Last week I talked about nightlife rebounding in Los Angeles, so I would be remiss if I did not mention a city that many say now has the best nightlife in Europe.  One regret about my time in Belgrade was that I did not spend enough time in the capital of Serbia.

Saturday night in Belgrade is not for the timid.  Clubs, restaurants, and bars only get started at a time when most Americans get ready to go to bed.  Tunes blare out from illuminated windows, humming everything from old folk tunes to heart-thumping techno.  Skadarska, Belgrade's answer to North Beach or Greenwich Village, is especially fun: subdued during the day but boisterous at night.

The bad memories of the 1990s may stay within many Serbians’ hearts, but the country has recovered.  Nevertheless, the former Yugoslavia’s past history and promise stare down at you from these imposing buildings, from neoclassical to socialist architecture, while you traipse about the city center.  I decided to share a few of my pictures while I traveled last November through the Balkans.

Statue at Trg Republike

Statue at Trg Republike

Liqueur at a traditional tavern, Belgrade

Liqueur at a traditional tavern, Belgrade

Signs pointing out mileage from Skadarska, Belgrade's bohemian district

Signs pointing out mileage from Skadarska, Belgrade's bohemian district

Belgrade apartment building, near Piornirski Park

Belgrade apartment building, near Piornirski Park

Former Yugoslavian government building, Belgrade

Former Yugoslavian government building, Belgrade

National Museum, Belgrade center

National Museum, Belgrade center

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About The Author

Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.