10 THINGS TO SEE IN BELGRADE
Your ultimate guide to Belgrade with bonus information on affordable accommodation
Serbia’s capital is a very diverse place worth exploring for at least a month, as many of its attractions are not grouped in the very centre as is the case in some other European capitals. Here is the essential guide for all the first-time comers, and for those who missed some of the attractions during the earlier visits. Note that many of these locations are kilometers apart, and Belgrade public transport is not always the most convenient way to travel. We strongly recommend you to group these locations in clusters for a walking or bicycle tour, especially for the locations along the Danube and Sava rivers. We also added the list of nearby apartments for rent in the vicinity of each location.
1. Belgrade fortress. The one thing you cannot easily miss, as the main pedestrian zone of Knez Mihailova street ends right at the fort. It is one of the largest fort complexes in Europe, and Kalemegdan park around the fortress is the biggest in Belgrade. The fort dates back to Roman times, is very well preserved and has a number of museums and restaurants, but the best thing about it is the view from its west wall which overlooks Danube and Sava rivers.
nearby apartments: Vasina
2. The wider city center. Obviously, you will spend some time in the center even without a guide like this, but it is a good idea to mark the area we think is the real center and which should be covered. You will need a few days to cover it all, and a city guidebook should be useful. The easiest way to describe the center is that it is all the ground inside the route of tram No. 2, but you can skip the part south of Brankova street.
nearby apartments: Superior, Royal, Premium, Moskva, Lux, Terazije, Balkanska
3. The inner city center. The main city korso is made by Kralja Milana street, Terazija Square, Trg Republike square (the central square in the city ) and Knez Mihailova street. You can see many of the most important buildings along this way, as well as enter shops, cinemas, bookstores, etc. Down from Republic square starts the Upper Dorćol neighborhood, with its famous clubs and cafes.
nearby apartments: Parlament, Silver, Spa, Vasina, Tito, Skadarlija
4. Danube’s Dorćol bank. Another riverside site we will mention here, it is also several kilometers long and is connected to „old“ Belgrade Sava bank. The whole right bank of Sava from Ada Ciganlija to confluence of Danube and Sava has a pedestrian pathways, widening to a korso in places, all in all more than 10km, but the most interesting part is the last, on the banks on the Danube. Several well-known nigtclubs are on this path, right on the confluence.
nearby apartments: Dositejeva, Dositejeva duplex, Dorćol penthaus, Elegance, Francuska
5. King Alexander’s boulevard. A very long boulevard in a wider central area, known for its small shops. In the part of the boulevard closest to the inner center is Tašmajdan park, the best place for relaxation in the city center, and the rest is filled by all kinds of cafes and shops. You will find excellent places to eat here and meet a lot of young people, as lot of university buildings are in this area.
nearby apartments: Taš, Rich, Knez, Garden
6. Sava’s bank, New Belgrade’s side. There are actually two parts on the left side of Sava with the walkways, clubs and restrains. The first (marked 2a on our map) is shorter, about 1.5km, and has a boat service taking you to Ada Ciganlija recreational complex, and the other (marked 2b) is much longer, more than 5km, and is an absolute must-see, with beautiful parks, bicycle paths, and hundreds of clubs and restaurants.
7. Zemun. Now the integral part of Belgrade, Zemun was a separate town throughout most of its history. While Belgrade was mostly occupied by the Turks from 15th to 18th century, Zemun was inside the Austrian borders, so the architecture is completely Central European. It has excellent fish restaurants on the bank of the Danube and the other important location is historical Gardoš hill.
8. Ada Ciganlija. It was the largest river island in Sava until it was connected to the city with the walkway. The same process transformed one fork of the river into an artificial lake, which is now the most popular summer resort in Belgrade, with almost 100.000 visitors a day during the summer months. There are numerous sport courts and great beach clubs. The full circle around the lake is about 5km long, with a bicycle path all the way.
9. Kalenić green market. The biggest green market in Belgrade. Much of the food is organic, and there are a lot o stands with homemade cakes and other delicacies. Prices are only a small part of what is usually paid for such high equability food in western countries, and you are free to try everything before buying it. There is some room for haggling but not much. We especially recommend fresh cheese, bacon, and locally grown fruit like plums, apples and peaches.
nearby apartments: Knez
10. Košutnjak park. If you manage to visit all the previous locations, we can recommend you to say goodbye to Belgrade by visiting Košutnjak, a very, very large body of forest park which starts very close to the center, at the Museum of Yugoslav history and goes southward for miles, with occasional restaurants and great hiking/running paths.