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Belgrade

Western Balkans Travel Guide

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BELGRADE, SERBIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Republic Square or Square of the Republic on September 23, 2015 in Belgrade, Serbia. One of the central town squares and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade. 383722246 architecture, belgrad, belgrade, beograd, beograde, capital, city, crosswalk, crowd, culture, day, destination, editorial, europe, knez, landmark, metropolis, mihailova, mihajlova, national, pedestrian, people, republike, scene, serbia, shopping, sidewalk, square, street, tourist, travel, trg, urban, vacation, walk, worker

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Overview

Outspoken, adventurous, proud and audacious: Belgrade ('White City') is by no means a 'pretty' capital, but its gritty exuberance makes it one of Europe's most happening cities. While it hurtles towards a brighter future, its chaotic past unfolds before your eyes: socialist blocks are squeezed between art nouveau masterpieces, and remnants of the Habsburg legacy contrast with Ottoman relics and socialist modernist monoliths. This is where the Sava and Danube Rivers kiss, an old-world culture that at once evokes time-capsuled communist-era Yugoslavia and new-world, EU-contending cradle of cool.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Belgrade Fortress

    Belgrade Fortress

    Belgrade

    Some 115 battles have been fought over imposing, impressive Belgrade Fortress (aka Kalemegdan); the citadel was destroyed more than 40 times throughout…

  • Exterior of National Museum.

    National Museum

    Belgrade

    Lack of funding for renovations kept Serbia's National Museum mostly shuttered for 15 years, but its much ballyhooed 2018 reopening has been a great…

  • Museum of Yugoslavia

    Museum of Yugoslavia

    Belgrade

    This must-visit museum houses an invaluable collection of more than 200,000 artefacts representing the fascinating, tumultuous history of Yugoslavia…

  • Mt Avala

    Mt Avala

    Belgrade

    Looming over Belgrade and topped with the tallest tower in the Balkans (204.5m), Mt Avala is a city landmark that makes for a pleasant break from the…

  • Museum of Contemporary Art

    Museum of Contemporary Art

    Belgrade

    One of Belgrade's top cultural sights, this recently renovated museum is a treasure trove of 20th-century art from the ex-Yugoslav cultural space. The…

  • Tito's Mausoleum.

    Marshal Tito's Mausoleum

    Belgrade

    A visit to Tito's mausoleum is obligatory. The big man rests in an aptly gigantic tomb in peaceful surrounds. Also on display are thousands of elaborate…

  • Nikola Tesla Museum

    Nikola Tesla Museum

    Belgrade

    Meet the man on the 100RSD note at one of Belgrade's best museums, where you can release your inner nerd with some wondrously sci-fi-ish interactive…

  • Royal Compound

    Royal Compound

    Belgrade

    Commissioned between the two world wars by soon-to-be-assassinated King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, the Royal and White Palaces in Belgrade's exclusive…

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