I was surprised by Belgrade, the biggest city of Serbia.

The country is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe that was previously part of Yugoslavia (made up of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).

Since Yugoslavia collapsed, the country has struggled with ethnic conflict between Christian Serbs and Muslim Kosovo Albanians.  

The capital city of Serbia, Belgrade, lies in between the Danube & Sava rivers and is one of the most coveted cities in the world – it’s been occupied or destroyed over 40 times in the past 2,000 years.

Belgrade, or Beograd in Serbia translates as The White City, so named after the white walls of the citadel that sits proudly above the town. Built back in 535 this huge complex consists of towers, gardens, museums and offers some amazing views over the new part of the city and the place where the Rivers Sava and Danube combine.

The fortress itself is free to visit and is a must do when in Belgrade. Here the atmosphere is always chilled and the history really quite impressive.

Belgrade is a well know party city.Every night in Belgrade is a weekend and everywhere you look their is a party going on.

Straddle up and prepare yourself, in Belgrade if you party, you party hard!

The rakija will be flowing and you will surely get drank under the table by the fierce locals!

Take one of the party boats for an unforgettable night!

Those visiting for Belgrade’s vibrant night life will not feel disappointed as the city seldom sleeps and offers an affordable break.

St. Sava Temple – The largest Orthodox church in the world (Christian Orthodox is the main religion of Serbia). One of the most stunning and impressive buildings in the Serbian capital is that of the Orthodox cathedral of St. Sava. This huge church is still under construction and has been since 1935 with the outside being completed in 1989.

This impressive building is one of the largest churches in the world and sits on an important place for the Serbian Orthodox religion:

The place on which the Ottomans burnt St. Sava when they invaded the city.

Here the faithful often queue outside the door the pray inside and people travel across the country just to step foot inside.

The walls might be strangely bare but it is a moving and somewhat strange structure non the less.

Go and visit like i did ” Belgrade” .You will agree places like Prague are wonderful for architecture but they have a theme park atmosphere with trails of tourists in every direction.

Belgrade is void of this phenomenon making it quite safe for a tourist to freely explore with its residents more than keen to assist in most situations.

Belgrade will best suit an extrovert visitor seeking history and culture that needs to be discovered rather than consumed through the usual tourist attractions.

For all my photo’s of Belgrade and my journey

through Serbia visit my website:

www.myworldtrips.com

I LOVE BANGKOK

When you travel as much as I do, people often ask what my favorite country is. My answer is mostly always the same: Thailand.

I’ve lived and worked in the country of smiles from 2004 till 2008.

Since I returned to Belgium , I still follow up the news and stories from Thailand.

There has been some many changes over the last 10 years.

Many good but from the other hand, unfortunately  many less positive changes as well.

Some travelers feel like Thailand is too touristy, or they have heard too many stories about sex tourism and the dirty full moon party .

But if you avoid that and try to discover the destinations off the beaten track, sure you will spent a great time.

No place in the world is perfect and despite it’s less positive facts,

Thailand still remains an incredible country with a unique wealth of natural and inner human beauty.

I always recommend to visit the non-tourist attractions, but never skip the capital Bangkok ‘The City Of Angels’

What I adore about the Thai capital is food. It Is amazing and most people will agree on this. Possibly everybody.

The  variety of tasty things to eat is outstanding, and there is always a yummy street vendor around the corner dishing up the most delicious soup you’ve ever tasted.

But when the news came this year that Bangkok was planning to clear the streets of its beloved street food vendors,

outrage broke out among fans of the city’s famously cheap eats as the story racked up the worldnews.

But I wouldn’t worry too much about it at this point, there will be always still street food stalls all over the city!

Bangkok has been hailed as one of the best food destinations in the world and we should do everything we can to continue to earn that reputation.

Bangkok is ranking second among the top 3 of my favorite capitals (nr 1 Sarajevo and nr 3 Sydney).

Whenever I come to Thailand I always plan a few days to spend here, taste great food,

do amazing shopping and enjoy the great variety of people living and visiting this city.

On the banks of the Somme River in the heart of the Picardy region, the charming town of Amiens is full of surprises. I went to visit this place and want to recommend Amiens to everybody.

It was a sunny day and I’ve enjoyed first of all Amiens’ most trendy neighborhood, the Quartier Saint-Leu. It is a charming medieval quarter that is a delight to explore.

After the walk through the old town I was pleasantly surprised by a visit to Les Hortillonnages, an unusual garden, which can only be accessed by boat. In the swampy areas of Amiens, between the Somme and Avre rivers, Les Hortillonnages are small gardens that appear to be floating in the water. The gardens have been cultivated since the Middle Ages by “hortillons” (gardeners). The area encompasses more than 300hectares featuring unique flora and fauna, and the garden plots are interspersed with canals navigable by special boats.

With my  interest in WWI history, the Battlefields of Somme was a must-see attraction. The peaceful countryside of this area was once the scene of vicious fighting during a significant battle in 1916. Somme is a four-kilometer drive from Amiens and the museum in Albert is a 30-kilometer drive.

Back to Amiens for diner and for the highlight of the city: The Cadredrale de Notre Dame. A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, this UNESCO-listed cathedral is the largest church in France based on its total area of 7,700 square meters. With a length of 145 meters, the cathedral could fit a football field. The immense size and intricate details are remarkable.      

Have a look to my full photo album of Amiens and Picardy : www.myworldtrips.com