BELGRADE | The capital of Serbia, Belgrade, is a city that has much to offer visitors. This historic Balkan city is filled with things to do, and is relatively affordable.
In the city’s museums, galleries, public spaces, restaurants, bars, and cafes, you’ll get a sense of where the country has been, and where it’s heading. There’s amazing cuisine and art being created by outward-looking up-and-coming chefs and artists, and a thriving live music scene.
From small, hidden blocks, to large developments, underutilised parts of the city are being transformed into exciting new precincts. Beautiful old architecture, imposing brutalist architecture, and gleaming modern architecture coexist.
In my Belgrade City Guide, I’ll provide you with a diverse list of things to do in Belgrade. What are your favourite things to do in this city?
Admire The World’s Largest Orthodox Church
The Temple of Saint Sava (also known as the Church of Saint Sava) is the largest orthodox church in Serbia, and one of the largest churches in the world. It’s named after Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia.
The first stone was laid in 1935, however, construction wasn’t completed until 2004. An example Byzantine revival architecture, the church is an impressive and grand structure. The church features a mostly white marble exterior and beautiful mosaics inside. Whether you’re religious or not, it’s well worth a visit.
Be Amazed By Brutalist Architecture
Brutalism was an optimistic egalitarian style, a symbol of progress in the decades following World War II. Yugoslavia went all in on Brutalism during this time, and is one of the best cities in the world to find brutalist buildings.
Novi Belgrade (New Belgrade) is where you’ll find much of the Belgrade’s brutalist architecture. It’s adjacent to Belgrade’s Old Town (Stari Grad), and is a brutalist city that was built from scratch. You’ll also find fascinating examples of the style in other parts of the city.
Check out my article, The Brutalist Architecture Of Belgrade, for more, including a list of several notable brutalist buildings worth checking out.
Chill On A Splavovi
Belgrade’s nightlife is world-famous, and for good reason. During the warmer months of the year, the banks of the Sava river are lined with as many as 300 splavovi (rafts). These splavovi are home to a diverse assortment of bars and clubs, and restaurants. There’s something for everyone, from chilled sun soaked loungers through to large late night rave spots.
Eat Regional Delicacies
Serbian cuisine has long history. It’s developed over centuries, influenced by the Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires, and neighbouring Balkan nations. Typical delicacies include things like sarma (beef/pork mince cabbage rolls), pljeskavica (minced beef/pork patty), ćevapi (grilled skinless meat sausage), burek (layered pastry pie filled with various ingredients) and ajvar (roasted red pepper relish).
Head over to my article, Belgrade Food Guide: Where To Eat, for a list of the best places in town to enjoy Serbian food, and my article, What To Eat In Serbia, for more details on the dishes themselves.
Explore Belgrade Fortress & Kalemegdan
Belgrade Fortress is the city’s number one tourist attraction, and for good reason. It’s the oldest part of Belgrade, and consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan. The latter is Belgrade’s largest park.
The oldest parts of the fortress date back to 279 BC, and was once the entirety of the city. The history of Belgrade Fortress is much of the history of Belgrade itself, and you’ll learn a lot as walk through the fortress. Too see with your own eyes, the trials and tribulations of the city through various eras, while learning about it, is fascinating.
Kalemegdan itself is a beautiful park, filled with quiet places to reflect while surrounded by nature, and areas where there are open-air exhibitions, markets, and other activities. From the highest parts, you can see where the Danube and Sava rivers meet, and get a spectacular view of the city.
Find Some Street Art
Street art in Belgrade deals with a multitude of topics. There are large scale commissioned pieces that deal with grand themes, small scale murals that capture the spirit of the people in the neighbourhoods in which they are found, and bold, political murals.
You can find out more, including a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood run down on where to find the city’s best street art, in my Belgrade Street Art Guide.
Learn About Serbia’s History At A Museum
Serbia and its people have been through a lot over the years. There are several museums that deal with the city’s history. The National Museum of Serbia is the city’s oldest and largest museum. Its collection consists of over 400,000 objects. It’s a great place to explore not just the city’s history, but an impressive amount of art and objects from around the world.
The Historical Museum of Serbia documents the country’s development from prehistory up to the present. It’s an impressive museum, with over 35,000 exhibits in its collection. For a deeper dive into Belgrade’s history, visit the Belgrade City Museum. It tracks the city’s history and development from the first human settlements in the area, around 5,700 BC, through to today.
Anyone interested in the former Yugoslavia should visit the Museum of Yugoslavia. It deals with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Yugoslavia, and the life of Josip Broz Tito. One of the museum’s buildings, the House of Flowers, is where Tito’s grave lies.
If you want to know more about Nikola Tesla, his life and his inventions, check out the Nikola Tesla Museum. The museum is housed in a former residential village and home to numerous documents, drawings, and photographs. Do be aware that entry times are restricted to sessions, and the exhibition space itself is quite small.
Try Rakija
Rakija is a fruit brandy that is popular in the Balkans, and is considered the national spirit of Serbia. The country is home to over 10,000 private producers of rakija, with about 100 producers making high quality, commercial grade rakija.
The most common rakija flavours in Serbia are sljivovica (plum rakija), apricot, and pear. Rakia Bar, located in the heard of Belgrade, is a great spot to visit if you want to try an assortment of rakija, served traditionally, as the base of cocktails, and more.
Visit An Art Gallery
Beyond this historical art collections on display at the National Museum of Serbia, there are several museums and galleries dedicated to art. The Museum of Contemporary Art is was one of the world’s first contemporary art museums when it opened in 1958. It contains artworks produced since 1900 in Serbia and the former Yugoslavia across its permanent collection and rotating exhibits.
There are several smaller art galleries worth visiting too. At 10 hosts a constantly rotating selection of exhibits of art by up-and-coming local artists, while Salon MSUB showcases work by young artists in tune with Serbia’s current art scene. The unique concept art space, Non Canonica, is another you should check out.
Wander Through Skadarlija
Belgrade’s old town is home to many beautiful streetscapes and architecture . The city’s historical bohemian quarter, Skadarlija is one of the best place for it. Pedestrianised, cobblestone-lined streets are filled with restaurants, bars, and boutiques. Street performers ply their trade, and murals line the sides and fronts of buildings.
Today Skadarlija is quite a touristy area, but this doesn’t make wandering through it any less rewarding. The streets of the surrounding neighbourhoods are also well worth exploring.
Walk Through Belgrade Waterfront
For a side of Belgrade that most don’t associate with the city, or know about, check out Belgrade Waterfront. The development is the second largest mixed use complex under construction in Europe, and is transforming an underused, run-down part of the Sava waterfront. It’s a modern development, with skyscrapers, retail, parks and gardens, schools and public spaces and more.
While not unlike similar developments around the world, Belgrade Waterfront is worth a visit. It shows a completely different side of Belgrade, and get a glimpse of the future of the city.