One Tourist’s Belgrade: ‘I Don’t Want to Go Back’

A Russian traveler has offered a blunt assessment of Serbia’s capital, telling the tourism portal Tonkosti Turizma that Belgrade is a city “for one time only.” After a 3.5-day visit, she summed up her experience in five words: “I don’t want to go back.”

The visitor, who toured with her husband, said they struggled to find food on their first day because many cafes and restaurants had already closed by 4 p.m. She also noted that the streets felt empty in the evening, with few cars or pedestrians. “The only people we encountered at night were tipsy locals—some sleeping at bus stops, others staggering and singing,” she wrote. “If I had been walking with a female friend, it would have felt scary.”

She also complained about the service in small shops, describing staff as “loud and abrupt” and noting they spoke only Serbian, often greeting customers with eye rolls. “It’s dull, very dull,” she said. “We’re glad we only had three and a half days. There’s simply nothing to do. I can’t say Serbs are a welcoming people, despite all I’ve heard about Balkan hospitality and love for Slavic tourists. The older generation seemed angry.”

Her review stands in contrast to a recent take from travel blogger Sasha Konovalova, who described Serbia as feeling “like you’re in Russia, but actually in Europe.” Konovalova pointed out that the streets and buildings resemble those in Russia, and many Serbian words are understandable to Russian speakers.

Ultimately, Belgrade appears to divide opinion: for some, it’s a familiar slice of home with a European twist; for this traveler, it was a three-day lesson in disappointment.