Serbia

Best Things to Do and Must See Attractions in Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade or Beograd is the capital city of Serbia situated at the juncture of rivers Sava & Danube. It used to be the capital of Yugoslavia until the country’s resolution in the year 2006. The city has been part of several civilizations, kingdoms, and empires starting from Vinca culture. It was then occupied by the Celtic Kingdom, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Bulgarian Empire, Frankish Empire, Kingdom of Hungary, and Ottoman Empire. Many of these empires have left monuments that are now places to visit in Belgrade. Exploring architecture is among the best things to do in Belgrade, Serbia. You will see great proponents of individual styles as well as the blend of different styles at Belgrade tourist places. There are also several Belgrade points of interest where entire streets are a lesson in architecture.

At the juncture of the Sava and Danube rivers stands the Belgrade Fortress. It is one of Belgrade’s tourist places which, like the city, evolved with every empire which captured it. A tour of the fortress is like Belgrade travel in the history of conquest. Another major historical thing to see in Belgrade is the Church of St. Sava, which is the second largest orthodox church in the world. Other major historical Belgrade tourist attractions include Gardos Tower, St. Mark’s Church, Princess Ljubica Residence, St. Michael’s Cathedral, Old Palace, New Palace, House of National Assembly of Serbia, and White Palace.

BBC ranked Belgrade among the 5 most creative cities in the world. There are several things to see in Belgrade that express contemporary art at its finest. One of the best places to visit in Belgrade to explore the contemporary and modern art scene is the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art. There are numerous National, European, and International cultural events held at this venue. It is among the top things to do in Belgrade, Serbia. You can also visit Belgrade attractions like U10 and Ciglana brick factory to see independent art events and street art. You would also come across a variety of street art during Belgrade sightseeing. As for pre-modern works of art you should visit the National Museum among Belgrade tourist attractions to see masterpieces by acclaimed artists like Picasso, Van Gogh, Mondrian, Bosch, Titian, Monet, Lautrec, Juan de Flandes, and many more. Another major Belgrade point of interest is the Nikola Tesla Museum. It is dedicated to the famous Serbian scientist and inventor and is growing in popularity among tourist activities in Belgrade. The museum exhibits several personal belongings, documents, and notes of Tesla.

Owing to the cross of two Sava and Danube, there are two river beaches in the city, which are hubs for all cool things to do in Belgrade, Serbia. They are the venue of many beach parties and fun activities in Belgrade. You can even head for boat tours and kayak tours from these beaches, which are among the top things to do in Belgrade. One of these beaches is on Ada Ciganlija island, which is a small patch of nature among places to visit in Belgrade. It is also a great place for hiking and camping. Besides the beaches, people also visit Belgrade for the party boats, which are basically nightclubs on a boat, one of the best things to do in Belgrade at night for party lovers.

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3 Days Travel Itinerary to Visit Top Tourist Attractions in Belgrade

This section covers all the top things to do in Belgrade in 3 days. The locations have been picked based on their popularity as tourist attractions and their proximity to one another.

Day 1

1. Skadarlija

This vintage village is among the best places to visit in Belgrade. You will need about an hour to explore this neighborhood.

Skadarlija

2. Republic Square

This is the main square of Belgrade. The square is surrounded by several interesting buildings, which are also among Belgrade’s tourist attractions. You need about 30 minutes for Republic Square.

I suggest you should go for a Half Day Sightseeing Tour of Old and New Belgrade.

Republic Square

3. National Museum of Serbia

The national museum tells the history and story of Serbia. The museum has several galleries and exhibits sections. You will need more than 2 hours to explore the National Museum of Serbia.

National Museum of Serbia

4. Knez Mihailova Street

This is one of the best places to visit in Belgrade for shopping. There are also several tourist attractions to explore on the street. You can stroll the street for an hour or more.

Knez Mihailova Street

5. Princess Ljubica’s Residence

This royal house is considered a monument of culture of exceptional importance in the city. It also serves as a museum of the history of the city and its rulers of the place. You will need about an hour here.

Princess Ljubica’s Residence

6. Museum of Contemporary Art

The incredible art gallery is situated in Usce Park and exhibits amazing works of modern and contemporary art. You will need about 2 hours to explore all the exhibits at this museum.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Day 2

1. Nikola Tesla Museum

Tesla is one of the most well-known people to originate from Serbia. This museum is dedicated to the life and work of Nikola Tesla. It is one of the most visited Belgrade tourist attractions. You would need 2 hours to explore this museum dedicated to the scientific and engineering genius of Tesla.

Nikola Tesla Museum

2. Temple of Saint Sava

This church is one of the most beautiful things to see in Belgrade. The domes, architecture, interior, and the environment around create a very unique ambiance. You will need 1 hour to explore this church.

I suggest you should go for a Private City Tour of Belgrade and visit the Church of St. Sava along with other attractions.

Temple of Saint Sava

3. Museum of Yugoslavia

This museum is dedicated to the political and cultural history of the socialist nation of Yugoslavia. It also exhibits the life and work of former President Josip Broz Tito, who played a major role in the history of the nation. You will need an hour and a half to explore this museum.

I suggest you should book a Red Belgrade Communist Tour to understand more about the history of the communist era in Serbia.

Museum of Yugoslavia

4. House of Flowers

The House of Flowers is a mausoleum dedicated to Josip Broz Tito and his wife. The former president was of great significance to the nation of Yugoslavia. You can explore the entire place in 30 minutes.

House of Flowers

5. Ada Ciganlija

This river island is the center of numerous fun things to do in Belgrade. You can easily spend 2 hours or more here enjoying various activities on this island.

I suggest you should book a Tour of Ada Lake to explore beautiful parts of Ada Lake.

Ada Ciganlija

Day 3

1. Belgrade Zoo

This zoo is also known as the Garden of Good Hope. There are more than 1700 animals here belonging to 150 different species. You will need 2 hours to explore the zoo.

Belgrade Zoo

2. Ruzica Church

This historic Serbian orthodox church is a part of the Belgrade Fortress. It is one of the most important churches among Belgrade attractions. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to explore this church.

Ruzica Church

3. The Victor Monument

This monument is also known as the Pobednik and sits within the Belgrade Fortress. This is a great place for Belgrade sightseeing as it overlooks the merger of the Sava and Danube rivers. You don’t need more than 15 minutes here.

The Victor Monument

4. Belgrade Fortress

This fortress has a history going all the way back to the 1st century CE. There are several Belgrade tourist attractions within the fortress itself. You will need at least 2 hours to explore this fortified structure.

I suggest you should book a Belgrade Fortress Underground & Dungeons Tour with Drink.

Belgrade Fortress

5. Military Museum

This museum is dedicated to the defense and military history of Serbia as well as Yugoslavia. You will need an hour and a half to explore this museum.

Military Museum

6. Great War Island

The island gets its name from being the ground of several wars throughout the history of the region. Owing to its strategic location, it has seen a lot of bloodsheds and has been crucial to many wars. You will need about an hour to explore this island.

I suggest you can go for a Sunset Sightseeing Cruise with Fruits and Drinks and visit the Great War Island.

Great War Island

If you visit Belgrade for more than 3 days or if you want to add more tourist spots to your itinerary, check out the sections below. We have made an exhaustive list of all the places you can enjoy during Belgrade sightseeing.

Things to do in Belgrade

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Belgrade

  1. Belgrade Fortress
  2. Church of Saint Sava
  3. Nikola Tesla Museum
  4. National Museum in Belgrade
  5. Military Museum
  6. Museum of Yugoslavia
  7. The Victor Monument
  8. St. Mark Orthodox Church
  9. Konak Kneginje Ljubice Museum
  10. House of Flowers Mausoleum
  11. Tasmajdan Church
  12. Museum of Contemporary Art
  13. Ethnographic Museum
  14. Millennium Tower
  15. National Assembly of Republic of Serbia
  16. Old Palace
  17. The White Palace
  18. Aeronautical Museum
  19. Monument to the Unknown Hero
  20. Ruzica Church
  21. Museum of Illusions
  22. Museum of African Art
  23. Royal Palace
  24. Milos Konak House Museum
  25. Historical Museum of Serbia
  26. Holy Archangel Michael Orthodox Church
  27. Bajrakali Mosque
  28. Belgrade City Museum
  29. Museum of Applied Art
  30. Prince Mihailo Monument
  31. Saint Petka Church
  32. Vuk & Dositej Museum
  33. Museum of Science & Technology
  34. Rakovica Monastery
  35. Serbian Orthodox Church Museum
  36. Yugoslav Film Archive
  37. Gallery of Frescos
  38. Museum of Ivo Andric
  39. Vinca Belo Brdo Archeological Site
  40. Museum of Natural History
  41. Zrnov Fortress
  42. Nebojsa Tower
  43. New Palace
  44. Jewish Historical Museum
  45. Palace Albania
  46. Mansion of Misa Anastasijevic
  47. Fenek Monastery
  48. Birth of the Holy Virgin Church
  49. Stajkova Kuca House Museum
  50. Dom Jevrema Grujica House Museum
  51. Jajinci Memorial Park
  52. Car Museum
  53. Gallery of Natural History Museum

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Belgrade

  1. Ada Ciganlija Peninsula
  2. Avala Mountain
  3. Great War Island
  4. Kosutnjak Forest
  5. Lake Ada Ciganlija
  6. Lake Sava
  7. Malo Ratno Ostrvo Island
  8. Ada Medica River
  9. Izletiste Nature Park

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Belgrade

  1. Kalemegdan Park
  2. Belgrade Zoo
  3. Jevremovac Botanical Garden
  4. Avka Park Hollywoodland
  5. KC Grad Cultural Center
  6. Javni Akvarijum Tropikarijum Aquarium
  7. SKC Cultural Center
  8. Grand Casino Beograde
  9. Floating Nighclubs
  10. U10
  11. Ciglana Abandoned Brick Factory

Shopping in Belgrade

  1. Kalenic Farmer’s Market
  2. Veletrznica Beograd Market
  3. ZLA SHTEK Variety Store
  4. Bajloni Market
  5. Zeleni Venac
  6. Knez Mihajlova Shopping District
  7. Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra
  8. Delta City Shopping Center
  9. Big Fashion
  10. TC Rajiceva
  11. Fashion Park
  12. Buvljak Flea Market
  13. Usce Shopping Mall
  14. Mercator Mall
  15. Piramida Mall
  16. Cumic Mall
  17. Banjica Mall
  18. Belgrade Design District
  19. Zira Center
  20. Immo Outlet Center
  21. Indija Outlet Center
  22.  Stadion Shopping Center

Beaches in Belgrade

  1. Lido Beach
  2. Ada Ciganlija

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure Things to Do in Belgrade

  1. Bike Tour
  2. River Boat Tour
  3. River Kayaking

Sightseeing in Belgrade

  1. Knez Mihailova Street
  2. Republic Square
  3. Terzije Square
  4. Avala Tower
  5. Genex Tower
  6. Topcider Park
  7. Nikola Pasic Square
  8. Ada Bridge
  9. Branko’s Bridge
  10. Gazela Bridge
  11. Karageorge’s Park
  12. Karadordeva Street
  13. Pancevo Bridge
  14. Beogradanka View Point
  15. Pupin’s Bridge
  16. Big Z Building
  17. Most na Adi Bridge
  18. Old Sava Bridge

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Belgrade

  1. Restiran Durmitor
  2. Mala Fabrika Ukusa
  3. Little Bay
  4. Restaurant ID
  5. Radost Fina Kuhinjica
  6. Tabor
  7. To je To
  8. Mali Pijac
  9. Manufaktura
  10. Cantina de Frida
  11. Enso
  12. Lavash
  13. Ambar
  14. Klub Knizevnika
  15. Kafana Kalenic
  16. Mezestoran Dvoriste
  17. Frans
  18. Homa Bistrot
  19. Casa Nova
  20. Dzumbus

Where to Stay in Belgrade?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-Range and Budget Hotels in Belgrade. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Belgrade.

Luxurious Hotels

  1. SAINT TEN Hotel
  2. Hyatt Regency Belgrade
  3. Hilton Belgrade
  4. Metropol Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Belgrade
  5. Hotel Moskva
  6. Belgrade Art Hotel, A Member of Radisson Individuals
  7. Radisson Collection Hotel, Old Mill Belgrade
  8. Courtyard by Marriott Belgrade City Center
  9. IN Hotel Belgrade
  10. Hotel Townhouse 27
  11. Jump INN Hotel Belgrade
  12. Belgrade Inn Garni Hotel

Mid-Range Hotels

  1. One Luxury Suites
  2. Belgrade City Hotel
  3. Hotel Majestic
  4. Mercure Belgrade Excelsior
  5. Argo Garni Hotel
  6. Holiday Inn Express Belgrade – City, an IHG Hotel
  7. Hotel HERITAGE Belgrade
  8. Putnik Inn Belgrade
  9. Five Points Square
  10. Hotel Golden Hill
  11. 88 Rooms Hotel
  12. Hotel Xenon

Budget Hotels

  1. Balkan Hotel Garni
  2. Central Park Residence
  3. Hotel Slavija Garni
  4. Hotel Hedonic
  5. Prince Hall
  6. Arkabarka
  7. Hostel Downtown Inn Belgrade
  8. Novel Inn
  9. Hotel Elegance
  10. Boatel Charlie
  11. Pension Travelling Actor
  12. Fair and Square Hostel

TripAdvisor

Custom Tours Package in Belgrade

How to Reach Belgrade?

By Air

The Nikola Tesla Airport is the only airport for Belgrade travel. It sits about 18 km west from the city center. So you do have to travel to reach the best places to visit in Belgrade. You can direct flight to visit Belgrade from about 50 cities around the world. Though majority of these destinations are from Europe.

Once you reach Nikola Tesla Airport, you can use bus, minibus or taxi to reach Belgrade tourist attractions. You can buy tickets for the bus to visit Belgrade from the airport or on the bus. The buses run at regular intervals between 4 in there morning till midnight. The minibus is more flexible with drop off destination compared to public buses. You can buy the ticket online, but you will have to inform the driver of the desired Belgrade points of interest or hotel you wish to reach. The minibus is only a little costlier than the bus and is way more comfortable option for Belgrade travel. You might have to wait in line if there is rush of visitors. You can enjoy several things to see in Belgrade along the way to your hotel.

Finally you have the option of getting a taxi to visit Belgrade, which is more expensive than the buses. You can get a cab to visit Belgrade tourist attractions right outside the departure gate. Most of taxi companies operating from the airport have a fixed price list which you should refer before getting in a cab. You can also book a taxi for Belgrade sightseeing over the phone.

By Road

There are several international trains to visit Belgrade. You can get direct trains for Belgrade travel from Budapest, Ljubljana, Podgorica, Bar, Montenegro, Skopje, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Timisoara, Vienna and Zagreb. Beware of robbers and con artists on the train. There have been instances of robbers pretending to be guards. They would offer to help you and leave your door open under that pretext.  Then they rob you off your belongings once you doze off. This happens only on night trains, but you should still be careful and keep an eye out during the train journey to visit Belgrade. You can always ask to check credentials of the person and refuse any offerings from strangers.

The bus network for Belgrade is run by several buses, Eurolines being the most popular among them. You can get direct buses for top things to do in Belgrade, Serbia from many European cities. Although long journey by bus might get quite uncomfortable so this option is advisable if you are in a nearby country.

If you are driving by yourself to visit Belgrade, you can take route E75, E763, E70, or E80. The route your take, of course, depends on the country or city you are traveling from. You should check out some of the best things to do in Belgrade, Serbia at the outskirts of the city before venturing for tourist attractions within the city. That’s one advantage of road travel. Most of the people visiting the city miss out on these activities in Belgrade.

By Water

You can take a river cruise or a river passenger boat to visit Belgrade from many towns and cities along Danube river. There are also a few tour river cruises which offer combine package of boat ride and a visit to several Belgrade tourist places. Most of these boat rides and river cruises are quite expensive though, it should only be explored as cool things to do in Belgrade, Serbia and not as a means of travel.


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Mustafa Natalwala

Mustafa is a content writer and digital marketing expert at WideWorldTrips.com His mainly interests are into travelling, photography, film-making

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