A Short Stay in Belgrade: Things Worth Seeing

November 23, 2016 28379 294 69 Comments

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September 2016, I’m flying from Athens to Dusseldorf and I have a 10-hour layover in Belgrade. I chose this Air Serbia flight on purpose, as I wanted to get a taste of the city. I had wanted to visit this city for years, but hadn’t done it until now. My departure time at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is at 5.00 in the morning and I will arrive in Belgrade one hour and forty minutes later. With the time difference, I will arrive at 5:40am Serbia time. When I arrived, bus service hadn’t started yet, so a taxi was the only way to get to the city center. Below you will find all sights of interest that I believe it is worth visiting in case you will stay for a day in the city. If you have time to take a free walking tour in Belgrade, visit belgrade-free-walking-tour.com. In the streets you will also find currency exchange centers, where you can change euros into Serbian dinars at a rate of 123 dinars to the euro, at least on the day that I visited (Sept. 2016).

Sights & Attractions in Belgrade

  • Kalemegdan Park
    Kalemegdan Park is one of the main attractions of Belgrade. It is a huge green area in which I really enjoyed strolling through. Apart from the castle inside the park, there is also a zoo, the War Museum, as well as many statues and other attractions. “The Victor” monument stands out in particular, which was built to commemorate Serbia’s victory over the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, “the tomb of Ali Pasha” and the “Nebojsa Tower”, where Rigas Fereos was killed on June 24th, 1798. The area is quite beautiful and the locals enjoy it here very much. I was impressed by the fact that a park within a big city is full of squirrels, which you can see passing in front of you while jumping from the trees.
  • Kneza Mihaila
    Kneza Mihaila and surrounding streets are the core center and main market of Belgrade, so it’s definitely worth strolling around.
  • Princess Ljubica Palace
    This palace was used for living until 1829, and it is one of the most remarkable among the preserved examples of civil architecture in the first half of the 19th century Belgrade.
  • Question Mark Tavern
    It is one of the most famous in the city! It is a historical building built in 1823 by a Greek architect. The story is interesting, as it got its unusual name in 1892 during a dispute between the Serbian Orthodox Church and its owner. The tavern originally opened as a café and the owner had named it after the Saborna church. This led to church authorities strongly protesting, forcing him to remove the name! So, as a temporary solution the owner put a question mark on the door, where it eventually became its official name.
  • Republic Square
    It is the main meeting point for locals, and the National Theatre and National Museum of Serbia are located here.
  • Skadarlija
    It’s a bohemian district with lots of cafes and restaurants, which mainly comes alive at night. It’s very picturesque and the ideal place to enjoy Serbian cuisine in a traditional setting.
  • NATO Ruins
    The NATO bombing of the city in 1999 lasted 78 days. Despite the fact that Belgrade did not suffer as much as other cities in Serbia, the effects of the war are even to this day quite large and noticeable. The most famous being the building of the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Defense on Kneza Milosa Street.
  • Old Palace
    It lies opposite to Republic Parliament and next to Pionirski Park and it was built in style of academism between 1882 and 1884 and used by Obrenović ruling dynasty.
  • Parliament Building
    House of the National Assembly, better known as the Federal or Republic Parliament, is the most important state building.
  • St. Save Temple
    If the signs are true, it is the largest Orthodox church in the world. It was built in 1594 but is currently being renovated inside.
  • Slavija roundabout
    The Slavija roundabout is considered as an attraction, as tourists sit and observe how accidents fail to occur even with cars coming in and out so fast.
  • Njegoseva
    A nice street with lots of cafes and restaurants in a row.
  • Servo-orthodox Museum

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