Why Belgrade?

Belgrade first entered my world back in grad school, thanks to a friend I fondly nicknamed T. Rex.  From his brief stories, the city at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers came alive in my imagination- raw yet sophisticated, resilient.

Last year, while planning my journey to Visoko in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I felt a pull to wander deeper into the Balkans. A quick search revealed that Belgrade was home to the Nikola Tesla Museum—reason enough to go. For logistical reasons, the trip didn’t happen then… but the spark was lit.

And this year, as I began planning my second journey to Visoko (see the October 2025 posts), Belgrade, and Tesla, called once again. After Transylvania in Romania, a two-day stop filled with urban vibes, museums and baklavas sounded heavenly!

As a museum junkie, I had asked Suly to do a bit of research and see which places looks interesting. She looked up from her phone with excitement.

Suly: Look! The Manasija Monastery looks amazing—and there are caves and a lake nearby!

Me: (it immediately resonated in me). How far is it from Belgrade?

Suly: About 2 hours by car… in the opposite direction of Zagreb (our next stop the day after tomorrow).

My mind went straight to logistics: no car, just one full day in Belgrade, and a tight schedule before heading out. Could we really manage a detour? Would I be able to visit my two must-see spots: the Nikola Tesla Museum and the Museum of Yugoslavia?

That simple discovery sent us down a rabbit hole of quick research as the food arrived—and a few unexpected options began to appear.

My conclusion? Serbia deserves a proper comeback – a road trip to every place that called my name. Not just to see more, but to listen deeper.

We tossed around options:

Should we stay longer in Serbia and skip Zagreb and Lubjlana?

Or stick to the plan and come back for a second visit?

And most importantly — until what time is the Nikola Tesla Museum open?

In the end, we went for it. We rented a car and planned for Despotovac, toaward the Orthodox monastery, also known as Resava. Tomorrow we will explore before racing back to Belgrade, just in time for my long-awaited rendez-vous with Tesla.

And so, the journey continues.