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Belgrade

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Belgrade
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Belgrade Travel Guide

  • About Belgrade
Belgrade is fast building a reputation as a city that really knows how to enjoy itself, with excellent museums, a vast selection of restaurants and cafés, and probably the best nightlife in southeast Europe. Modern-day Serbia has worked hard to put the torrid 1990s behind it, with most visitors speaking warmly of the friendliness and generosity of Belgradians.The Serbian capital is often described as ugly, but that all depends on your taste – with countless different rulers over the centuries, there’s something for everyone. New Belgrade on the western side of the Sava is dominated by striking Soviet-era buildings, as is the commercial centre across the river on the eastern side.There are also many impressive neoclassical buildings from 19th century and some later art nouveau architecture towering over grand boulevards in the city centre. Meanwhile, on narrow pedestrianised streets, you’ll find some remnants of the Ottoman era.Overlooking the convergence of the mighty rivers Danube and Sava is the stunning fortress of Kalemegdan, set within a large and pleasant park that rises into a sheer hill. The battlements were built to defend the city from the Ottomans, only to be captured and used by the invaders themselves.This diverse, colourful past is partly what makes Belgrade so interesting. Look out for mighty Orthodox churches, especially the pristine-white Cathedral of St Sava and its 4,000-tonne dome, which took 80 years to construct. Also expect shisha bars, Turkish coffee and hearty Balkan food alongside an intense drinking culture.Indeed, Belgrade is a thriving cultural hub, with a slew of terrific museums and galleries. The Museum of Applied Arts puts on topical exhibitions, while the National Museum in Belgrade hosts extraordinary collections of art and artefacts.As for grassroots art spots, the city is blessed with dozens, particularly in Savamala by the river. Covered in graffiti, the edgy district’s once-abandoned and derelict buildings have been converted into all-purpose cultural centres and bars. In fact, this is the coolest nightlife area of the city, with its atmosphere of reclamation and creativity explaining why Belgrade is being dubbed the new Berlin.
  • Belgrade History
Neolithic cultures thrived in the Belgrade area around 7,000 BC, including the Vinca, who were known for having the largest settlements in prehistoric Europe. The Romans reached Belgrade in the 1st century BC, and by 91 AD, the military camp of Singidunum was well established, home of the legion of Flavius IV.In the 5th century, the city fell to Huns, Sarmatians, Ostrogoths and others. Slavs settled the area in the 6th century, while Hungarians attacked it in the 10th century and destroyed it in 1127.After passing between the Byzantine Empire, Bulgaria and Hungary, the Serbian king was given the city by the latter in 1284. In the early 15th century, it became the capital of Serbia under the tyrant Stefan Lazarevic. As the Ottoman threat grew, a mighty castle and walls were built under the Despotate, enabling it to survive the Siege of Belgrade in 1456. While much of Serbia fell to the invaders, the city held out until 1521, when it was finally captured and absorbed by the Ottoman Empire.There were serious Serb uprisings in the early 19th century, which saw Serbia gain gradual independence. In 1914, WWI started when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the city was badly damaged. After the war, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.In 1941, the government signed an agreement with the Axis powers so as to stay out of WWII, but mass protests led to a coup d’état; Belgrade was heavily bombed and then occupied by the Nazis. The city was bombed again by the Allies in 1944, and liberated later that year by the Red Army and Yugoslav partisans. Tito then declared the Republic of Yugoslavia, and in the post-war years, Belgrade grew rapidly.The Republic began to disintegrate in 1991, with bloody consequences. In 1999, Belgrade was bombed yet again, as NATO punished the Milosevic regime. He finally left power in 2001, and Serbia attained democracy. Since then, Belgrade has refashioned itself as a hip, modern city.
  • Did you know?
Four breweries and more than 200 inns were opened between 1717 and 1739 as Belgrade fell under Austrian rule. Before the Roman conquest, a Thraco-Dacian tribe is thought to have occupied the area, followed by a Celtic group. Partisan resistance during WWII was fierce and the Nazis were ruthless in putting it down. For every German soldier killed, 100 Serbs and Jews were executed.
  • Weather in Belgrade
There really isn’t a bad time to visit Belgrade, though mid-winter tends to be both cold and wet. July and August are usually hot and humid with plenty going on. This is when the city’s events take centre stage – from carnivals to film, theatre and beer festivals. The ideal months to visit though are May, June and September, when the temperatures are warm, but forgiving. Do note though, that May and June are blighted by high rainfall too.

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