"Beograd" in Serbian language means "White City" ("BEO" means white, "GRAD" means City). Belgrade is an ancient city whose history lasts for over 7000 years. It is located in South-eastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. It is also been named "Gate of Balkans" and "Doors of Central Europe", for it lies at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Belgrade is the capital of Serbia and with a population of around 1,6 million people, it is one of the largest cities in South-east Europe.

Belgrade climate belongs to the transition from continental to temperate continental. During winter and autumn time usually blows strong south-east wind - "Kosava". This wind is real "air purifier" for the city and is one of the landmarks of Belgrade. The hottest months of the year are July and August (often exceeding +30 C). The best time to visit Belgrade is between May and September, when there is little rainfall, lot of greenery, and crowded outdoor cafes and clubs entice you at every step.

The official currency is the Serbian Dinar (RSD label). There are many exchange offices where you can change your money for Dinars and they are all pretty safe and reliable, with insignificant varying of exchange rates. The same you can do in some of the branches of many Serbian banks. Network of ATMs is also widely available. In most of the shops and restaurants all types of credit cards are accepted.

The official language is Serbian (member of the group of Slavic languages), and the Cyrillic is the official alphabet. In addition to the Cyrillic, in use is equally the second alphabet- Latinica. Orientation in the city might be somewhat hampered by the fact that the names of many streets are often written only in Cyrillic. Also, many streets, during the turbulent past of Belgrade and frequent changes of political climate, changed names. Luckily, most people speak at least a little English, while younger population generally speaks English very well and will gladly help you to find your way in the streets. For more general info, please visit Go-Belgrade.

Useful Tips

In many ways Belgrade seems to resemble other European cities but is also quite distinctive from the rest. Traditional and cosmopolitan, poor and rich, disorganized and cultured, Eastern and Western, Mediterranean and Slavic... Generally speaking Belgrade is fairly safe city comparing to other European capitals, exuding laid back atmosphere and kind of a charming Mediterranean disorganization in everyday life.

Belgrade is by all international standards a very safe city and this is one of the main impressions which foreigners bring from here. Namely, in Belgrade, there are no "forbidden" parts or areas of the city where you should not go. Even late at night, in Belgrade you can see young people, even girls, as they wander the streets without fear that something can happen to them. However, Belgrade as well as all other big capitals, has some problems with crime that is usually linked to the robbery. Therefore, pay your attention especially in Public Transport (GSP) and take care of your personal belongings, purses, wallets. Hold them in your hand or firmly under the arm, because in public transport often operate so called "Pickpockets".

Avoid taxi drivers who will besiege you around the main railway station. Price lists of these taxi drivers usually vary significantly in relation to the official price list and can cost you money and nerves. Also avoid taxi drivers with no official number and name of the taxi association.

The law restricting smoking, which entered into force 2010, restricts smoking in enclosed spaces. Owners of stores larger than 80 m2 undertake to ensure special sections for non-smokers. Owners of smaller shops make their own decisions about whether the space will be smoker's area or not. A complete ban on smoking, however, applies to all public institutions, companies and other business institutions. All major hotels, hostels and other accommodation facilities in Belgrade also have no smoking rooms. Avid non-smokers should bear in mind that in Belgrade is difficult to find an enclosed space with a total smoking ban.

Most tourists complaints are related to the weak Wi-Fi coverage in the city. In the past year, significant progress has been made in this field, so that today the majority of hotels, restaurants, cafes and public institutions in the city have free Wi-Fi zone. Also, free Wi-Fi can be used at more than 130 public locations in the city, among which are: parks in the city centre- Tasmajdan, Students' park, Vuk park, Skate Park Usce, Kalemegdan Park, then, Knez Mihailova pedestrian zone, Ada Lake area, the River Sava Quay, "Nikola Tesla" airport, "Kombank Arena", stadium Marakana...

For most visitors from Western and neighboring countries, including U.S. citizens, no visa is needed for up to 90 days stay in Serbia. Citizens of certain countries still need to obtain a visa for any travel within Serbia. For the visas can be applied in consulates and embassies of Serbia. To enter the country all travellers need a valid passport. The exceptions are citizens of the EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Island, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which only need a valid ID card. Here you can find more useful tips for visiting Belgrade.

Top 5 Sights

It’s the legacies of the past that have shaped an interesting city, through a mixture and blend of different cultures and influences. In Belgrade, there are many sites that may be part of your tour. Although many magnificent buildings, monuments, archives and cultural institutions were irreparably destroyed throughout the centuries, Belgrade has still managed to hold on to some gems.
1. Kalemgdan Park and the Fortress
Kalemegdan is the largest and most important historical location in Belgrade. It is situated on a hill above the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The spatial complex consists of the Upper Town, Lower Town (plateau) and Kalemegdan Park. Because of its exceptional strategic significance the first fort here was built in the 1st Century BC and for many centuries the fortress has consistently been invaded, demolished and rebuilt. We suggest you to visit lovely churches of St. Petka and Ruzica, Roman spring, as well as the symbol of Belgrade - monument "Victor". You will not regret it because the plateau where the monument is, offers a fascinating view of the confluence of two Belgrade rivers! If you are fan of a more relaxed tour, you can simply enjoy in pleasant walks, steeping back into the past times and ancient atmosphere. And when the weather is nice, you can spend evening enjoying a cool sunset view from the Belgrade Fortress.
2. Knez Mihailova street
The Knez Mihaila area is one of the most valuable monumental complexes of the city. This lovely street is exciting and vibrant pedestrian zone and shopping area. It is named after Prince Mihailo Obrenovic, one of the most important rulers of the modern Serbian state. Along the street you can enjoy taking pictures of the representative buildings and urban houses built in the second half of 19th Century. The street is also a meeting place for local street musicians and vendors of souvenirs. Do not miss the lovely stalls at the end of the street, where there are souvenirs sales.
3. Skadarlija
This small vintage street, less than 400 metres long is heart and soul of the famous bohemian quarter yet since 19th century! Here you can still feel the spirit of an old Belgrade, its traditional bars and live music. Skadarlija can be your starting point for visiting Belgrade, the area of daily rest, or first stop for a crazy night out. This cobbled street is famous for authentic old café restaurants (kafanas), as well as galleries, antique shops and souvenir shops. In 19/20th century, the street has become a meeting place of many famous artists, poets and writers. One of them is Ðura Jaksic, a prominent Serbian poet, writer and painter of the 19th century, whose monument is located in the middle of the street, in front of the house where he once lived. Here you can discover the small rituals, curiosities and oddities of Belgrade bohemian life and taste the old charm of Belgrade "kafana" experience!
4. Old Zemun
Zemun is a part of Belgrade that extends along and above the right bank of the Danube River. For most of its history, Zemun evolved independently from Belgrade. Until 1918. it was under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and only in 1934. enters the territorial composition of Belgrade. The oldest building in Zemun is the Fortress, and was mentioned in the writings of 9th and 11th Century. Today's remains date back to the 15th century. Gardos is one of the three hills that have sprung up historical center of Zemun (the other two are Calvary and Cukovac). Gardos is a charming combination of cobbled streets, overladen small houses, café restaurants and galleries. Walking through the Gardos you will lose the notion that you are in Belgrade. You will enjoy a Mediterranean spirit of small cobbled streets that descend to the water. Suggest you to finish your walk with a lunch in one of the great fish restaurants in Zemun quay overlooking the magnificent Danube river.
5. Saint Sava Temple
St. Sava is the largest Orthodox structure in the Balkans and one of the biggest Orthodox churches in the world. The Temple is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is built on the location where his remains were burned by Ottoman Turks in 1595. It is centrally planned, having the form of a Greek cross. The idea of building a monumental Orthodox church in Belgrade dates from the late 19th century. After several competitions, finally, in 1926. the architectural design of Bogdan Nestorovic was accepted . Construction was interrupted 1941, due to beginning of the World War II. As of 2009, the construction works are mostly complete. The bells and windows had been installed, and the facade completed. However, work on the internal decoration of the building still remains largely unfinished.

Guided tours (with the local guide)

Tour 1- Belgrade walking tour (2 hours cca)
Republic Square, National Theatre, National Museum, pedestrian Knez Mihailova Street, Belgrade University, Orthodox Cathedral, "?" Restaurant, Princess Ljubica’s Residence, Belgrade Fortress with Kalemegdan Park.
Tour 2- Belgrade tour (walking + driving, 3-4 hours)
Republic Square, National Theatre, National Museum, pedestrian Knez Mihailova Street, Belgrade University, Orthodox Cathedral, "?" Restaurant, Princess Ljubica’s Residence, Belgrade Fortress with Kalemegdan Park, Parliament, Old Palace (City Hall), Tito Memorial ("House of Flowers"), St. Sava Temple. For more info on the guided tours in Belgrade, please email [email protected].

Insider Belgrade

Belgrade may not shine at a first glance and it is hard to say it’s a beautiful city. But soon after the first rough impression, you realize that beneath the grey surface lies a vibrant and welcoming city, offering the unique spirit and urban secrets to the open minded. What Belgrade makes so irresistible are its inhabitants. As soon as you arrive in this city, you will have the feeling you already know all the people, because Belgradians are receptive and friendly. As if the city and its inhabitants deal with everyday life as they have dealt with the difficult past- with humor, joy and laughter.

Turkish, homemade, espresso, nescafé– in a word, coffee! Daily life of Belgradians revolves around coffee. The first one in the morning, one for lunch break, during wandering through the city or one in the afternoon with friends- it is simply an irreplaceable part of life here. There are places in Belgrade, where you can still taste traditional home cooked coffee, "Domaca (Domestic)" (sometimes called "Turkish"), served traditionally with a Turkish delight. We suggest you experience "Domaca" in one of the kafanas like Znak ? or Kalenic or in orientally designed Kandahar café, in Strahinjica bana street. Belgrade is not lagging behind other European cities when it comes to fashionably designed cafes and bars. Walking Strahinjica Bana Street you would easily tell you were in Berlin, Chicago or Barcelona. At every turn, cafes and clubs are offering wide selection of budget friendly drinks (comparing to the West. European capitals).

Inner courtyards of the old buildings turned into small pleasant cafes are real gems and best kept secrets for anyone searching for the "city soul" in the old Belgrade quarters Stari Grad and Vracar. One of them, Smokvica (Little Fig) is situated in the small courtyard above the Kralja Petra street, with a branching fig tree creating very pleasant shade during the summer months. Cafe recently opened its winter indoor area of a "modern-bistro like" interior design. You can also enjoy quiet and peaceful atmosphere of Vracar coffe breaks (Prica, Moment, Black Peter..), where cafés infused with an old-fashioned spirit, holding somewhat onto cherished dreams of yesterdays...

Eating - from traditional kafanas to the new culinary experiences. Usually, Serbs eat at restaurants or kafanas, older versions of today's standard restaurants. Serbian cuisine is a mixture of various influences, mostly Mediterranean, Turkish and Hungarian cuisine. Serbs love to eat well and, in fact, the Serbian cuisine is heavy on meat and light on vegetables (not at all for Vegan style of life!). In the kafanas and traditional restaurants we suggest to try local specialities such as "Sarma" (minced meat wrapped in cabbage leaves), "Cevapcici" (sausages made of ground meat cooked on the grill), "Prebranac" (baked beans with bacon in the oven) "Gibanica" (traditional pie with home-made dough layers stuffed with cheese) "Baklava" (sweet juicy pie with walnuts) and of course Rakija!

RAKIJA is an unavoidable drink of Serbia and the part of the Serbian culture. Try drinking rakija out of cokancici, the typical glass it should be served in. It can often be very strong as it typically has a very high percentage of alcohol (sometimes even over 50%), so be cautious when you are drinking. Other brandies of worth a taste are grape, quince, apricot, and pear. "Zuta Osa" is a well-known brandy throughout the world, just look for the wasp. The best places to taste rakija is specialized Rakija bar, but you can taste it anywhere else.

For local specialities, the suggested restaurants are: Skadarlija kafanas, Daco, Znak? and also fish restaurants Talas", Šaran (Zemun Quay).

In the past few years new "breed" of modernly designed restaurants, such as Zaplet, offer fine dining combined with imaginative ingredients and eclectic menus of International cuisine. The portions here are served at almost artistic ways and follow the advanced concepts of the world culinary trends. Supermarket Concept Store is for sure the place not to be missed in your Belgrade "go out experience tour". This is actually crazy cool department store offering products of independent designers and young Serbian artists, where you can at the same time eat, drink and enjoy live DJ sessions … Includes restaurant, shops, beauty lounge, wine bar, spa and art corner.

Although tipping is not mandatory and there is no certain quota for tipping, unofficially it is around 10% of the bill. Accordingly, tipping is adopted extensively in the local culture and everybody leaves some amount for a tip. When toasting, tap the glasses and look each other in the eye. Not making eye contact is considered rude and disrespectful. After the toasts, you always take a sip of your drink!

Paying a bill - "Ja castim" (I am treating)... Did you know that Serbian is one of the few languages that has a special verb for this phenomenon? You will hear this much more often in Belgrade than in any other city in Europe. Paying for rounds of drinks or food here is more than just picking up the tab, it is a sign of respect and friendship. Splitting the bill is rare.

Night-life - The capital of chilling!

In recent years a lot has been said about the Belgrade’s buzzing nightlife. And the story goes on…. "The ultimate party city" (Lonely Planet) does not give up on fun. Belgrade really lives to the fullest, 7 days a week. Here every day is Friday if you want it to be. Even though they work in the morning, Belgradians will not deny themselves an evening drink with friends, going to a good gig or dinner with live music. A typical night-out begins with gathering for a coffee or dinner in one of the myriad of Belgrade's cafes and restaurants.

Good places to start your night out: cafes in Strahinjica bana street (Pastis, Soho, Kandahar, Jimmy Woo), Centrala (Simina st.), Blaznavac (Kneginje Ljubice st.). The fun continues on a dance floor (depending on what kind of music you like) - Tube and Plastic are synonymous for the best clubbing experience, disco bar Mladost is specialized in nu disco and house dj sessions. If you prefer alternative then go to Gun club, Secer, or Idiott. Teatro, Magacin, Kolektiv are places with the live performances of local pop and folk musicians.

Finally, the night takes you to the river, to the unique floating raft boats (SPLAV), well-known for crazy partying until dawn, live music and a cheerful atmosphere. If you want to experience the crazy partying with local folk music and dancing until dawn stop by Acapulco, Sound or Amsterdam splavs. If you’re a fan of more alternative sounds we suggest you: Povetarac, 20/44 and Gusar. Everything ends with the early morning in front of some of the famous Belgrade bakeries or burger houses where you can taste the best "street cuisine" specialties–from burgers and kebabs to pies and strudels. Try "pljeskavica" at famous "Loki" (corner of Kralja Petra and Gospodar Jevremova streets) or pizzas and pancakes at "Bucko" (Francuska street).
If you arrive without prejudices and with an open heart, the "White City" certainly will not let you down. Thus speaking, the Belgrade trip might be one of your best city break travel decisions yet!