It’s hard to be disappointed when you have no expectations and we had no idea of what we’d find in Belgrade. We were pleasantly surprised. The old town area has lots of well maintained pedestrian walkways with shops, cafes, street musicians and fountains. It’s a lovely place to just spend some time drinking coffee and watching the world go by. Prices are certainly cheap by Western European standards and there’s plenty to see and do. The city does suffer from some decay but it’s not nearly as bad as Bucharest and we suspect it will get better more quickly as tourist dollars flood in. You have to remember that these people fought several wars in the 1990s and haven’t fully recovered from them yet. As one of our guides said to us, “I’m 26 and have already survived two wars”. Some of the older population still harbor serious anti-American sentiment over the NATO bombings and, even the younger people, seem unhappy about the current situation in Kosovo, but if you stay off those topics there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a great time.
Here’s our must do list for the city…
- Kalemegdan Park and Kalemegdan Fortress. It’s the number one attraction in the city for a good reason. The fort is beautifully situated on top of a hill with great views with many things to see and do. Admission is free.
- Belgrade Zoo. Located in Kalemegdan Park it has a surprisingly large collection of animals. Entry was about $3.00 per person.
- Visit the National Museum in Belgrade in Republic Square. They have something for everyone: Archeology, Numismatics, Old Masters and Modern Art. Entry is about $3.00 per person (watch out for the cats).
- Have coffee or drinks at a Kafana. For a modern version checkout one of our favorites: Kafeterija Magazin.
- Stroll Prince Michael Street and the connecting pedestrian walkways. This is the heart of the old town district.
- See historic Skadarska Street and eat at one of the many restaurants.
- The Hotel Moscow. Pick up a piece of their famous Moskva Schnit, it’s different from anything you’ve had before and it’s delicious. Have a meal there; the prices are surprisingly reasonable.
- Visit the Temple of Saint Sava. You can only visit the crypt right now because they’re still constructing/decorating the main sanctuary (and will be for the next 20 years or so) but the crypt is quite beautiful and definitely worth a visit.
- Visit Saint Mark’s Church and see the tomb of Dushan the Strong, a very important leader from medieval Serbia.
- Visit the Royal Palaces. You can only see them with a guide and must book through one of the tourist information booths. Cost: about $6.50 per person.
- Take a tour of Novi Sad and all the nearby attractions (wineries, monasteries and Petrovaradin Fortress.
- Take a sunset cruise on the Sava/Danube Rivers.
- If you’re a tennis fan you can eat at Novak Djokovic’s restaurant (it’s a little pricey) or play at his tennis club (it’s incredibly cheap).
We left off a few of the standard attractions like the Tesla Museum, The House of Flowers and the Museum of Yugoslavia. If time permits you might want to include these on your itineraries as well.