Most recently, I had a chance to visit Montenegro, in the beautiful Kotor-Risan Bay. And here is Serbia, you ask (and Belgrade, if suddenly someone does not know, is the capital of Serbia)? It so happened that I bought flights with a transfer just in Belgrade. I flew together with a child, the transfer both there and back was short, I decided that there was nothing wrong with that and the cost of the flight more than compensated me for some inconvenience. However, it was not there: after some time, the airline announced the cancellation of the second flight and its replacement with another one, with a time difference of as much as seven hours against one and a half. At first I was confused, but then I thought it was great opportunity see something new and do something interesting. So, Belgrade airport— what to do with a long connection between flights?

I'll tell you right now - nothing. Belgrade airport is completely boring in terms of activities, there is nothing to do there: the airport itself is tiny, although very cute. With a leisurely step, it is quite possible to bypass it completely in 10-15 minutes. I have never been to Belgrade before. Remembering our positive experience at night, however, transferring in Budapest (we went to dance in the city for a night milonga instead of sitting priests on airport chairs), I decided that seven free hours is a good reason to go see the city.

By the way, at the airport for children there is a good playroom with all sorts of toys, a toilet and even a small kitchen, located almost in the far left corner inner hall(where is the duty free), if you stand with your back to the planes. After hanging out there for a bit, feeding the baby and putting ourselves in order after a tiring night in Moscow (departure was at 4, arrival in Belgrade around 6 in the morning), we moved to the exit. By the way, Russians do not need a visa to visit Serbia for up to 30 days. Of course, I had read the Internet beforehand and already imagined how and on what it was possible to get to the center of the Serbian capital. In fact, there are not very many options: a taxi (they say it is supposedly inexpensive, 15-20 euros one way), a shuttle, bus number 72.

Serbian currency - oh, horror! - dinars. 1 ruble is approximately equal to 2 dinars. A shuttle ticket costs 300 dinars one way (May 2017). About the 72nd bus, it is written that the driver's ticket costs 150 dinars, and when buying at a kiosk, 89 dinars. What kind of kiosk is this, I did not understand. There is nothing of the kind at the airport, and in the city all the interrogated oncoming “kiosks” went into a deep refusal, they say, they never sold any bus tickets. If someone reveals the secret of these stalls, I will be grateful.

Since the euro is not used in Serbia, it is advisable for you to change a small amount for pocket expenses (round trip, buy food / other small things). There is a so-called "changer" at the airport, and not one. The course there is not the most beautiful, but for a small amount it is completely uncritical. On May 1, 2017, 1200 dinars were given for 10 euros. Change no more than 10-20 euros, since bank cards are accepted for payment almost everywhere in the city. I think the remaining extra dinars in your hands are useless to you. In principle, it is quite possible to pay in euros on the bus (you need small coins), and in a cafe or restaurant you can pay with a card. So decide for yourself. Although in my opinion, it is useful to have some local money on hand.

Belgrade airport, how to get to the city?

So, you got hold of Serbian currency or not - feel free to go out the terminal doors and go left just a couple of tens of meters. Just look to get out on the right "floor" - there should be a blue sky above you, not an overpass. At first we jumped out in the wrong place, it was not clear where to move here. I had to go up a level. Although if you exit Terminal 1, you don’t even have to go anywhere, you are already there. This is the bus and shuttle stop. The shuttle seems to go a little faster, about half an hour, and stops near the railway station, who cares. The 72nd rides about 40 minutes (I timed it) to the final stop Zeleni Venac, it's straight from the center to the center. Motor transport runs according to a strict schedule, it usually hangs at a bus stop here. I recommend taking a picture of it as a keepsake while waiting for the bus, especially in reverse side. You don't want to miss your plane, do you? Just in case, here is the schedule for bus 72 from the airport to the city:

And this is his own schedule from the Zeleni Venac stop to Belgrade Airport:

I didn't find it right away. The bus to Belgrade Airport stops a little further on the same side as the landing, where houses and shops already begin. In general, sit down, for example, on bus 72 and go to the final one, enjoying the views: as soon as the bridge was crossed, almost immediately here it is the final one. Get out (you will be with your back to the road), turn right and go to the underpass, you go straight to the end, and there it doesn’t matter, you can go left, walk to the nearest intersection, turn right and literally after a couple of tens of meters you are on the central pedestrian street Belgrade - Knez Mihail Street. Or exit the transition to the right, and after a few meters turn left, climb up the stairs, go a little more along with the main crowd of people and find yourself at the very beginning of the same Knez Michael.

The Belgrade Arbat is quite short, about 25 minutes one way with an extremely leisurely step to the very end, the Kalemegdan fortress. The fortress itself can also be explored quite slowly in about forty minutes. For lovers of living creatures, there is a local zoo nearby (did not go). By the way, I was surprised to learn that Belgrade is actually written as Beograd. The city has several rumored museums and churches. Personally, I had a goal to just take a good walk and have a bite to eat, preferably the famous local splash - a large flat cutlet.

The tired, fed cub finally fell asleep after a nightly vigil and slept in the stroller almost until the very flight, while his mother, that is, I, cut through the Belgrade streets, absorbing the local flavor. A small note for fellow mothers: this is not classical Europe for you, but Slavic brothers. The city is not very friendly to citizens moving on small wheels, get ready to periodically carry your treasure along with a stroller in your arms along rather steep steps due to the almost complete absence of ramps. Swing in advance or take a strong escort with you.

Where to eat in Belgrade?

As I said, we arrived at Belgrade airport early in the morning. Walking in the city is the most, there are almost no people, the sun does not bake, it is very pleasant. However, in terms of food, an unexpected problem arose: in almost all the open cafes that I liked in appearance, the kitchen did not work so early: they say, please come after 11-12:00, but for now only breakfast. In general, you can have a good bite to eat local pastries. Bakeries, including mobile stalls with a variety of pies, are found almost at every turn. And how appetizing it all smells! Drooling on its own. But I resolutely tuned in precisely to the splash and steadfastly kept myself in control. On the next street running parallel to Knez Michael, my patience was rewarded in a nondescript cafe from the street, but at the same time very colorful inside. True, in order to find out if the kitchen was working, we had to first look for at least someone alive from the staff.

In order to satisfy my hunger and at the same time master the money that was exchanged, I ordered everything that was most expensive that I found on the menu. Specifically, Shopska salad:

Very tasty! The cheese melts in your mouth, and the tomatoes smell of summer and sun. Beef Soup:

Very strange. A whole plate of ordinary broth, in which several hefty pieces of carrots floated. All. Local beer Lav:

And of course, splashing, for the sake of which everything was started. Here she is, beautiful:

Very large, the size is not quite adequately conveyed in the photo. Barely mastered. The sauce (orange) is simply gorgeous! It looks like it was an aivar. Ate like a bun. How much did all this beauty cost? And here is the account:

1,110 dinars, a little less than 10 euros, or about 620 rubles. In my opinion, it is very budget friendly. I remind you that these were some of the most expensive dishes. You can check out the menu for yourself:

For a change, I took a menu in another large cafe, located almost on Knez Michael Street:

I think that in terms of food in Serbia, everything should be very good, tasty, plentiful and budget - since Belgrade is the capital, the prices here are most likely one of the highest. A little more about the city itself. It seemed to me that Beograd is not too big in size, I suspect it can be easily explored completely in two or three days without much straining. That is, going here for a week is probably too much. And I liked the atmosphere here, there is something subtly in common with my beloved Budapest, although the beauty of the architecture of the Serbian capital is undoubtedly inferior to the Hungarian one in everything.

I can’t say anything sensible about the locals, because after a few hours of walking along the deserted streets it’s difficult to form any adequate opinion on this matter. I think these are the classic Slavic brothers with all the ensuing pluses and minuses. Moderately gloomy, moderately smiling, moderately sociable. I read that “lazy and cunning” Serbs tried to deceive or rob some of the tourists. I don't know how common this is. I think that, as elsewhere, one should not completely relax and lose vigilance in an unfamiliar environment. I did not have time to see any special crime. Everything is peaceful, occasionally there are policemen.

From observations: the Serbian language is sometimes very funny to the Russian ear. Although I notice that almost all other Slavic languages ​​seem funny to Russians. I wonder if it's the same for them or not? Do Slav brothers laugh at Russian speech? It would be interesting to know. In addition to funny moments (good climbed, climbed, crawled, knizhara, stomatoloshka, and the like), the Serbian language turned out to be surprisingly understandable. Conveniently. :about)

Overall: the overall impression of the city is extremely positive. The only thing, in order not to spoil your impressions of visiting the capital of Serbia, is to calculate in advance the time of a comfortable return to Belgrade airport and arrive at the bus stop on time. With pleasure I would come here again for sure, for a couple of days at least. I even (slightly) regretted that there was a short transfer on the way back and, with all my desire, I would not have been able to look into the city one more time.

I wish you a wonderful holiday!

______________________

You may also be interested in articles on how to independently go to, or to.

Arriving in the Serbian capital, Rus can get confused and waste a tidy sum on taxi drivers. I will tell you how to reduce the damage done to the wallet by understanding a little how it works. And more about why you need make friends with fur seals. But first things first.

Belgrade has been promised a full-fledged metro since 1950, but until now, construction ambitions have been embodied in just one underground station. So the urban transportation family is still represented only by buses, trams, trolleybuses and the Beovoz electric train.

You can ride them by paying the fare:

- BusPlus card (for 1, 3, 5 days or replenished);
- from the driver (2 times more expensive);
- via mobile phone with the tariff of a certain operator.

Great maps will help you figure out how to get to the right place belgrademaps.com. At first glance, the schemes of day and night transport lines seem intimidating, as if web of a dye-eating spider. However, it is worth peering and getting used to it - and you will appreciate the intention of their creator.

A scary "spider" of transport lines. It is worth understanding, it becomes convenient. Screenshot: belgrademaps.com

I personally downloaded the "spider web" in pdf format and now, when I have to go somewhere far away, I just look out for nearby lines. Some prefer to use a smart site planplus.rs, offering a ready-made route, but it seems to me that sometimes it spawns entities unnecessarily and greatly complicates the task. In short, a matter of taste.

Another option is an app. Moovit for the phone, surprisingly well "understanding" public transport in Belgrade. Just enter the start and end points of the trip and follow the instructions of the artificial logistic mind.

Travel zones

To streamline the collection of money from riders, Belgrade was conditionally divided into 4 zones with corresponding tariffs. If you're not going far to the suburbs, it is enough to pay the fare in the first and second zone(center and sleeping areas).

On the BusPlus website, you can see in which zone the place you are interested in is located and estimate how much it will cost to get to it in Belgrade public transport: https://www2.busplus.rs/lt/zone-tarifnog-sistema

How to pay for public transport

1) At the driver

150 dinars(zones 1+2), 300 dinars (zones 1+2+3), 400 dinars (1+2+3+4).

An option suitable if you are standing with your mouth open for the first time at the exit of the Belgrade airport. Or if you suddenly ran out of the house in pajamas, jumped into the approaching bus, and exactly 150 dinars were lying in the folds of your pants.

Only in these cases is such wastefulness justified. In all others there is busplus travel card, for which one trip can cost only 89 dinars (more on that).

If the driver suddenly did not have a ticket, we sit down and drive with a clear conscience - the controller does not have the right to issue a fine.

From airport to city there are buses number 72 (last stop - Zeleni venac) and A1 (to Slavija Square). And that's where you can and should buy a travel card.

2) Temporary travel card for 1, 3 or 5 days - "day card"

For all types of BusPlus travel card, the following is valid: you can buy it at any kiosk, and use it - on any type of transport from 4 am to 24 pm. Exactly at midnight, it will turn into a pumpkin, and you will be transported by tram at a double rate (150 dinars for the first two zones, 300 for the remaining ones). In addition, you will have to pay separately for rides in a minibus with the letter “E” on the windshield - an analogue of our minibus.

An energetic tourist or a poor fellow who has to run through various bureaucratic instances is recommended to purchase unlimited travel card, valid 1, 3 or 5 days(no more options). To do this, stick your head through the window and ask:

- One day / three days / one day Busplus card, we beg you.

The seller will be impressed by your knowledge of Serbian and will give you a blue paper rectangle for which you will pay 40 dinars(the card itself) plus:

As you probably already understood, with this rectangle you can ride around the city as much as you like, without restrictions on transfers (don't forget - except at night and on minibuses). The validity of the card in public transport in Belgrade begins from the moment of purchase. Despite the fact that everything is “paid” for everything, it should be applied to the validator when entering.

3) Replenished non-personalized travel card - "non-personalized card"

Plastic BusPlus, working on the principle of an electronic wallet - how much money, so many songs. The card itself is in the kiosk 250 dinars, lives 3 years, and you can replenish it for any amount (no more than 2500 at a time and a maximum of 5000 dinars in total on the card).

Come in, apply the card to the validator, it is debited 89 dinars for 1 trip. Moreover, after the squeak of the validator, you will have exactly 90 minutes for all sorts of transfers and rides. True, each time you need to "beep" the card again, entering the transport.

LIFE HACK: if you replenish the card immediately with at least 1000 dinars, you will receive another 100 bonus on the travel card. In general, 900 dinars should be enough for such a bonus, but nothing worked out for me the last 3 times, but I never had a thousand misfires.

89 dinars will most likely be enough for your regular trips, and for trips to the suburbs there are their own tariffs:

Zone	Price (for 90 minutes)
1 and 2	89 dinars
3	89 dinars
4	89 dinars
1, 2, 3	179 dinars
1, 2, 3, 4	269 ​​dinars
3 and 4	179 dinars

By the way, this pass can pay for several people at once by clicking on the inscription on the validator "Grupna karta" and selecting the quantity (maximum 5).

4) Personalized travel card - "personalized card"

A magical piece of plastic with a photo, which can be obtained by both Serbs and foreigners with a temporary or permanent residence permit. You need to regularly transfer a fixed amount to this card, paying yourself to your beloved daily "unlimited".

Marching with money to the kiosk is officially allowed from the 25th to the 30th/31st of the month (to pay for the whole next month) or from 1 to 24 (to pay for the current month). If you decide - to walk like this - and pay for the whole year in advance, you will receive another bonus from BusPlus - discount in the amount of the monthly fare. That is, as a result, you will pay not for 12, but for 11 months.

Here is the cost of nominal passes for public transport in Belgrade in 2019:

		ZONE
Category	Period	1	1 and 2	1,2,3	1,2,3,4	3	3 and 4	4
Working Serbs; foreigners with a residence permit	month	2.990	3.275	3.890	4.990	3.275	3.890	3.275
	365 days	32.890	36.025	42.790	54.890	36.025	42.790	36.025
Non-working Serbs, students and other beneficiaries	month	1.090	1.120	1.410	1.730	1.120	1.410	1.120
	365 days	11.990	12.320	15.510	19.030	12.320	15.510	12.320

And people over 65 pay for unlimited travel in all zones 407 dinars per year. To see this is delightful, lepo, gratifying.

In order for a foreigner to issue a personal travel card, it is necessary:

• come to the office of the SHG organization with a passport, a copy of it,
• say: “sy-y-yr” into the camera of the local worker;
• fill out a standard application and sign a consent to the processing of personal data.

5) Using a mobile phone

If you purchased a SIM card from an MTS operator (not Russian, but local - Mobile telephony Serbia), your phone runs on Android version 4.4 or later and supports NFC technology, download the application mts centar. When you need to pay your bus fare in Belgrade, select the Bus Plus option and buy a ticket.

And you can do it even before the arrival of the bus. But at the entrance, be sure to lean your mobile phone back against the validator. When the controller approaches you, show him the phone so that he can make sure: you are an honest citizen, you bought a ticket.

How to know when the bus is coming

While waiting for the bus (tram, trolleybus), look around - somewhere nearby on a pole there is a small red-white-blue plate covered with mysterious Serbian letters. To a quick-witted traveler, they will reveal the name of the stop and the numbers of the Belgrade public transport lines passing by.

A digital code sent from a mobile phone will tell you how soon this very transport will arrive (about 3 dinars will be removed from the account, a nightmare). The beginning and end of the code are always the same, and the changing part is the ordinal number of the stop:

*011*523# stop number - 523

An SMS will be sent to the request, which will indicate how much of which transport is left before you. For example, 23 – 2;12 means there are two number 23 buses approaching, one two stops away and the other twelve stops away.

Fly in the ointment: sometimes buses in Belgrade take on a life of their own and deceive the electronic alarm.

Breaking through the ticket

The electronically fed validator is green and peaceful

In order for the fare to be considered paid, you need to attach the Busplus card to the validator at the entrance to the transport and make sure that it blinks green light happily. Some devices look a little different, and the travel card is applied not to the screen, but to the black field below it.

If suddenly you forgot to put money on the card, the artificial intelligence living in the validator glowing red wickedly, loudly and contemptuously notify the entire bus of your beggarness ( nemate pretty credit- Srb), and machine guns will pop out from under the seats and shoot you on the spot, you just have to go out and replenish BusPlus at the kiosk or wonder if the controller will catch you.

Okay, this mug does not appear on the screen. But the waves of electromagnetic contempt from the validator just keep coming

The validator also has a bright, caring side: a tiny shemka hangs in the upper right corner of the screen. When touched, a list of all stops along the route opens in the correct order, and the one where the bus is now will be highlighted. Healthy.

Crouching Controller, Hidden Hare

In Russia, the controller is usually monumental aunt, with an orange vest, dimensions, a stern expression on her face, - reigning in the cabin with her whole appearance. She does not leave him until the end of the shift, and she wraps up the incoming passengers with a majestic wave of her hand, without getting up from the throne. It is impossible not to notice her, it is impossible to avoid her, she only needs to submit and pay tribute with a sigh.

Completely different - Serbian controllers, who probably borrowed their strategy from "fur seals". They operate in groups of 2-3 people, they are not constantly on the bus, but selectively arrange raids on popular lines.

An ordinary Belgrade controller is indistinguishable from an ordinary city dweller: if earlier they waved hand-held ticket-checking machines for force, now they have become insidious and these machines are hidden in their bosoms. Passengers are rammed into the passenger compartment, the last to enter undercover are the controllers - at the head, tail and middle of the bus.

The doors are closing, the controllers barely noticeably nod to each other, the inscription “CONTROL” lights up on the malicious validator - that’s it, the trap has slammed shut, not a single travel card can be broken through, and people rush through the windows, some into the pipe in all directions. Particularly lucky people play for time until the next stop, where they urgently run out, like, it was necessary.

The rest are discharged fine (from 2000 dinars) or try to take them to the communal police for identification. Many Serbs consider the fare unfairly high (89 dinars = 3 loaves of bread), so there are entire sites on the Internet dedicated to fighting the controllers and boycotting BusPlus. You can speculate on this topic, but you should not forget:

Public transport in Belgrade does not work for free. Paid travel = gasoline, drivers' salaries, repair and maintenance of buses.

Additional discounts and bonuses with the BusPlus card

Named pass holders can get discounts from 5 to 10% at BusPlus partners - for example, in supermarkets, furniture and sports stores, clinics, etc.

You can see the list of partners and bonuses on the BusPlus website in the "Partneri i popusti" section.

Summary – public transport in Belgrade

So let's recap. If you have arrived at the Nikola Tesla airport for the first time, buy a ticket to the city from the driver for 150 dinars.

If you are a tourist and expect to have a good look around Belgrade, take it from the kiosk travel card for 1, 3 or 5 days.

If you are going to visit the Serbian capital often or even live in it, buy rechargeable unnamed card and spend what you put in.

Well, as soon as you have already firmly settled here and plan to ride around the city a lot and often, issue nominal unlimited travel card with a fixed monthly price.

Don't piss off the fur seals and pay your rides in a disciplined way. Have a good trip!

Most trips we plan carefully and in advance, but some travel ideas come up spontaneously. That's how it happened weekend trip from Moscow to Belgrade. Early on Saturday morning we arrived in the capital of Serbia and we had exactly two days for walks and sightseeing of the main sights.

We wanted to visit Serbia for a long time, but somehow everything did not work out, either there was not enough time, or it was not convenient to combine the route with another flight. And then the day came when we set foot on Serbian soil.

How to get from the airport to the center of Belgrade?

Immediately upon exiting the airport, to the left of the entrance is the express bus number "A1". It will take you to the city center, but it is not cheap. Much cheaper you can get on a regular city bus, but you need to go up to the upper level, there is also a public transport stop near the entrance to the airport. The route of the buses is about the same, both will take you to the center, from where you can immediately start sightseeing.

We started our walk around the city center from the railway station. The express bus "A1" has a stop right outside the station. When you get off the bus, do not forget to ask the driver about the departure time back. Most likely he will give you a piece of paper with a schedule. The stop for departure towards the airport is located around the corner of the railway station building.

The Central Railway Station (Glavna Zheleznichka Stanitsa) is a beautiful old building. Despite the lack of modern renovation, it looks neat. Trains depart daily from the station to Budapest, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Sofia, Vienna, Zagreb, Podgorica, Zurich, and very often tourists buy train tickets to go to Prague in the fall. If you go inside through the main entrance and immediately look to the left, you will see a newsstand. Here you can get Belgrade tourist card for free, indicating the main attractions, museums, restaurants. The map is very convenient, it was on it that we were guided all weekend.

Having bought chips and mineral water, we set off on foot towards the main street.

Our road passed through poor streets, with painted walls. Vendors lined the sidewalks here and there, bringing out various old items for sale: books, shoes, irons, cameras, badges, wallets, and so on. I haven't seen this in a very long time.

Street of Prince Michael (Knez Mihailova) - the main pedestrianized street Belgrade. This is the very heart of the city, very reminiscent of the Arbat in Moscow. On the left and right sides there are shops with souvenirs, national clothes and utensils, numerous cafes and restaurants. Street musicians play on the pedestrian part, local artists exhibit their paintings. There were few tourists, because. During our walk, the clock was around 8 am.

On this street we saw a small metal pyramid - the Belgrade "zero kilometer". Each side is marked with latitude, longitude and altitude.

Do not forget to buy bright souvenirs to present to friends and acquaintances upon arrival.

In the city center, the buildings are mostly high-rise, built in the 80s - 90s. The building of the Moskva Hotel stands out from the rest of the houses. The hotel is very beautiful, it was built in 1906.

Near modern buildings are churches and cathedrals.

Street food in Serbia.

After walking the streets for several hours, we got hungry and decided to find something to eat. I didn't have to search for a long time, there are a great many cafes, street tents and mobile refrigerators with various buns, pies, sweets, etc. in the city. Street food in Serbia is very varied and delicious. We especially liked the local "shawarma" - meat in pita bread, with vegetables and french fries. You can choose from several types of juicy meat, different sauces and fresh vegetables. Serbian shawarma turned out to be tastier than in Moscow, larger in volume and cheaper.

Park and fortress Kalemegdan.

Turning the corner and going forward a little, we opened up a view of a large forest area. This is the Kalemegdan park, and in its center is an ancient fortress. The Kalemegdan fortress was built over 2300 years ago at the confluence of the two rivers Sava and Danube.

Over the years of its existence, it was destroyed and then restored - 44 times. Serbs are very proud of this place. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world come here to admire the beautiful views of the surroundings from this hill and plunge into the atmosphere of antiquity.

Families with children walk in the park on weekends. Due to the fact that the park is located on a hill 125 meters above sea level, even in hot weather, a slight pleasant wind always blows. For those who like to play chess, there is a very comfortable spot under the canopy of old trees.

Where to exchange money and what is better to take with you?

After the museum, we walked around the park and the fortress a little more, took a photo for memory, and then decided to go to the city in search of a cafe. Before going to dinner, it was necessary to exchange some money. There are no problems with this. There are many in the city exchange offices, are called: "Menyachnitsy". Here you can easily exchange your cash for Serbian dinars, JUST BE AWARE that Russian rubles are not very popular here. At least two exchange points on the pedestrian street refused to exchange us as soon as they saw that we were getting rubles. Because we have great experience travel around different countries, there is always some American banknotes in stock. Dollars are accepted for exchange with pleasure, so it is better to take them with you as cash. Or you can pay with a bank card, almost all shops, cafes and restaurants accept them for payment.

Where to eat national Serbian food?

In each country, we try to eat using only national food as much as possible. So it was in Thailand when we ate seafood, and during a trip to Armenia we tried Sevan whitefish. Here we also found a restaurant with national Serbian cuisine - "Kolarac", all on the same Knyaz Mihail street. The prices on the menu were reasonable and the food was delicious. Soup with veal, delicious grilled meat patty, Shopska salad with Serbian cheese, grapefruit beer. A full meal of three courses and drinks for two cost us 1,500 rubles. If you are wondering: "where to eat tasty and inexpensive in Belgrade?" We advise you to go to the restaurant at Knyaz Mihail Street, 46. We really liked the atmosphere, service, delicious food and drinks.

Nikola Tesla International Airport (Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd) is located 18 kilometers from the capital of Serbia - Belgrade, and 12 kilometers from the main railway station of the city. This is not only the country's main airport, but also the busiest of all airports in the former Yugoslavia - in addition to Serbia, now it is Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia.

Belgrade Airport is divided into two terminals, connected by a corridor, and is a hub, that is, a hub airport, for the national airline of Serbia - Air Serbia. Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd is also used by such a popular low-cost airline as Wizz Air.

The official website of the airport is www.beg.aero.

From the airport to Belgrade

If you plan to get to the city by taxi, then keep in mind that the cost of the trip is determined not by the distance, but by the area of ​​Belgrade that you need to visit. There are only six of them. The price can vary from 14 to 60 euros. You can get acquainted with the prices in more detail.

Important: all payments in Serbia are made in the national currency - dinars, which can be easily exchanged either at the airport or, if you have a bank card, at any ATM. The euro to dinar exchange rate is approximately 1:120.

If you do not take into account the taxi service, then the most convenient and cheapest way to be in the center of Belgrade is, of course, the bus. And here there are two options.

The first is city bus number 72. A ticket will cost 89 dinars if bought at a kiosk. As befits public transport, this bus makes many stops along the way. In addition, it can be crowded, so you should not count on a comfortable trip. Bus final stop central District the city of Zeleni venac, near vegetable market. More information about bus route number 72 - http://www.eway.rs/en/cities/beograd/routes/72.

To find cheapest flights to Nikola Tesla airport, it is better to use the international Skyscanner service, which will select the most successful options for you.

The second option is more preferable. This is a small A1 shuttle bus. And although the trip on it will cost more (300 dinars), this route is attractive because the shuttle bus makes only three stops on the way to Belgrade: in the new district of the city of Fontana, near the railway station and on Slavia Square, which is in the central part of the city . The bus departs according to a schedule that you can see.

Finding the A1 stop is very easy. At the exit from the airport building, turn left, and literally after 10 steps you will see the stop of this mini-bus with the corresponding stand. Tickets can be bought from the driver. Travel time will take approximately half an hour.

Are you planning to visit Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, a city located at the confluence of two rivers - the Danube and the Sava? If so, then I will try to tell you about the main attractions of the city, where it is better to stay, take a walk, and where to go for a delicious meal and a little drink. In general - "Welcome to Belgrade" or, as the Serbs say, "Welcome to Beograd!"

Visa, insurance, local currency

To visit Serbia, Russian citizens need a valid passport, no visa required. The period of stay in the country without leaving is limited to 30 days if you have an ordinary passport, and 90 days if you are a lucky holder of a diplomatic or service passport.

Medical insurance for tourist trips to Serbia is not needed. But I do not recommend going abroad without its registration. Having an insurance policy will help you avoid significant financial expenses in the event of unforeseen medical expenses during your trip. The personally verified Cherehapa service will help you compare offers of insurance companies and quickly issue a policy via the Internet.

Currency- Serbian dinar. 1₽ corresponds to 1.71 dinars. 1€ is equal to 118.5 dinars. The current exchange rate of the dinar against other currencies is available at website of the National Bank of Serbia. In the "Datum (dd.mm)" field, enter the date, and in the "Vrsta" field, select "Srednji kurs".

Where and how is it more profitable to buy dinars? If you have a Visa or Mastercard bank card of Sberbank The best way get dinars - withdraw from an ATM at the local branch of Sberbank. ATM locations on the map of Belgrade are shown here. There is no transaction fee.

If you are an Intesa cardholder, you can receive cash without commission at Banca Intesa ATMs.

In the absence of Sberbank or Intesa bank payment cards, you can cash out money at any ATM, there are many of them in the center of Belgrade, but most likely you will have to pay a withdrawal fee.

There is also a VTB branch and ATM in Belgrade, I saw it next to the Moskva Hotel, but here they take a commission, even when using their bank cards.

How to get to Belgrade?

By plane. This is the most obvious and fastest way to be in Belgrade. On the route Moscow (SVO) – Belgrade (BEG) – Moscow (SVO) regular transportation Aeroflot and Air Serbia. The duration of the flight is 2 hours 30 minutes. Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of direct flights, the cost of air tickets from Moscow to Belgrade and back is on average more than 15 thousand rubles. The price of a ticket for a flight with a transfer can be 2000–3000 rubles lower (often found at the Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus with a long connection in Istanbul), but most likely you will spend more during the transfer than you saved on tickets.

Air Serbia in 2018 in its summer schedule re-enabled a direct flight from Belgrade to St. Petersburg and back. Flights are operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and the travel time is 2 hours 40 minutes.

You can find cheap flights to Belgrade on the reliable website aviasales.ru, as well as through the form below.

The minimum cost of air tickets Moscow ↔ Belgrade and St. Petersburg ↔ Belgrade

Moscow - Belgrade - MoscowSt. Petersburg - Belgrade - St. Petersburg

By train. On the this moment railway communication between Moscow and Belgrade is absent.

Airport "Nikola Tesla Belgrade". How to get to the city center?

Nikola Tesla Belgrade International Airport, located 18 km west of the center of the Serbian capital, is the country's largest air harbor. Since 2006, it has been named after the famous physicist and inventor Nikola Tesla. Previously, it was named after its location - "Belgrade Airport" or "Surcin Airfield".

At Belgrade Airport, pre-flight screening is carried out at the exit before boarding.

In the inner area there is a smoking room located in the area of ​​gate A6.

There are three ways to get from the airport to the city:

• on a special express
• by city bus
• by taxi.

Express. Bus A1 follows the route airport - Belgrade railway station (Nemajina street) - Slavia square. The stop is located to the left of the exit from the airport building. The fare is 300 dinars, payment to the driver. Travel time is about 30 minutes. On Slavia Square, the A1 express train stops near the hotel of the same name.

The schedule of the bus A1 on the route Nikola Tesla Airport - Slavia Square

City bus. Bus 72 leaves from the stop located near the entrance to terminal 1: exit the arrivals area, go up the stairs or escalator to the second floor (check-in hall, terminal 2) on the left, go outside and go left for 40 meters. City bus 72 follows the route Airport "Nikola Tesla Belgrade" - "Zeleni Venac", right in the center of Belgrade. The cost of a ticket from the driver is 150 dinars, when paying with a Bus Plus card, 89 dinars. Travel time is 35-40 minutes, but it depends heavily on traffic.

Timetable for bus 72 on the route Nikola Tesla Airport - Zeleni Venac

Taxi. Here, as in other airports, there are many taxi drivers who want to cash in on arriving tourists. The normal price from the airport to the city center is €15, to Zemun – €10. Approximately this cost of the trip was set by the airport management for official carriers. You can order a car at a special “Taxi info” desk located in the baggage claim area. The exact cost of the trip, depending on the destination, can be viewed at the link. Please note that it is much more profitable to pay in dinars than in euros.

Another option is to independently negotiate with a taxi driver who has just brought passengers from the city at the bus stop of route 72, but the price difference will not be large.

If you do not know Serbian or English, arrive late or travel with a group or with children (when a child seat is required), use the services of the international transfer order service - KiwiTaxi and order a taxi online. The driver will meet you at the exit from the arrivals area with a name plate and take you to a pre-specified place without any questions.

Note! At Belgrade airport pre-flight screening carried out in front of the boarding gates themselves. Therefore, in order not to overpay for drinks in a cafe located outside border control, you can buy them at the airport kiosks in front of him and bring them to the waiting area. By the way, before a night flight to Moscow, most of the shops at the airport are already closed, but in the depths of terminal 1 (the entrance is opposite the bus stop on route 72), on the way to the toilet, you will find a working one.

Public transport: payment methods

Belgrade has a well-developed public transport network. On the streets of the city you will find buses, trolleybuses and trams.

To pay for the fare, you need to purchase a paper (40 dinars) or plastic (250 dinars) BusPlus smart card at any of the street kiosks and top it up there. The paper version is perfect for tourists, because the card can be topped up for the number of days spent in Belgrade - 1, 3 or 5, and the number of trips during this period is not limited. Please note that the time of the ticket begins to "tick" from the moment of purchase at the kiosk, and not the first time you apply it to the validator. Price:

• 1 day - 250 + 40 (card) dinars;
• 3 days - 700 + 40 (card) dinars;
• 5 days - 1000 + 40 (card) dinars.

Prices are for movement in 1 and 2 zones, which cover Belgrade and the nearest settlements. For example, the airport belongs to the 2nd second transport zone. A graphical diagram of the zones is available here.

The BusPlus plastic card is an electronic wallet, that is, they put money in, they put the card on the validator in transport, the fare 89 dinars (1.2 zones) was written off. The card can be used for group trips. To do this, before paying for the fare, select the “Group Card” icon on the validator and indicate the number of people from 2 to 5, then attach the card.

Group trip on the BusPlus card

The current fare for public transport is available at BusPlus official website.

If you do not have a BusPlus card, then pay the driver for the fare. The ticket price will be 150 dinars.

To plan a route from point A to point B by public transport, I recommend using the site planplus.rs. Click on the arrows to the right of the search form, select the bus. Then, using the right button on the map itself, you can mark the point of departure and arrival, and the service will plot the route by public transport.

Underground. It's like it exists, but it's like it doesn't. The project just stalled. Now the metro in Belgrade consists of 2 underground stations Vukov Spomenik on Roosevelt Street and Karagorev Park near the Cathedral of St. Sava, through which electric trains pass. Trains run at 1–2 per hour, so if you want to ride, check the timetable on the Srbija Voz website in advance.

Taxi. There are many official taxi companies in Belgrade. Their difference from illegal ones is the presence of a taximeter, as well as information on transportation tariffs. Usually taxi drivers wait for customers on busy streets, central squares and in the area of ​​shopping centers. You can also try to stop the car with a wave of your hand, and if the driver is free, he will stop. Check before getting into the car approximate cost trips.

The most reliable way to order a taxi in Belgrade is to call the operator who will send the car and announce the cost of the trip in advance, or use the smartphone application.

Verified taxis in Belgrade

Company	Website	Telephone	Appendix	Additional Information
Beogradski Taxi	http://www.beogradski-taxi.com	19801	Android
Pink Taxi	http://www.pinktaxi.info	19803	Android
Naxis Taxi	http://naxis.rs/	19804	Android/iOS	Payment by card

In Belgrade, 2 special applications are available for ordering a car, similar to Uber, Car:Go(Android/iOS) or Taxify(Android/iOS). Car:Go is local and is presented only in the capital of Serbia, but Taxify is international service, also allows you to order a taxi in Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw and other cities.

Where to stay in Belgrade

Today I received an email from Booking.com with an individual referral link. When booking on it, both you and I will receive a bonus of 1000 rubles. The promotion itself is valid only for 10 bookings, so hurry up to use it. Well, the link itself: https://www.booking.com/s/35_6/d5f6d311. If bookings are still available, you will see at the bottom of the screen:

Every time I plan a trip to a new city for myself, the second thing after buying tickets is the question - where is it better to stay, so that it is not very expensive, and not far from the sights? The best place to live in Belgrade is the city center - the area of ​​the pedestrian street Kneza Mihail, Terazija and Kralja Milana to the intersection with Kneza Milos street. This area was marked on the map published at the end of the article. There is accommodation for everyone here: there are apartments and hotels of different price categories, as well as budget hostels.

Hotels in Belgrade

To select a hotel, I recommend using the Booking.com website. To cut off options located outside the city center, check the box "Stari grad" on the left. But do not forget, after choosing a hotel, be sure to compare the cost of living in different booking systems, as the price can vary significantly. To do this, use the special service RoomGuru.

I will take it upon myself to recommend the best hotels to stay in the center of Belgrade from different price groups: above 100 euros, 50-100 euros and less than 50 euros per night in a standard double room.

Hotels over 100 €/night

1. Boutique Hotel Townhouse 27 is a modern boutique hotel located on a quiet street in the center of Belgrade. Spacious rooms, impeccable service, friendly staff and excellent breakfast, as a result, the highest rating of the guests in the Booking.com system.
2. Zepter Hotel is a stylish hotel located in the very center, on Terasia, at the beginning of the pedestrian street of Prince Michael. For accommodation are offered spacious, comfortable, well-equipped rooms. The hotel has a gym and breakfast is included. The cost of standard rooms is slightly lower than in Townhouse 27, plus there are often special offers.
3. Square Nine Hotel Belgrade is the only five-star hotel located in the center of Belgrade, just 50 meters from Knez Mihail Street. The luxurious hotel boasts its spa complex, which includes a saltwater pool, sauna and hammam, roomy rooms and a good breakfast.

Hotels from 50 to 100 €/night

1. Hotel City Savoy is a new four-star hotel in the city center. Clean modern comfortable rooms, good breakfast, small spa and friendly staff. The best option according to reviews on Booking.com among hotels in this price category.
2. Hotel Bohemian Garni is located on one of the most popular streets of Belgrade - Skadarlija. It is here that the most famous national restaurants of the Serbian capital are located. The hotel offers modern, spacious rooms with an interesting design. The cost of living is less than 60 euros, the location, and also good feedback guests make this option very tempting.
3. Hotel Opera good hotel in the very center of the city - between Republic Square and Skadarliya. Clean, comfortable rooms with great bathrooms. Friendly staff. Excellent value for money.

Hotels under 50 €/night

1. Hotel Garni Petrov is the only hotel located in the recommended central part of the city and corresponding to this price range. Located on Cetinska Street a little further from Republic Square than Hotel City Savoy, on the site of a former brewery. Now there are many clubs and discos. If you plan to walk a lot and sleep early, then the place is clearly not suitable for you, but if you “light it up”, then feel free to book it. The hotel offers roomy double or triple rooms at a very good price.
2. Hotel Tash Belgrade - located next to the Tashmaydan park in the building of a sports center. Please note that smoking and non-smoking rooms are available at the hotel. Which one you want, you need to specify in the comments when booking. Low price and location are the main advantages of the Tash Hotel in Belgrade.

Hotel Slavija - or "the last of the Mohicans". old hotel Some of the rooms have not been renovated for a long time. But the cost is from 16 and 30 euros for single and double rooms, respectively, the location - Slavia Square, and the hot breakfast make it a pretty good and very budget place where you can spend a couple of nights. Near the hotel there is an A1 express stop, which follows from / to the airport, so it is very convenient to get there. One of the main sights of Belgrade, the Cathedral of St. Sava, is a 5-minute walk away.

Note! In the warm season in Belgrade, you can stay in an interesting place, right on the river - in a hotel or hostel located on the famous Belgrade rafts - pontoons in the area where the Sava merges with the Danube. The advantages of such accommodation are nature, fresh air and a beautiful view from the window. And all this is very close to the center, to which you can walk even on foot. Interesting? Pay your attention to San Art Floating Hostel & Apartments, ArkaBarka 2- Floating Dream Apartments and their hostel.

I would like to say about one more hotel - Royal Hotel. It is located in the very center, next to Knyaz Mihail Street and Kalemegdan. It was possible to stay there at the price of Slavia, it was especially advantageous to take a double room. But now this hotel is closed for repairs, and when it opens and what it will be like, is not known.

Apartments, apartments

You can also rent apartments, rent an apartment in Belgrade through Booking.com, there are a lot of options - on the left in the "Popular" block, select "Stariy grad", and "Accommodation type" - "Apartments". There's a lot here good options up to €50 per night.

The second option is to use Airbnb service. By the way, if you haven’t registered there yet, then do it at www.airbnb.ru/c/226361 and get a 1500₽ discount on your first booking. Here are a few interesting options accommodation:

• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/11818894
• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/11766351
• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/5353317
• https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/1814331

Please read the reviews and conditions carefully before booking. I recommend booking accommodation with hosts with the status of Superhost.

Another option is local sites offering apartments for rent. Booked twice when visiting the city with a group of three people. The application was sent in Russian. Both apartments were clean and comfortable. But I also ran into a few problems. We were not met at the airport, although we ordered a transfer. I had to call to find out the exact address where to go. Wi-fi did not work, most likely, it was simply not paid. They did not respond to SMS on this issue, but simply apologized upon departure.

Feel free to book an apartment if you are not afraid - possible small overlaps and the expectation of the owners, you arrived in Belgrade for more than one day in the amount of 2 or more people, and also want to live in the city center at an affordable price.

What to see in Belgrade: the main attractions of the historical part of the city

In this section of the guide article, I will share a tourist route in the central part of the city. I'll tell you about interesting places and monuments that you can visit, see in Belgrade in 1-2 days. I will also recommend where else to go, go if you plan to stay longer in the capital of Serbia.

Excursion route, walk in the center of Belgrade

Start your tour of Belgrade with Republic Square (Trg Republic) is the central and one of the most popular places among locals. Installed here Monument to Serbian Prince Mikhail Obrenovic, right on it National Museum Serbia (Folk Museum), and on the right hand, one of beautiful buildings cities, - National Theater (Folk shame).

Go to the central pedestrian street of the city - st. Prince Michael (st. Knez Mikhailova). If you want to buy quality Belgrade souvenirs, go to Cultural Center of Belgrade (Kulturni centar Beograd, st. Knez Mikhailova, 6). It is located on the left opposite a small fountain. Some 10 years ago, on this main tourist artery of Belgrade, it was impossible to find a single seller of souvenirs, so you could buy even the simplest magnet only in the Cultural Center. On the other side of the street, opposite the entrance to the Cultural Center, is Tourist information center (tourist information center, st. Knez Mikhailova, 5, open daily from 9.00 to 19.00), where you can get a map of the city, information booklets and answers to your questions.

Kneza Mihail Street connects the central Terazije Street ( st. Terazije) with the Kalemegdan park, where the Belgrade Fortress is located. A lot of souvenir shops, bookstores, fashion brand shops, cafes and restaurants - this is how the local Arbat looks like, a favorite place for Belgrade residents and guests of the city.

Moving towards Kalemegdan, you will soon see "Delhi Fountain" from which pure beats, drinking water. Once upon a time, Turkish cavalry rested here, now Serbs and tourists from all over the world are walking around.

A little before reaching the park, turn left onto Krala Petra Street ( st. Land of Petra), along it you will reach the oldest Serbian Kafana "Question Mark" ("Sign of food") (look on the left side), opened in 1823 under the name "At the shepherd". Later it was renamed "At the Cathedral Church", but the parishioners forced the owner to abandon this name. To which he hung a sign with a question mark above the entrance, another name was never invented, but the “Question Mark” took root. You can go to check in this historical place - you can drink something, have lunch, dinner is not worth it.

herself ( Saborna Church Svetog Archangel Michael) is opposite. The temple was built between 1837 and 1840 on the site of an old church. Princes Milos and Mikhail Obrenovici are buried here, and at the entrance are the graves of Serbian educators Vuk Stefanovich Karadzic and Dositej Obradovic.

Across the road from the entrance to the church is the building where Serbian Patriarchate(Srpska Patriarchy), here nearby Serbian Museum Orthodox Church (Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church). To the left across the road from the building of the Patriarchy - Palace of Princess Ljubica(Konak knegiњe Kubice), built in 1831 for the wife of the Serbian prince Milos Obrenovic Ljubica and their children.

Return to Knyaz Mikhail and turn left or exit to Paris Street ( Pariska st) and go up to the main entrance to Park "Kalemegdan" (Park "Kalemegdan"). It is here that one of the main attractions of all of Serbia is located - Belgrade fortress (Beogradska Tvrva).

The first thing you will see when walking along the central alley of the park is Monument of Gratitude to France (Spomenik Francusko's arrogance), erected to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the end of World War I in 1930. Then go through the gate to the territory of the fortress itself, and then through another gate - Istanbul. You will find yourself on the bridge over the moat, where it is installed a large number of old military equipment are the exhibits military museum (War Museum, is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00-17.00, www.muzej.mod.gov.rs ), the building of which is located here on the ramparts. The museum has a permanent exhibition (you can see, for example, a piece of a wing shot down on March 27, 1999 American aircraft invisible Stealth F-117), as well as various thematic exhibitions.

Through the Sahat Gate with the Sahat Tower (with a clock) go to upper town Belgrade fortress. There are many historical sights here, but I don’t see the point in listing them all. The main one, of course, is a symbol of the fortress and Belgrade - monument to the winner (winner). It was opened in 1928 in honor of the decade of the breakthrough of the Thessalonica Front. Interestingly, the monument was originally supposed to be installed on the street. Terazije, but the Belgrade ladies said no to a naked man in the very center of the city.

Another attraction of the Kalemegdan park is the view from the walls of the Belgrade fortress, at the confluence of the two rivers Sava and Danube. Locals, especially young people, love to spend their free time here.

View from Belgrade Fortress

Take a walk around the fortress, near the Victory there is the King's Gate ( The edge of the kapija), through which you can go out and see what is behind the walls on this side. For example, photo exhibitions are often held here near the Grand Stairs, and on one of my trips, I could admire the views of Russian cities.

Climb back to the Victory Monument and walk along the fortress wall, admiring the views. Exit through the gate, turn left and go down the path. There are 2 very interesting churches. First - Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Church Ruzica). The building itself was built in the 18th century for a powder warehouse, at the end of the 19th century it was rebuilt into a church. During the First World War, it was badly damaged, then restored and consecrated on October 11, 1925. There are 2 statues in front of the entrance: Tsar Stefan Dushan and an infantryman from the time of the Balkan wars. Second - Church of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa (Church of Svete Petke). It was built in 1938 on the site of a miraculous spring. From the outside, the church seems very simple, but inside it is decorated with stunning mosaics.

Climb back and exit the fortress through the Zindan gate with two towers. The route continues along Belgrade Zoo, then a little to the left and to the right along the tram tracks. You are on Tsar Dushan Street ( st Tsar Dushan).

If you are hungry and do not plan to spend money on Skadarli, then 2 restaurants from are located on this street. If you want a quick refreshment, check out LOKI (the intersection of Kralja Petra and Gospodar Jovanova streets) - a small nondescript establishment. There is an opinion that it is here that they offer the most delicious splash in Belgrade, as a result, the price is slightly higher than in other similar places. Although, in Serbia I did not try the tasteless splash.

Walk along Tsar Dusan Street to Skadarliya. On the road on the left, don't miss church of st. Alexander Nevsky (Church of Light Alexander Nevskog). Its construction lasted from May 12, 1912 to November 23, 1930. Such a long period is associated with the outbreak of the Balkan and the First World Wars. November 23, 1930 Serbian Patriarch Varnava consecrated the temple in the presence of King Alexander I Karageorgievich.

Skadarska street (st. Skadarsk) is a pedestrian street in Belgrade with many national restaurants and various bars located both on it and in the adjacent lanes. The Skadarliya area is called bohemian, and some even compare it with Parisian Montmartre. The reason is that at the beginning of the 20th century, actors, artists and poets actively settled here. The heyday of the street came in the 20s of the last century. But after the war, it became unremarkable. In 1966, the street was reconstructed and made pedestrian. Is it worth popping in here tonight for dinner? It depends on whether you are ready to overpay for the atmosphere, music, the name of the institution, and so on, the place is a tourist one. The portions are large, everything is delicious, but the cost is higher than in most restaurants of national cuisine located in other parts of the city. I almost forgot, another plus of restaurants in Skadarliya, arriving here after midnight, for example, after an evening flight from Moscow, you will definitely find where to have dinner.

Walk along Skadarskaya and turn right onto Despot Stefan Boulevard, along which you will exit to Republic Square. Next, from cultural center Belgrade will go in the opposite direction. You will find yourself on the main city Terazije street (st. Terazije). Its name comes from the Turkish language, the so-called special mechanism that distributed water through the city water supply. A similar installation was located on the site of the modern Terasian fountain(Terazian Chesma). Behind it rises one of the most beautiful hotels in the city - Moscow hotel opened in 1908. Go to the cafe on the ground floor of the hotel to admire the architecture, the view from the window and drink a cup of coffee - it's worth it, book a standard room and don't stay - small and not as comfortable as in the above accommodation options for 100 + euros per night.

Further, Teraziye street smoothly turns into st. Kralya Milana ( st. Edge of Milan), on the left side of which are Old and New Palaces. Previously, the Old Palace was the residence of the Serbian royal dynasties, currently the city hall is located here. The New Palace was the residence of the Karadjordjevics, and now the President of Serbia.

On the right side, in the Maiden's Park, there is monument to Nicholas II. Previously, the embassy of the Russian Empire was located here.

Cross the roadway to the palaces. Here, next to the New Palace at Andrichev Venac 8 ( Andriyev Venats, 8), located museum-apartment famous Yugoslav writer, author of the novel "The Bridge on the Drina", and diplomat Ivo Andrica. Here he lived with his wife from 1958 until his death in 1975. And the museum opened a year later, in 1976. Detailed information and the opening hours of the museum are available at official website.

Pass through Pioneer Park to building of the National Assembly of Serbia. Some kind of pickets often take place here, you can see various appeals to members of parliament. Although now the deputies most often sit not here, but in an inconspicuous building on the street. Kralya Milana, 14.

If you are facing the Parliament building, turn right and go forward, so you will exit on the Boulevard of King Alexander. On the left you will see the Tashmaydan park ( Tashmajdan park), where it is located (Tsrkva Svetog Marka), built in 1931-1940 in the Serbian-Byzantine style. The relics of the Serbian king Dusan are kept here. Right behind her Russian Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1924 by White Guard emigrants. General Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel is buried here.

Russian Church of the Holy Trinity

Not far from the Russian Church there is a small memorial sign "Zashto?" (Russian Why?), dedicated to the memory of 18 employees of the Serbian television and radio company who died during the NATO bombing on April 23, 1999.

The Tashmaydan park itself was recently restored, and the government of Azerbaijan allocated a large amount for this. Therefore, now you can see here not only a monument to the popular Serbian writer Milorad Pavic, but also to the first president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev.

There is another memorial sign dedicated to NATO aggression in the park - Monument to Milica Rakic, which is a symbol of all the innocent victims of that war. On it, in Serbian and English, it says, "We were only children."

Return to Kral Alexander Boulevard and turn onto Belgrade Street ( st. Beogradska) towards Slavija Square. Turn left onto Krunska Street. Here in house 51 is located Museum of Nikola Tesla(Museum of Nikola Tesla, open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00, nikolateslamuseum.org).

Walk along Belgrade Street to Slavia Square, where you go around the towering hotel of the same name and along St. Sava Street ( st. Svetog Save) exit to one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world - Temple of Saint Sava (temple Svetog Save). The first architectural projects of the cathedral appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. They were even sent to Petrograd for consideration by the Imperial Academy of Arts. Construction began in 1935, but was interrupted due to World War II. Again, the construction of the temple was returned only in 1985. The dome was completed in 1989. The cathedral was officially opened in 2004, but interior decoration work is still ongoing.

Temple of Saint Sava

1-2 days are just enough to inspect the sights of the center of Belgrade described above. Now I’ll tell you what else is worth seeing in the city and its environs if you plan to stay here longer.

What else to see in Belgrade and surroundings

New cemetery ( Novo coffin)

In its depths there is a Russian necropolis (plots No. 80, 80a, 90, 90a), where white emigrants and their descendants are buried. You should focus on the Iverskaya chapel and to the right of it is the memorial of "Russian Glory", which is the figure of Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the army, standing on a pedestal in the form of a shell, on which is written "Eternal memory to Emperor Nicholas II and 2,000,000 Russian soldiers of the Great War ". Under the monument there is a crypt where the remains of Russian soldiers and officers who died during the First World War are buried. The memorial sign itself, the author of which is the architect Roman Nikolaevich Verkhovskoy, was installed in 1935 at the initiative of Mikhail Skorodumov, colonel of the Russian army, Knight of St. George.

Memorial of "Russian Glory" at the New Cemetery of Belgrade

Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov, a famous Russian architect, author of the famous Livadia Palace in Crimea, is buried on the territory of the Russian cemetery in Belgrade. By the way, during his life in Belgrade, he managed to have a hand in the construction of the buildings of the National Assembly and the Government of Serbia (the intersection of Knez Milash and Nemajina streets), the reconstruction of the Ruzice church.

Opposite the main entrance is a memorial park with the graves of the liberators of Belgrade, perpetuating the memory of the Yugoslav partisans and Soviet soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of Belgrade from the Nazis in 1944.

Zemun - Austro-Hungarian piece of Belgrade

Zemun is a district of Belgrade located on the opposite side of the Sava, on the right bank of the Danube. You can get here by buses No. 15, 704, 707 from the Zeleni Venac stop, and in good weather and on foot, since 90% of the route will run along the Danube. Zemun was under the rule of the Habsburgs for a long time, which could not but be reflected in its architectural appearance. Later he became independent city, and as part of Belgrade since the 30s. of the last century with a short break from 1941 to 1944, when it was part of the fascist Independent State of Croatia.

The main attraction of Zemun is Gardosh tower(another name is Millennium), built in 1896 in the very southern point Austro-Hungarian Empire. Thus, the Hungarians immortalized the 1000th anniversary of their stay in the Middle Danube Plain. There is also a small bar here - Fat Cat Pub, where you can sit and admire the view of the Danube, tiled roofs and the tower itself, and whoever is not enough can climb it for a small fee.

Gardosh Tower

Zemun is also known for its churches and cathedrals - both Orthodox and Catholic, as well as the Town Hall building, built in the classicism style in 1823-1832, located on Victory Square.

On the Danube embankment there are many restaurants of both Serbian and European cuisine, so you can always refresh yourself if you wish. The only thing is that the prices here are a bit higher, but you have to pay for the view.

Ada Ciganlija or where to hide from the heat in the capital of Serbia

Ada Ciganlia ( Ada Ciganlija) - an island on the Sava River, 4 km from the center of Belgrade. In 1967, it was connected to the shore by two dams. As a result, the Sava Lake, 4 km long, appeared. Here locals escape from the summer heat, swim, sunbathe, walk and actively play sports. "Ada Ciganlija" beach marked " blue flag”, which indicates the purity of the water in the lake and the developed beach infrastructure. On the opposite bank of the Sava is New Belgrade (Novi Beograd), where, if desired, you can get over by boat.

Mount Avala

Mount Avala is only 511 meters high and is located 16.5 km southeast of Belgrade. From here you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city, and an even more breathtaking view opens from Aval television tower (Avalski television toraњ, 10.00–16.00). The tower was originally built in 1961-1965, but on April 29, 1999 it was destroyed during a NATO bombardment. The restoration of the television tower was completed in 2010.

Mounted on top of a mountain memorial to the unknown hero (Spomenik to an unknown Junaku) in memory of the participants of the First World War. Its creator is the Yugoslav sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.

On the slope of Avala, in memory of the Soviet delegation that died at this place in a plane crash on October 19, 1964, a monument to Soviet war veterans (Companion to the Soviet military veterans). Then a group of military men from the USSR, including Marshal Soviet Union Sergei Biryuzov, flew to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade, but due to heavy fog the plane crashed into a mountain.

Food in Belgrade: where to eat delicious food

In any new country for myself, I like to try something local. In this sense, Serbia conquered me - here in any restaurant they will offer delicious meat dishes and fresh vegetable salads. What else is needed?

I will list the dishes with a brief description that you will 100% meet in any menu of a national restaurant in Belgrade:

1. Salads:
   • Serbian salad - everything is simple: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions;
   • shopska salad - cheese was added to Serbian;
   • coleslaw - cabbage seasoned with oil, vinegar and a little hot pepper.
2. Soup or Chorba. The second differs from the first in slightly greater richness and density. I recommend trying telecha chorba.
3. Main meat dishes:
   • splash - a very tasty and large cutlet from different types meat. It can be stuffed with cheese, ham or served with kaymak - curdled salted cream. It is the main dish of Serbian fast food, offered in a bun with various vegetables. For me, it is number one among all Serbian dishes;
   • chevapchichi or chevapi - chopped sausages, a local analogue of kebab;
   • hanger - pork chop, which can be stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, etc .;
   • razhnichi - mini-kebabs;
   • karadđorđev schnitzel - veal, pork, and sometimes chicken chop, in which cheese and ham are wrapped, then rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in boiling oil;
   • muchkalitsa - cooked on coals, and then languishing for a long time with peppers, onions and tomatoes;
   • sarma - Serbian cabbage rolls, smoked brisket is added to minced meat and wrapped in sauerkraut leaves.

List of restaurants

To get acquainted with the Serbian national cuisine, I recommend the following restaurants in Belgrade:

Mala Kolubara(Ivankovachka, 2, www.malakolubara.rs). Delicious food, large portions, inexpensive. Russian-speaking waiters work.

Mala hostel(Dobrachina, 6, www.facebook.com/malagostionica), the restaurant is located in the city center on a quiet street. There is a veranda and 2 rooms for smokers and no, which is rare for Belgrade. Some of the waiters speak Russian. Prices are average.

Shta je to je(Tsara Dushana, 18, www.stajetuje.com ) a home-cooked restaurant located near the Kalimegdan park. To get into it, you need to turn off the street. Tsar Dushin on the street. Riga od Feret. Delicious food, low prices.

Restaurant "Sarajewski"(Tsar Dushan, 32, www.sarajevski.rs ) another restaurant on Tsar Dushan street. Smoking is allowed in the hall. Portions are big, delicious. Prices are average.

Restaurant "Zavichaj"(Gavrilo Princip 77, www.restoranzavicaj.rs ) chain of ethno-restaurants in Belgrade. One of them is located in the center, not far from the railway station, which is convenient. Prices are average.

Stara Herzegovina(Tsarigradska, 36) - a restaurant and a pub under one roof. The main visitors are residents of the surrounding houses. A wide range of menus high quality food, friendly service and low prices.

Map of Belgrade with attractions, best hotels and restaurants

Conclusion

Belgrade is one of my favorite cities. After reading the guide, it is probably difficult to understand the reason for this? To be honest, there are not so many sights, and those that exist will not surprise a sophisticated tourist, and the devastation is very striking. So why? The answer is very simple - the people, the kitchen and the view from the fortress! Come to Serbia, to Belgrade, for 2-3 days, this is quite enough to get to know the city and form your own opinion about it.

By the way, Air Serbia now offers many cheap flights with a connection in the capital of Serbia. Advice - take with a long one. So, you "kill two birds with one stone" - save on tickets to your destination and visit Belgrade.