Belgrade Destination Guide

There are a number of Belgrade tourist attractions on offer for the tourist who wants to spend some time exploring this ancient city. Nature lovers will discover a haven here and history buffs will find a plethora of fascinations such as castles, ruins, monuments, ancient cities and museums to explore.

Belgrade has some of the most picturesque villages and busy market places. A visit to Belgrade , one of Serbia's top tourist destinations, and Vojvodina, northern provinz of Serbia, makes for an unforgettable holiday.

To find a place to stay search and book a Belgrade hotel and make sure you delve into this Belgrade and Vojvodina's destination guide below to find out what you might what to see and do on your stay here. For more general information on Serbia our Serbia country guide will be of assistance.

Things to See & Do in Belgrade 

A complete tour of Belgrade could be ideally completed in a span of three weeks. The Terazije Street, Republike Square, the Yugoslav Parliament, the Studentski Square, the Saint Sava and Saint Alexander Nevsky churches are some of Belgrade's top must-see attractions. While in Serbia, tourists can also visit the Kalemegdan citadel, the National Museum at Trg Republike, Novi Beograd and Zemun.

Below you will find a guide to some of the Belgrade highlights we've selected for you:

This fortress dates back to Turkish times and is ideal for family visits, especially on a fine day. Even the local people come here with their families to spend a day and sample its attractions. The zoo, the Museum of Nature and the Military Museum are some places to visit at the fortress. Visitors can take a leisurely walk around or enjoy the view from Pobednik plateau, or spend some time at the Cvijeta Zuzoric Pavilion  which houses an art gallery along with a café.

Several green markets, known locally as ‘pijaca’, are an important feature of Belgrade. Produce markets or local markets are the best places to observe local people and their culture, traditions and customs. For visitors staying close to the city centre, the Zeleni Venac pijaca would be a good place to go to. If the visitor chooses to stay in Novi Beograd, the market in Block 44 and the flea market are the places to visit.

The Avala Mountain is 510 metres in height and is located close to Belgrade. The locals spend a lot of their free time at this popular spot, picnicking, hiking and just enjoying the marvellous view from the summit. A monument to “An Unknown Soldier” also graces the mountain top.

Close to the Kalemegdan Fortress lie the oldest localities of Belgrade.

On the plateau overlooking the Sava River lies Kosancicev Venac. The location is just below the fortress and it is the site of a Serbian settlement that emerged in medieval times. The settlement gradually grew into a community that encompassed a church and a cemetery. Later, with the advent of the 19th century, this area formed the centre for the expansion of Belgrade as a city. A few quiet cobbled streets and some remarkable buildings are all that remain of the Belgrade of those times.

One building that has lost none of its former prominence is the Holy Archangel Michael’s Church, built by order of Prince Milos Obrenovic on the foundations of an earlier church dating back to 1728. Designed by the architect Kuarfeldt, the church was completed in 1840 and exhibits the classical style of construction in which Baroque elements can be clearly seen. The highlight is the church treasury, which houses a number of ancient icons and works richly embellished by goldsmiths of the 17th to 20th centuries.

The mortal remains of the Serbian rulers Milos Obrenovic and Mihailo Obrenovic lie interred in the crypt here. Two noted figures in Serbian history - Dositij Obrenovic and Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic – are interred in the churchyard.

Another must-see is Princess Lyubica’s Mansion which has been converted into a museum.

Roman ruins dating back to more than 2000 years ago form the main attraction here, though what visitors view of the fortress now are really from the 17th century. This fortress formed the core of Belgrade, around which a settlement evolved, beginning from the time of Singidunum belonging to Celtic and Roman times. A number of remains of the Roman fortifications have been found in recent times. The fourth Flavian legion was stationed here once and during that time, the first fort, called the Upper Fortress, was built of square hewn stone.

The remains of the ancient Roman walls along with the lower part of the North West wall of the Upper Fortress can still be seen near Zindan gate. A square tower is also visible here.

Visitors to Belgrade can spend time at some of its fine churches, which attract a number of tourists. Two churches, in particular, stand out – St. Mark’s Church in Tasmajdan Park and St. Sava Church, which is yet to be completed. St. Mark’s has remarkable architecture and is a replica, albeit magnified, of the Gracinica Monastery church in Kosovo.

St. Sava Church, however, is expected to surpass all other churches on completion. This church, dedicated to Saint Sava who was the founder of the Serbian church, has a finished exterior. The construction of the largest Orthodox church in the world started in 1894, but the interiors are yet unfinished. The church is situated on a hill where Sinan Pasha had the holy relics of Saint Sava burned at the stake in 1594.

Go boho

Skadarlija is Belgrade’s famous Bohemian quarter. A leisurely stroll down the narrow cobbled streets will lead visitors deep inside the cultural heart of Belgrade. Here, modern bars jostle cheek-to-jowl with 19th century cafes which are focal points for gatherings of poets and artists who meet and ponder the relative merits of Balkan beers and local plum brandies. During daytime, the streets resound with traditional Serbian music and overflow with patrons of picture galleries.

Float over Zemun

The Zemunians live in the Austrian-Hungarian part of Belgrade. Wild plums grow profusely at the base of the Sibinjanin Janko tower, from whose summit a magnificent view of the confluence of rivers can be seen. To drink in the beauty of the city, the best way is to take a hot-air balloon from the aeronautics exhibition on Danube Quay.

Visit Ada Ciganlija island resort

The thickly forested Kalmegdan Park is perfect for a stroll while tourists can visit the Ada Ciganlija island resort where houseboats and rafts skim the River Sava.

Pebbled beaches, a nudist camp, rollerblading paths, restaurants and a bungee jump are some of the attractions here.

See the citadels

With the advent of the Celts, Belgrade was invaded many times and therefore has a number of picturesque ruins and forbidding citadels to mark that era in its turbulent past. For about 60 Euros, an official guide will accompany tourists on a walking tour and explain the city’s colourful history. The fortress of Kalmegdan has impressive views from its battlements.

Sports Activities

The island resort of Ada Ciganlija has about 50 different open spaces meant for sports, including a golf course and a lift for water-skiing. The beaches extend up to seven kilometres and there are facilities for golf, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby union, baseball, and tennis. Playing grounds for beach volleyball and aqua soccer are available and there are facilities for extreme sports such as bungee jumping, Advenure parc, artificial rock walls for climbing and paintball. A number of tracks on the island make it possible for visitors to indulge in riding a bike, walking or jogging. The lake Ada Safari is a haven for anglers.

Party on the Danube

The Romany part of the Serbian heritage is cherished and Serbians always include a gypsy band at weddings. Fat Toma’s gypsy boat is an example of an exotic Romany evening – tambourine and trumpet music accompany regional dishes on a boat moored by a river coastline that is marked by secluded beaches of golden sand. The Trinity Beach resort and the Kewarra beach are also popular, while Palm Cove offers shops, bars, restaurants replete with village atmosphere. Port Douglas is a quiet, nondescript village that offers four kilometres of pristine beaches and the perfect spot for relaxation.