Top 5 things to do in Belgrade: Discovering Serbia’s ‘White City’
Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, is surrounded by countries that make up the Balkans or Eastern Europe. Being so centrally located, Belgrade offers travellers a great advantage when it comes to further exploration. With a turbulent history, a buzzing nightlife, and boasting some of the region’s best communist architecture, Belgrade is a must-visit city. So here are five of the top things to do in Belgrade.
Things to do in Belgrade: 1. Yugoslav Museum
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about what used to be Yugoslavia and the history of the region before I went on my trip around the Balkans.
But the Yugoslav museum was one of the most comprehensive museums detailing both the history of the former Yugoslavia as well as the former president, Josip Broz Tito.
It effectively is the combination of Museum of the Revolution of Yugoslav Peoples and Ethnic Minorities and of the Memorial Center “Josip Broz Tito”.
The grounds are quite large and while you walk up to what appears to be the museum entrance you actually take a path which leads you behind it to another building where the exhibition is held.
The building is pretty much like a really long corridor, so it’s very linear and easy to follow.
In it you get to see everything from weapons to propaganda newspapers to ordinary shopping products.
The museum was one of the best that I’ve been to as it not only gives you an understanding of the political side of Yugoslavia but it also gives you an insight into what life was like by showcasing ordinary artefacts.
On the other side of the wall quite interestingly are all of the presents and gifts that Tito was presented with from foreign dignitaries, citizens, and world leaders throughout his life time.
If you’re interested about Tito there is a building on the grounds where his tomb is located. You can walk up to it and leave your respects if you wish.
It is surrounded by gorgeous floral displays as well as further information on the story of Yugoslavia, an interactive display showcasing the messages left by foreign dignitaries at his funeral, and a model of his blue train that he used to travel.
All in all, it’s a superb way to start your day and learn something about Yugoslavia so that’s why it makes the list of top things to do in Belgrade.
Price:
Adults – 400 din.
Students and pupils – 200 din.
Children under the age of 10 – free.
There is free entrance available to certain people.
Things to do in Belgrade: 2. Kalemegdan Fortress
Kalemegdan is a must-visit if you’re in Belgrade. It’s not just another park, and it’s not just a normal fortress.
The views from the edge of the Kalemegdan fortress are superb. There’s so much to do and very family friendly. Taking a stroll around we got to do archery. It was 600 din for 12 shots and it was a bit of fun.
Take in the different architectural aspects of the fortress, relax on the grass with an ice-cream or take in the variety of weapons on show.
While on holidays it can sometimes feel stressful to try take in as much as you can but Kalemegdan is a great place to unwind while in the city and take in some fresh air. So be sure to add it to your list of things to do in Belgrade.
Price: Free.
Things to do in Belgrade: 3. Nikola Tesla Museum
If you go to an ATM in Belgrade and have a 100 din bank note in your pocket you will see the portrait of Nikola Tesla as well as his Tesla Equation. It’s one of the nicest currency notes I’ve seen and it gives you a flavour of how much Tesla is respected in the city of Belgrade and Serbia as a country. So it would only make sense to go to the Tesla museum!
If you’re not the biggest fan of museums, you should make an exception for this one!
The building takes in a certain amount of people every hour and when it gets busy it closes the door until the current tour is over so I would recommend getting there early.
Altogether I would say the full museum would take an hour. At first you watch a short documentary on Tesla which takes around 15 minutes.
You’re then taken into a room just behind where you watch the documentary to carry out some experiments and learn about Tesla’s inventions.
Your tour guide will do some really cool experiments and it’s great fun for adults and kids alike. After the experiment you are free to wander the museum and check out some of Tesla’s personal belongings and his inventions. While in the ‘White City’ you have got to add Tesla’s museum to your list of things to do in Belgrade.
Price: 500 din for an English tour.
Things to do in Belgrade: 4. Mihailova Street & Republic Square
Mihailova Street and Republic Square are two of the best places in Belgrade to take a leisurely stroll around and take a break from the city.
Mihailova Street is an excellent place to go shopping if shopping is your thing. The street actually connects Kalemegdan Fortress and Republic Square, so if you don’t have much time in Belgrade its a great way to see as many of the sites as quick as possible.
Republic Square is buzzing with café’s restaurants, restaurants, cheap food places, and sports bars. It’s a handy area to chill out if just want to take a moment to yourself and definitely one of the more chilled things to do in Belgrade.
Price: Free.
Things to do in Belgrade: 5. Party
In case you’re unaware, Belgrade is a major party city and a city that many Eastern Europeans travel to to experience the nightlife! As our Airbnb host told us in Croatia, it is where all those in Zagreb journey to to blow off some steam and let loose!
And when you’re there you can understand why! Massive cocktails, tasty drinks, fun places to go out and party and all at a reasonable price make Belgrade a really attractive party spot!
We were pretty tired from our interrail so we never really went ‘out out’. We were constantly on the move trying to tick off the top things to do in Belgrade off of our list so as soon as we got one or two cocktails or beers into us we were pretty much conked.
BUT there was an area that we walked to that was a lot of fun and was absolutely buzzing. Skadarska 13 in Belgrade has a lot going on with bars, restaurants, and hostels. It is a real lively part of the city with some truly unique and fun bars. We went to Red Bar and ordered some cocktails. I got a long island iced tea and it was mahooosive (massive). While we certainly didn’t do enough of it, partying is definitely something you should seriously consider for your list of things to do in Belgrade.
Price: Hangover.
This article is just one of many great articles online about visiting Belgrade but hopefully it gives you an idea of what’s on offer in this wonderful city.
Looking for a place to stay in Belgrade? Check out what Booking.com has on offer in the city. I use them a lot and used them on my interrail. They often have great discounts on hotels and I love browsing their website and planning my next trip.
Booking.comBut if you wan’t to get a nice Airbnb here’s €30 travel credit to see you on your way!
While you’re here, why don’t you read about the best way to get free flights if you’re based in Ireland. And for those of you looking around the Eastern European landscape for your next destination, why don’t check out the Top 5 Things to do in Prague Today!
Note: The likes of the Booking.com links and the Airbnb link are affiliate links which means that if you click on them and end up booking a hotel or using Airbnb, I in return receive a small commission. This does not make things more expensive for you, but more often than not often provides you with discounts to make things cheaper. With regards to the Airbnb link, you will get €30 travel credit and I will get €15 travel credit. These affiliate links help pay for the blog because as you can see I don’t run advertisements on my website because I just think they ruin the experience for you, the reader! Thanks for reading this article on the Top 5 best things to do in Belgrade and please share using the social media buttons to the bottom of your screen!
