Belgrade

Welcome to Belgrade

Proudly named the City of Culture, City of Inspiration, City of Sports and Festivals, Belgrade develops and changes fast, protecting its rich and diverse history within the mixture of culture, architecture and urban spirit.

With some of the most attractive locations, Belgrade Fortress – the oldest cultural and historical monument, Skadarlija – the bohemian quarter in the city centre, Knez Mihailova street; Old and New Royal Court, Federal Parliament, Temple of St. Sava, Zemun and many others, Belgrade makes the cultural centre of South East Europe.
Being one of the oldest European cities with the heritage which lasts over 5000 years, Belgrade cherishes the history, landmarks, monuments from the past, traditional art and famous attractions.

Bohemian Style

Skadarlija began to acquire its bohemian character in the last few decades of the 19th century. Skadarlijan inns or kafanas have hosted many celebrities over the decades, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Jimi Hendrix, Josip Broz Tito, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, chess player Anatoly Karpov and many others. The present Skadarlija, a short and curved street, is a remarkable attraction with some of the famous inns Tri šešira (Three Hats), Šešir moj (This old hat of mine), Dva jelena (Two Deer), Zlatni bokal (The Golden Chalice), Ima dana (There will be days), Putujuci glumac (Traveling Actor) and Dva bela goluba (Two White Doves).

Belgrade Fortress

Belgrade Fortress, known as Kalemegdan, is a defensive structure built around 3rd century, and is the oldest and the core section of the city. It overlooks the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and, that very spot, next to the statue Pobednik (The Victor), done by the famous sculptor, Ivan Meštrović, is probably the most beautiful lookout in Belgrade.

Zemun

Once a separate city, Zemun is nowadays known as a romantic and poetic part of Belgrade. In its main street (Glavna ulica), it has a Homeland museum and Madlenianum Opera and Theatre, that underlines the beauty of this street with beautiful sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, tenors, baritones and basses of renowned national and international opera singers.
The bank of the Danube where Zemun is situated, Zemunski kej, is a kilometres long promenade, with barges-cafés, amusement park and formerly largest hotel in Belgrade, now Grand Casino. At night, these barges-cafés are the epicentre of a night life, open till dawn. Gardoš Tower is the most recognizable symbol of Zemun. This neighborhood preserved its old looks, with narrow, mostly cobblestoned streets and individual residential houses. There is a cute café/restaurant near the Gardoš tower that offers panoramic view of Belgrade and a pleasant rest from the sounds of city traffic.

Belgrade on the river banks: Sava and Danube

The confluence represents the most attractive point under the Belgrade fortress, and along with the Big War Island is a real natural oasis in the heart of a modern city. The river banks never sleep: on numerous boats, restaurants and cafes visitors can have a cup of coffee, eat a fish speciality, listen the music and have fun.

Gastronomy

Serbian cuisine is a mix of Mediterranean, Hungarian, Turkish and Austrian, accompanied by a large diversity of beverages.
At least one meal with fish is a must down in one of the restaurants by the rivers, on the water. But when in town, use the opportunity to try out something typically Serbian, like ćevapčići (small rolls of mixed minced meat), all kinds of grilled meat, gibanica (pastry leaves mixed with eggs, cheese or spinach, or meat), karađorđeva šnicla (meat stake) etc. The famous local alcohol beverage is rakija – especially šljivovica (plum brandy) and lozovača (grappa). As for the wines, there is a wide range of it from Mediterranean and continental types. Probably the best place to try out the local cuisine is Skadarlija – the bohemian quarter.