Today is Serbia’s National Day, which marks the anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804. Our writers think there has never been a better time to visit – here’s why you should check it out (before everyone else does)
1. Your money will go pretty far
The country, which is currently in the process of ascension to the European Union, uses the Serbian Dinar and Brits will find that their pound goes pretty far. Access to attractions and tickets for public transport will all cost you less than a fiver, while your food and drink spend should also be modest.
2) Which means you can really make the most of the nightlife
Belgrade enjoys a reputation as an all-year party city, with a vibrant and diverse party scene spanning everything from jazz to Gypsy folk and techno, which has its roots in the 1990s where underground club culture provided a refuge from Milosevic’s regime. Local favourites include Underground Club and Drugstore, while Insomnia Cafe is great for a nightcap.
3) And you can party on the world’s wildest boats
In the summer months, the nighttime festivities move to the city’s waterways – the Danube and Sava rivers – where a plethora of splavovi (moored river boats) provide the venue for diverse nocturnal offerings.
4) You get two rivers for the price of one
The city is located on the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, which provide the backdrop for many of the city’s key sights, and split the city up into the more attractive Old Belgrade and New Belgrade, defined by its post-war brutalist architecture.
5) It has the world’s largest Eastern Orthodox church
The Church of Saint Sava is one of the largest church buildings in the world. Indeed, the construction project, which started in 1935, is so immense that interior detail, including mosaic work, is still being added today.
6) The traditional kebabs are not to be missed
Ćevapi, a traditional Balkan dish of grilled mince meat, often served with chopped onion and sour cream, is in abundant supply in Belgrade and well worth trying.
7) But there are plenty of contemporary hip eateries
Our writer recommends Iguana , a buzzing restaurant with great views over the Sava where wealthier Belgraders head for an intimate dinner accompanied by live contemporary jazz while next door’s, Cantina de Frida attracts a younger crowd for Cuban-themed live music and occasional Serbian takes on Queen classics and offers an exhaustive cocktail list.
8) And there’s something for everyone at the Supermarket Concept Store
Created in 2008, and deliberately designed in socialist-era style, this immense commercial and cultural space is a food and drink spot, fashion store and design showroom all rolled into one – and visitors can sip easily while away hours sipping on artisanal coffee or craft beer and browsing the ultra-hip fashion, music and lifestyle collection.
9) There’s a rather cool fortress
Check out Wander Kalemegdan, the ruins of a fortress which was built to defend the city from the Ottomans, who then invaded and adapted it as their own defensive outpost on the hill overlooking the Sava and Danube. Today it is the city’s most popular park where Belgraders gather to admire the fine view.
10) And the surrounding park has a lot to offer
Including landscaped gardens, elegant monuments to eminent Serbians, an impressive military museum and a zoo. The park also hosts cultural events such as theatre performances and concerts, as well as a popular flea market.
11) You can hop on Europe’s most spectacular rail journey
The Belgrade-Bar line connects the Serbian capital to one of Montenegro’s biggest sea ports, and the journey takes in swoon-worthy hills, mountains and lakes while crossing of one of the world’s highest viaducts. Tickets are cheap and window seats are generally easy to come by.
12) And enjoy a historic mismatch of architecture
Belgrade may not be the most traditionally beautiful city – its skyline is still scarred by communist-era eyesores – not to mention the ruins of buildings bombed by Nato – but there are some notable exceptions. The Zemun district is lined with Austro-Hungarian houses, a vestige of its past as the southernmost outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, while the cobbled Skadarlija Bohemian quarter in the Old Town has a Montmartre-style charm.
13) You can visit Tito’s tomb
Be sure to see the mausoleum to Tito – or “House of Flowers” as the site is also known – a shrine to Yugoslavia’s communist leader, complete with a museum full of many gifts the great leader received from ordinary Yugoslavians.
14) And if you needed any further excuse to visit, there’s always Exit Festival
You can dance till dawn in a fortress an hour’s drive from the city. Exit started as a student political protest but is now one of Europe’s best known music festivals, with the likes of Nick Cave, LCD Soundsystem and The Prodigy headlining in past years. With a “something for everyone” music policy and the Danube to cool off in, this festival has won numerous awards and is the perfect partner to a city sightseeing in the heat of summer.