagging behind many European cities.

The restaurants of Skadarlija are frequented by important persons and celebrities and are visited from thos abroad as well. The oldest building in the street is the house of Djura Jaksic, famous Serbian Romantic poet, painter and bohemian. Very near are the Three Hats and the Two Deer inns, both dating from 19th century and mentioned in the Belgrade town plan of 1878. The plan of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade is to revive Skadarlija and restore its original atmosphere, enrich it with new artistic programmes, open-air events with actors, recitors, magicians, stage exhibitions, the director Jasna Dimitrijevic says. The aim is to shape the bohemian spirit of this street in the communal, programme and aesthetic sense, in order that it should again become a beautiful postcard of the Serbian capital. In April, during the Days of Belgrade, a presentation of a Skadarlija guidebook will be organized. It is also planned to decorate this street with interesting landmarks pointed to the history of Skadarlija through everyday life, in order to preserve the spirit of the past and tradition, which makes this street, after the Kalemegdan fortress and park, the most recognizable feature of Belgrade, which tourists gladly visit.