On the 7th of March the renowned British newspaper agency The Guardian placed our own Savamala Mikser House on its list of “10 of the Best Industrial-chic Spaces Worldwide”. However, they were not the first big name to mention this small country. Want to know what the CNN, BBC, The Lonely Planet and other media had to say about Serbia? Then read on!
Today, Serbia attracts news headlines and article features because of its astounding nature, buzzing cities, charming ethno villages, odd customs, friendly (and, let’s not lie to ourselves, a bit crazy) people, world-class athletes and phenomenal festivals.
Take a look now at what some of the biggest names in the media world had to say about Serbia.
Serbia, the heart of the Balkans
Let’s start with Lonely Planet’s Marika Mcadam’s short but sweet portrayal of Serbia.
“Picture everything you want from a classic European country, then add a level of quirk that you won’t find anywhere but the Balkans.”
Apart from calling it the emerging region’s innovation hub and tourist destination, the CNN had a different approach and asked its readers to share their favourite things about this Balkan country. The Perućac lake, the Kopaonik mountain, Vrnjačka Banja, Stara planina mountain, the churches and monasteries, candied apples, plums (and we suspect plum rakija), Pirot and Belgrade found their place on this list.
Speaking of Belgrade, the Lonely Planet didn’t lack words when describing the colourful White City.
“Outspoken, adventurous, proud and audacious: Belgrade is by no means a ‘pretty’ capital, but its gritty exuberance makes it one of the most happening cities in Europe. While it hurtles towards a brighter future, its chaotic past unfolds before your eyes: socialist blocks are squeezed between art nouveau masterpieces, and remnants of the Habsburg legacy contrast with Ottoman relics.”
Quirky Customs and Phenomenal Festivals
Foreigners can’t seem to wrap their heads around Serbian customs.
For example, Mashable found Serbian ideas of fun fascinating so they simply had to show scenes from the World Gander Fighting Championship, held in Mokrin, a village north of Belgrade.
They also posted an article entitled “Serbia made a 7,500-pound sausage” featuring a 6,600-foot long sausage that was unveiled at the Kobasicijada festival in Turija.
Apart from customs, Serbian festivals attract an amazing amount of attention.
The Huffington Post described one of our most popular festivals, the Exit Festival, starting with our people.
“The people are warm, affectionate, passionate and generous.“
Meanderbug continued with a heart-warming description of the very soul of Exit.
“It’s not about nationality or race. It’s not even about style or genre. It’s about people. About art. About time with friends old and new…”
For all those of you who thought of Guča the second you heard the word festival, here’s how The Guardian’s Garth Cartwright experienced this brass mayhem.
“Guca Festival has no curfew, few rules and a real sense of bacchanalia as hundreds of musicians blast exotic eastern funk while everyone dances until they drop. […]The energy, the joy, the sheer gonzo exuberance that overtakes this hamlet across the weekend, is incomparable. Dancers leap on tables, jump off statues, bounce off walls, belly dancing to hard zigzagging rhythms, achieving ecstasy via neatly dressed brass orchestras and copious supplies of beer and meat.’’
And of course, Serbian festivities wouldn’t be complete without the story of slava. The BBC’s Guy De Launey even joined one family as they celebrated the day of St. Sava, also the patron saint of Serbia.
Nobody can deny the Power of Pljeskavica
All who have a taste of Serbian cuisine end up mind-blown and wanting for more. Even when it comes to street food. The Guardian had a say on this one as well.
“It’s rural, country-style cooking. Puritans will say that good and proper pljeskavica can be only with cabbage salad or cheese from the kajmak – a dairy product from the Balkan region made by collecting milk skin and adding salt, it’s divine. Young, old, rich, poor, hipsters … We are all the same while in the queue for pljeskavica.”
Vibrant nightlife
And as we mentioned at the beginning of the text, in its article ‘‘10 of the Best Industrial-chic Spaces Worldwide” The Guardian features Savamala’s Mikser House.
“Occupying a light, beautifully renovated warehouse, Mikser House has become Belgrade’s most prominent arts centre since opening in the run-down Savamala neighbourhood in 2013. […] Mikser is sharper and slicker, with tables displaying work by Serbian designers for sale, a cafe (with excellent coffee, of course) and places to flick open your laptop and work. In the evenings the space is transformed for theatre, performances and parties.”
Lonely Planet writer Tamara Sheward painted us a realistic picture of the hectic and hedonistic nightlife in the White City in her article “Belgrade bacchanal: a night out in Serbia’s capital”.
“Nobody is quite sure why, but gritty Belgrade – a million light years away from hedonistic hotspots like Barcelona and Berlin – has morphed into one of the world’s top party cities. Perhaps it’s an enduring live-for-the-moment phenomenon (the city was repeatedly bombed in 1999) or simply the sociable Serbian spirit: whatever the reason, there’s fun for everyone once the sun goes down (and when it comes up again).”
And what better end to end this article than with this quote from the Lonely Planet: “The headlines on Serbia are deservedly moving from the news pages to the travel section. This underrated destination in the European traveller’s mindset is a sitting duck for those who hunt memorable experiences.”
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