Belgrade, the dynamic capital of Serbia

Published: June 12, 2022

belgrade | capital cities | castles | city guides | sights

Have you considered the Balkan countries in South-East Europe as a travel destination? If not, you definitely should, as this corner of Europe has a lot to offer, from amazing nature with mountains and perfect beaches to vibrant cities, all with affordable price level (counting out the most popular holiday destinations of coastal Croatia). In this post series we take you to Serbia, that doesn’t see as many travelers as some other Balkan countries, but certainly is a wonderful travel destination. Serbia is a landlocked country, so no beach holidays there, but instead you can expect amazing hikes, super-friendly people, delicious food and wine, lively cities, cute old villages and a lot of historical sites from Roman ruins to medieval castles. Let’s start from Belgrade, the big and busy but also laid-back and lovely capital of Serbia.

Getting to know Belgrade

The population of Serbia is 6,9 million people, of which 1,7 million lives in the capital city metropolitan area, making it the third largest of all the cities on Danube River, after Vienna and Budapest. Belgrade was built in a strategic location at the confluence of Danube and Sava rivers, and is in fact one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. It’s a widespread city too, and you should reserve at least a few days to explore the different parts, like Stari Grad, the Old Belgrade, on the southeastern side of Sava and New Belgrade on the southwestern side.

To be honest, at first sight Belgrade is not the most beautiful city when you compare it to many other European capitals. There have been a lot of renovations and face-lifting projects going on during the past few years (the city center looked very different when we last visited 10 years ago), but there still is also a lot of gray concrete and abandoned buildings, and scars from the bombings of 1999. It’s all layers of the history of the city though, and at least to us also very interesting. In fact, with all its layers Belgrade is a wonderland if you like architecture and culture – Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Art Nouveau, Brutalist, you have it all!

What to do in Belgrade then? Well for us the best part was just to walk around the different parts of the city and along the beautiful streets and squares of Stari Grad area. During the day you can visit several museums, churches and other sights, and/or just make stops in terrace restaurants, getting to know local cuisine, having gelato or maybe local wine or craft beer. Instead of getting to know the city by yourself, it could be a good idea to join a guided Belgrade walking tour – there are several free and paid tours available, check belgradewalkingtours.com for them. During our visit we actually met with both Finnish and Serbian friends who live in the city, and they showed us around, which was a great way of getting to know the city of course!

Belgrade is rather famous for its nightlife and clubbing scene. Along the riverbanks there are restaurant boats, that after dark turn into nightclubs. We are not that big on partying, so can’t give any recommendations related to that, but some of the riverside restaurants are great for having lunch too. We visited with our Serbian friends a restaurant called Stari Pingvin in New Belgrade, by Sava river – delicious traditional food, huge portions, friendly service and affordable prices. From there you could cross the river with a small ferry, and head to the amazing taproom and beer garden of Dogma Brewery – warm recommendation for craft beer enthusiasts! More about Serbian craft beer will follow in our other blog craftbeernomads.com.

Kalemegdan park and Fortress

One must-to-do in Belgrade is a visit to Kalemegdan, a big city park in and around Belgrade Fortress. This area is popular among the locals and visitors alike, and no wonder, since it’s a very centrally located green zone with a lot of attractions, historical ruins and lookouts over the city and the rivers. The history of the fortress is as old as the one of the whole city, and during the centuries it has played important role in the hands of different rulers, being destroyed and rebuilt several times. The fortress area consists of Upper and Lower Towns and the Kalemegdan Park. There are old walls, gates and towers, monuments and museums to explore. A history geek could spend a day just getting to know the fortress and learning about its past. Or you could just pack a lunch, stroll around for a while and then have a picnic in the park.

When to visit Belgrade?

Definitely go during the summer season, from April/May to October! During the wet and snowy winter season the city can be very chilly and gray, but when the spring comes, Belgrade turns into a green and sunny city, the streets are full of inviting open-air terraces of cafes, pubs and restaurants, and people spend a lot of time outside. When we visited in May 2022, it was already very warm, and the hottest months of the year are July and August. May and June can be quite wet too, but it mostly means occacional rain showers and thunderstorms, not constant rain.

Where to stay in Belgrade?

Where to stay depends largely on how long you are going to be in the city and what do you want to see and do. The city center is an easy choice of course, with a lot of sights and things to do within walking distance. Public transportation is pretty efficient in Belgrade though, even if there is no metro, so it’s easy to travel between different parts of the city. We stayed for a few nights in the city center, and for a few nights in Nirvana Spa, a beautiful apartment with sauna in quiet and green Mirijevo, in the east side of the city.

Would you like to know more about Belgrade and have some tips for you trip? Take a look at Quick guide to Belgrade by Tanja and Ismo, Finns living in Belgrade.