Belgrade in two days: what to see and do. One day in Belgrade: an unusual trip from burundukmedia What to do in Belgrade

According to Nietzsche, there are two types of beauty. The one that can be understood by reason, and the one that you feel intuitively and spontaneously. Speaking about Serbian Belgrade, its beauty should be attributed to the second type. It is impossible to explain why the soul and body are so drawn here. No need to. It’s just worth visiting this city at least once in your life, where the contrast is perhaps felt brighter and more expressive than in the famous city, and the residents are more hospitable and good-natured than in their usual homeland.

Belgrade, whose history goes back more than two and a half thousand years, during its existence managed to die thirty-eight times and resurrect the same number of times. There is a mixture of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, East and West, the spirit of war and the thirst for life, fashionable areas, expressive graffiti and buildings damaged by NATO machine guns and airstrikes, joy and tragedy in the eyes of stately Serbs.

To fully experience and understand the character of Belgrade, you need to see the grandiose Cathedral of Saint Sava , visit the sublime Kalemegdan , go all the way Knez Mihailova street , then try local cuisine in one of the cafes, talk with local residents in Russian and easily understand their answer in Serbian, buy a bottle of plum brandy as a gift, throw a coin into the calm waters of the Danube and return to this city more than once!

5 things to do in Belgrade

1. See the grandiose Cathedral of St. Sava

One of the biggest Orthodox churches in the world and the main pride of Belgrade residents and all Serbs takes first place in the Belgrade “Must see” list! The temple survived several wars, was built over two hundred years and is still not completed. Approaching this relic of marble and granite and raising your head, you are amazed at the size and monumentality of the cathedral.

Contemplating the cathedral from the outside, you cannot say at all that large-scale construction work is still underway there. However, when you go inside, you realize that its premises are not even at the final stage of finishing. But this does not prevent you from getting an impression from its decoration - on the giant mosaic of the Almighty Savior decorating the dome, only the eyes of Christ occupy more than a meter in length each.

2. Go around the oldest park in Europe, Kalemegdan

Kalemegdan Park and the Belgrade Fortress, located on its territory, are perhaps the most visited places in Belgrade after the Cathedral of St. Sava. Here you can do many different things: see with your own eyes the grandiose outdoor exhibition of weapons equipment from tanks to cannons, medieval bridges and gates, the three-hundred-year-old Clock Tower, climb the Despot Tower, where there is a large observation deck from which a dizzying panorama of Belgrade opens, as well as the site the confluence of two rivers - the Danube and the Sava, stand at the foot of the symbol of Belgrade - the monument to the Winner, and even play tennis on one of the courts.

Fans of the work of Milorad Pavic will be especially interested in walking around the outskirts of Kalemegdan. The writer lived a stone's throw from this place and loved it so much that he immortalized Kalemegdan in his work in the book “Landscape Painted with Tea.”

Also on the territory of the park is the famous zoo “Park of Good Hope”, which appears in the first frames of Emir Kusturica’s film “Underground”. The zoo, located near the walls of the Belgrade Fortress, survived several bombings during World War II, and the very first NATO bombs fell on it in 1999.

3. Walk the entire Knez Mihailova street

Prince Mihail Street, or Knez Mihailova, as Belgrade residents call it, is the most important artery of the city. It is here that you can feel the whole flavor of the Serbian capital. Smiling Serbs peacefully sipping their coffee, children frolicking on cafe terraces, the open doors of every store and restaurant, blooming fragrant flower beds, the sounds of fountains, Serbian speech and Balkan music merging together.

Knez Mihailova is an open stage for street musicians and a wonderful plein air for artists. Also on this street there are many truly delicious and cozy cafes, as well as shops for every need and budget.

Walking along a wide and bright street, you relax your soul. There is a special relaxing aura that reigns here, which does not allow you to think about the pressing problems of life, to feel bored and sad.

There are many interesting places to explore on Knez Mihailova Street: Chamber of Albania , Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts , her gallery, Belgrade's first skyscraper - Beograjanka , and also famous Hotel Serbian Crown .

4. Take a look at the bohemian quarter of Skadarlija

Every city has its own Montmartre, aka Arbat, Piazza Navona, Via Margutta, and so on along the list of bohemian districts, streets, alleys. In Belgrade, such a place is the Skadarlija quarter, where in the 19th-20th centuries many artists and creative personalities Serbia. Despite the fact that now you meet curious tourists here more often than poets, painters and artists, you plunge headlong into the special artistic atmosphere of that time.

Skadarlija is a special world, slightly separated from Belgrade (although it is located in its very center), living according to its own laws and its own routine. During the day you won’t find crowds of people, traders and beggars here, as, for example, on the Arbat or Montmartre. Harmony, comfort, creative spirit and aromas of flower beds reign here. Walking along the cobblestones of Skadarlija, every now and then you come across old kafans (cafes), art galleries, antique shops, and houses originally painted and covered with ivy.

At the end of the walk, you should definitely stop by one of the oldest restaurants in the capital - opened in 1864 kafana “Three hats” (“Tri sesira”) . Without any doubt, huge portions of national dishes, cheerful musicians playing and singing songs in all languages ​​of the world, the special aura of the kafana will captivate you just as they once captivated Jimi Hendrix and the Spanish king Juan Carlos.

5. Find the most original graffiti in Belgrade

It is extremely difficult to imagine Belgrade without graffiti. This is its absolutely integral component, which most clearly conveys the character of the Serbian capital. Graffiti is found on almost every house and is not just meaningless inscriptions, but street art with a plan and idea.

Belgrade graffiti is extremely diverse: starting from independent, holistic, artistic, one might say, works, and ending with completely ordinary inscriptions. The most common are political graffiti containing an open call to hate and curse NATO and the European Union and praising Russia and Russian “brothers”. Football fans also like to leave their graffiti - many walls are decorated with portraits of Serbian football players and coaches.

But perhaps the most memorable and expressive graffiti of the city, its symbol and guardian angel, as some Belgrade residents jokingly call it, is “Saint Belgrade” (“La Santa de Beograd”) . Being 20 meters high and 8 meters wide, it occupies the wall of one of the houses on Karađorđeva Street. It was created by the French artist Guillaume Albi, who for a long time Before starting to create this graffiti, I studied the history of Serbian art and icon painting.

The graffiti “Saint Belgrade” is extremely symbolic and, one might say, reflects the thorny path of life in the city. According to the artist himself, due to the fact that Belgrade was destroyed and rebuilt many times, he depicted a saint who has several hands and a hidden black face. Between her legs is an egg, symbolizing life and civilization. One hand holds him and protects him. The other hand sends lightning to the city to destroy it, but in its sleeve is a white flag of truce. Another hand holds the breast, like a mother feeding her child with milk - feeding the city, but in another sleeve a military weapon is hidden. Another arm sends lightning bolts down upon the city from above, but a bird flies out of the arm to bring peace.

In addition to the above 5 things that you must do in Belgrade, you should not forget about other interesting places. So, for a few hours you can feel like a resident of Belgrade and visit vegetable market "Zeleni Venac" , where Serbian fruits and berries are sold for ridiculous money. It is also worth taking a walk along the picturesque Tashmaidan Park . Art lovers will definitely be interested Museum of the Yugoslav Film Archive where you can meet the best examples cinema, which are stored in the large-scale film archive of Serbia, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, where, in addition to the works of Serbian artists and sculptors, works by Andy Warhol and Joan Miro are presented.

Darianna Oleynikova

The largest city in the Balkans, the capital of the former Yugoslavia and now Serbia, is not the most popular destination among Russian tourists, which, frankly, is a bit of a shame, because Serbs love Russians, and without any reservations.

We found ourselves in Belgrade on the eve of May 9 and the first thing that caught our eye was a great many posters on the street dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Russia's victory in the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War— in Croatia and Slovenia, through which our route lay, we did not observe anything like this (for obvious reasons).

In the photo: photo exhibition in Kalemegdan Park

In the kiosks of the central park of Kalemegdan they sell sweatshirts, the inscriptions on which read: “Russians and Serbs are brothers forever,” and as soon as a local resident finds out that you came from Russia, they immediately begin to communicate with you in Serbian, slowly drawing out each word , apparently, they assume that you will immediately understand them without a translator. You can treat it any way you like modern politics Russia, but the fact that Russians are loved in Belgrade is incredibly pleasant.

This compensates for many not entirely pleasant features of the Serbian capital, for example, dirt on the streets (compared to Zagreb, combed on all sides and cartoonish in the best sense of the word Ljubljana, Belgrade is, of course, littered to the fullest) and the eternal smell of tobacco - in the capital of Serbia, -it is still allowed to smoke indoors, and since most of the rooms are small and have a weak air conditioning system, there is no hiding from the smell of the old university smoking room.

But, as one of my friends, who has visited Belgrade several times, said, the main advantage of the city is that it is warm and sincere, and it is impossible to argue with this fact. Today’s article is about how to spend time in Belgrade efficiently and with pleasure if you go there for the weekend. I’ll make a reservation right away that I didn’t have the goal of telling about all the sights of the Serbian capital, and I’m only writing about what I’m personally ready to recommend to friends and acquaintances.

DAY ONE: EXPLORING THE HISTORICAL CENTER

BELGRADE FORTRESS

It makes sense to start getting acquainted with the city with the community of Stari Grad (in Belgrade there are not neighborhoods and districts, but communities) and the Belgrade Fortress And parkaKalemegdan, more precisely, the park was once part of the fortress; it is not for nothing that the name “Kalemegdan” itself is translated into Russian as “fortress field,” that is, a field outside the fortress walls. Nowadays the “field” has been transformed into a place for recreation for citizens with the obligatory carousels and playgrounds.

In the photo: haymaking between the fortress walls of the Belgrade Fortress

The Belgrade Fortress was erected, as befits a defensive structure, on a hill above the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, and next to the fortress there is another symbol of Belgrade - Monument to the Winner- a sculpture of a naked warrior with a sword and a hawk, who looks unkindly towards Austria-Hungary. By the way, this place is the best for taking panoramic photographs of the Danube, and an excellent background for selfies.

After taking photos, do not rush inside the fortress. First, take a walk along the fortress walls, which, like a complex multi-level labyrinth, encircle the hill on all sides. You can walk along them without fear of falling down - the walls are wide, and the opportunity to feel like Yaroslavna on the city wall does not come every day.

In the photo: a walk along the fortress walls - one of the local entertainments

If we talk about the history of the Belgrade fortress, then it was founded, according to sources that have reached us, as much as 2300 years ago. The Celts were the first to settle on a hill overlooking the Danube, and they erected the city of Singidunum here, which was later occupied by the Romans and then transferred to Byzantium. The Belgrade Fortress consists of the Upper and Lower cities; during its existence it was destroyed and rebuilt as many as 44 times, and over the long centuries of its existence it withstood about 115 battles (and these are only those that were mentioned in historical sources).

In the photo: entrance to Belgrade Fortress

After walking along the fortress walls, go look at the powerful round towers of the fortress. There are five of them in total, the most beautiful is the Clock Tower, but the towers erected here in the fifteenth century with the telling names “Fear” and “Don’t be afraid” have not survived to this day. There are 12 gates leading inside the fortress, the main ones are called Istanbul, since they were built by the Turks in the eighteenth century.

In general, the territory of the fortress is impressive in its size; there was also a place for a Museum. natural history, and for the Institute for the Conservation of Monuments of Belgrade, and for the National Observatory, and for the Military Museum, and for two churches, in a word, after walking around the fortress for a couple of hours, you understand that the city of Belgrade, located in ancient times on its territory, was not so by the standards of that time too small.

How much time to spend visiting: 2 hours
Entrance to the fortress and park is free, but you will have to pay to visit museums.

STREET KNEZ MIKHAILOVA

From antiquity to modernity, more precisely, to Knez Mihailova street, which is located a stone's throw from Kalemegdan. The pedestrian street will remind many of our Arbat: there are also beautiful facades of houses built in the nineteenth century, some walls are decorated with graffiti, figured Street lights, a great variety of cafes with the obligatory summer terraces and, of course, shops.

When it comes to shopping in Belgrade, it makes sense to take a closer look at local brands, since the quality of their items is not bad, and the prices for creations by Serbian designers are relatively low. For those who love shopping abroad, I recommend checking out shoe stores, of which there are plenty on Knez Mihailova Street. You can buy funny slip-ons from Serbian designers or sneakers with funny prints, the cost of a pair is unlikely to exceed 50 euros.

In the photo: church near Kneza Mihailov and Kalemegdan streets

Along Kneza Mikhailov Street you will get to Republic Square- the central square of the city, in the center of which stands the monument to Prince Mikhail. There’s not much to do on the square itself, so we won’t linger here and head to the Skadarlie area.

SKADARLIA

However, Skadarlija- this is not even a district, but a street; to get here, you need to climb up the mountain along steps laid out with large paving stones. The place is not intended for motorists; you can only move here on foot and, preferably, in comfortable shoes(the paving stones in this area of ​​the city are not just large, they are gigantic).

In the photo: in Skadarlija there are restaurants at every turn

Previously, artists, writers and nouveau riche lived in Skadarlija, which is why the architecture of the area is very unique, however, today the once luxurious, gingerbread-looking mansions are thoroughly dilapidated, and the facades of many are decorated with unimaginable graffiti. However, everything is generally fine; local street art masters express themselves on every more or less suitable wall in any district of the city.

Today Skadarlija is a quarter with countless cafes and restaurants. If you find yourself here in the late afternoon, you can watch the entertaining way musicians sing Serbian songs near the tables, and guests of the establishments happily sing along with them, while eating cevapcici. Sometimes you can see how restaurant guests are escorted home with an orchestra: a couple walks down the street, followed by a group of 3-5 musicians, so to speak, musical accompaniment according to the precepts of Kusturica’s films. However, if you remember that before the poets, gypsies lived in Skadarlija, then everything falls into place.

By the way, the residents of Belgrade themselves call this area an open-air museum and often compare it with Parisian Montmartre, which, in general, is justified, because almost all the artists and writers of Serbia lived and worked here, and the house of the artist and poet Djur Jaksic, also located in This quarter has today become a meeting place for Serbian poets.

"SUPERMARKET" - FOOD, SHOPPING AND CONCEPTUALITY

If in Skadarlija it makes sense to watch how people dine to the accompaniment of musicians who are at arm's length from them, and look into the local shops for souvenirs, then for good food and excellent shopping you should go to "Supermarket", which is located at 10 Vishiveva Street, in fact, it is about ten minutes walk from Skadarlija.

The “supermarket” is something like a Belgrade concept store; clothes from the best Serbian designers are sold here, whose names most likely won’t tell you anything, but the quality of the items is excellent, and the design is simply a sight for sore eyes. It is also captivating that the prices for conceptual skirts or jackets, reminiscent of modern variations on the theme of Chanel classics, are very inexpensive, that is, of course, more expensive than the mass market, but in general, a rare item from those presented here will cost you more than at 200 euros. And the quality and design, I repeat, are very high.

In the photo: you can’t just walk into a “Supermarket” and not take a selfie

In addition, the “Supermarket” also has an excellent restaurant, which serves dishes not only of Serbian, but also Italian cuisine, wines, again, not only local, but also from France and Italy. From the point of view of design and atmosphere, the “Supermarket” is thought out perfectly, not without reason, none of the girls who find themselves here can resist the vicious temptation to take a selfie in the local ladies’ room, because the toilet is decorated like a fitting room in the showroom of some fashion house . The audience at the “Supermarket” is young, progressive and has money, prices are higher than the city average, but the atmosphere of the place fully compensates for the costs.

EMBANKMENT BETON HALA

Since we have already visited the “Supermarket”, where the progressive youth of Belgrade gathers, why not continue our acquaintance with the conceptual places of the city and go to the Sava River embankment Beton Hala. Its appearance is reminiscent of both Moscow's Red October and the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, but with a caveat - there is a lot of greenery. The design project for the embankment was developed in 2011 by the Spanish-Mexican architectural studio Sanzpont Arquitectura. Not all the architects’ ideas have yet been realized, but what has been done is impressive.

Establishments where you can taste Serbian and Montenegrin wines or have a delicious dinner are located wall to wall; adherents of a healthy lifestyle jog or ride past people relaxing with wine on street verandas or flouting the principles of a healthy lifestyle in other ways available to them. In my opinion, it is the Beton Hala embankment that is ideal for watching sunsets; after all, the red rays of the sun reflecting in the waters of the Sava River and a glass of red wine are something worth neglecting an evening jog for, especially during vacation.

Well, if you prefer traditional Belgrade to fashionable Belgrade, then I recommend checking out the restaurant Restaurant gradska(address: Visokog Stevana 43A, website: ), which is located nearby in the Kalemegdan area. The interior of the restaurant is extremely unpretentious, and in general this place looks more like an ordinary eatery, but at the same time, the establishment invariably ranks number one in the Tripadviser rating.

Order local beer, cevapchichi (minced meat cutlets shaped like sausages) or river fish. Everything is very tasty, very inexpensive and with genuine Serbian flavor. Important point— the portions in the restaurant are huge, so it makes sense to take one dish for two.

DAY TWO: TEMPLE OF ST. SAVA, MUSEUM OF THE GREAT TESLA AND MORE

The Temple of St. Sava, which, although still under construction, is considered one of the iconic landmarks of Belgrade, is located in the Vracar community, and you can get here from the Stari Grad community either by one of the trolleybuses or on foot.

In the photo: such masterpieces of street art can be found here at every step

When you find yourself in another part of Belgrade, more precisely, on Nemajina Street, you get the feeling that you are in a completely different city. The fact is that government offices are located on Nemaina Street, so the quarter is very clean, and the buildings here are tall and impressively monumental. However, not everything is so rosy. The fact is that it is on Nemajina Street that the infamous buildings of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense are located, destroyed in 1999 during the bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO forces.

In the photo: a Belgrade building destroyed during NATO bombing

In order not to succumb to despondency (after all, looking at bombed buildings, your chest begins to ache, you know), go to a nearby bakery Pekara Trpkovic(address: Nemaina 32). In general, bakeries are the most popular cafe format in Belgrade, but this one is special: it has been open since 1908 and is still considered one of the best in the city. In a word, if you want to “indulge in buns,” then the place is most suitable, especially in the morning, and carbohydrates before 12.00 are allowed even for young ladies who are especially losing weight.

After having a snack, we head to the main point of the morning program of the second day - Church of Saint Sava. The temple, as the name implies, is dedicated to its founder, Saint Sava, who was the son of the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja.

Together with his father, Saint Sava erected in Serbia not only Orthodox monasteries and churches, but also schools, and the current church was built on the site of the one that was burned by the Ottoman Turks in 1595. The church looks charming from the outside, but the interior is more than modest - the fact is that the construction of the temple is still underway.

NIKOLA TESLA MUSEUM

The next item on the mandatory program is visiting Nikola Tesla Museum, which is located nearby at Krunska 51, website: . Perhaps Tesla is the most famous Yugoslav in history, and I used the word “Yugoslav” for a reason - the great scientist considered himself a Yugoslav and supported the idea of ​​a united and great Yugoslavia. The Tesla Museum is a case where it makes sense to sign up for a tour rather than just look at the exhibits alone; fortunately, tours in English are held here several times a day.

In the photo: the building of the Nikola Tesla Museum

While visiting the museum, they will not only show you the cars invented by Tesla, but will also tell you why he went to America (in fact, he was just looking for sponsors for his inventions), where mini-models of his cars came from (in fact, with their help Tesla demonstrated to sponsors the principles of machine operation), and also why the Tesla coil (aka Tesla transformer) - a device for generating high-frequency oscillations - was not widely used in practical life. Okay, okay, the answer to the last question is very simple: the financiers did not like the idea of ​​​​free electricity for everyone, and they did not allocate money for the project, plus it turned out that people with a pacemaker cannot live near transformers, the pacemaker will simply explode in the chest.

In the photo: Tesla transformer model

Those who have a healthy heart are invited to experience the effects of the Tesla transformer for themselves right in the museum; guests are given light bulbs, the transformer turns on, and now you are the hero of the film “Prestige”, a light bulb lights up in your hands without any wires. In many reviews about the Tesla Museum, you can see information that the scientist’s personal belongings and manuscripts are kept here, but for some reason everyone is silent about one fact. The fact is that the Tesla Museum is also a mausoleum; a ball-shaped urn with the scientist’s ashes is kept here, because the convinced Yugoslav Nikola Tesla wanted his ashes to be brought to Belgrade after his death.

In the photo: an urn with the ashes of Nikola Tesla in the Belgrade Museum

After the cultural program, you can relax and go tasting local wines, fortunately, appropriate place just nearby - Pampour Bar(address: Njegoseva 28a) is located just a five-minute walk from the Tesla Museum. Of course, Serbian wines are not as famous as Italian or French, but they also deserve attention, and at Pampour Bar their selection is huge, besides, the staff here works conscientiously and from the heart, they tell you about each type of wine with such feeling as as if they themselves have been doing nothing but blending all their lives. So, feel free to order a tasting set of wines and cheeses; by the way, you can have a full meal at Pampour Bar; the cuisine in the establishment is more than decent.

After lunch or tasting, take a stroll along Kraja Aleksandra Boulevard and Takovska Street, here you will see the Serbian Parliament building and the monumental St. Mark's Church— you can look inside, but, by and large, there is nothing special inside the church; from the outside it looks much more interesting.

In the photo: the building of the Serbian Parliament People's Assembly of Serbia

Nearby is another attraction of Belgrade - surrounded by a lovely flower garden Stari Dvor Palace, built by King Milan I Obrenovic in 1881 - 1884.

As for evening leisure, it is best to return to Stari Grad again and explore the boulevards adjacent to the Skadarlie quarter. Establishments of all kinds are open here on every corner: there are wine shops, hookah bars, and bars, as they say, for every taste and budget.

Just look around and decide which of the many places smiles at you the most - with such a variety good choice easy to do.

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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]

An article about the sights of Belgrade (Serbia). Photos, reviews and description. Assembly of Serbia, St. Sava Cathedral, Prince Michael Street, Moscow Hotel, Tesla Museum.

Do you know the Ukrainian program “Heads and Tails”? I like her. And I usually watch it before certain trips. What does she have to do with this article about the sights of Belgrade? I'll explain now. The whole point is that in the special issue about Serbia this country was presented as a completely faceless and gray place. Belgrade itself suffered too. And so much so that for a moment I even thought to myself: “Is it worth going there?”

Although in the end I was even glad that I watched that program. Against the backdrop of initially low expectations about “gray post-war Belgrade,” the capital of Serbia seemed to me a very bright, dynamic and colorful place. I liked this city. And I liked the whole country as a whole. Of course, the sights of Belgrade are really inferior to the iconic places of London, Rome or Barcelona. But this city will not disappoint you. And so that your trip to the Balkans leaves behind the most pleasant impressions, I will try to present here a small selection of the most interesting and beautiful sights of Belgrade, which are definitely worth visiting.

The main attractions of Belgrade: what to visit on the first day

Assembly of Serbia (national parliament building)

One of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in the Serbian capital. It looks like a real palace. Although it reminded me more of the Florentine “Duomo” (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore). I even do not know why. Maybe because of the dome?

On the bad side, I would like to mention the fact that there is a large highway next to the parliament building, because of which passing cars constantly get into the frame. On the good side: next to the Assembly there is the Serbian main post office (a gray socialist building, not without its gloomy charm)...

There is also a beautiful park with drinking fountains. There are also these “antique” sculptures in this park.

If you are there, please note that many trees in the park have their own signs with descriptions.

Temple of Saint Sava

Usually this temple is the number one attraction in Belgrade. But I will still put him in second place. The building is huge and truly impressive. However, inside there are still ongoing renovation work. I can’t even imagine how cool this temple will look when interior decoration will be brought to perfection.

Would you like my advice: go to this place in the evening. When illuminated at night, the temple looks truly grandiose. And on Deligradskaya Street (very close to the Church of St. Sava) there is the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus.

It seems to me that all of us should definitely take a photo with him too.

Prince Mikhail Street

The main pedestrian street of Belgrade and also one of its main attractions of the city. It's very pleasant to walk here. Live music is constantly playing in different parts of the street. And the buildings in this part of the city look especially impressive and pompous.

Hotel "Moscow"

Just a beautiful building. Although, if I'm not mistaken, it is already more than 100 years old. And Muscovites will probably be interested in taking pictures with this hotel. Moreover, you don’t really need to look for it - in fact, this hotel is located a couple of minutes walk from Prince Mikhail Street.

By the way, the Moscow Hotel is considered one of the best hotels in Belgrade. I would live here with pleasure.

Republic Square

In fact, this is one of the branches from the initial part of the pedestrian street in Belgrade. Here is the building of the National Museum of Serbia and the “Narodno Pozorishte” (don’t be alarmed - it’s just the People’s Theater).

Both of these buildings are worth seeing.

Ruzica Church

If I'm not mistaken, this is the oldest church in Belgrade. It is located right next to the walls of the Belgrade Fortress and looks very beautiful and picturesque. In summer it was all covered with green ivy. In addition, weddings are often held here.

Kalemegdan Park and Belgrade Fortress

One of the main attractions of Belgrade. In fact, a large separate article should be written about it. There is a museum of military equipment, several ancient towers, and high walls overlooking the Danube (where all Belgrade youth gather in the evening). This is actually a very interesting place. In fact, this is the only attraction in Belgrade, which has many of its own attractions inside...

Oh... no... I’m lying... There is also Zemun!!!

What it is? From an administrative point of view, Zemun is a suburban district of Belgrade. However, in fact it is a separate city, which in its own way appearance completely different from the Serbian capital. In ancient times, it was in this place that the line that separated the possessions of Austria-Hungary from the possessions of Ottoman Empire. Therefore, a trip to Zemun can be completely perceived as a trip to another city.

A little later I will write about this place on a larger scale and in more detail. Now I will post here only a couple of photographs of the Gardosh Temple and a panorama of the tiled roofs of Zemun.

Sights of Belgrade that can be left for later

In general, there are many interesting places in the Serbian capital. Therefore, 1-2 days may not be enough for you to get around them all. What to see in Belgrade if you suddenly stay here for a long time? Next, I will provide a brief description of interesting places in the city that you can visit if you have time.

Skadarlija

A sort of analogue of Vilnius Užupis. Positioned as the most bohemian and musical district of Belgrade. However, in fact, it’s just a street with a huge number of different cafes. There is live music here in the evenings. Therefore, it’s worth going here only in the evening, when some local Balkan “band” starts jamming in every local restaurant.

St. Mark's Church

During a free tour of Belgrade, one guide told us that this temple is a replica of another cathedral - destroyed by the Albanians in Kosovo. I couldn't find such information on the Internet. But in any case, this building is very nice (and is located very close to the Assembly building). You can take a photo of this temple simply on the way.

The building of the former General Staff of the Yugoslav Army

One of the symbols of NATO military aggression in the former Yugoslavia. Reminder of the war. And at the same time, it is a landmark of Belgrade, which may very soon disappear. For a long time, this dilapidated building remained standing as a symbol of the war and was positioned as a Belgrade must see. However, over time, the building finally fell into disrepair. And in the near future it is going to be demolished or renovated. We still managed to see him. Maybe you will have time too?

Tesla Museum

To tell the truth, we didn’t go there, although the Serbs themselves are crazy about it. Within the framework of this museum, each visitor can become part of various experiences related to electricity in one way or another. Reviews about this place are different. Some people like it. And some say that local performances are like a simple physics lesson. Something tells me that the Tesla Museum is far from the Warsaw Copernicus Science Center. Although, I, of course, would be grateful if any of you would leave your personal review of your visit to this place under the article.

Brankov Bridge

In my opinion, what is interesting is not the bridge itself, but the view from it. The Sava and the Danube lie ahead. The spire of the Church of the Archangel Michael is visible on the right. And right ahead on the river next to the Brankov Bridge are the most famous nightclubs in Belgrade - the so-called. Splavovi. Thousands of European tourists come to the Serbian capital every year for these floating discos. Over the past few years, Belgrade has even been called the club capital of Europe. I was at a local party. I like it.

Belgrade graffiti

Another informal symbol of the city. Many of them have even begun to appear on postcards and magnets. And this is not at all surprising. A lot of the graffiti in Belgrade looks very cool and picturesque. I especially liked the painting “The City Devours Greenery.” Although some other works also deserve attention. Majority best paintings located in the Brankova Bridge area.

How to find Belgrade attractions on the map

In fact, all the main attractions of Belgrade are located in approximately the same area. The Church of St. Mark, the Assembly, the Moscow Hotel, Prince Michael Street and the Belgrade Kalemegdan Fortress are all following each other. Not far from there are the Brankov Bridge, Skadarlija and Republic Square. Therefore, it is difficult to miss them. Only Zemun, the Tesla Museum and the Temple of St. Sava are located to the side. Although they are not particularly far from the center.

In general, we usually use the app to navigate around an unfamiliar city. Maps.Me(for independent travelers this is generally an irreplaceable thing). In fact, a compass and a map rolled into one. Works in offline mode too. I highly recommend you download this application.

In addition, you should know that Belgrade has a free (!) tourist tram. He goes on certain days (in July 2016 he went on Fridays and Saturdays). You can sign up for a tour at the tourist information center (at the beginning of Prince Mikhail Street).

In order to navigate the public transport schedule, we used the website planplus.rs. If I'm not mistaken, bus number 83 goes to Zemun. But this is not accurate information. Check. I have already forgotten.

Excursions in Belgrade

I usually walk around different cities on my own - without tour guides. But all people are different, so I should probably write about Belgrade excursions too. Personally, I advise you to look for them. There are many unusual original excursions collected there, so there is always plenty to choose from. Each tour has ratings and reviews from previous clients, which is also very convenient. As an example, I will post here links to some excursions in Belgrade. To see a general list of offers, simply click “See all”. Of course, all excursions will be in Russian.

This country does not have its own seashore, but it has mountains, clean air, mineral springs and incredibly delicious cuisine. We found out five reasons why you should go here.

1. Get to know another European capital

Perhaps Belgrade does not have such bright colors and charm, like Paris or Amsterdam, but with a special flavor. The capital of Serbia has been destroyed and rebuilt 38 times throughout its history. Some buildings damaged by NATO bombing in the late 90s can still be seen (General Staff, Ministry of Defense). They were not demolished on purpose - for edification, as a monument to war.

In the city center, on Terazije Square, one of the main attractions is located - the Moscow Hotel, designed in the Art Nouveau style. This is the only hotel in Belgrade where there are no apartments at number 13. By the way, not far from it is the Samo Pivo bar, where they only sell beer - you can bring any snack with you or order delivery to the establishment’s address.

Kalemegdan (park and ancient fortress with a gorgeous view of the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers), Republic Square, King Alexander Boulevard (the longest street in the city - 8.5 km), Nikola Tesla Museum (Monday - day off).

Hotel "Moscow" in Belgrade

2. Take mineral baths

There are many thermal springs in Serbia. One of the closest to the capital is Arandjelovac (75 km). The Bukovička Banya resort located here is over 200 years old. It was here that members of the Serbian royal dynasties vacationed, and now residents of the country are happy to come for the weekend. Accommodation in a 3-star hotel – from 1,700 rubles/day, in a 5-star hotel (with swimming pools with the same healing thermal water) – from 8,000 rubles.

Must-see places: a central park with marble sculptures and a source of drinking mineral water (come with your own container - 4 rubles / liter, two bottles of 0.5 each are allowed to be taken for free), Risovac Cave at the entrance to Arandjelovac - a refuge of Neanderthals (ticket from 100 rubles, open only during daylight hours), the Church of St. George in Topol is the fifth in the world in terms of mosaic area (more than 3.5 thousand sq. m, 15 thousand shades of color).

Autumn in the parks of Arandjelovac

3. Treat the thyroid gland

Zlatibor (the mountain of the same name, 230 km from Belgrade, at an altitude of more than 1000 meters above sea level) is a specialized health resort for the treatment of the thyroid gland, as well as respiratory diseases, anemia, and depression. Experts note here a special wind rose and favorable atmospheric pressure, which together provide a unique healing microclimate. Apartments – from 1200 rubles/day.

Must-see places: the highest mountain in the Tornik area, the open-air museum “Old Village”, recreating the life of the mountaineers down to the smallest detail, the old narrow-gauge railway “Shargan Eight”, the construction of which made it possible to overcome the Shargan pass and on which director Emir Kusturica filmed his famous film “Life as miracle". And don’t forget to have lunch at the national restaurant Perun.

Zlatibor is beautiful even in winter

4. Get involved in the culture

Not far from Zlatibor (about 30 km), surrounded by mountains, there is the village of Kusturica (various names: Mečavnik, Mokra Gora, Drvengrad). This is a wooden ethno-town built according to old designs - with streets (for example, Diego Maradona, Federico Fellini, Bruce Lee, Nikita Mikhalkov), houses, a church, a cafe-library, a hairdresser, a hotel, a gym, a swimming pool and saunas, and even a cinema. By the way, you can watch one of Kusturica’s films absolutely free of charge. However, only “Life is a Miracle” is currently available in Russian, and your session time must be booked in advance. In January, the Kustendorf film festival, organized by the director, traditionally takes place here. So Kusturica has her own permanent residence in the village (the house is very close to the cinema), but this is not advertised.

Important point: Coke and Pepsi lovers, be prepared - these drinks are not on sale here. This is the personal order of the Emir.

Are you planning to visit Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, a city located at the confluence of two rivers – the Danube and the Sava? If so, I will try to tell you about the main attractions of the city, where it is better to stay, take a walk, and where to go for a tasty meal and a little drink. In general - “Welcome to Belgrade” or, as the Serbs say, “Welcome to Beograd!”

Visa, insurance, local currency

To visit Serbia, Russian citizens require a valid foreign passport, no visa needed. The period of permanent stay in the country is limited to 30 days if you have a regular passport, and 90 days if you are the lucky holder of a diplomatic or service passport.

Medical insurance not needed for tourist trips to Serbia. But I don’t recommend going abroad without it. Having an insurance policy will help you avoid significant expenses if unexpected medical expenses arise during your trip. The personally verified Cherehapa service will help you compare offers from insurance companies and quickly issue a policy online.

Currency– Serbian dinar. 1₽ corresponds to 1.71 dinars. 1€ is equal to 118.5 dinars. The current exchange rate of the dinar against other currencies is available at website of the National Bank of Serbia. In the “Datum (dd.mm)” item, specify the date, and in “Vrsta” select “Srednji kurs”.

Where and how is it more profitable to buy dinars? If you have a Sberbank Visa or Mastercard bank card The best way to get dinars - withdraw from an ATM at a local Sberbank branch. ATM locations on the map of Belgrade are shown here. There is no transaction fee.

If you are an Intesa cardholder, you can receive cash without commission at Banca Intesa ATMs.

If you don’t have Sberbank or Banca Intesa payment cards, you can cash out at any ATM; there are many of them in the center of Belgrade, but most likely you will have to pay a withdrawal fee.

There is also a VTB branch and ATM in Belgrade, I saw it next to the Moscow Hotel, but here they charge a commission, even when using their bank cards.

How to get to Belgrade?

By plane. This is the most obvious and quick way be in Belgrade. On the route Moscow (SVO) - Belgrade (BEG) - Moscow (SVO) there are regular flights by Aeroflot and Air Serbia. Flight duration is 2 hours 30 minutes. Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of direct flights, the cost of air tickets from Moscow to Belgrade and back averages more than 15 thousand rubles. The price of a ticket for a flight with a transfer may be 2,000–3,000 rubles lower (often found on the Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus with a long connection in Istanbul), but most likely you will spend more during the transfer than you saved on tickets.

In 2018, Air Serbia again included a direct flight from Belgrade to St. Petersburg and back in its summer schedule. Flights operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and travel time is 2 hours 40 minutes.

You can find inexpensive air tickets to Belgrade on the reliable website aviasales.ru, as well as through the form below.

Minimum cost of air tickets Moscow ↔ Belgrade and St. Petersburg ↔ Belgrade

Moscow - Belgrade - MoscowSt. Petersburg - Belgrade - St. Petersburg

By train. At the moment there is no railway connection between Moscow and Belgrade.

Nikola Tesla Belgrade Airport. How to get to the city center?

Nikola Tesla Belgrade International Airport, located 18 km west of the center of the Serbian capital, is the country's largest airport. Since 2006, it has been named after the famous physicist and inventor Nikola Tesla. Previously it was called by its location - “Belgrade Airport” or “Surcin Airfield”.

At Belgrade Airport, pre-flight security is carried out at the gate before boarding.

In the internal area there is a smoking room located in the area of ​​gate A6.

There are three ways to get from the airport to the city:

• on a special express
• on a city bus,
• by taxi.

Express. Bus A1 follows the route airport – Belgrade railway station (Nemajina Street) – Slavija Square. The stop is located to the left of the exit from the airport building. The fare is 300 dinars, payment to the driver. Travel time is about 30 minutes. On Slavia Square, the A1 express train stops near the hotel of the same name.

Schedule of bus A1 on the route Nikola Tesla Airport - Slavia Square

City bus. Bus 72 departs from the stop located near the entrance to terminal 1: exit the arrivals area, take the stairs or escalator on the left to the second floor (check-in hall, terminal 2), go out onto the street and go left for about 40 meters. City bus 72 follows the route Nikola Tesla Belgrade Airport – Zeleni Venac, right in the center of Belgrade. The cost of a ticket from the driver is 150 dinars, when paying with a Bus Plus card it is 89 dinars. Travel time is 35–40 minutes, but greatly depends on traffic congestion.

Timetable for bus 72 on the route Nikola Tesla Airport - Zeleni Venac

Taxi. Here, as at other airports, there are many taxi drivers who want to profit from arriving tourists. The normal price from the airport to the city center is €15, to Zemun – €10. This is approximately the cost of the trip that the airport management has set for official carriers. You can order a car at a special “Taxi info” counter located in the baggage claim area. The exact cost of the trip depending on the destination can be found here. Please note that it is much more profitable to pay in dinars than in euros.

Another option is to independently negotiate at the bus stop on route 72 with the taxi driver who has just brought passengers from the city, but the difference in price will be small.

If you do not know Serbian or English, are late arriving, or are traveling in a group or with children (when required Baby chair), use the services of the international transfer ordering service - KiwiTaxi and book a taxi online. The driver will meet you at the exit from the arrivals area with a name sign and take you to a pre-specified location without any questions.

Note! At Belgrade Airport, pre-flight inspection is carried out in front of the boarding gates. Therefore, in order not to overpay for drinks in a cafe located outside the border control, you can purchase them at the airport kiosks in front of it and bring them to the waiting area. By the way, before the night flight to Moscow, most of the shops at the airport are already closed, but in the depths of terminal 1 (entrance opposite bus stop route 72), on the way to the toilet, you will find one that is open.

Public transport: payment methods

Belgrade has a well-developed public transport network. On the streets of the city you will find buses, trolleybuses and trams.

To pay for travel, you need to purchase a paper (40 dinars) or plastic (250 dinars) BusPlus smart card at any of the street kiosks and top it up there. The paper version is perfect for tourists, since the card can be topped up for the number of days you are in Belgrade - 1, 3 or 5, and the number of trips during this period is not limited. Please note that the ticket time starts ticking from the moment it is purchased at the kiosk, and not when it is first applied to the validator. Price:

• 1 day – 250 + 40 (card) dinars;
• 3 days – 700 + 40 (card) dinars;
• 5 days – 1000 + 40 (card) dinars.

Prices are indicated for travel in zones 1 and 2, which cover Belgrade and nearby towns. For example, the airport belongs to the 2nd transport zone. A graphical diagram of the zones is available here.

The BusPlus plastic card is an electronic wallet, i.e. you put money in, put the card against the validator in transport, the fare was 89 dinars (1.2 zones) debited. The card allows you to make group trips. To do this, before paying for travel, select the “Large card” icon on the validator and indicate the number of people from 2 to 5, then attach the card.

Group trip using the BusPlus card

Current public transport fares are available at BusPlus official website.

If you do not have a BusPlus card, then pay the driver for the trip. The ticket price will be 150 dinars.

To plan a route from point A to point B by public transport, I recommend using the site planplus.rs. Click on the arrows to the right of the search form and select a bus. Then, on the map itself, using the right button, you can mark the point of departure and arrival, and the service will plot the route by public transport.

Metro. It seems to exist, but it doesn’t seem to exist. The project simply stalled. Now the metro in Belgrade consists of 2 underground stations Vukov Spomenik on Roosevelt Street and Karagorev Park near the Cathedral of St. Sava, through which electric trains pass. Trains run 1-2 per hour, so if you want to take a ride, first check the schedule on the Srbija Voz website.

Taxi. There are many official taxi companies in Belgrade. Their difference from illegal ones is the presence of a taximeter, as well as information about transportation tariffs. Typically, taxi drivers wait for clients on busy streets, central squares and in the area shopping centers. You can also try to stop the car with a wave of your hand, and if the driver is free, he will stop. Before getting into the car, check the approximate cost of the trip.

Most reliable way ordering a taxi in Belgrade means calling an operator who will send a car and announce the cost of the trip in advance, or use a smartphone application.

Verified taxis in Belgrade

In Belgrade, there are 2 special applications available for ordering a car, similar to Uber, Car:Go(Android/iOS) or Taxify(Android/iOS). Car:Go is local and is represented only in the capital of Serbia, but Taxify is an international service that also allows you to order a taxi in Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw and other cities.

Where to stay in Belgrade

Today we received an email from Booking.com with a personal referral link. When you book using it, both you and I will receive a bonus of 1000₽. The promotion itself is only valid for 10 bookings, so hurry up and take advantage. Well, here's the link itself: https://www.booking.com/s/35_6/d5f6d311. If reservations are still available, you will see at the bottom of the screen:

Every time I plan a trip to a new city, the second question that arises after buying tickets is – where is the best place to stay, so that it’s not too expensive and close to the attractions? The best place to stay in Belgrade is the city center - the area of ​​​​the pedestrian street Kneza Mihail, Terazija and Kralja Milana until the intersection with Kneza Miloš Street. This area is marked on the map published at the end of the article. There is accommodation for everyone here: there are apartments and hotels of different price categories, as well as budget hostels.

Hotels in Belgrade

To select a hotel, I recommend using the website Booking.com. To filter out options located outside the city center, check “Stari Grad” on the left. But do not forget, after choosing a hotel, be sure to compare the cost of living in different systems reservations, as the price may vary significantly. To do this, use the special service RoomGuru.

I will take upon myself the right to recommend the best hotels to stay in the center of Belgrade from different price groups: above 100 euros, 50–100 euros and less than 50 euros per night in a standard double room.

Hotels over 100 €/night

1. Boutique Hotel Townhouse 27 is a modern boutique hotel located on a quiet street in the center of Belgrade. Spacious rooms, impeccable service, friendly staff and excellent breakfast, as a result, the highest rating from guests in the Booking.com system.
2. Zepter Hotel is a stylish hotel located in the very center, on Terazia, near the beginning of the pedestrian street of Prince Michael. Spacious, comfortable, well-equipped rooms are offered for accommodation. The hotel has a gym and breakfast is included. The cost of standard rooms is slightly lower than in Townhouse 27, plus there are often special offers.
3. Square Nine Hotel Belgrade is the only five-star hotel located in the center of Belgrade, just 50 meters from Prince Michael Street. The luxury hotel boasts its own spa complex, which includes a swimming pool sea ​​water, sauna and hammam, spacious rooms and good breakfast.

Hotels from 50 to 100 €/night

1. Hotel City Savoy is a new four-star hotel in the city center. Clean modern comfortable rooms, good breakfast, small spa complex and friendly staff. The best option according to reviews on Booking.com among hotels in this price category.
2. Hotel Bohemian Garni is located on one of the most popular streets in Belgrade – Skadarlija. This is where the most famous national restaurants of the Serbian capital are located. The hotel offers modern, spacious rooms with interesting design. Cost of living less than 60 euros, location, as well as good feedback guests make this option very tempting.
3. Hotel Opera – good hotel in the very center of the city - between Republic Square and Skadarlija. Clean, comfortable rooms with a wonderful bathroom. Friendly staff. Excellent price-quality ratio.

Hotels up to 50 €/night

1. Hotel Garni Petrov is the only hotel located in the recommended central part of the city and corresponding to this price range. Located on Cetinska Street a little further from Republic Square than Hotel City Savoy, on the territory of a former brewery. Now there are many clubs and discos. If you plan to walk a lot and sleep early, then the place is clearly not suitable for you, but if you are “on fire”, then feel free to book. The hotel offers spacious double or triple rooms at a very good price.
2. Hotel Tash Belgrade – located next to the Tashmajdan park in the building sports center. Please note that the hotel has smoking and non-smoking rooms. Which one you require must be indicated in the comments when booking. Low price and location are the main advantages of the Tash Hotel in Belgrade.

Hotel Slavija – or “the last of the Mohicans”. Old hotel, some of the rooms have not been renovated for a long time. But the cost is from 16 and 30 euros for single and double rooms, respectively, the location is Slavia Square, and the hot breakfast makes it quite good and very budget place, where you can spend a couple of nights. There is a stop of the A1 express train next to the hotel, which goes to/from the airport, so getting there is very convenient. One of the main attractions of Belgrade, the Cathedral of St. Sava, is a 5-minute walk away.

Note! During the warm season in Belgrade, you can stay in an interesting place, right on the river - in a hotel or hostel located on the famous Belgrade rafts - pontoons in the area where the Sava merges with the Danube. The advantages of such accommodation are nature, fresh air and beautiful view from the window. And all this is very close to the center, which you can even walk to. Interesting? Pay attention to San Art Floating Hostel & Apartments, ArkaBarka 2- Floating Dream Apartments and their hostel.

I would like to say about one more hotel – Royal Hotel. It is located in the very center, next to Prince Michael Street and Kalemegdan. It was possible to stay there for the price of Slavia; it was especially profitable to take a double room. But now this hotel is closed for renovation, and it is not known when it will open and what it will be like.

Apartments, apartments

You can also rent an apartment or rent an apartment in Belgrade through Booking.com, there are a lot of options - on the left in the “Popular” block, select “Old City”, and “Accommodation type” - “Apartments”. There's a lot here good options up to €50 per night.

The second option is to use the Airbnb service. By the way, if you are not registered there yet, then do so via the link www.airbnb.ru/c/226361 and receive a 1500₽ discount on your first booking. Here are a few interesting options placements:

• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/11818894
• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/11766351
• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/5353317
• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/1814331

Please read the reviews and conditions carefully before booking. I recommend booking accommodation from hosts with Superhost status.

Another option is local websites offering apartments for rent. I booked twice when we visited the city with a group of three or more people. The application was sent in Russian. Both apartments were clean and comfortable. But I also encountered some minor problems. I was not met at the airport, although I ordered a transfer. I had to call to find out the exact address where to go. Wi-fi did not work, most likely, it was simply not paid for. They did not respond to SMS on this issue, and upon departure they simply apologized.

Feel free to book an apartment if you are not afraid of possible small delays and waiting for the hosts, you have arrived in Belgrade for more than one day with 2 or more people, and you also want to live in the city center at an affordable price.

What to see in Belgrade: the main attractions of the historical part of the city

In this section of the guide article I will share a tourist route through the central part of the city. I’ll tell you about interesting places and monuments that you can visit and see in Belgrade in 1–2 days. I will also recommend where else to go if you plan to stay longer in the Serbian capital.

Excursion route, walk through the center of Belgrade

Start your walk around Belgrade with Republic Square (Trg Republic) is central and one of the most popular places among locals. Installed here monument to the Serbian prince Mihail Obrenovic, right on it National Museum of Serbia (People's Museum), and on the right hand, one of most beautiful buildings cities, - National Theater (Disgrace the people).

Exit to the central pedestrian street of the city - st. Prince Michael (st. Knez Mikhailova). If you want to buy quality Belgrade souvenirs, go to Belgrade Cultural Center (Kulturni centar Beograd, st. Knez Mihailova, 6). It is located on the left opposite a small fountain. Just 10 years ago, on this main tourist artery of Belgrade it was impossible to find a single souvenir seller, so you could only buy even the simplest magnet at the Cultural Center. On the other side of the street, opposite the entrance to the Cultural Center, there is Tourist Information Center (Tourist Information Center, st. Knez Mikhailova, 5, open daily from 9.00 to 19.00), where you can get a city map, information booklets and answers to your questions.

Prince Michael Street connects the central Terazije Street ( st. Terazije) with Kalemegdan Park, where the Belgrade Fortress is located. Lots of souvenir shops, bookstores, shops fashion brands, cafes and restaurants - this is what the local Arbat looks like, a favorite place for Belgrade residents and city guests.

Moving towards Kalemegdan, you will soon see "Delhi Fountain", from which clean, drinking water flows. Once upon a time the Turkish cavalry rested here, but now Serbs and tourists from all over the world walk here.

A little before reaching the park, turn left onto Kralja Petra Street ( st. Petra's edges), along it you will reach the oldest Serbian kafanas “Question Mark” ("Sign of Pita") (look on the left side), opened in 1823 under the name "At the Shepherd's". Later it was renamed “At the Cathedral Church,” but the parishioners forced the owner to abandon this name. To which he hung a sign with a question mark above the entrance; another name was never invented, but “Question Mark” stuck. You can check in at this historical place for something to drink, but you shouldn’t have lunch or dinner.

herself ( Saborna Church Svetog Archangel Michael) is located opposite. The temple was built between 1837 and 1840 on the site of an old church. Princes Milos and Mihail Obrenovic are buried here, and at the entrance are the graves of Serbian educators Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic and Dositej Obradovic.

Across the road from the entrance to the church is the building where the Serbian Patriarchate(Srpska Patriarshija), right here nearby Serbian Museum Orthodox Church (Museum of the Srpska Orthodox Church). To the left across the road from the Patriarchate building - Palace of Princess Ljubica(Konak knegije Jubice), built in 1831 for the wife of the Serbian prince Milos Obrenovic Ljubica and their children.

Return to Prince Mikhail and turn left or exit onto Parizhskaya Street ( Pariska st) and go up to the main entrance to Kalemegdan Park (Kalemegdan Park). It is here that one of the main attractions of all Serbia is located - Belgrade Fortress (Beogradska tvrava).

The first thing you will see when walking along the central alley of the park is Monument of Gratitude to France (Spokesman of France's praise), erected to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1930. Then go through the gate to the territory of the fortress itself, and then through another gate - Istanbul. You will find yourself on a bridge over a moat, where it is installed a large number of old military equipment are exhibits War Museum (Vojni muzej, open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00–17.00, www.muzej.mod.gov.rs), the building of which is located here on the ramparts. The museum features a permanent exhibition (you can see, for example, a piece of the wing shot down on March 27, 1999, by the American F-117 stealth aircraft), and also hosts various thematic exhibitions.

Through the Sahat Gate with the Sahat Tower (with a clock) go to the Upper Town of the Belgrade Fortress. There are many historical attractions here, but I don’t see the point in listing them all. The main thing is, of course, the symbol of the fortress and Belgrade – Monument to the Winner (Victorious). It was opened in 1928 in honor of the tenth anniversary of the breakthrough of the Solunsky Front. Interestingly, the monument was originally supposed to be installed on the street. Terazije, but Belgrade ladies said no to a naked man in the very center of the city.

Another attraction of Kalemegdan Park is the view from the walls of the Belgrade Fortress of the confluence of the two rivers Sava and Danube. Locals, especially young people, love to spend their free time here.

View from Belgrade Fortress

Take a walk around the fortress, near the Pobednik there is the King's Gate ( Edge of the cap), through which you can go out and see what is behind the walls on this side. For example, photo exhibitions are often held here near the Grand Staircase, and on one of my trips, I could admire the views of Russian cities.

Climb back to the Victorious Monument and walk along the fortress wall, admiring the views. Exit through the gate, turn left and go down the path. There are 2 very interesting churches here. First - Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God (Crkva Ruzica). The building itself was built in the 18th century for a gunpowder warehouse, in late XIX it was rebuilt as a church. During the First World War it was heavily damaged, then restored and consecrated on October 11, 1925. There are 2 statues in front of the entrance: King Stefan Dusan and an infantryman from the Balkan Wars. Second - Church of St. Paraskeva Friday (Church of Svete Petke). Built in 1938 on the site miraculous spring. The church appears very simple from the outside, but inside it is decorated with stunning mosaics.

Climb back and exit the fortress through the Zindan Gate with two towers. The route then goes along Belgrade Zoo, then a little left and right along the tram tracks. You are on Tsar Dusan Street ( Tsar Dushan street).

If you are hungry and do not plan to spend money on Skadarlija, then there are 2 restaurants from this street. If you want to get some quick food, check out LOKI (the intersection of Kralja Petra and Gospodar Jovanova streets) - a small, nondescript establishment. There is an opinion that this is where they offer the most delicious pljeskavica in Belgrade, as a result of which the price is slightly higher than in other similar places. Although, I have not tried tasteless pljeskavica in Serbia.

Walk along Tsar Dusan Street to Skadarlija. Don't miss it on the road on the left Church of St. Alexander Nevsky (Tsrkva Svetog Alexandra Nevskog). Its construction lasted from May 12, 1912 to November 23, 1930. Such a long period was connected by the outbreak of the Balkan and First World Wars. On November 23, 1930, Serbian Patriarch Varnava consecrated the temple in the presence of King Alexander I Karageorgievich.

Skadarska street (st. Skadarska) is a pedestrian street in Belgrade with many national restaurants and various bars located both on it and in the adjacent alleys. The Skadarlija district is called bohemian, and some even compare it to Montmartre in Paris. The reason is that at the beginning of the 20th century actors, artists and poets actively settled here. The heyday of the street occurred in the 20s of the last century. But after the war it became unremarkable. In 1966, the street was reconstructed and made pedestrian. Is it worth stopping by here in the evening for dinner? It depends on whether you are willing to overpay for the atmosphere, music, name of the establishment, and so on, the place is touristic. The portions are large, everything is delicious, but the cost is higher than in most restaurants of national cuisine located in other areas of the city. I almost forgot, another plus of restaurants on Skadarlija: if you arrive here after midnight, for example, after an evening flight from Moscow, you will definitely find where to have dinner.

Walk along Skadarskaya and turn right onto Despot Stefan Boulevard, along which you exit to Republic Square. Next, from the Belgrade Cultural Center we will go in the opposite direction. You will find yourself on the main city Terazije street (st. Terazije). Its name comes from the Turkish language, it was the name of a special mechanism that distributed water through the city water supply. A similar installation was located on the site of the modern Therasia Fountain(Terazijska chesma). Behind it rises one of the most beautiful hotels in the city - Hotel "Moscow", opened in 1908. It’s worth going to the cafe on the ground floor of the hotel to admire the architectural decoration, the view from the window and drink a cup of coffee, but booking a standard room and not staying is small and not as comfortable as in the above accommodation options for 100+ euros per night.

Then Terazije street smoothly turns into st. Kralja Milana ( st. The edges of Milan), on the left side of which there are Old and New Palaces. Previously, the Old Palace was the residence of the Serbian royal dynasties; currently the city hall is located here. The New Palace was the residence of the Karađorđevićs, now the President of Serbia.

On the right side, in the Maiden's Park, there is monument to Nicholas II. Previously, the embassy of the Russian Empire was located here.

Cross the road towards the palaces. Here next to the New Palace at Andrichev Venats 8 ( Andriev Venats, 8), located museum-apartment famous Yugoslav writer, author of the novel “Bridge on the Drina”, and diplomat Ivo Andrica. Here he lived with his wife from 1958 until his death in 1975. And the museum opened a year later, in 1976. Detailed information and museum opening hours are available at official website.

Go through Pioneer Park to building of the People's Assembly of Serbia. Some pickets are often held here, and various addresses to members of parliament can be seen. Although now deputies most often meet not here, but in an inconspicuous building on the street. Kralja Milana, 14.

If you are facing the Parliament building, turn right and walk forward, so you will exit onto Kral Alexander Boulevard. On the left you will see Tashmaidan Park ( Tashmaydan Park), where it is located (Crkva Svetog Marka), built in 1931-1940 in the Serbian-Byzantine style. The relics of the Serbian king Dusan are kept here. Right behind her Russian Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1924 by White Guard emigrants. General Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel rests here.

Russian Church of the Holy Trinity

Not far from the Russian Church there is a small memorial sign “Why?” (rus. Why?), dedicated to memory 18 employees of a Serbian television and radio company were killed during a NATO bombing on April 23, 1999.

The Tashmaidan park itself has recently been restored, and a large sum The Azerbaijani government allocated funds for this. Therefore, now here you can see not only a monument to the popular Serbian writer Milorad Pavic, but also the first president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev.

There is another memorial sign in the park dedicated to NATO aggression - monument to Milica Rakic, which is a symbol of all the innocent victims of that war. On it, in Serbian and English, it says: “We were only children.”

Return to Kralja Aleksandar Boulevard and turn onto Belgrade Street ( st. Beogradska) towards Slavia Square. Turn left onto Krunska Street. Here in house 51 is Nikola Tesla Museum(Museum of Nikola Tesla, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00, nikolateslamuseum.org).

Walk along Belgrade Street to Slavia Square, where you will go around the towering hotel of the same name and along St. Sava Street ( st. Svetog Save) go to one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world - Church of St. Sava (Svetog Save Temple). The first architectural designs for the cathedral appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. They were even sent to Petrograd for consideration at the Imperial Academy of Arts. Construction began in 1935, but was interrupted due to World War II. They returned to the construction of the temple only in 1985. The dome was completed in 1989. The cathedral was officially opened in 2004, but work on the interior decoration is still ongoing.

Temple of Saint Sava

1-2 days will be enough to explore the attractions of the center of Belgrade described above. Now I’ll tell you what else is worth seeing in the city and its surroundings if you plan to stay here longer.

What else to see in Belgrade and its surroundings

New cemetery ( New grave)

In its depths there is a Russian necropolis (sites No. 80, 80a, 90, 90a), where white emigrants and their descendants are buried. You should orient yourself towards the Iverskaya Chapel and to the right of it is the memorial of “Russian Glory”, which is the figure of Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the army, standing on a pedestal in the shape of a projectile, on which is written “Eternal memory of Emperor Nicholas II and 2,000,000 Russian soldiers of the Great War " Under the monument there is a crypt where the remains of Russian soldiers and officers who died during the First World War are buried. The memorial sign itself, the author of which is the architect Roman Nikolaevich Verkhovskoy, was installed in 1935 on the initiative of the Colonel of the Russian Army, Knight of St. George, Mikhail Skorodumov.

Memorial of "Russian Glory" at the New Cemetery of Belgrade

Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov, a famous Russian architect, author of the famous Livadia Palace in Crimea, is buried on the territory of the Russian cemetery in Belgrade. By the way, during his life in Belgrade, he managed to have a hand in the construction of the buildings of the People's Assembly and the Government of Serbia (the intersection of Kneza Milaša and Nemajina streets), and the reconstruction of the Ružice Church.

Opposite the main entrance there is a memorial park with the graves of the liberators of Belgrade, perpetuating the memory of Yugoslav partisan soldiers and Soviet soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of Belgrade from the Nazis in 1944.

Zemun - an Austro-Hungarian piece of Belgrade

Zemun is a district of Belgrade located on the opposite side of the Sava, on the right bank of the Danube. You can get here by buses No. 15, 704, 707 from the Zeleni Venac stop, and in good weather, on foot, since 90% of the route will run along the Danube. Zemun was under the rule of the Habsburgs for a long time, which could not but affect its architectural appearance. Later it became an independent city, and since the 30s it has been part of Belgrade. last century with a short break from 1941 to 1944, when it was part of the fascist Independent State of Croatia.

The main attraction of Zemun is Gardosh Tower(another name is Millennium), built in 1896 at the southernmost point of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Thus, the Hungarians immortalized the 1000th anniversary of their stay in the Middle Danube Lowland. There is also a small bar here - Fat Cat Pub, where you can sit and admire the view of the Danube, tiled roofs and the tower itself, and for those who don’t like that, they can climb it for a small fee.

Gardosh Tower

Zemun is also known for its churches and cathedrals - both Orthodox and Catholic, as well as the Town Hall building, built in the classicist style in 1823-1832, located on Victory Square.

On the Danube embankment there are many restaurants serving both Serbian and European cuisine, so you can always refresh yourself if you wish. The only thing is that the prices here are a little higher, but you have to pay for the view.

Ada Ciganlija or where to escape the heat in the Serbian capital

Ada Tsiganliya ( Ada Ciganlija) is an island on the Sava River 4 km from the center of Belgrade. In 1967, it was connected to the shore by two platinas. As a result, Lake Savskoe, 4 km long, appeared. Here local residents escape the summer heat, swim, sunbathe, walk and actively engage in sports. The Ada Ciganlija beach is marked with a “blue flag”, which indicates the purity of the water in the lake and the developed beach infrastructure. On the opposite bank of the Sava there is New Belgrade (Novi Beograd), where, if desired, you can move by boat.

Mount Avala

The height of Mount Avala is only 511 meters, it is located 16.5 km southeast of Belgrade. From here you can admire a beautiful panorama of the city, and an even more breathtaking view opens from Aval television tower (Avalski televisijski tora, 10.00–16.00). The tower was originally built in 1961–1965, but was destroyed by NATO bombing on April 29, 1999. Restoration of the television tower was completed in 2010.

Mounted on top of the mountain memorial to the unknown hero (Spomenik unknown јunaku) in memory of the participants in the First World War. Its creator is the Yugoslav sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.

On the slope of Avala, in memory of the Soviet delegation who died at this place in a plane crash on October 19, 1964, monument to Soviet war veterans (Spomenik of the Soviet military veteran). Then a group of military personnel from the USSR, including Marshal of the Soviet Union Sergei Biryuzov, was flying to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade, but due to heavy fog the plane crashed into a mountain.

Food in Belgrade: where to eat deliciously

In any new country, I like to try something local. Serbia has captivated me in this sense – any restaurant here will offer delicious meat dishes and fresh vegetable salads. What else do you need?

I will list dishes with a brief description that will 100% be found on any menu of a national restaurant in Belgrade:

1. Salads:
   • Serbian salad - everything is simple: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions;
   • Shopska salad - Serbian cheese was added to it;
   • coleslaw – cabbage dressed with oil, vinegar and a little hot pepper.
2. Soup or Chorba. The second differs from the first in being slightly richer and thicker. I recommend trying telecha chorba.
3. Main meat dishes:
   • Pljeskavica is a very tasty and large cutlet made from different types of meat. It can be stuffed with cheese, ham or served with kaymak – curdled salted cream. It is a staple dish of Serbian fast food, served in a bun with various vegetables. For me – number one among all dishes of Serbian cuisine;
   • chevapchichi or chevapi - chopped sausages, a local analogue of lula kebab;
   • veshalitsa - pork chop, which can be stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, etc.;
   • raznichi – mini-kebabs;
   • Karadjordje schnitzel - veal, pork, and sometimes chicken chop, in which cheese and ham are wrapped, then rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in boiling oil;
   • muchkalitsa - meat cooked over coals and then simmered for a long time with peppers, onions and tomatoes;
   • sarma - Serbian cabbage rolls, smoked brisket is added to the minced meat and wrapped in sauerkraut leaves.

List of restaurants

To get acquainted with Serbian national cuisine I recommend the following restaurants in Belgrade:

Mala Kolubara(Ivankovachka, 2, www.malakolubara.rs). Delicious food, large portions, inexpensive. Russian-speaking waiters work.

Small hotel(Dobrachina, 6, www.facebook.com/malagostionica), the restaurant is located in the city center on a quiet street. There is a veranda and 2 smoking rooms and no smoking rooms, which is rare for Belgrade. Some of the waiters speak Russian. Prices are average.

Shta je tu je(Tsara Dušana 18, www.stajetuje.com) homemade restaurant located near Kalimegdan Park. To get there, you need to turn off the street. Tsar Dushin on the street. Riga od Fere. Delicious food, low prices.

Restaurant Sarajevski(Tsara Dusana, 32, www.sarajevski.rs) another restaurant on Tsara Dusana Street. Smoking is allowed in the hall. The portions are large and delicious. Prices are average.

Restaurant "Zavičaj"(Gavrila Principa 77, www.restoranzavicaj.rs) a network of ethnic restaurants in Belgrade. One of them is located in the center, not far from the railway station, which is convenient. Prices are average.

Stara Herzegovina(Tsarigradska, 36) – restaurant and beer hall under one roof. The main visitors are residents of the surrounding houses. Wide range of menus, high quality food, friendly service and low prices.

Map of Belgrade with attractions, best hotels and restaurants

Conclusion

Belgrade is one of my favorite cities. After reading the guidebook, it is probably difficult to understand the reason for this? To be honest, there are not many attractions, but those that exist are... sophisticated tourist They won’t be surprised, and the devastation is very striking. So why? The answer is very simple - people, cuisine and the view from the fortress! Come to Serbia, to Belgrade, for 2-3 days, this is enough to get to know the city and form your opinion about it.

By the way, Air Serbia now offers many inexpensive air tickets with connections in the Serbian capital. Advice - take it with a long one. So, you will “kill two birds with one stone” - you will save on tickets to your destination and visit Belgrade.