Belgrade is a city, bartered and broken, proud and brassy. Belgrade literally translates to " White City " but has a very colored past. Knez Mihailova, a lively pedestrian boulevard flanked by historical buildings all the way to the ancient Kalemegdan Citadel, is the focal point of the city .
The recent presidential elections has left the city tense. Police everywhere are unnerved. Exit out of Serbia and the entry into Croatia was smooth. As they drove along the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and wondered how life was a dark contrast just 100 metres away from here. Serbian objection to a UN-recognised Bosnia was one of the flash points which caused the appalling Bosnian War wherein genocide and human rights abuses scarred this corner of Europe.
Reaching Zagreb by 4 pm, they checked into a hotel and took a cab to the city center. Zagreb was quite similar to Athens, parts of it shoddy and shabby, whilst the rest was historic and beautiful. Zagreb has art, culture, architecture, history and music embedded in its blood.
There were a lot of museums and galleries but the one that quipped their curiosity was the "Museum of broken relationship ". This museum grew from a traveling exhibition revolving upon the concept of failed relationships and their ruins .. how interesting!
Unique to this city are the tunnels. There are tunnels beneath the old city. Many locals call them catacombs. The Gric tunnel was built in 1943 for use as a WWII air-raid shelter and rarely used since. It was opened recently to the public.
The city of Zagreb was ancient, ethereal, and left the team wanting to come back to drink in more of this beautiful city!
The recent presidential elections has left the city tense. Police everywhere are unnerved. Exit out of Serbia and the entry into Croatia was smooth. As they drove along the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and wondered how life was a dark contrast just 100 metres away from here. Serbian objection to a UN-recognised Bosnia was one of the flash points which caused the appalling Bosnian War wherein genocide and human rights abuses scarred this corner of Europe.
Reaching Zagreb by 4 pm, they checked into a hotel and took a cab to the city center. Zagreb was quite similar to Athens, parts of it shoddy and shabby, whilst the rest was historic and beautiful. Zagreb has art, culture, architecture, history and music embedded in its blood.
There were a lot of museums and galleries but the one that quipped their curiosity was the "Museum of broken relationship ". This museum grew from a traveling exhibition revolving upon the concept of failed relationships and their ruins .. how interesting!
Unique to this city are the tunnels. There are tunnels beneath the old city. Many locals call them catacombs. The Gric tunnel was built in 1943 for use as a WWII air-raid shelter and rarely used since. It was opened recently to the public.
The city of Zagreb was ancient, ethereal, and left the team wanting to come back to drink in more of this beautiful city!