This past autumn, I already found Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia, to be really cool & creative. Turns out I found it to be even more so on this second trip to Serbia, last but not least because of meeting talented local artist Lazar Rančić.
Lazar runs his nice little atelier “Skola Keramike” in the backyard of a busy main street in Belgrade. He is truly happy in teaching his creative activity, and sharing his passion with visitors to his city. Inspired by the Zlakusa artist colony, located somewhere in the south-west of Serbia, Lazar tells us that his compatriots have been so successful in mixing clay with fine stone that they have produced ceramics which, according to the rules of ceramic artists, should not even exist.
Welcome to the creative studio of Lazar Rančić, one of the most charming ceramic artists I’ve met here in Belgrade, Serbia …
… Lazar, who just loves teaching and sharing his passion with creative visitors like us …
… and talking to us about his sources of inspiration, the famous potters from Zlakusa in Southern Serbia …
… lovely how in just a little time, our own pieces of art emerge …
… thank you, Lazar, for even offering to burn our ceramics and gifting them to us before we leave on our next trip!
Check out Lazar’s page at www.skolakeramike.com/kontakt in order to learn more about arranging a workshop for yourself!
So if after all of this excitement, you are also just looking for a good restaurant in Belgrade, I can recommend “Mayka Restaurant”, a vegetarian-vegan place for their very original decoration as well as their excellent quality of food and drinks.
On tour through Belgrade at night …
… we check out “Mayka” restaurant …
… as well as their rather delicious, vegetarian burgers …
… don’t ever miss out on a glass of Raki or two (Serbia’s famous brandy served almost everywhere, all the time …!) …
… and besides Mayka, I can also recommend Manufaktura restaurant (“Manufaktura” = made by hand!) : Shop & eat at the same time …
… such as typical Serbian winter soups, delicious starters and yummy main courses.
Near Belgrad, about an hour or two south of the capital city of Serbia, you can find several more culinary & cultural treasures: The mausoleum of the Karađorđević family in Topola, Tarpos Wine Estate or Ziča Monastery, near Kraljevo.
Let’s start with the most powerful of all “gems” that I was able to admire here in Serbia: the mausoleum church and museum of the former royal family of Serbia in Topola. Imagine a church lined with more than 40 million (!) Murano glass stone mosaics inside! It took them seven full years to place only the stones. Incredible, actually. A picture here really says more than a thousand words …
Only royalty, in this case, the Karađorđević family of Serbia, could commission the building of such an architectural gem …
… made of millions and millions of little mosaic stones ..!
Even the crypt, complete with its tomb of kings and queens, is a jewel worth visiting …!
Rain or shine, don’t miss out on this visit to Topola, and the mausoleum of the former Serbian royal family!
You can always relax at the nearby Hotel Izvor, in Arandjelovac, famous for its natural mineral springs …
… or go visit “Vinarija Tarpoš”, literally Tarpos Wine Estate and local owner Tihomir Timotijević, famous for growing international grape varieties from France or Italy in Serbia …
… their tasting meals at the adjacent restaurant are just delicious …
… and I do believe that the wines of Serbia are just waiting to be discovered more and more!
Last but not least, Ziča monastery should be on your itinerary when planning a culture trip out into the countryside of Serbia …
… ask for the English-speaking Sister Patricia, who likes to open doors for you …
… receiving us to little tales of Serbian-Orthodox, monastic life here. The nuns, by the way, also produce delicious liqueurs, juices, and skin care products from their nearby orchards and farms.
Check out all of my Serbia travel posts and ideas for your next journey here: https://www.creativelena.com/en/travel-blog/europe/serbia. (about skiing in Kopaonik, Belgrade, Novi Sad, as well as visiting Fruška Gora).
Maria and Christina, two of my very talented travel writer friends, have also written and shared about Serbia:
- Christina of CitySeaCountry.com: “Vegan Essen in Serbien: Tipps für Belgrad, Novi Sad und Fruška Gora“
- Maria of Kofferpacken.at: “Belgrad: Eine Stadt im Wandel” & “Novi Sad: Ziemlich gechillt und Europäische Kulturhauptstadt 2021“
Disclaimer: We have been invited on this trip to Kopaonik by the Serbian National Tourism Board. All opinions are my own.