It's almost impossible when mentioning certain places to not think of their most famous landmarks. Take Rome, for instance, and the Colosseum instantly pops into one's mind like a comic strip thought balloon. Paris is exhaustively represented by its iconic Eiffel Tower. Taking into account these two big hitters, even lesser-visited Cambodia falls victim to tourism typecasting with its world-renown complex, Angkor Wat.

But some places, like Belgrade, don't have any significant landmarks or postcard-worthy sites to speak of. More than likely, at the mention of Belgrade, a big fat question mark would pop up in that thought balloon of yours.

Which begs the question: In the absence of any significant landmarks, what makes Belgrade truly interesting?

I'll be the first to admit Belgrade isn't the most interesting city as far as tourist attractions go. But what I found instead was something even some of the most beautiful cities lack (I'm looking at you Budapest): personality. Have you ever met someone who was unanimously good-looking but failed to keep your attention beyond a few sentences?

On the other hand, there's that friend who doesn't spontaneously turn heads but can effortlessly light up a room with only a few words spoken. That's a little something called personality. It comes not from the clothes we wear and not from our looks but from a much deeper place. It's that elusive je ne sais quoi that leaves us scrambling for words.

Well, that’s exactly how I would describe Belgrade. The short list of sites to see was underwhelming to say the least. Rather, what makes Belgrade truly interesting is the little things unique to the city. It's those unassuming things that often go unnoticed (even by locals) that give Belgrade its unequivocal personality.

Let me start with what I thought was the most charming thing I came across: this shoe lace stand. I had seen a few of these stands perched on corners, lonely and abiding, waiting for patrons in dire need of neon-green shoe laces to stop by. But the one pictured below especially caught my attention.

Each time I saw an itinerant shoe-lace vendor, I couldn't help but wonder if that many Belgraders actually wear rainbow-colored shoe laces. I can't say I remember seeing any but I was already smitten by this shoe-lace stand so it didn't really matter!

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Belgrade also fell under my good grace for a reason not likely to be found in any guidebook: popcorn stands. I love popcorn. It's my favorite late-night snack. Having said that, at this point we had been traveling for over 6 months - that was more than half a year without popcorn (blasphemy!). You can imagine the look on my face when the first popcorn stand came into my line of vision.

Let me rephrase that: it was the smell that first hit me - you know that enticing, perfectly roasted smell of buttery kernels.

All smiles (and a skip in my step), I made my way to the stand and placed my order with the young popcorn girl who seemed to be amused by my overt enthusiasm. Minutes later, and a few less dinars in my pocket, I was standing quite content with a bag of hot, freshly-popped kernels in my hands.

How can I not like Belgrade?

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As if popcorn and rainbow shoe lace stands weren't enough to win me over, Belgrade helped me discover a curiosity in electric trolleys (or trams) I didn’t even know I had. I know what you're thinking, these trolleys exist in other European cities as well but for some reason I was taken in by the ones in Belgrade.

I just loved how vintage they looked, inciting a sudden surge of nostalgia. The first electrical tram was built in 1894 (!) but all the lines have been reconstructed in the past decade (seems like they forgot this one though). The irony of this tired trolley plastered in a vibrant advertisement for a fun-filled water park wasn't lost on me. As it passed by, cracking along the tracks, sparks flying, I felt like Belgrade was giving me a smug, defiant grin.

Or the finger.

Either way, it didn't deter my newfound love for trolleys.

And trolleys weren't the only bearers of color in the city. It's no secret that post Soviet-era cities are often described as being bland but upon closer look, splashes of color could be found scattered around Belgrade.

Along the sidewalk were these lovely ladies selling bouquets of yellow and magenta flowers. Like rays of sunshine, the women and their potted flowers seemed to brighten up their little corner of the world. I was enchanted by the whole scene. It made me want to buy my own bouquet of happiness fresh flowers just for the fun of it (but I didn't)!

Apart from sporadic sightings of pretty, blooming flowers, Belgrade still remains one of the least photogenic cities in Europe. Since the city has been destroyed and rebuilt approximately 40 (!) times throughout its existence, it's no wonder the former Yugoslavian capital struggles to find its place. The result is a strange mix of architectural styles - a testament to how many times Belgrade has been occupied by different empires.

From the first half of the 16th century, the Ottoman Turks had taken over Belgrade turning it into a veritable Oriental town. Ottoman-style buildings and hundreds of mosques were built during this time. Unfortunately, the majority of these buildings from the Ottoman period have been destroyed. Bajrakli Mosque is one of the few buildings left standing from when the Turks occupied Belgrade. And, what's more, it's the only mosque in the city!

During the 19th century, the crumbling Turkish buildings were replaced by neo-classical styles replicating the trend made popular by Western European countries such as Austria. Albeit not as extravagant as their Western counterparts, these refurbished pastel-colored residential buildings stand out like a sore thumb next to the buildings down the street.

Belgrade’s personality also lies in this incoherence. As if walking a fine line between honoring its past while striving to move forward.

For some reason I didn't take a photo of it but there's a newly-installed lift attached to Brankov Bridge, the second largest bridge in Belgrade connecting the city center with New Belgrade across the Sava River.

It's astonishing how a city as modest as Belgrade thought of having a lift specifically built for cyclists to carry their bikes. And, the lift is free! A sign is posted warning potential users the lift is only for cyclists. I took heed of the warning and, instead, used the stairs up to Brankov Bridge. Once on the bridge, I was rewarded with this view where I could see the Belgrade Fortress in the near distance.

From my bird's eye view, I noticed how much Belgrade's city-slickers enjoyed leisurely outdoor sports. From cycling and jogging to simply walking, the city offers plenty of places to get fit. But Belgraders also love to party. So much so, Serbia's capital city has been named one of the best places in Europe for nightlife. What makes Belgrade's nightlife so unique is its splavovi - floating river bars lining both the Danube and Sava Rivers.

Splavovi have been used as housing for years but once the nineties came along, the barges were repurposed into bars and restaurants becoming an instant hit. Throughout the years, hundreds of splavovi started popping up along the river banks.

Each splavovi, some trendy and hip, others grungy or retro, has its own distinctive style made to attract Belgrade's eclectic group of urbanites of all ages. Club-goers, social drinkers and everyone in between flock to the splavovi during the Summer months to escape the smothering heat of the nearby city center.

With all that partying and drinking, Belgrade is intent on keeping its people fit no matter what. I didn't know this before going but the city is split in two areas, Upper Belgrade and Lower Belgrade. This means that parts of the city sit on a hill. Which, in turn, also means having to walk up and down steep streets like the one pictured below. Walking these streets on a daily basis can be quite a workout!

This heavily-trodden pedestrian street was flanked on one side with what looked like an impromptu yard sale. The small posse of merchants, buttocks firmly set on the stairs, were ready to barter off all sorts of nick-knacks and used items, mostly. Perfect if you suddenly get the urge to buy a pre-loved wind up Seiko watch.

Speaking of time, I really didn't have much of it when visiting Belgrade. Two days to be exact. But, as you can see, it was plenty of time to soak in Belgrade's unique personality - as illustrated by this quirky character I spotted on a lamppost.

Because, there was always something to catch my eye in Belgrade!