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As a part of a brand new expertise for 2026, Intrepid travellers within the Balkans can now cease and recharge at Zvuci Srca, a restaurant the place workers with developmental disabilities are discovering inventive retailers, new expertise and a way of neighborhood.
For Serbs, the cafe is an intrinsic a part of life – as basic as meals and sleep. It’s not only a place the place you possibly can meet up with buddies and gossip over leisurely cups of espresso – though that’s an unlimited a part of its allure. On this immensely sociable nation, the cafe (kafic) is sort of a second residence, and a day isn’t full till you’ve checked in with your folks and bolstered these social ties that maintain you collectively. Stroll for ten minutes from Belgrade’s most opulent landmark, St Sava Temple, and also you’ll discover a cafe that places much more coronary heart than most into this time-honoured ritual.
Zvuci Srca (Sounds of the Coronary heart) has been providing beneficial work alternatives to folks with developmental disabilities since 2019. Fifteen of its 27 workers have studying difficulties or neurodevelopmental circumstances. Right here among the many cafe’s brick-lined partitions, cozy seats and cosy banquettes, prospects chat over cups of sturdy Serbian espresso, cappuccinos, espressos or mushy drinks. And after they depart, there’s no obligation to pay – they’ll donate as a lot or as little as they like. Intrepid travellers can expertise it for themselves on the Discover the Balkans journey, a brand new inclusion for 2026.
‘It’s OK to be totally different’
Stroll by the door of Zvuci Srca and one of many first stuff you’ll spot is an attractive show of tote luggage, T-shirts, mugs, badges, magnets and various trinkets. Their eye-catching designs and slogans, many written in Cyrillic, reveal one other aspect to the cafe – it’s additionally one of many six work centres throughout Serbia run by Decje Srce. This organisation, whose title interprets as Youngsters’s Coronary heart, works to convey folks with studying disabilities into all aspects of society – and is celebrating its twenty fifth anniversary in 2026. The cafe’s workers members not solely serve espresso, but additionally work behind the scenes designing and making these merchandise, with all earnings from their sale going instantly again to Decje Srce.
Social employee, Ana Zlatkovic, 32, joined Decje Srce in 2016 and sees the cafe as a ‘excellent context [in which] to satisfy folks with disabilities and [start being] extra open concerning the variations now we have.’ Nevertheless it’s been a journey to get right here. ‘In 2001 in Serbia, society was filled with prejudice,’ she explains. ‘[People with disabilities] by no means went wherever. They had been [stuck] of their homes and [taught to be ashamed of] who they had been.’
At the moment, Ana says, there have been solely residential lodging companies for folks with developmental disabilities and few daycare centres. Decje Srce’s co-founder, Goran Rojevic, who was working in particular wants training on the time, might see there wasn’t sufficient being performed to stop folks from changing into institutionalised, and wished to maintain kids particularly inside the household and the neighborhood.
‘That’s why Goran got here up with the concept of accelerating the visibility of individuals with disabilities in society. He began taking them to exhibitions, concert events and varied occasions in Belgrade,’ she says, so that folks would study that ‘it’s OK to be totally different.’
The concept finally unfold to different cities throughout Serbia, with work centre-cafes opening in Subotica, Pancevo and Nis. In Serbia’s second metropolis, Novi Unhappy, there’s solely a restaurant up to now, however Decje Srce has plans to broaden it to a piece centre too. Within the mountain resort of Zlatibor, Decje Srce runs a Faculty of Life for younger folks with studying difficulties, the place they’ll develop expertise together with cooking. However in addition they have sports activities actions, inventive workshops and even disco nights. ‘We now have such enjoyable with them,’ provides Ana. ‘The primary aim of Faculty of Life is [to build] social expertise, life expertise, as a result of it’s essential for them to be unbiased.’
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Harnessing particular abilities
Thirty-one-year-old Nemanja Jovic, who’s autistic, has been working at Zvuci Srca for the reason that very starting. His week is a busy one: he lives in Pancevo and works someday every week in his native department of Zvuci Srca, however spends 4 extra days right here in Belgrade.
Zvuci Srca offers him the prospect to place his immense creativity and artistry to good use whereas creating expertise reminiscent of printing and design. In truth, lots of the cafe’s merchandise had been designed by Nemanja, and the working surroundings fits his character. ‘I wish to work in peace and quiet, and slowly,’ he says. ‘I need to have the ability to focus absolutely.’ Even in his free time, Nemanja remains to be creating issues, making decoupage packing containers, magnets and earrings.
When he’s behind the bar, he enjoys seeing the world coming by the door. ‘We now have folks from throughout,’ he says. ‘Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Germany, America, Canada. It’s good. We even have Serbs from Australia.’
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Inclusivity in any respect prices
Zvuci Srca’s donation coverage means anybody can are available in and have a drink, no matter how a lot or how little cash they’ve. Menus have lists of cold and warm drinks, however no costs. This offers the place a sense of solidarity, says Ana. ‘Folks sense that it’s inclusive for everybody.’
Nearly all prospects will depart a donation, after all, even just some hundred dinars. However the lack of obligation takes the stress off individuals who could be feeling the financial pinch. ‘It’s like no different place,’ says Ana. ‘It’s a spot the place everybody can really feel welcome. That is the one place within the metropolis the place you possibly can come and be completely relaxed and have a hug with our waiter, and they’re going to say that you’re lovely; it’s a completely sincere place. [Neurotypical people] have every kind of filters when exhibiting feelings to others. And our colleagues don’t have a filter. If I’m lovely to them, they may say that to me, or if I’m not lovely, they can even say that, and it’s incredible.’
The cafe’s heat ambiance is infectious, and Ana is eager to see the idea unfold even additional throughout Serbia. ‘My hope is to incorporate as many individuals with disabilities as we are able to,’ she says. ‘[I’d love] each large metropolis in Serbia to have a Zvuci Crca, to have some place that folks can collect. Hopefully, different associations will comply with our instance.’
Get your caffeine repair, a particular memento and an unfiltered praise (if you happen to’re one of many fortunate ones) at Zvuci Srca on Intrepid’s Discover the Balkans journey.
