Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and once the capital of Yugoslavia. Few cities in Europe have written as much history as this one. In the still young past, Belgrade was the center of activity in Yugoslavia. Today it is a metropolis with for all generations. Historical, enchanting and lively.
Discover 12 amazing places to visit in Belgrad, the capital of Serbia
We visit many places in this world with a feeling full of anticipation of new experiences and impressions. In Belgrade it was a little different. As I (Igor) am a native Croatian and as we know we have not always been the greatest friends with Serbia, I especially was a bit tense before the visit. After all, it was my very first time in Serbia since the war in Yugoslavia.
Probably the best place in Belgrade to get a first impression of local life is Republic Square. This is where the past meets the present. Young meets old. Numerous events and concerts also take place here, which makes it a perfect place to start your discovery tour of Belgrade.
Also on Republic Square is the Prince Mihailo Monument. It was erected in honor of his political achievement, the complete expulsion of the Turks from Serbia.
In the immediate vicinity is Knez Mihaila Street, also named after the famous ruler. This historic street, which also houses a few buildings from the late 1870s, is today converted into a pedestrian zone, where you can find numerous shopping opportunities.
Our personal Belgrade highlight! The cobblestone-paved urban neighborhood is perfect for really immersing yourself in Serbian culture. Beautiful restaurants with great Balkan cuisine invite you to linger while local bands sing traditional songs and play their instruments. A feast for the eyes and especially for the stomach.
There are those places in the world that you visit and can barely stop marveling. This is exactly what we experienced at the Church od Saint Sava and could hardly believe the beauty from the outside, but especially from the inside.
This beautiful orthodox church, whose construction began in 1935, enchants with its beautiful architecture. The interior, set in gold, is uniquely beautiful and depicts numerous important characters from the Orthodox religion. This place is so beautiful and calm at the same time that it is hard to leave it because you want to admire it a little longer.
The Sava Promenade is the perfect place to spend a sunny day in Belgrade. Whether it is simply strolling along the Sava River, eating a delicious ice cream, or sipping a refreshing drink. It also has a rich offer of varied restaurants, so that with all the impressions you can also fill your stomach with delicious food.
Sava Promenade is also famous for its nightlife. The highlight here are mainly the party boats right on the opposite side of the river. Not boats in the traditional sense, but rather disco clubs floating on the water. A certainly rarely seen opportunity to party deep into the night and get to know the nightlife of Belgrade.
For some history from the very early days, the Belgrade Fortress is perfect for such a thing. Its history goes back as far as 279 BC when it was built in its original form.
Belgrade Fortress is perfect for getting a nice view of Belgrade from the top, while enjoying the Kalemegdan Park around it.
Kalemegdan Park is the largest and most important historical park in Belgrade, measuring 124 square meters. It is built around the Belgrade Fortress and is part of the whole and nowadays serves as a perfect place for a relaxing walk on a beautiful day in Belgrade.
The beautiful little chapel, which is also part of the Belgrade Fortress, enchants with its charm.
When you climb the stairs to the chapel, you feel a certain peace that surrounds the chapel. From inside you can admire beautiful paintings while lighting a candle or watching the ceremony on the spot with the local priest.
Right next to the Chapel of Saint Petka is the Ružica Church. The small Orthodox church, besides its beauty, is known for its unique chandelier. This chandelier consists of pistol bullets, shell cases and sabres. You definitely rarely see something like that.
Born in today’s Croatia, Nikola Tesla is one of the world’s most famous scientists from Serbia. Inventions like AC power, magnifying transmitter, radio, neon lamp or induction motor can be attributed to his name.
It is not too much to say that without Nikola Tesla probably this blog, as well as the computer or smartphone with which you are reading this blog would not exist in the modern form.
In honor of this great and important inventor, at the Tesla Museum you can admire some of his inventions, participate in interesting experiments, and learn about the life of Nikola Tesla. Admission costs $7.25 (RSD 800) and also includes a guided tour of the Nikola Tesla’s life.
To learn more about the communist period of Yugoslavia, you can visit the Museum of Yugoslavia. Here you can go through the history and life of the leader Josip Broz Tito and learn about the time. The exhibition contains interesting data, information and figures from the former Yugoslavia
Adjacent to the Museum of Yugoslavia is Tito’s tomb in the House of Flowers. The president of Yugoslavia has his resting place here. The name House of Flowers comes from the fact that many flowers surrounded the tomb until it was closed to the public after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Today there are only white rocks where once there were flowers.
We have lost our hearts at the local restaurants in Skadarlija. We love the local cuisine, accompanied with the Serbian hospitality.
Basically, the restaurants do not differ too much from the menu offer in Skadarlija. Their goal is to let you immerse yourself a bit in the local cuisine. During our stay we tried two of them.
Belgrade is very well connected within Europe. The Nikola Tesla Airport brings international guests directly to Belgrade. Check your flight connections to Belgrade.
If you are already visiting the Balkans, there are great bus connections which connect several cities with Belgrade. You can for example arrive by bus from Zagreb, as we did.
Within Belgrade, you can explore practically every corner by city bus. A bus ride costs about $1.80 (RSD 200) and can be paid directly on the bus by credit card.
Unfortunately, there is no Uber in Belgrade to take you comfortably from door to door. But there is an alternative app that actually works exactly the same. The Serbian version is called CAR:GO, which allows you to order your private driver and get chauffeured to your destination.
Belgrade is always a good idea. To avoid the hot summer days, it is recommended to travel in spring (April, May). During the summer, the months of June and September are recommended, as the temperatures are a bit more pleasant.
Of course, it is great comfort to stay close to the action and just walk out the door and be in the middle of it all. Since Belgrade as a metropolis can be a bit more expensive, especially in the summer season, we can recommend renting an apartment or hotel a bit outside and taking the city bus to the center.
In order to enjoy Belgrade in peace and quiet and to be able to immerse yourself in the local life in addition to checking out the sights, we would suggest at least 3 days.
The prices are per person, except for the accommodation and taxi, which we rent for 2 people.
Accommodation: $35 / night
Restaurant: $12 – $20 / meal
Food: $2 – $12 / meal
Pleasure: $7 – $14 / event
Bus: $1.80 / ride
Activity: $7.25 / event
