Skadarlija
Skadarlija (
English:
Skadar street) is a street and district of
Belgrade,
Serbia renowned as a bohemian quarter and often compared to
Montmartre in
Paris. Its cafes, restaurants, art exhibits, and cobblestone promenade attract up to 20,000 people each day.
The history of Skadarlija began in the
1830s with the settlement of
gypsies in the abandoned trenches in front of the ramparts. The whole locality was referred to as the
Gypsy Quarter until
1872, when the street was named after the medieval Serbian town of
Skadar, (Skader). The
1854 town plan of Belgrade reveals that the Gypsy hovels had been replaced by brick buildings into which artisans, caterers, petty clerks and others moved.
Skadarlija began to acquire its bohemian character in the last few decades of the
19th century and particularly after
1901, when the well-known Dardanelles inn was demolished and its guests, prominent writers and actors, moved to the Skadarlija inns. The best-known of these were the following:
Three Hats,
Vuk Karadžić,
Two Deers,
Two Sergeants,
Golden Jug,
Bandist,
East,
Guild, and others.
Đura Jakšić, a well-known
Serbian writer and painter, lived and died in Skadarlija. His house has been turned into a meeting place for the poets participating in the Skadarlija Evenings event. Its renovation and restoration began in
1968 in accordance with the designs made by
Uglješa Bogdanović, a prominent Belgrade architect, who managed to preserve its existing values and introduce modern facilities without interfering with the former.
The present Skadarlija, which is a remarkable Belgrade tourist attraction, includes well-known restaurants, hotel
Le Petit Piaf, art galleries and antique and souvenir shops. You may encounter groups singing either gypsy music or traditional city music, people dressed in traditional Serb costumes (presumably supported by the local touristic organizations). This is a place for families, full of children, but also of young couples; a place to taste the typical
rostilj, that is grill with a pivo (beer), and to spend an evening talking with friends.
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Belgrade*
Vuk Karadžić*
Images of Skadarlija
