Belgrade, Serbia
How we spent five days in Belgrade, Serbia. Learn some of our favorite foods, sites and the easiest ways to get there.
TRAVEL BLOG
Samantha
10/23/20259 min read
Helpful Tips, delicious restaurants & bakeries as well as must see sights and churches in Belgrade, Serbia!
Belgrade Fortress Gate
Must see sights in Belgrade, Serbia
Belgrade Fortress: Built in 279 BC, Kalemegdan Fortress is located in one of the best parks in the city center. It is open 24/7, and it's free. We enjoyed walking around and reading all the signs that were in both Serbian and English. There is also a free toilet here.
Park Ada Ciganlija: We spent the afternoon strolling through this beautiful park/beach. It is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River. You could easily spend multiple days here doing something different every day. There is a beautiful rock beach and the lake's water is clean and warm. Plenty of benches in the shade, free toilets, water fountains and outdoor showers. There is also a tennis court, volleyball court, swings, playgrounds and a climbing wall! We passed many restaurants and small shops with very reasonable prices. It was pretty quiet when we were there, but it was a Tuesday and school just started back, otherwise I think it gets quite busy. We got to watch some of the Olympic-style rowers practice which was pretty cool!
Tasmajdan | Sportsko rekreativni centar | Park ТАШМАЈДАН | Спортско рекреативни центар | Парк: A beautiful green space with shade trees, rubber jogging paths, a playground and large sports complex that seemed to be used a lot. There are also restaurants, bathrooms and free water fountains.
Radio Television of Serbia headquarters: On April 23, 1999 NATO missiles hit the building killing 16 employees. Nearly all the RTS employees killed were technicians, security workers and makeup artists. Many were trapped for days, only communicating over mobile phones. The station returned to the air less than 24 hours later from a secret location. The bombing was part of NATO's campaign against Yugoslavia. It is a somber sight to see, but I believe it's important to visit these sites and remember what the true cost of war is:
Jelica Munitlak (28), makeup artist; Ksenija Banković (28), video editor; Darko Stiomenovski (26), technician; Nebojša Stojanović (27), technician; Dragorad Dragojević (27), security worker; Dragan Tasić (31), electrician; Aleksandar Deletić (31), cameraman; Slaviša Stavanović (32), technician; Siniša Medić (32), program designer; Ivan Stukalo (34), technician; Dejan Marković (39), security worker; Milan Joksimović (47), security worker; Branislav Jovanović (50), technician; Milan Janković (59), precision mechanic; Tomislav Mitrović (61), program director; Slobodan Jontić (54), editor, all perished in the bombing.
Kalenić Green Market Пијаца Каленић: This market was within walking distance from our apartment and where we did most of our food shopping. They have everything here, from produce, meat, seafood, homegoods, jewelry, clothes to little venders selling miscellaneous odds and ends, you name it they have it here!
Amazing churches in Belgrade, Serbia
St. Mark Orthodox Church: The church was built in the Serbo-Byzantine style by the Krstić brothers, completed in 1940, on the site of a previous church dating to 1835. The church is beautiful and definitely worth a stop, it is located within Tašmajdan park so I recommend doing them together. Some lesser known facts about the church is that King Alexander 1 had intended for it to be a burial site for his dynasty, and it was here that the remains of King Aleksandar Obrenović and Queen Draga, tragically assassinated in 1903, found their final resting place. Their assassination marked the end of the Obrenović dynasty, yet their legacy endures beneath St. Mark’s through a crypt dedicated to Serbian royalty. The tomb of King Stefan Dušan, the 14th-century emperor who transformed Serbia into a Balkan empire, is also housed within the church, his burial site remaining a place of reverence. The church also safeguards precious relics from Kosovo and Metohija, particularly from the monasteries that were destroyed or damaged during the conflicts in the region. These include fragments of icons, manuscripts, and religious artifacts that serve as reminders of Serbia’s cultural heritage. The church’s role as a custodian of these relics reinforces its significance as a spiritual and cultural sanctuary. The information signs also have an English translation making it much easier for us. It is free to get in and they ask that you not wear shorts or revealing clothes, though it was not strictly enforced.
Church of Saint Sava Храм Светог Саве: A 20th century church featuring imposing, Byzantine inspired architecture and a soaring central dome. It is the largest Orthodox church in Serbia, and it ranks among the largest churches in the world. It is free to enter and long pants or skirts are recommended for both men and women, though we saw both in shorts. While I did find the church to be beautiful I always struggle to see Christ's message in places of such grandeur.
Church of the Holy Trinity: Positioned right behind St. Mark’s Church we stumbled upon this by accident. It’s a Russian Orthodox church, and I would recommend (women) covering their head and legs before entering. I didn't see any women not dressed this way. The small church is beautiful and has several relics on display. There are no pictures permitted inside, but the caretaker allowed me to use Google translate as everything was written in Serbian.
Sarcophagus of Stefan Dušan
"I slept, but my heart was awake" Songs of Songs 5:2
Patriarch German
Picture from the doorway before we saw the sign saying no photographs
Delicious restaurants and Bakerys in Belgrade, Serbia
Stara Srbija Ресторан/Стара Србија: We had a delicious lunch on the outside covered patio. I had the golach which came with mashed potatoes, it was delicious and there was a ton of beef. Don had Čačak čevapi, a grilled pork (maybe lamb) sausage with a lot of cheese and marinated grilled pepper on top. It was also delicious and enough meat for two people. We also shared some bread. The Total was 2,720 RSD ($27.19USD)
Urbana Bakery: An amazing spot with a large variety of baked goods, both savory and sweet. The place had steady business the whole time we were there. I had a slice of pizza and a pizza-like pastry that had sour cream on top, both were fresh and hot, the pizza was close to NY crust and the pastry was buttery and flaky. Don's savory pastry was stuffed with melted ham and cheese. I think I liked it more than he did. He also got a potica, which is a strudel stuffed with poppy seed paste (sometimes walnuts) that he loved. It was pretty delicious and everything was about 840 RSD ($8.37USD)
Lulu bakery: Delicious home made bread and baked goods. We picked up a fresh loaf of their mixed rye and it was amazing. Mixed rye is the local Baltic bread of choice and definitely worth a try! We went to a few different locations and all were delicious!
Osh Plov Beograd: We had two delicious plov wraps here. Though we never had plov wraps in Uzbekistan the flavors did take us back! This was a delicious easy lunch that cost 8,00 RSD ($7.97 USD) total
Čačak čevapi
Golach
Pastry filled with ham and cheese
Pizza pastry filled with cured meats, tomaroes sauce & cheese and topped with sour cream
Bakery Čeda Burek Пекара Чеда бурек: We stopped here for a quick bite on our way to the hotel. There was no seating so we took it to some benches nearby. This place was packed and they were selling out faster than they could make them. I got the meat and Don got the cheese burek and we both had a small yogurt drink. It was delicious, very flakey, oily and well seasoned. I unfortunately didn't take any pictures. It cost 450 RSD ($4.50 USD) for everything.
Ćoše Ћоше: Probably the best pizza I've had overseas, and I've eaten a lot of pizza! The crust was thin and crispy and the toppings were fresh!
Delicious quiche
Where we stayed in Belgrade, Serbia
Studio Vracar: A great studio apartment with a full kitchen, bathroom, washing machine and AC. The host was super friendly and made the check in a breeze. The apartment is walking distance from many markets and the bus. It is a ground level apartment so if you are a light sleeper (we are not) this might not be for you. We honestly loved the stay. We stayed for five nights which cost us $168 USD total and the host was willing to accept payment in RSD, Euros and USD.
Public Transportation and ATM's
Public transportation: The buses and trams in the city are free and plentiful! They had both gas and electric buses, some old and new as well as trams. It was fun to see all the different varieties at once in the roundabouts. Google directions was pretty good with the schedule, but there were some road closures that changed a few of the bus routes that Google didn't know about so when in doubt ask the bus driver.
ATM: We found a free ATM at ALTA BANKA located HERE. The ATM is only free to use if your back doesn't charge a withdrawal fee and remember always take out money in the local currency to avoid horrendous conversion fees!
Is Belgrade pedestrian friendly? Yes! There are sidewalks and crosswalks throughout the city. The parks also have lots of bike paths.
Toilets: There are free toilets in the parks and in cafes and restaurants, but I didnt see any paid toilets around. There is a toilet at the Niš bus station, but it only accepts 50 or 100 RSD bills and costs 50RSD if you press Serbian and 100 RSD if you press English. It takes a second to print the ticket, then you scan the barcode, not the QR code.
How we got from Novi Sad to Belgrade, Serbia
We took the train from Novi Sad to Belgrade getting on at Petrovaradin station. The train was ontime, clean and comfortable. Its easy to buy tickets once you get to the station and the platform's have up to date information about the trains and there arrivls. There are nice bathrooms onboard.
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