Belgrade, Serbia: The city of contrasts and culture

Join us as we visit Belgrade - the capital and largest city of Serbia.

Also known as The White City, Belgrade is not only an intriguing capital, but one of Europe's most happening cities. It was also the capital of Yugoslavia from its inception as a kingdom in 1918, throughout the post World War II socialist era. Thanks to its strategic location at the confluence of the Saba and Danube rivers, Belgrade is an intersection of Western and Oriental Europe.

We arrived to Belgrade from Croatia and checked into a lovely place called Lola’s Apartment. It was nice and cozy, and even had a balcony overlooking the city. Best of all, they had a restaurant on the sixth floor from where we ordered our dinner for the night.

On our first day in Belgrade, we went downtown to explore the city. When we were parking our car, we learned that we needed a Serbian mobile number to pay for the parking.. When you send an SMS with your license number, it will automatically deduct the amount from your account. As we didn’t have any Serbian sim cards with us, a really nice couple sent the license plate from their phone on our behalf.

Afterwards, we met with some of our friends and when the sun went down, we went for a walk by the Sava River. It is one of the largest rivers in Europe, and the night view was absolutely gorgeous.

Next we headed over to the main shopping center in the downtown - Prince Mihailo Promenade. We walked around a bit, enjoying the ambiance which is vibrant with music, arts, cafes and more.

For dinner, we went to a riverside restaurant called Ambar. The restaurant was boisterous and welcoming and it had an interesting rule - if you like their food they will keep on bringing more of it until you say no! Here at Ambar, they also serve Michelin star desserts which are absolutely delicious!

The next day, we took the girls to Republic Square where we saw the statue of Prince Mihailo. While walking through the streets, we saw small stores that sold leather goods, jewelry, liquor, honey, beautiful paintings, and more.

Our plan was to visit the Tesla Museum next, but we first stopped at a nearby restaurant called Na Ćošku for a delicious dinner. Sir Nicholas Tesla was originally from this area, and this museum showcases his amazing inventions. There were many fun activities and guided tours with lights and electricity, making our visit to the museum worthwhile.

On our third day in Belgrade, we were welcomed with sunshine. We visited the historical Kalemegdan Fortress which is a must-see attraction in the city center. This city was bombed for 78 days in a row during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 and you could see the remnants of the explosions. The massive fortress is still standing tall despite being fought over in 115 wars and razed to the ground 44 times! However, it now has a facelift with cafes, restaurants, and an amazing display of army tanks and weapons.

From there we could see War Island and the confluence of the two major rivers of Europe - the Sava and Danube River.

Right beside the fortress there is a beautiful park area with the Monument of Gratitude of France. We also saw an outdoor museum that had photos showing the post-war situation.

We then drove around the downtown and saw the National Museum, National Theater, Serbian Parliament, Skadarlija (a nice place for coffee) and more!

Our next big stop was at the largest orthodox church in the world - Temple Of Saint Sava. We also visited the Museum of Yugoslavia where Tito - the Former President of Yugoslavia is buried. We learned a lot about Tito, and saw his tomb, trophies, uniforms, and more.

On our last day, we went back to the riverside to enjoy another delicious meal at Comunale Cafe e Cucina. We also checked out the beautiful St. Mark Orthodox Church.

Belgrade is still very unknown and unexplored for tourists so you can enjoy your holiday without huge crowds around you. The beautiful views and refreshing atmosphere make this hidden gem truly worth visiting.

Enjoy the video!