Belgrade, Serbia: 100 Tourist tips and travel guide for visitors, expats and residents
Here’s a list of less-than-usual tourist things to do when you are a tourist/resident/expat in Belgrade, Serbia. The plan is to finish with a hundred things to do, which is not such an easy task, mind you. Good thing is we don’t have a deadline 
So add some suggestions for the next post in this series. But! Nobody needs no super-touristy things such as “visit Kalemegdan” or “Don’t miss Skadarlija!” Unless you say why someone should do that.
So if you can, share an interesting (and preferably so far unknown) thing to do in Belgrade.
Here we go, we’ll count when we’re done:
- Visit the building where the assassins of Franz Ferdinand planned their attack, on the corner of Narodnog Fronta and Kamenicka street, next to the Zeleni venac green market.
- Look for an music or art event in Students’ cultural center (SKC) – there’s great chance something interesting is on.
- The House of Flowers (Kuca cveca) – the last resting place of Josip Broz Tito and a temporary exhibition of Slobodan Milosevic’s remains (before he was buried under a tree in Pozarevac)
- Buvljak – New Belgrade flea market is always a good place to lose a couple of hours.
- Try water skiing – just a couple of kms away from the city center – at the end of Ada Ciganlija lake.
- The Friendship park (Park Prijateljstva) is a large green surface, ideal for taking your dog, or your partner, out for a stroll.
- The Roman Well (Rimski bunar) at Kalemegdan is an interesting place for fans of mysterious and scary stories.
- Slavija Square hides a mystery as well. Sometimes it’s a mystery how come not so many cars crash when driving around it.
- A quest for bakeries, cakes and sweets shops in Belgrade is always a rewarding one.
- Zeleni Venac pedestrian passage offers a thrill of living on the other side of the law, as well as a cozy little black market shopping area.
- Find a local souvenir salesman at Kalemegdan or in Skadarlija and browse through weird Belgrade memorabilia – like the five hundred billion dinar note, now being sold for about one hundred dinars.
- The Car Museum in Majke Jevrosime street is a nice little private enterprise with cheap entrance.
- Go see the oldest preserved house in Belgrade in Cara Dusana street 10. House was finished in 1727, which makes it almost 300 years old. Considering Belgrade was bombed five times in previous century alone, this is deemed as a great success.
- Vukov spomenik underground station reminds us that we do need a subway system in Belgrade. It is also a fun and long ride down.
- Visit the Red Star football museum – it’s small but managed to inspire Gordon Taylor to organize various football exibitions througout Europe.
- Miticeva rupa (Mitic’s hole) is a funny name for a park. It also has a strange history behind it.
- Note the house where the first discotheque in the Balkans opened back in 1967, in Svetogorska street 17.
- Try one beer at every stand at the Belgrade Beer Festival, held every august in Belgrade.
- Great War Island (Veliko ratno ostrvo) sounds scary because of its name. Actually it’s completely peaceful.
- Measure how long the shortest street in Belgrade, Mitrovicev prolaz, really is.
- Kaludjerica suburb is interesting because it’s the biggest ‘wild’ suburban area in Europe. And when I say wild, I mean built without any construction permits.
- Kosutnjak is a bit away from the city center, but if you like hiking, this enormous park is the perfect location. You can rest at Ski staza (Ski path) cafe while you’re there. Ski staza got it’s name because the steep hill under the cafe actually is perfect for skiing lovers in the winter time (ok, it’s not perfect, but it’s the only ski path near city center).
- The Tram number two (Krug dvojke) unguided tour of the Belgrade city center. I’ve mentioned this one before, but it’s a good tip, so it has to be on the list.
- Go to a Belgrade football derby, between Red Star and Partizan and observe some of the loudest and wildest football fans in Europe.
- Ada Medjica river island is a non-mainstream version of Ada Ciganlija. It’s your choice really.
- Take a stroll in Balkanska street and find a vintage hat from one of the stores that somehow survived the modernization.
- If you are in a group of more than ten people, try booking a tour to explore the secret Belgrade underground tunnels and caves.
- Find Salvador Dali’s corner on Dorcol, one of the local pranksters’ contributions to the city.
- Visit Kinoteka, one of the richest movie collections in the world. There are always old movie projections, so if you are a movie buff, check out their weekly program.
- Buy some ratluk (turkish delight) at the last oldfashioned candy shop in Gavrila Principa street.
- Pass through Bezistan passage connecting Terazije street and Nikole Pasica square and try to imagine that this place was the favorite spot for rockers, punkers and other Belgrade headbangers.
- Visit Avala Mountain, one of the lowest mountains in the world.
The list continues over here.
250 subscribers, 300 posts and 2000 comments later – the original Belgrade blog is three years old this January, so it’s time for a little celebration – and what better way to celebrate than to give something back to the readers and Belgrade visitors who contributed to the Belgraded site so much throughout the years.
Ok, so now’s your turn, if you have something to add to the list, please do so in the comments or via mail belgrade.inside.out at gmail.com
Thanks for bearing with the original Belgrade blog so far and stay tuned for more tips, articles and weird Serbian stuff in the future.
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Rent a bike and drive from Ada to Dorćol or to Dunavski Kej in Zemun, all by the river.
Good one! Your tip is included for the next round of things to do in Belgrade
I reckon you deserve congratulations, coping with three years worth of trouble like me and others. And having said that, why promote Veliko ratno ostrvo as a place with a scary name rather than give the real reason why it vaut le detour?
It was no problem at all coping with commentators, Owen.
re: ostrvo, there’s a link that takes you to the Veliko ratno ostrvo article which contains the useful links and info you posted. I have to do something about that video though, B92 is banned from Youtube (don’t ask me how) and now all their videos are gone too…
Presumably copyright issues. YouTube seems to be a lot more careful, presumably due to legal action.
What about this church below Kalemegdan? http://www.hudin.com/photo/14/belgrade_2007/ Can’t remember the name.
Partying on the Danube at the 4,000 bars there?
Local tours of the NATO bombings? My cousin gave me this free of charge. Also a brief mention of the Roma town, although I doubt that would be a real mecca for sensible tourists, unless Germans with that guide they published.
Seeing which taxi scam will get pulled on you when taking a ride from the center to Novi Beograd, “Oh, it was on zone 3? Sorry about that, my hand must have slipped while shifting…”
Nikola Tesla museum?
What about Yugoland or that museum dedicated to old Yugoslavia? Can’t remember where it was. Maybe not by Belgrade?
A walking or city bus tour of Novi Beograd is pretty cool too. There is something nearly hypnotic about the Socialist construction out there.
Of course there are the normal items such as wandering around Kalemegdan or enjoying Skadarlija.
Sorry, memory is fading as I was last there a year and a half ago now.
That’s a great comment right there, Hudin, those will definitely be included in the next round of tips. Thank You!
Hey Viktor, I just stumbled across the site and I'm amazed! You're doing such a great job helping people visiting Belgrade and but I think it's also useful for the locals, because a lot of people from Belgrade don't know much (or anything) about the facts that we can find here, the shortest street in Belgrade, for example.
Now, I've lived in Belgrade all my life but I don't know the story behind the Salvador Dali corner. In fact, this is the first time I heard of it. Can you unveil the secret for us?
Hey Milos, thanks for the nice words!
Salvador Dali corner is on the corner of Kapetan Misina and Simina street, check out the pic:
http://www.krompir.co.yu/jeca/cosak-salvadora-dal…
Local pranksters are the local art group that goes by the name of 'Ilegalni poslasticari' (I think the appropriate translation would be "The illegal candymen")
their blog is right here: http://ilegalni.mojblog.rs/
Just a note about Veliko ratno ostrvo… In my understanding, this is Veliko rAtno (long A) ostrvo, as in: “Great agricultural island” or “Great garden island”...
hmmm… interesting, never thought of it in such a way. But wouldn’t it be “ratarsko ostrvo” then?
btw, it’s great that you started your blog again at http://www.anegdote.com, nice to have you back.
Viktor, I’ve been told it’s this way, though I can’t vouch for it.
The root of the word would be rât (if that’s proper accentuation), sort of like sâd in Novi Sad. So, adjective of rât is ratno, and adjective of ratar is ratarsko.
Thanks VIKTOR for the picture of Salvador Dali corner. really awsome
Awesome post! Very advisable and reliable, thank you for sharing your knowledge…
Thank you,
Hotel Guide
taxi scam will get pulled on you when taking a ride from the center to Novi Beograd, “Oh, it was on zone 3? Sorry about that, my hand must have slipped while shifting…”because a lot of people from Belgrade don’t know much (or anything) about the facts that we can find here, the shortest street in Belgrade Travel Insurance News
gotta love that “hit the button while shifting” trick.
Hai Viktor, the tips for visiting Belgrade are very much useful for me, and I am amazing that how do you collect such a small information like Salvador Dali corner, the smallest street in Belgrade. You could also help the locals to know the city better…. welldone
“Slavija Square hides a mystery as well. Sometimes it’s a mystery how come not so many cars crash when driving around it.”
Haha…I know exactly what you mean. I live near Slavija and everyday when I walk past it, I think it’s a miracle. I guess it’s just such a mess that it actually works
Just came across your blog. Love it.
drink beer or cafe at any place in beograd at any time with any serbian (they are so fantastic beautiful) young lady. oh nirvana.
Great post! Very useful and reliable, thank you for sharing your knowledge…with us…
Belgraded in Belgrade.
What a fantastic city? Why don’t they build cities like this anymore? Who shall believe that this city has survived so may ravages.
Fantastic – I am short of words.
Just stumbled upon your site Viktor while doing some research on city prior to my work visit. My route to your blog was goggling that led to GBH – quirk are ways search engines operate sometimes.
Because, you’re so gorgeous…how true.. a visual delight over a sticky audio. If not for anything, GBH should be your reason to be in Belgrade in July. I’m lucky. I am suddenly young.
After 17 memorable days in Belgrade I try to find few things that Belgrade can live without. Me, who live in the center of many unwanted things, this was a bit of tough exercise.
Other than omnipresent cigarette stubs, occasional stray dogs and rare appearance of mendicants (and of course some unaesthetic graffiti amidst numerous unknown Salvador Dalis) in an other wise super clean and beautiful city, I could not find anything to complain about.
City need a dedicated song. If you have please forward me the link.
P.S – Just discovered a shortest route to reach Bela Vista from top of Kalemegdan.
One of the best cities in Europe for a budget traveler like me. Being the hometown of my girlfriend had great time exploring the lesser known corners of the city as well.
I am visiting Belgrade again in October, any ideas for great places to visit for a budget traveler on his second trip there?
Have already explored the city center extensively on foot. Any great places on city outskirts to visit?
I visited Belgrade this past June. I wish I had known about this website then for additional, unusual things to see around the city.We did have a great time though. Stayed at a terrific bed and breakfast in the older part of the city, Art House. Our public bus trip outside the city to Novi Sad and Stremski Karlovci was an adventure well worth the time. We found the Tesla museum, but it was closed for private tours during the time we had available. Our visit concluded by seeing Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood in concert – the band and audience were full of energy and it was a great show (do you anyone with an audio recording of the show?) We’ll be back!
http://www.youtube.com/user/Penelopi1979?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/Mr45STNfzXw
Hi! I’ve been following your blog for some time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Austin Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the great job!
1. Visit Gardoš! Although not technically Belgrade (it’s in Zemun) the view of the entire city is phenomenal. It is especially pretty at sunrise/sunset! Also on your way up to Gardosh stop by Galeria, a very cute/romantic cafe!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/borisbajcetic/3619537738/
2. Try to catch the flower show by Trg Nikole Pasica if you are visiting Belgrade in the spring (they usually last 4-5 days). Not only will you the City Hall, Parliament, the big fountain, you will also get to see some great flowers/seeds and other hand-made crafts from Serbia.
3. If you a fan of honey and honey related products visit the Sveti Sava Temple in the spring/summer, during the honey makers meet. You will be able to see, taste and buy honey from Serbia. Sometimes they exhibit near the St. Mark’s church in Kalemegdan park, but nowadays I see them more and more at St. Sava’s.
Cao,
Da li neko zna dobar turisticki film o Beogradu? Zivim u USA i voleo bi da pokazem prijateljima moj rodni grad.
Pozz iz Philly,
Petar
Zdravo,
Just left a comment on this page:
http://www.belgraded.com/bicycle-tours-in-belgrade/comment-page-1#comment-9948
I guess it is a nice addition to 100 things to do in Belgrade.
Although I’m not new to Belgrade, I am a new citizen (3 weeks today). This means I have much more time then before to roam the streets and re-open my eyes to Belgrade. One of my little micro-pleasures is to discover these little shops that are specialized in something very specific, such as the umbrella-repair shop in Dorcol. I started a blog about Belgrade and the first contribution is about these shops. So, if you want to find out more about it, check my blog at: http://www.ibikebelgrade.com/blog/
Another pleasure is just to sit on a nice spot and watch life going by. A place I recently discovered is called ‘Londen (I think), on the corner of Kralja Milana and Kneza Milosa. It looks like just another fancy bar, on a stinky busy corner. And it is. But go there for a coffee and see the traffic, the hourly passing convoys of black limousines with flash-lights with ‘important’ people in it and the fancy Belgrade girls shopping around. Never a dull moment!
Greetings,
Ralph
Hi all, I am looking for bike rental in belgrade, why it is so hard to find ? anyone can help me ?
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I enjoy your writing style genuinely enjoying this web site .
I’ve been browsing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.
Hey Alexander, There’s a bike rental on Danube Quay ( 25th May) on Dorcol – it’s next to the entrance of the swimming pool. It’s a great starting location – just follow the river and you’ll get to Ada in about 30-45mins. Or you can rent a bike/rollerblades directly at Ada lake & make a few rounds! Have a good time!
Woow, an interesting place for fans of mysterious and scary stories.
Great material, as a foreigner I find the blogs very entertaining. Your ironic style is interesting and I almost can’t tell if you really like Belgrade or not!
Hi !
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If you want you can check my site too (http://www.vacanza.tv/) with updated articles about latest games news !
I do like the way you have framed this particular concern plus it really does provide me some fodder for consideration. Nonetheless, through what I have witnessed, I basically trust as the actual comme ntary pile on that people today keep on issue and not embark on a tirade involving the news of the day. Anyway, thank you for this excellent piece and though I do not really agree with this in totality, I value your perspective.
Excellent post. I was checking continuously this blog and I’m impressed! Extremely helpful information specially the last part
I care for such info much. I was looking for this certain info for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.
Thanks for the tips, will definitely go Buvljak when i go there this year end. Love fleas market. Hope i can find something interesting
Saved like a favored I actually like your weblog!
Dear visitors,
Belgrade got this year new 5 star hotel with excellent accommodation, beautiful spa with swimming pool and great food at affordable prices in the heart of the city, 2 minutes walk from Knez Mihailova street, Kalemegdan Fortress and nightlife top places…
Best wishes,
Ivana
Die anschließende Mal, wenn ich Sprachreisen a Blog Ich hoffe, dass es enttäuscht mich, wie doesnt viel wie dieses. I implizieren, ich weiß es war meine Wahl, um lernen, jedoch I wirklich dachte youd haben etwas aufmerksamkeitsstarke zu sagen. Alles, was ich höre, ist ein Bündel von Jammern über eins, dass können fix für diejenigen, werent zu beschäftigt passieren suchen Aufmerksamkeit.
Some useful app for android phones….
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This app help u to find food via gsp navigation in your area…
Tourism is a relatively new phenomenon in the history of mankind. It appeared as such in the 19th century, when many people began to travel for pleasure and entertainment. From that moment on it has played a major role in the public life. It became possible for a lot of people to travel abroad and to get acquainted with other countries. But since then a certain negative aspects of social life have hindered the development of Tourism. One of them is terrorism. Tourism and terrorism can’t coexist in one place at the same time. On the contrary, countries where mass terrorist acts occur are not visited by many tourists and their tourist industry is in recession. A typical example in this relation is Israel. The country lies on the Mediterranean coast and has a very pleasant climatic conditions for mass recreational and cultural tourism(there are many historical sites and monuments), but the constant political tension and instability,the numerous suicidal attacks on public buildings, murders etc repel tourists. In their minds the name ‘Israel’ always will be associated with these things. Feeling threatened to loose their lives they will avoid this destination or visit it rarely. Similar example are the countries in Norther n Africa where a strong Islamic fundamentalism exists. Terrorism has a strong negative impact even in countries where there is a stable political system and strong traditions in the field of democracy. The collapse of the two twin towers in USA at 11th September 2001 was a major hit for the economy of USA and its tourism. The fear of more terrorist strikes caused many tourists,who intended to visit USA to cancel their trips. That reflected and enhanced the effect of the economic slump, which followed.
I’m Thai and I would love to visit Belgrade.
See you there
This was a stimulating read and I thoroughly enjoyed what you said.