Belgrade, Serbia, is an interesting place.
My introduction to the Balkans was three years ago when I went to Zagreb, Croatia.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I thought Zagreb and Belgrade would be similar.
The best way to describe Belgrade is that it is fun, has character and is a bit gritty. Belgrade will remind you of New York.
I was in Belgrade in May of 2022, and the war in Ukraine is still going on. In Belgrade, there appeared to be more support for Russia than for Ukraine.
But I’ll get into that later.
Where is it?
Serbia is the biggest country in the former Yugoslavia. The former Yugoslavia is in southern Europe, across the Adriatic Ocean east of Italy.
Serbia is east of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and is the largest country in the former Yugoslavia.
See Balkan Tourism – Sarajevo post for geographical orientation of the Balkans.
Belgrade is the capital and largest city in Serbia, located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers in the Balkan Peninsula. It is situated in the Pannonian Plain, and is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with a history dating back to the 4th century BC. Belgrade is at the crossroads of Central Europe and the Balkans, and is a cultural, political and economic center of Serbia.
Where to stay
I stayed at the Hotel Moskva and The Crytal Hotel.
Hotel Moskva Belgrade, Serbia
This is a popular hotel for Westerners.
It’s good, but a bit dated. And as its name says, it reminds you of Moscow, Russia. Hotel Moskva has a great outdoor sitting area that’s part of the hotel. You can sit and have coffee and people-watch on one of the main streets in Belgrade.
The best thing about Hotel Moskva is the location. It’s a 1/4 mile walking distance to Republic Square. And this is a busy walk, like walking in New York City.
The Crystal Hotel
This was a better and more modern hotel than Hotel Moskva. It’s a 4-star hotel located in Belgrade, Serbia. It offers modern accommodations with a restaurant, fitness center, and conference facilities.
The staff was great, and it was near the Church of Sava and close to the Tesla Museum.
The only downside of this hotel was that it was a bit far from Republic Square.
Things to Do in Belgrade
Republic Square
This is the most famous square in Belgrade. This is the statue of Prince Michael on a h horse.
Republic Square feels like the center of Belgrade, but I’m not sure.
A few Metro stops are around the square, and it seemed like every good-looking girl in Serbia got off at these stops to meet friends.
Behind the statue is the National Museum of Serbia. I went in there but don’t remember much of it. There were some cool sculptures and warrior armor, but that’s about all I remember.
Knez Mihailova
I went here pretty much every day I was in Belgrade. It’s a tourist pedestrian street with shops and restaurants. There’s a mall at the end, which was good for using the ATM and the bathrooms. You’ll find street performers, souvenirs, and coffee shops on this pedestrian street.
While this is definitely a busy tourist street, there are lots of locals shopping here too.
You had the H&M and Zara’s etc., on this street. Similar to the 3rd Ave Promenade in Santa Monica, California.
Belgrade Fortress
The Fortress was cool. You can walk from Knez Mihailova through the big famous Kalemegdan park and get to the Fortress.
The Fortress had cool stuff, such as old bunkers, towers, and cannons. There was also an area showing some of Serbia’s weapons.
This fortress defended Belgrade in the past and had great views of where the Sava river flows into the great Danube River.
The Capital Building
I wanted to see this building because I saw pictures of it during the Balkan wars in the 90s. It’s a beautiful building and one you should see if you’re in Belgrade.
The Capital Building is a monumental building located in Belgrade, Serbia. It serves as the seat of the government of Serbia and it is the place where the National Assembly of Serbia hold their sessions. It is a grand edifice with a mix of architectural styles, built between 1907 and 1936. It is located in the city center, near the famous Terazije square.
Apparently, this is the spot for protesting because, just as I saw on TV 30 years ago, there were protesters on the day I was there.
The Belgrade Sign
For some reason, I like these signs when I travel. So I found the Belgrade one down by the Hilton Hotel. Check it out if on your way to the Tesla Museum.
Social Life in Belgrade, Serbia
Food and Drinks
Hilton Belgrade
If you go to Belgrade as a solo male traveler, make sure you go to the lounge on top of the Hilton Belgrade. The rumors about Serbian girls are true, they are good-looking. And it seemed like the most beautiful girls were here at the Hilton Hotel Belgrade.
Buda Bar
If you travel, you know there are Buda Bars worldwide.
I went to the one in Belgrade down by the new waterfront area. There are new highrises and new development down there. The Buda Bar itself was pretty dead for a Thursday night. However, the bartenders were super cool.
Belgrade Girls.
Very fit. The first thing that comes to mind when guys ask me about the girls in Belgrade is that they are in great shape.
Most of them look like they just got done shooting a Nike commercial. By the way, sports are big in Belgrade.
Serbian girls are in the best shape of any girls I’ve seen traveling the world.
They are good-looking for sure, but not as beautiful as Russians, Ukrainians, or even Croatian girls.
English Level
Almost everyone in Belgrade speaks good English. Belgrade has the highest English levels out of any country in Central and Eastern Europe that I’ve visited.
You’ll have no problem communicating.
In fact, when I went to buy my train ticket to Montenegro, the little old lady in the window spoke perfect English.
The native language in the region is “Serbo-Croatian.”
Serbo-Croatian is spoken in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
To me, it sounds like Russian.
Politics in Serbia
I don’t do politics on this site, but I’ll say the people in Belgrade were super nice to me my entire time.
I know America and NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999 during the Kosovo wars.
I also know that Serbia does not condemn Russia for invading Ukraine as much as the rest of the world. I saw a few “Z” shirts at the souvenir stands, and there was a spot in the street that said Glory to Russia.
Nevertheless, as an American, I did not have one problem while I was in Belgrade, Serbia.
Summary
In summary, I’m happy I went to Belgrade. I’ve been to all of the top 25 or so cities I’ve ever wanted to go to, and Belgrade was around the 26th.
With that said, I will not be back, but don’t let that stop you, if you are interested, it is a cool city.
