It was only 17 years ago that Serbia was at war, NATO was dropping bombs on its capital, Belgrade, and the entire Balkans, were rocked to their core.

Almost two decades on, you can still feel the struggle of an entire generation that’s known nothing but unrest — even as life returns to Belgrade.

Life that reminds you of the way it was when bakas (older women) sold their tatted lace creations on the side of the road leading into the market.

And life that holds promise of the future as young people sit in cafés and talk about the local music scene, relax on party boats and indulge in a restaurant culture worthy of any European capital.

With everything delightfully affordable — and direct flights on Air Serbia now available from New York to Belgrade (sample October fare is $710 roundtrip; AirSerbia.com) — this city where the Danube and Sava rivers meet has never been a better escape.

Compared to most other European capitals, goods and services in Belgrade are cheap. The currency is the dinar, and 110 of them are equivalent to 1 US dollar. A taxi ride clear across town is roughly 3,000 dinars, or less than $30. So sit back, relax, take in the sights and prepare to eat!

There’s much to do in this city of 1.3 million to work up an appetite. Start with the Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park. In addition to being the highest point of the city with the most spectacular views, the compound — which is also Belgrade’s birthplace — includes a park with a restaurant, performance spaces and a long wall from which to take in the rivers’ vistas.

In the evenings, weather permitting, folks go and sit along the wall to watch the sun set. There are also a host of activities within the fortress, including an ancient torture chamber, the Roman well and the clock tower.

And just below — along the Sava River — former warehouses have been converted into hip restaurants and lounges including tasty Italian spot Comunale Caffe e Cucina.

Located across the street from the University of Belgrade Mathematics department and Studentski Park, which saw many student protests during the rise of former president Slobodan Milošević, is the Ethnographic Museum.

One of the oldest museums in the Balkans, it has three floors of historic artifacts that evoke the homes, jobs and wardrobes of Serbians throughout the ages.

The dioramas and mannequins reflect the area’s Moorish and Eastern European influences; the history and folklore on display offer solid context to experience the city.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1958 and located in New Belgrade, has been closed since 2013. The building, designed by architect Ivan Antić, once displayed modern works by greats like Joan Miró, Max Ernst, Robert Rauschenberg and David Hockney.

Today, the museum is no longer open to public. Much of its permanent collection is either stored or exhibited in smaller spaces throughout the city that act as auxiliary galleries. But that doesn’t mean the crystal-like structure shouldn’t be visited. Public works by sculptors Vojin Bakić and Otto Logo still adorn the lawns. A walk around the museum’s exterior reveals one of the most compelling pieces of contemporary architecture in the entire former Yugoslavia.

The museum is also a nod to Belgrade’s nascent design scene — which is clustered in the nearby (and aptly named) Belgrade Design District. Once a shopping mall, the sprawling structure is filled with some 30 small-scale shops selling indie fashions, accessories and industrial design. In a city still recovering from conflict, this stylish newcomer proves there’s no shortage of innovation and reinvention along Europe’s easternmost edges.

Pastries (both sweet and savory) are a staple of the Serbian diet, and are not to be missed — thought that would be virtually impossible. A sit-down experience is unnecessary, although there are countless places to grab a coffee and cake and rest your feet. For a solid savory option, try gibanica, a Serbian pastry made of fresh cow’s cheese, egg and phyllo dough that’s popular throughout the Balkans. And for something sweet, pick up a Dobos torta.

Hungarian in origin but part of Serbia’s food lexicon, this rich multilayered cake is available in most bakeries. All are available at the seemingly endless outdoor cafés lining Knez Mihailova — the city’s main commercial corridor.

One of the more casual, contemporary restaurants here is Dijagonala Zaplet 2.0 (Skerlićeva 6; +381 11-244-90-99), located behind the Saint Sava Temple. Now five years old, this hip hangout exemplifies the city’s post-war forward thinking. Traditional Serbian dishes like cevapi (meat kebabs) and tripe complement the rest of the menu, with entrées like roasted marrow with ginger and stewed apricot, roast pork shoulder with potato dumplings, and a wide selection of Serbian wines. There’s plenty of seating across two floors and an outdoor patio. Stay on past dinner for a cocktail with the cool kids, who start rolling in late for club nights.

For a more upscale option, the OMB Larder and Lounge Restaurant is a quick cab ride from downtown, located inside the Radisson Blu hotel.

There are two prix-fixe menus, as well as ample a la carte options.

Sticky pork shank with bacon powder and sour cream is one of chef Milan Lekić’s personal favorites, as are the Busha beef burger with egg yolk confit, one of the most popular items on the menu.

Finish off with Flowers Flying, which involves nitrogen, fresh blossoms and spun sugar, to fully absorb at the Lekić’s ingenuity.

WHERE TO STAY

Opened in 2011 for a cool $40 million — an almost unfathomable fortune in Serbian terms — is the super stylish, centrally located Square Nine Hotel, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World (from about $200/night).

Designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, it features a mix of midcentury furnishings, rich wooden accents, edgy, minimalist touches and a sublimely chic lower-level swimming pool. Even if you stay elsewhere, dine at the 45-room hotel’s top-floor Japanese boîte — easily the poshest spot in town.