Guide to Belgrade, Serbia
So, I met this Cuban guy in Cyprus and ended up in Serbia…
Pretty standard, right?
No, this is not a love story… at least not with the man.
I met G on Bumble in Cyprus the first week that I was there and we were quick friends. We ended our first meet up on a beach where we talked about how we both ended up in Cyprus and he told me he had been in Belgrade for 3 years prior and how much he loved it and went back every chance he got.
Belgrade? Belgrade… Serbia?
My ignorance and preconceived notions didn’t align with his beaming face as he described the city he loved so much. I had questions.
The answers to those questions lead to me booking a 6 day trip to Belgrade 3 weeks later. He helped me find cheap flights, and I booked an Airbnb in the area he suggested. Other than that, I planned and researched nothing.
A few days before my flight, I looked up and saved a couple of restaurants (priorities) and downloaded a taxi app, that felt like enough “prep”.
The day before check in, my Airbnb host reached out and asked what time I would be checking in, I asked what time was the earliest possible as I landed at 5:45a and would just store bags until then. He welcomed me to check in upon arrival and asked if I had transportation from the airport. When I told him I would just grab a taxi, he said he’d arrange pick up for me for 20€ (considerably less than a taxi) and that sounded great. I assume a taxi service, but he and his wife were there to get me at 6a. She was a bright light at dawn, giving me an onslaught of information, insight and recommendations. They carried my bags inside, gave a brief tour of the adorable apartment and bid me a good stay.
I immediately fell asleep and when I woke up, started my visit to Belgrade, here is how it went:
I stepped outside in to Skadarlija and was confused… had I stepped back in time? Was this Paris? Is this… Belgrade? The beautiful cobblestone streets, cafes adorned with beautiful flowers and checkered tablecloths was reminiscent of an old European movie scene. Of course, this was the “tourist area”, but… I’m a tourist so it was effective.
I ended up going on an odd date my first night, that started with one Turkish man, and ended with another.
I walked endless kilometers, taking in much of the city by foot. Crossing bridges and weaving in and and out of neighborhoods.
I ate a Michelin guide dinner solo at a table set for 6.
I quickly became a regular at the bakery on the corner.
I got an education in Serbian wine.
I went on a date with a man from Seattle who came to Belgrade for a week pre-COVID and had yet to leave.
I had beautiful three course meals with wine and espresso for 30$ or less
I found familiarity in the people: kind but not overly warm, friendly but slightly guarded, much like New Yorkers.
I visited lake Ada just a couple of days too late to enjoy the beach, cafes, and bars… but was compensated by getting to see some of the rowing world championships taking place.
I got a new tattoo.
I spent the night with a Colombian circus performer.
I visited forts and landmarks and ornate churches.
I went to the museum of contemporary art where the man insisted it was free that day and ushered me in… then saw him charging people on my way out. Belgrade took me by surprise.
The Cuban in Cyprus may not have been a love story, but Belgrade was.
Trip Details and Cost Breakdown
(some chargers were in Euro and others in USD, for accuracy, I have used out here the currency I paid in)
Flights
Larnaca, Cyprus to Belgrade on Air Serbia Economy Standard with checked bag and exit row seat 68.16€
Belgrade to Lisbon on KLM Economy with checked bag and exit rows seat (with 8 hour layover in Amsterdam) $214.00
Airbnb: 6 nights $320.65
Transportation
from airport to Airbnb (courtesy of my hosts) 20€
to the airport from my Airbnb (arranged through pink taxi) 27€
Taxis: I walked everywhere with the exception of 1 taxi ride from Ada Lake back to the city center, approx 7,50€
🌟I used Pink Taxi (app and viber text) to call and pre-arrange taxis and both worked seamlessly.
Entrance fees: 0
Food and drinks:
average pastry + espresso was approximately 2€
lunch: sit down with drink averaged 10-14€, grab and go sandwich or light-bite averaged 5-10€
fine dining appetizer + main + wine (sometimes + dessert) averaged 28-35€
Cocktails: ranged from 5-12€
Beer: 1,8€-5€
The Sites
Photos courtesy of me. History and official description courtesy of Wikipedia.
Kalemegdan (Belgrade Park)
Recommended by everyone from the Cuban in Cyprus to my Airbnb hosts, to bartenders and servers, Kalemegdan Park was my first stop in Belgrade. It is an absolutely beautiful space, with sweeping views of the River and city. The park is very clean and spacious with art installations, vendor stalls, seasonal food trucks, and of course the Fortress. Due to the season I visited, there were also numerous weddings taking place in the park, which was an added bonus with all the beautiful fashion, antique cars, and couples taking photos throughout the park.
🕰️24 hours
🗺️Kalemegdan bb 11000
💰Free
The Kalemegdan Park or simply Kalemegdan is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a 125-metre-high (410 ft) cliff, at the junction of the River Save and the Danube.
Kalemegdan Park, split in two as the Great and Littel Parks, was developed in the area that once was the town field within the Belgrade Fortress. Today residents often erroneously refer to the entire fortress as the Kalemegdan Fortress or just Kalemegdan, even though the park occupies the smaller part, especially of the historical fortress, and it is some two millennia younger. The fortress, including the Kalemegdan, represents a cultural monument of exceptional importance (from 1979), the area where various sport, cultural and arts events take place, for all generations of Belgraders and numerous visitors of the city.
Kalemegdan Fortress (Belgrade Fortress)
🕰️24 hours
🗺️Kalemegdan bb 11000
💰free
Located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad, the fortress constitutes the specific historical core of the city. As one of the most important representatives of Belgrade's cultural heritage, it was originally protected right after World War II, among the first officially declared cultural monuments in Serbia. The fortress was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and is protected by the Republic of Serbia. It is the most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade.. Since the admission is free, it is estimated that the total number of visitors (foreign, domestic, citizens of Belgrade) is over 2 million yearly.
Skadarlija
Skadarlija is a vintage street, an urban neighborhood, and former municipality of Belgrade, located in the Belgrade municipality of Stari Grad (Old Town). Skadarlija partially preserves the ambience of traditional urban architecture, including archaic urban organization, and is known as the main bohemian quarter of Belgrade, similar to Montmartre in Paris. Since 1967, Skadarlija has been protected by law as a spatial cultural-historical unit.
After Kalemegdon, Skadarlija is the second-most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade, contributing one third of the city's foreign-currency income
I stayed on Skadarlija and walking out the door every day was like walking out to a fairy tale (a tourist infused fairy tale, but a fairy tale just the same). It also has a lively night life with plenty of cafes and restaurants staying open past dinner hours serving beer and cocktails. There are roaming singing groups and kids performing in the street for change.
Republic Square
The Republic Square or the Square of the Republic is one of the central town squares and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, located in the Stari Grad municipality. It is the site of some of Belgrade's most recognizable public buildings, including the National Museum, the National Theater and the statue of Prince Michael.
Republic Square is also filled with adorable cafes, artisan shops and plenty of retail shopping. It is a great area to just wander around or sit and have a drink and a bite and enjoy some prime people watching.
Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel
🗺️Tomb of Vuk Karadzic, Kneza Sime Markovića, Beograd 11000, Serbia
🕰️Daily 7a-8p
🌐Holy Archangel Michael Orthodox Church
💰free
Situated in the old part of the city, at the intersection of Kralja Petra and Kneza Sime Markovića streets. It was built between 1837 and 1840, on the location of an older church also dedicated to Archangel Michael. It is one of the most important places of worship in the country. It is commonly known as just Saborna crkva (The cathedral) among the city residents. It was proclaimed as a Cultural Monument of Exceptional Importance in 1979.
The cathedral church is one of the few preserved monuments of Belgrade from the first half of the 19th century. During the times when new social and political structures were slowly emerging, the cathedral church became a central support in the independence fight from Turkish centralism to the final freedom from Ottoman rule.
The Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art
🗺️10 Ušće St, Bloc 15, 11070 New Belgrade
🕰️Mon, Wed, Fr-Sun 10a-6p, closed Tues, Turs 12p-8p
🌐Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art
💰600 dinars (approx 5€)
I am usually not a museum person, but I love a modern or contemporary art museum with small and diverse exhibits and this one nailed it. Easily covered in 60-90 minutes, the Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art is in a beautiful building with thoughtful and well laid out exhibits.
Other museums of interest in Belgrade that I opted out of:
Military Museum, Belgrade - I visited the grounds and if that was any indication, the museum is probably really cool
Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River’s course through central Belgrade. The name can also refer to the adjoining artificial Lake Sava and its beach. To take advantage of its central location, over the past few decades, it was turned into an immensely popular recreational zone, most notable for its beaches and sports facilities, which, during summer seasons, can have over 100,000 visitors daily and up to 300,000 visitors over the weekend. Owing to this popularity, Ada Ciganlija has been commonly nicknamed "More Beograda" ("Belgrade's Sea")
I missed the “season” by just a few days, and arrived at Ada after fences had been put up around the beach and 90% of the cafes and restaurants were closed or closing for the season, but it was clear to see that this area is really fun and a great place to visit during the summer months. There are many cafes, bars, restaruants, bike and roller blade rentals, and even bungee jumping.
I did luck out and get to see some practice runs for the world rowing championship, and took advantage of the waking path that loops the water.
A Walk Through Belgrade
I love a good Urban Hike.
I find one of the best ways to see a city is to pick a point a few miles away, and get walking. I will turn in a 3 mile journey in to 5 getting distracted and pulled in different directions, I will get views and access to areas, I would certainly miss in a car or public transit. I get to take in smells and sounds, and feelings that only a walk can provide. As a bonus, I can also justify the pastry or cocktail I am very likely to stop for.
This trip, my big urban hike was from Skadarlija to Ada Ciganlija. I covered about 4 miles, walked through urban areas, under overpasses, over bridges, along the Dunabe, and through several neighborhoods.
This is a bit of what I saw…
The Food
The Food in Belgrade was even better than I expected (with my not-so extensive research). As an added bonus, I was able to find plenty of vegetarian and poultry options, I was a bit nervous as someone who does not eat any red meat and limited poultry. As an added added bonus: everything was very affordable compared to the US and most of Western Europe.
These were some of my favorites
Funk and Soul Pub
🗺️Nikole Spasića 1, Beograd 11000, Serbia
🕰️Daily 10a to 1a
💰$$
While not necessarily “Serbian cuisine”, Funk and Soul is well known for it’s burgers and local craft beer. I was overjoyed to find a veggie burger on the menu but had low expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised to be served one of the best veggie burgers I have ever had.
The craft beer was also very good - I had both pale ales and highly recommend both.
The atmosphere and décor was also spot on for the theme of the pub. There are two locations in Belgrade, about 10 minutes from each other. (*pro tip: Make sure to specify which one you are going to when meeting a date for the first time)
New Balkan Cuisine Iva
From the Michelin guide: There’s great value to be had at this semi-basement level restaurant with a pared-back modern look. The extensive menu covers everything from breakfast to street food, and much more. Traditional Balkan recipes are subtly refined yet remain wholesome and comforting. They favour using smaller producers. A small, yet attractive, wine list is available and a smart service will welcome you.
Staying true to form, I didn’t do much research on the restaurant but when I googled ‘dinner near me” and the pictures looked amazing, I decided to head there for dinner. They were quite busy when I arrived, but offered me a seat inside at the “community table” and let me know I may be seated with others if they came in - not a problem at all!
As the universe would have it, no one else came in and I sat at the community table (set for 6) solo-dolo for the duration of my 2 hour meal. In some circumstances, this might have felt a little awkward, but not here. The staff was so kind and attentive, without being overbearing, and the overall feel of the space was just comfortable.
I was introduced to Serbian wine, and given a bit of an education about the history and recent growth of it. I indulged on a decadent appetizer that included local cheese, honey, and nuts. I ate my stuffed chicken breast with my eyes closed. I texted a friend about the magic of my meal as I sipped my espresso and waited for my take away dessert and tried to wrap my head around how my total bill was under $35.
It wasn’t until I left and took a picture of the façade and sign that I noticed the Michelin Stars.
Little Bay
🗺️Dositejeva 9a, Beograd 11000, Serbia
🕰️Sun-Thurs 9a-11p, Fri-Sat 9a-12a
💰$$
Little Bay offered not only an amazing meal, but a full cultural experience.
Recommended by an acquaintance who used to live in Belgrade, I immediately made a reservation for 1 on my last night in Belgrade.
I was warmly greeted and welcomed upon arrival and given the choice of 2 tables, both set for a solo diner. It may seem so trivial and irrelevant, but having a pre-set table for 1 where the other setting doesn’t need to be cleared away, can be impactful. Everything from the Serbian wine, which I was now a pro in, to the soup starter to the perfectly cooked duck was incredible.
I am usually not one for live dinner performances, but the solo opera singer accompanied by a piano player for the first hour of my visit to Little Bay was beautiful, and not at all overbearing.
Bloom
🗺️Gospodar-Jevremova 23, Beograd 11000, Serbia
🕰️Tues-Fri 8a to 4p, Sat-Sun 9a-5p, Closed Mon
💰$$
Bloom Belgrade came up in every search for “best Brunch in Belgrade” and I quickly found out why. I almost missed out on this cute little place with fresh and delicious food when I turned the corner and saw there was a line of at least 15 people outside. I am not, at all, one to stand in lines and I often assume somewhere is overhype and too touristy if there is a line.
After a quick assessment, I realized several people in the line seemed local and looking at the plates on the outdoor tables, thought it might be worth it. I decided to give it 10 minutes and see how fast things moved along. As the solo travel goddesses will have it, the moment I stepped in to line, the host approached and said “one?”.
I was immediately sat at the window bar, no line no waiting for the loners!
With its chic-but-cozy atmosphere, eclectic crowd, fun servers, and yummy food (with an americano for about $10), I can confidently say the line is worth it.
Angry Monk
🗺️Uzun Mirkova 11, Beograd 11000, Serbia
🕰️Sun-Thurs 12p-12a, Fri-Sat 12p-1a
💰€€€
Was this restaurant Serbian? Nope.
Was it especially ‘budget friendly’? Nope
Was is something I would have sought out and made plans to go to? Not necessarily
Was is it open late? Aesthetically lovely? Amazing and fun cocktails? Delicious food? Yes, yes, yes, yes.
I ended up at Angry Monk when I was looking for somewhere open late for a cocktail with a light bite. The space was beautiful and a bit more elevated than I expected without being pretentious, my server was kind and friendly, my cocktail was a work of art and came with a whole snack on top, and my food was super tasty; an overall win, if a bit spendy.
