Sights in Belgrade – my top tips for your city trip

“Is this German?” the taxi driver wants to know from us. The three of us sit in the back seat and are on our way to get to know the infamous nightlife of Belgrade. To our “yes we speak german” the taxi driver replies “a very strange language!”, rummages around next to his seat, takes out his smartphone while driving and calls up a YouTube film, where he explains to us using the example of V for Vogel why German is a strange language. You don’t pronounce the letters the way you would pronounce them according to the alphabet. That’s what he realized.

In the meantime, I look back and forth between the taxi driver holding his smartphone and the busy road in front of us, trying to decipher the Cyrillic characters on the street signs. It feels like we’re driving in circles. He doesn’t know exactly where the Kafe-knjizara Meduza is, says the taxi driver after the second loop. We repeat the address

“Lord of Yefremova 6”.

„Why didn’t you say that before?“.

Needless to say, when we got in, we mentioned the street, the house number and the name of the bar. However, before he does another round, we get out. The taximeter is at 600 dinars and we realize that we are standing less than 10 meters away from the restaurant we are looking for. This is Belgrade.

Things to do in Belgrade #1: Morning atmosphere on the banks of the Sava River

Corbusier is said to have said, “Belgrade is the ugliest city in the world, in the most beautiful place in the world.” At least in the morning just before sunrise, this statement is not true. That’s where Belgrade shows its pretty side.

Belgrade Sights #2: Monumental Church Buildings

For now, let’s stay with Belgrade’s beautiful sides. These include the monumental Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, one of the largest churches in southeastern Europe and still unfinished despite almost a hundred years of planning and construction.

Things to do in Belgrade #3: Stroll through Skadarlija

Skadarlija is often referred to as the “Montmartre” of Belgrade. The pedestrian axis, which is almost half a kilometre long, is lined with restaurants and, in my opinion, is the tourist corner of the city. Nevertheless, you should not miss a stroll through the neighborhood. At the latest on the Pijaca Skadarlija you will meet locals again, who do their daily shopping at the market.

Things to do in Belgrade #4: Coffee break with Moskva šnit

The must-see culinary program includes Moskva šnit. The delicious cake is served, for example, in the café of the Moskva Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in the city. Afterwards you walk towards Kalemegdan for digestion. The fortress is located above the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and forms the historic core of the Serbian capital. The extensive park offers great views towards New Belgrade and Zemun as far as the Pannonian Plain.

Things to do in Belgrade #5: Biking through New Belgrade – Brutalism

Corbusier’s “ugly” hits the nail on the head in the New Belgrade district. The architecture is characterized by rapid construction by Yugoslav labor brigades. Particularly striking is the Genex Tower, designed in the style of Brutalism. But there are also some other architectural witnesses from the socialist era under Josip Broz Tito to discover here. Together with bike guide Ralph, we cycled through New Belgrade, which is built up according to a strict grid. The Dutchman – how could it be otherwise – has set up a bike tour company in Belgrade and not only led us past the massive concrete buildings, but also showed us the idyllic corners on the banks of the Danube.

Things to do in Belgrade #6: Explore Savamala

Back in “old Belgrade” we explore the area just behind the main train station. Visually, apart from some street art gems, not the prettiest corner of the city. But what is happening behind the crumbling facades and rotten stairwells is all the more exciting. Savamala is the creative hotspot of the city. If you would like to learn more about the Savamala district, you will find exciting inputs on current urban development under the project title “Urban Incubator Belgrade“.

Things to do in Belgrade #7: hip food

In some buildings that look ready for demolition from the outside, a great restaurant is hidden. My recommendation: the Gnezdo ((update December 2018: the restaurant was unfortunately closed permanently) and the Bar Basta right next to the Branko Bridge:.

Things to do in Belgrade #8: Start Bar Tour

Belgrade not only bears the honorable name “ugly”, but is also often called the city that never sleeps. With the prices you spend on beer (around 2 CHF for half a litre) and drinks (from around 4 CHF), the city is becoming a trendy destination for city travellers who like to go out. The later the evening, the fuller the party boats that gently rock back and forth on the Sava.

I was fascinated by Belgrade. The city is full of stories and exudes an authentic charm that is still fresh. This also includes rascals, like our taxi driver was (on the way back I looked at the GPS and we only paid 450 dinars on the direct route).

More tips for Belgrade

• From the airport there are buses to the city center (ticket around 300 dinars)
• The centre can be easily explored on foot
• Centrally located is the Hotel Moskva (historic building, but more of a three-star than four-star standard)
• If you prefer something a little more luxurious, the Metropol Palace is the place to be
• If the weather is bad, it’s worth taking a detour to the Nikola Tesla Museum, which is dedicated to the inventor and electrical engineer of the same name

Note: The National Tourism Organization of Serbia invited us to this trip. Thank you very much for this! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.