The right way to Plan a Journey to Belgrade, Serbia

A crowd spills alongside the sidewalk outdoors Proces, Belgrade’s boisterously intimate pure wine bar in historic Stari Grad. On this nook of the Outdated City, the vitality is decidedly new: a smooth neon glow rings the room, the place a DJ bumps bass-heavy electro whereas 20- and 30-somethings sip Serbian orange wine and lightweight up cigarettes round high-tops. (Smoking indoors remains to be authorized in bars and eating places right here.) Outdoors, I catch strands of Serbian, Russian, English, and French as I thread by way of the group seeking Katja, a brand new buddy I’d been launched to earlier within the week.

“It’s our little wine circus, the place something can occur on any given evening,” says Ekaterina Sumenkova, or Katja, who co-owns the bar along with her associate, Griša. This appears an apt description of Belgrade generally: Town thrums with a dynamic vitality that appears poised to shape-shift, to hold you from kitschy speakeasy to rowdy avenue get together, or homey kafana to hip wine bar, at a second’s discover.

It’s a capital with an extended historical past of being in flux, of attempting to manage its personal rhythm amidst centuries of bombardments, ever-shifting borders, and its newer previous: a long time of communism, the Yugoslav Wars, years of hyperinflation, and the 1999 NATO bombing have all left scars on the town. But repeatedly, Belgrade has managed to rebuild, and through my latest go to, it felt on the verge of a reimagining, which is maybe why I discovered myself forming such a swift bond with the town — an sudden kinship borne out of mutual reinvention.

The key to taking advantage of a visit to Belgrade — to anyplace, actually — is to seek out the locations the place you need to root your self. If touring almost full-time has taught me something, it’s that you simply’ll by no means have the ability to do all of it. So, somewhat than cramming a number of venues right into a day, I try to develop into a little bit of a guest-star common at those who communicate to me essentially the most. It’s a lesson I continue learning: I don’t need to look again at my travels and see a roundup of the very best locations to eat, drink, and keep. I’d somewhat return to the embrace, nonetheless fleeting, of the locations that make me really feel at dwelling. I solely go to Proces twice, however already it’s the nucleus of my Belgrade.

“I believe our bar displays who we’re, and the neighborhood round it’s forming in the identical approach: In the very best sense, it’s filled with passionate and energetic individuals,” Katja tells me over one other glass of tamjanika, a local white grape selection. She and Griša are a part of a wave of younger Russian immigrants who’re making their mark on the hospitality scene, introducing pure wine to a wider viewers and creating area for a brand new form of neighborhood that folk are hungry for.

On the heart of my tentative new neighborhood right here is the radiant, no-nonsense Draga Tontić, my unofficial tour information and the keeper of all issues cool within the Serbian capital. We’d been launched by way of the vineyard the place I’d been working, Intestine Oggau, which she imports by way of her firm Bare Wines. A Belgrade native, Draga rapidly turned a week-long go to to an unfamiliar metropolis into what felt like an overdue journey with an outdated buddy.

Between her suggestions for espresso retailers (D59B was my favourite), buzzy cultural centers-turned-bars (Silosi), and nightlife locations (Ruke), there was lots to pack my time with — however my favourite place she introduced me was to a mutual buddy’s house.

There’s no higher thrill whereas touring than making new pals and being invited into their properties — to see what pictures they’ve framed, which books they go away subsequent to their mattress, the spices of their pantry. On this explicit event, we’d been invited by Aleks Zecevic, a Serbian-American journalist. He was house-sitting at a buddy’s place, which was sprawling. The three of us spent a number of hours ingesting wine and listening to Yugoslav music on vinyl, the voice of Croatian singer Josipa Lisac floating by way of the background as we mentioned Serbia’s cultural previous and current.

Each of them communicate warmly about their hometown. “In Belgrade, you will have all the chances as a metropolis does, however however, we’re nonetheless a small metropolis,” Draga tells me. “You continue to have that village vibe the place you already know while you’re going to drink espresso who will likely be there. You’ve these stunning strolling distances, and you already know your neighbors — it’s nonetheless locals who’re really dwelling within the metropolis heart,” she provides. “However, you will have wild nightlife. Our cultural life is on a sure stage, so there’s a mixture of all the pieces, but it surely’s all the time concerning the individuals.”

The locals share a robust sense of id and pleasure, she says. “After being ruined and rebuilt so many instances, and being affected by so many various cultures and languages and other people, I like that we nonetheless can see how Belgrade persons are, who they’re,” she explains.

In the mean time, they’re serving to shift their metropolis from an under-the-radar European nightlife vacation spot to a fully-fledged worldwide capital for meals, cocktails, and tradition — and doing so alongside a roster of hospitality heavy-hitters who’ve largely come to Belgrade from elsewhere, like Katja and Griša, or Vanja Puskar, the Bosnia-Herzegovina-born founding father of New Balkan Delicacies.

“Belgrade is on the point of changing into a world gastronomic vacation spot, and its time within the highlight is simply across the nook,” Vanja says. It’s my final evening within the metropolis and Draga has organized an impromptu dinner for the three of us at New Balkan Delicacies, the place he’s reimagining conventional regional meals with a contemporary spin. “The eating scene is present process a dynamic transformation, the place the main focus is on creating a definite Balkan gastronomic id,” he explains, including that distinctive hospitality ideas (like Desk 57, which hosts dinner events and wine tastings in an house) are thriving in the intervening time, whereas gastronomic avenue meals ideas are injecting contemporary vitality to the town.

Because the three of us tuck right into a mouthwatering combination of oxtail, gnocchi, and caramelized onions, somebody waves from the street — one of many bartenders from Proces, who stops to say hello to the 2 of them, and acknowledges me as properly. It sends a small, nice shock by way of me to have an sudden encounter in a metropolis I’m simply attending to know — to really feel seen on a overseas sidewalk, in some way nearer to dwelling than I’ve felt in a second.

Getting There

Air Serbia operates a number of direct flights per week from New York and Chicago to Belgrade; a brand new direct route from Miami to Belgrade launched on the finish of 2024. The airline additionally not too long ago introduced that they’ll function out of the brand new Terminal One at John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport in NYC beginning in 2026.

The place to Keep

Saint Ten

Saint Ten, an upscale boutique property positioned simply down the street from the well-known Saint Sava Temple, is surrounded by charming cafes and kafanas. The lodge’s glassy facade is perched above two intricately carved balconies, relics of its almost 100-year historical past. Inside, count on spacious suites with plush bedding, a sauna, a health heart, and glorious 24-hour room service. The in-the-know concierges helped me profit from my keep, and might curate native meals excursions, gallery visits, or scent workshops.

Sq. 9

Smack within the metropolis’s oldest (and now, maybe trendiest) neighborhood, 45 design-focused rooms are housed behind a placing Bauhaus facade at this beloved Dorćol lodge. Like Belgrade itself, this boutique property reveals old-world glamour enhanced by trendy comforts: Rooms are ethereal and spacious, with darkish wooden paneling, Turkish rugs, mid-century furnishings, and luxe extras like Hermès toiletries and Loro Piana cashmere blankets.

The St. Regis Belgrade

For enterprise vacationers or these searching for unparalleled luxurious within the Serbian capital, The St. Regis Belgrade — a glistening glass skyscraper that opened alongside the shiny new Belgrade Waterfront in November 2024 — is establishing itself as a vacation spot in its personal proper. It’s all curves, no corners, with a silhouette meant to emulate the fluidity of the town’s two rivers, the Sava and the Danube. The property presents deluxe waterfront views from 119 rooms and suites, together with the model’s signature butler service. Locals and worldwide friends alike are positive to be lured by the fantastically appointed St. Regis Bar, waterfront brasserie, serene spa, and 360-degree rooftop statement deck.

The place to Eat

Observe that it’s nonetheless authorized to smoke inside at most bars, eating places, and cafes in Serbia, so it’s possible you’ll choose to request a seat in a non-smoking part, or attempt to dine forward of the crowds.

Znak Pitanja (a.okay.a. Query Mark)

You may’t come to Serbia with out consuming in a kafana, a kind of conventional Balkan tavern the place parts of homey meals are extravagant and soul-nourishing, and a roving band performs nostalgic Serbian tunes on request. This one, inbuilt 1823, is named the oldest within the metropolis, which has rendered it a beloved vacationer attraction, in addition to native spot. The tavern is an invite to time journey, with crimson checkered tablecloths dotting the country inside and open gardens which are piled excessive with platters of meat, salad, and contemporary cheese.

Koordinata Road

Followers of Paris’s Les Enfants du Marché will fall head over heels for this tiny, exhilarating operation tucked right into a farmers market within the village-like Zemun neighborhood. Nested beside stalls promoting espresso, flowers, and hen, a handful of tables are cozily crowded collectively to kind the center of Belgrade’s revolutionary farm-to-table eating scene. Actually, the homeowners — Sara Biočanin and her associate, chef Stefan Živković — dwell on a farm outdoors the town, driving their freshly picked produce 90 minutes to work every day. The menu modifications seasonally, however their well-known hen liver — served on brioche bread with pickled prunes, impressed by Anthony Bourdain — is all the time in rotation. Reservations are required and advisable.

Pretop

Just some stalls down from Koordinata sits what could be my platonic ultimate of a eating expertise. As somebody simply exasperated with making choices whereas touring, I used to be enamored with Pretop‘s easy menu: bread, pork, and Champagne, served on silver platters and in plastic flutes. Nineties West Coast hip-hop blasted within the background as I dug into juicy roast pork with crispy pores and skin earlier than dipping the do-it-yourself sourdough bread right into a salty, heavenly bowl of pretop, or heat roast drippings. Name forward or come early, as they have a tendency to promote out.

Homa

For some of the memorable tasting menus in Belgrade, e-book in at this Michelin Information restaurant, set again from a leafy terrace in Dorćol. With the choice for a vegetarian or meat-focused menu, I selected the eight-course heritage (meat) possibility with wine pairings. Dishes play off of one another in pleasant methods, just like the translucent half-moon of shrimp carpaccio, topped with shavings of sea bream bottarga and dancing in a bergamot and almond oil dressing. It is served alongside their “cuttlefish serviette,” a samosa of types with foie gras and bitter cherry gel wrapped in delicate, crispy dough. Midway by way of, a palate cleanser arrived within the type of an ideal dollop of cherry sorbet and rose petal foam. Reservations are required.

Iva New Balkan Delicacies

No matter your expectations are for Balkan delicacies, the elevated riffs on conventional dishes at this restaurant will shock you. Founder Vanja Puskar tells me the idea behind his sustainably minded restaurant group is “a artistic exploration of native elements and their potential to be reworked into revolutionary dishes whereas staying true to their roots.” His purpose is to introduce a brand new era to traditional Balkan dishes, all with interesting up to date spin. My mouth waters each time I recall my favorites: contemporary, fluffy pita full of lamb and basil dressing, and a decadent hen liver pâté smeared on do-it-yourself bread with wild strawberry jam and pickled veggies. To prime it off, they’ve banned smoking indoors.

The place to Drink

Rakia Bar

Open since 2006, this convivial bar is devoted to Serbia’s beloved brandy, referred to as rakia. It’s now a part of Belgrade City Distillery, which produces greater than 20 of its personal small-batch rakias in-house. A flight is the easiest way to get a correct sense of the potent drink, which clocks in at round 40 p.c alcohol. Ours included rakia distilled from quince, apricot, and plum, in addition to a barrel-aged possibility.

Proces

Pure wine lovers ought to beeline for Proces, the place you may uncover Serbian wines alongside acquainted bottlings from throughout Spain, France, and past. The bar boasts unique collaborations with native winemakers, together with a pores and skin contact tamjanika from Kostić vineyard that was so good, I ordered it twice. Small plates function domestically sourced merchandise, like seasonal Serbian tomatoes pooled in olive oil and paprika, and Katja’s grandmother’s secret pickle recipe. On weekends, DJs flip the entire thing right into a jam-packed get together, taking part in all the pieces from Balkan psych to Afrobeats to disco.

Druid Bar

Of the handful of speakeasies I visited, Druid Bar felt essentially the most acquainted — maybe as a result of it’s modeled after New York Metropolis’s Workers Solely, one of many metropolis’s earliest and most iconic Prohibition-style bars, which was co-founded by Belgrade-born cocktail impresario Dushan Zaric. Down a quiet facet avenue, a cellphone quantity is posted on an unassuming door, which says to name the bar while you’ve arrived; inside, the bar is intimate, with suspenders-clad bartenders asking pleasant questions on your taste preferences earlier than freestyling exactly the factor you’d been craving. Service right here is considerate and conspiratorial — not one of the too-cool vitality that appears to pervade speakeasies in different European cities. No pictures are allowed inside, and reservations are advisable.

Riddle Bar

Hidden within the coronary heart of the bohemian Skadarlija neighborhood, Riddle Bar is an artwork nouveau-style speakeasy that’s all about showmanship. The fashion right here is exuberant and playful somewhat than stuffy or critical. On my go to, two bartenders tossed shakers backwards and forwards, frothy pink liquid arcing overhead. I’d requested Serbian gin with a contemporary, citrusy profile; the ultimate concoction was topped with zesty lemon juice, chamomile tea, and beer. I doubted my ears on the final one, positive he’d stated some obscure Serbian herb I hadn’t heard of. Bee-ear? What’s that? I requested. He set a small bottle of Heineken in entrance of me. “Makes it breezy,” he laughed. Reservations are required.

What to Do

Non Canonico

Set in a surprising ground-floor house with parquet flooring, placing columns, and crown molding, this gallery is a murals in itself. Visits can be found by appointment solely, and also you’ll be proven across the intimate rotating exhibitions by the artist, curator, or artwork director.

The Royal Palace

Don’t miss a guided tour of the Royal Compound — presently dwelling to Crown Prince Alexander and his spouse, Crown Princess Katherine. The basement billiards room and cinema are design highlights, with ornately patterned wallpaper modeled after the Terem Palace on the Kremlin in Moscow. There’s additionally a small, stunning chapel on the grounds. Observe, it is bookable solely through guided tour by way of the Vacationer Group of Belgrade, from April by way of November.

Ada Ciganlija Seashore

In hotter months, Lake Sava at Ada Ciganlija attracts locals to its banks, the place you may swim, sunbathe, and picnic on the sand, or sip cocktails at one of many common seashore golf equipment. You may also hire bikes, waterski, or go zip lining.

Museum of Yugoslavia and Home of Flowers

Serbia’s most-visited museum is an interesting have a look at the historical past of former Yugoslavia, with rotating exhibitions which are brimming with greater than 200,000 artifacts, together with clothes, pictures, movies, and extra. One of many museum’s three buildings can be the resting place of Josip Broz Tito, the previous president of Yugoslavia.

Saint Sava Temple

Crowning Vračar Hill, this huge marble construction is without doubt one of the metropolis’s unmissable landmarks, modeled after Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. It’s an absolute masterclass in mosaics — and like most issues in Belgrade, in endurance. Plans for the temple had been first drafted within the late nineteenth century, and solely accomplished within the early 2000s.

Going Past Belgrade

Though the town is thrumming with sufficient vitality to maintain you entertained for days on finish, Serbia is greater than Belgrade, and the remainder of the nation deserves consideration as properly.

Zorica Jovanov, head of worldwide advertising for the Nationwide Tourism Organisation of Serbia, highlights the nation’s expansive pure parks (there are 5), wineries, and historic settlements as oft-overlooked highlights for guests who solely discover Belgrade.

“Positioned in a surrounding of the unimaginable pure magnificence, the place the collision of East and West left mixed-up traces of its tradition, historical past, temperament of individuals, gastronomy, music, and structure, Serbia presents a novel and unrepeatable expertise,” she says. “It’s about visiting the hidden and unexplored nature; the capital metropolis which vibrates with a contemporary spirit; cities hidden from the crowds filled with attraction and heat from the outdated days or rural households the place you may expertise the complete which means of what it means to be somebody’s visitor.”

Under, a number of locations so as to add to your itinerary outdoors of the nation’s vibrant capital.

Novi Unhappy

For a style of smaller metropolis life, Novi Unhappy is definitely reachable from Belgrade by automobile, or by high-speed practice in simply half-hour. It’s a vibrant, bike-friendly cultural hub with ample avenue artwork, historic structure, the Štrand seashore alongside the Danube, and scrumptious eating places, like Jasmin a Maslina for high-quality eating or Salaš 137, a family-run bed-and-breakfast outdoors the town that serves up an old-school ambiance. Famously, it additionally performs host to Exit Pageant, one in every of Europe’s largest musical occasions, which takes place on the 18th-century Petrovaradin Fortress overlooking the town.

Wineries

Simply outdoors Novi Unhappy, the picturesque city of Sremski Karlovci has a wealthy winemaking historical past alongside the Danube. It’s tucked beside the forest of Fruška Gora, which is the nation’s main winemaking area, says Aleks Zecevic, Wine Fanatic writer-at-large. Aleks, who grew up in Belgrade, suggests trying out a few of the prime pure winemakers within the area, together with Oszkár Maurer, Ernő Sagmeister, and Bojan Baša.

“In addition to Fruška Gora, you’ll find nice vineyards in Župa, Prokuplje and Negotinska Krajina,” he provides, noting there are a whole bunch of outdated underground cellars within the latter. “These three are fascinating for numerous causes, however in Župa, you will see that one of many oldest vineyards in Serbia, planted in 1905 at Vinarija Vujić.”

Viminacium and Lepenski Vir

Roughly 90 minutes outdoors of Belgrade, historical past buffs can stroll by way of Roman ruins at Viminacium, an historic Roman metropolis and army web site the place relics of Roman baths, a graveyard, and an amphitheater are on show. Viminacium can be dwelling to Mamut Park, which options huge skeletons of prehistoric mammoths found within the space. To dive even deeper into the previous, drive a bit additional afield to Lepenski Vir, Europe’s oldest settlement alongside the banks of the Danube.

Nationwide Parks

Serbia is dwelling to 5 nationwide parks, which cater to all types of out of doors adventures. Hop on a river cruise by way of the Iron Gates, a collection of scenic gorges separating Serbia and Romania alongside the Danube; In western Serbia, Tara Nationwide Park boasts a community of climbing and biking trails, in addition to waterfalls and rafting alternatives on the Drina River Canyon. Winter sports activities lovers will respect the snow-capped peaks in Kopaonik Nationwide Park, which is common for snowboarding and snowboarding in colder months. Nearer to the capital, the plush valleys of Fruška Gora are studded with dozens of wineries and centuries-old monasteries overlooking the hills.