Last Updated on 26/04/2024 by kami
I must admit I’ve had a problematic relationship with Belgrade, Serbia – the capital of the country and the biggest city in the Balkans.
I partly blame myself for that as I had some prejudices towards the city.
It has never seemed as attractive as other Balkan highlights; I didn’t know much about Belgrade attractions and most of all – during my first, brief visit to the city I had a very unpleasant incident with bedbugs in the hostel.
That’s why the city has never been very high on my bucket list, and I wasn’t very eager to visit Belgrade again.
Downtown Belgrade
During my numerous Balkan travels I passed by Belgrade so many times on the way either to Kotor, to Sarajevo or Novi Sad but I’ve never really given much of my time to the city itself.
Or maybe I needed time and Belgrade had to grow on me?
Eventually, I gave the city a proper chance and spent a sunny weekend in the capital of Serbia.
The city turned out to be so much fun and two days were not enough to see all I wanted to! Now I really wish I had discovered it earlier!
Belgrade essentials
- Airport transfer: Pre-book the airport transfer from Belgrade airport to your accommodation in Belgrade here.
- Where to stay in Belgrade: Envoy Hotel (9.2/10) / Boutique Hotel Museum (9.3/10)
- Best Belgrade tour: Top Attractions and Belgrade Neighborhoods
- Best day trip from Belgrade: Northern Serbia: Sremski Karlovci and Novi Sad
- Get insured for your trip to Serbia with SafetyWing
How is Belgrade, Serbia?
I read somewhere that Belgrade is kind of like Warsaw, Poland – harsh at first, with difficult history and not so many things to do, yet once you get to know it better and find some of the best hidden or weird spots you fell for the city.
That’s what happened to me with Warsaw a couple of years ago, that’s also what happened to me with Belgrade recently.
Besides the typical Belgrade sightseeing, I found myself hyperventilating so many times when finding so many quirky gems around.
Even the stunning sunset over the city watched from the Kalemegdan fortress made my heart beat faster!
Skadarlija
Belgrade is one of those cities that you either love or hate. And if you happen to be among the first group – the more time you spend there, the more you get to know it the more you fall for it.
My recent weekend in Belgrade was not enough to even scratch the surface of the place, my list of things to do in Belgrade was getting longer and longer with every minute spent in the city, and I know I need to visit Belgrade properly again, the sooner, the better.
Who should visit Belgrade
If you like beautiful cities with cute old towns and pastel houses, then Belgrade might not be for you.
But if you don’t mind more of an edgy place, with the funky vibe, great cafe scene and nightlife, some cool street art around and a peculiar mix of architecture (with some of the best examples of brutalism), then Belgrade is your place.
And don’t worry, you can get your share of charming place here too, just take the bus to Zemun – the suburb located on the Danube shore that used to be part of Austria-Hungary (whereas Belgrade wasn’t) and has this ubiquitous Central European charm.
Belgrade pictures
For me always the biggest inspiration comes from pictures. A single photo can be a reason good enough for me to plan a trip to a specific destination.
So before I start telling you properly about the capital of Serbia let me show you some Belgrade pictures that will hopefully inspire you to visit Belgrade too.
Burek, the famous Balkan pastry is always a good way to start a day in Belgrade. It keeps you full for most of the day!
Skadarlija, known also as the Bohemian part of Belgrade, a cobbled street with lots of charming restaurants and cafes
Skadarlija
Skadarlija
Sebilj, a replica of the one from Sarajevo, donated to Belgrade by the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1989
Beautiful pharmacy building in Belgrade
Green streets of Belgrade
Terazije, the main street in downtown Belgrade
Belgrade downtown
Hotel Moskva, a great example of art nouveau architecture in Belgrade
Belgrade is full of great cafes, like this one – Aviator Coffee Explorer
Terazije, the main street in downtown Belgrade
one of beautiful hidden corridors
National Assembly of Serbia
St. Mark’s Church
The futuristic interior of the main post office
Beautiful architecture of downtown Belgrade
Church of Saint Sava
Inside Belgrade Cooperative building
Awesome Belgrade street art
Busy Belgrade waterfront
Busy Belgrade waterfront
Belgrade view
Mural by the famous Italian artist Blu
Beautiful architecture of downtown Belgrade
Belgrade streetlife
Kneza Mihaila – main pedestrian street in Belgrade
Kneza Mihaila – main pedestrian street in Belgrade
View from Kalemegdan fortress
Kalemegdan fortress
View from Kalemegdan fortress
View from Kalemegdan fortress
View from Kalemegdan fortress
Kneza Mihaila – main pedestrian street in Belgrade
Kneza Mihaila – main pedestrian street in Belgrade
Kneza Mihaila – main pedestrian street in Belgrade
Hidden passage in Belgrade
View over Belgrade old town and Sava river
Kalemegdan fortress seen from across the Sava river
Serbia Palace
Belgrade Western City Gate
Details of Belgrade Western City Gate
Danube river in Zemun
Zemun from above
Zemun streets
Futuristic interior of Sava Center
BIGZ building
Museum of Yugoslavia, with the grave of Josip Broz Tito in the back
Further reading
I published many articles about Serbia that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:
- Best Places to Visit in Serbia
- 17 Best Things to Do in Belgrade, Serbia
- Guide to Belgrade brutalist architecture
- 5 Best Things to Do in Nis, Serbia in One Day
- Sargan Eight Train – An Engineering Masterpiece in Serbia
- 17 Great Things to Do in Novi Sad, Serbia
- Uzice, Serbia – a surprisingly pleasant city
- and more!
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in the Balkans and ask your questions there.
Travel Resources
You can find the best accommodation options at Booking. They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Belgrade
Never travel without travel insurance, you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Serbia here.
I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here.
Make sure to have the offline map always installed on your phone, they can save you so many troubles. I always use the free app Maps.Me.
For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:
- Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
- Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
- I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Serbia too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!
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8 Comments
Mark
20/02/2019 at 18:53Some great photos Kami! I’ve never thought to go inside the post office but will do now! Also, haven’t seen the street art on the side of the Western City Gate before – I’m guessing it must be relatively new.
kami
21/02/2019 at 01:36Thanks Mark! I always go inside some weird buildings and found some real gems that way :) have you been inside Sava Centar? It’s awesome too! These pics are from September 2017, there was some decent street art around Western Gates then!
Pero
31/07/2019 at 21:02Great photos! The best invitation to visit Belgrade. I added your page to my website with intention to encourage more people to visit my city. Thanks Kami.
kami
11/08/2019 at 09:58Thank you for your kind words, Pero! I’m in Belgrade at that moment again and still enjoy the city. It’s such a great place!
Frank
20/01/2020 at 10:48Nice post Kami – we’re in Belgrade now and I was looking for some inspiration outside the usual “10 things to do in Belgrade”. Great photos. This is our 2nd time here and both have been in winter. Looks like a nice place to visit in summer.
kami
11/02/2020 at 16:25Thanks! Belgrade is amazing and has so much to offer! The coolest things there are usually not those included on the top lists ;) It’s pretty cool in summer although my favorite time to visit Belgrade is in autumn :) been there a few times at that time of the year and it was really pleasant. Enjoy your time in the city!
Alex
26/04/2023 at 16:22I am from Belgrade and these are really nice photos. Have you seen Zemun – Main Street, also Gospodska street and its surroundings, the Gardos Tower and the view from there? Swans by the Danube Quay? The Ada Lake and the Ada Bridge? The Belgrade Waterfront and the nice promenade? The huge monument to Stefan Nemanja on Savski trg? You can now take a fast train “Soko” to Novi Sad, just 36 minutes, and have a nice day trip there and then return back on the same day. Thank you for the photos.
kami
04/05/2023 at 19:37Yes to all of your questions :) I really enjoy Belgrade, it’s always such a pleasure to be there!