Belgrade is dirt cheap and a chic party spot

Tables with posh patrons spill out of cafes onto cobblestoned sidewalks. Roaming musicians ply tourists for tips against a backdrop of restored art nouveau buildings. Across town, the thump of techno beats keeps the young and well-heeled dancing until dawn.

It's not Barcelona or even Berlin. It's Belgrade, baby.

The city is still dirt cheap for visitors, but its chic future is arriving fast. In some ways it's like Budapest with its ruin bars 10 years ago, or Prague in the '90s - gritty, full of life and undiscovered - but with an added dash of style that neither of those hot spots had until they were already overrun with tourists. Now might be the time for this offbeat destination.