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When you come to the Balkan and you have 1 day in Belgrade, here is what you can do with all the helpful information + how to get to Belgrade by train or bus.
It’s one of the biggest cities in the Balkan, so there are plenty of things to do. We chose the must-see for you.
Since our first visit in 2012, Belgrade become part of our Balkan trips together with Bulgaria, Albania, and many more.
Belgrade is known for the remains of various civilizations such as the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian empires. Its culture is marked by the influences of Eastern and Western Europe.
The diversity is reflected in the architecture, cuisine, and traditions of the city. The metropolis of the Balkans is known for its energetic atmosphere and famous nightlife. In the metropolis, you will find many cafes, restaurants, bars, and clubs.
The city is located at the confluence of two rivers, Danube and Sava, and offers various options for spending time outdoors. In the city, you will find several companies selling cruises on famous rivers.
Table of Contents
Tip: Here you can see all your options for hotels in Belgrade
WHAT TO SEE IN 1 DAY IN BELGRADE
Ruins of the Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building
The building was formerly occupied by the Ministry of Defense of Yugoslavia, the government department responsible for the defense of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia against internal and external military threats.
The building was badly damaged during the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 by NATO. Since then, the building has remained intact and is one of the must-see places in Belgrade.
Zeleni Venac
Zeleni Venac is a part of Belgrade in the center where you can find outdoor markets founded in 1926 and a nearby bus station, which makes this location an important transport hub for Belgrade public transport.
The name Zeleni Venac is based on the pub that was located on the site of today’s transport terminal and McDonald’s restaurant.
Hotel Moskva
This landmark of the city of Belgrade considered an architectural gem, was built in the Russian Secession style. The hotel was inaugurated by King Petar I Karadjordjević himself in 1908. Since 1968, the hotel has been under state protection, and in 1979 it became a cultural asset of great importance.
The hotel and its famous Café Moskva have been visited by many famous personalities such as Albert Einstein, Ana Pavlova, Leonid Brezhnev, Indira Gandhi, Ray Charles, Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, Bernardo Bertolucci, Maksim Gorky, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Milla Jovovich, and many, many others.
Saint Sava Temple
It is the largest Orthodox church in Serbia, one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches, and ranks among the largest churches in the world. It is located on the Vračar plateau in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the most important building in Belgrade, if its dome reminds you of Hagia Sophia, you are not far from the truth, this dome was modeled exactly after the famous building in Istanbul.
In May 2021, the entire Vračar plateau, which surrounds the church, was declared a spatial cultural historical complex under state protection, together with the Saint Sava’s Plateau.
Nikola Tesla museum
A small museum of Nikola Tesla in Belgrade. It is the only museum of its kind preserving the original and personal legacy of Nikola Tesla. In the museum, you will find more than 160,000 original documents, 1,200 historical and technical exhibits, and 1,000 plans and drawings.
The entrance fee to the museum is RSD 800/€6.81 with an English guide for an individual.
The guided tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Knez Mihailova Street
The oldest pedestrian and shopping area in Belgrade, it is protected by law as one of the oldest and most valuable monuments of Belgrade. Named after Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia, it features several mansions built during the late 1870s. In 1979, it became a Spatial Cultural-Historical Complex of the Great
Importance and as such is protected by the Republic of Serbia.
Nowadays, the pedestrian zone is really popular, you can find many shops and boutiques.
Good place to walk around the old town.
National Museum on Republic Square
Republic Square is one of the central squares of the city. It is located in the municipality of Stari Grad. Nearby Square are the well-known public buildings of Belgrade such as the National Museum, the National Theater, and the statue of Prince Michael.
The historic Skadarlija Street is also located near this square. It is a neighborhood that is considered the main bohemian district of Belgrade and is named after the Albanian city of Shkodër.
The largest and oldest museum in Serbia, it is located between Republic Square and the former Theater Square. The grand opening was in 1952. Since its opening, the museum’s collection has grown to more than 400,000 objects, including many foreign masterpieces.
The building of the National Museum of Serbia was declared a Cultural Monument of Great Importance in 1979.
The entrance fee to the museum is RSD 300/€2.56. Admission is free on Sundays and closed on Mondays.
Tip: Here you can see all your options for hotels in Belgrade
Belgrade Fortress in Kalemegdan Park
The fortress is located in Kalemegdan Park along with a museum, zoo, and hiking trails. The fortress, which is located in the Stari Grad municipality of Belgrade, forms a specific historical core of the city. Right after World War II, it became protected and is one of the first officially declared monuments in Serbia.
It is the most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade.
Entrance to the area is free.
Brutalist architecture in New Belgrade
During our visit to Belgrade, we visited the Genex Tower, and if you have 1 day in Belgrade this is a must-see!
Brutalist landmark of the city also known as the Western City Gate. It contains a residential and commercial tower connected by a two-story bridge.
The place is not intended directly for tourists, even though we managed to get into one of the towers together with a resident of the building who allowed us to take the elevator with her to the 30th floor, the residential zone ends there.
In the second tower, there is also a reception with security, it was explained to us that they do tours of one of the towers for about 20€ and only with a guide.
We did not get in touch with the guide because the security guard did not speak English.
Tip: Read also 1 day in Valletta.
WHERE TO STAY IN BELGRADE
There are many accommodation options in Belgrade, from hostels to boutique hotels to luxurious 5-star hotels.
If you want to have all the sights, monuments, and museums close at hand, we recommend staying in the Old Town or Stari Grad area, from where public city transport runs throughout the city.
We had accommodation near the old building of the railway station Stara Železnička Stanica Belgrade, which was not far from the city center.
Another option is a hostel or hotel on the Danube Quay near Boulevard Nicola Tesla.
Accommodation on the river in a houseboat can be an interesting experience.
➡️ Check all available hotels in Cairo on Booking.com. It’s our favorite booking platform.
If you are more budget traveler you can check Hostelworld where you find cheaper options with shared facilities. ✅
HOW TO GET AROUND BELGRADE
Getting around Belgrade
Public transport in Belgrade is a good cheap option for getting around the city. You can get to know the city by bus, tram or trolleybus.
If you decide to use buses in Belgrade, you can either buy a paper ticket at bus stations or small kiosks in the city or via the website at belgrade.plus. Select a ticket and pay via SMS, unfortunately, you need a Serbian phone number to buy such a ticket or download the app.
You can buy tickets from 90 minutes for two zones or one-day, weekly, or monthly tickets.
Ticket prices start at RSD 50/€0.43 for a 90-minute ride.
Taxi prices are low and you can easily get around the city.
Unfortunately, Belgrade does not have a metro system.
Getting from airport
By bus
Line A1 runs between the airport and Slavija Square in the city center, the journey takes approximately 30-40 minutes and costs RSD 250/€2.14.
By taxi
In Belgrade, you will find many taxi services offering transportation from the airport to the city and vice versa.
If you have only 1 day in Belgrade this is your fastest option.
Taxi prices start at €25 per ride.
Getting to Belgrade by bus
Belgrade has good bus connections with all surrounding countries.
Omio.com offers tickets to all destinations.
- Budapest – Belgrade from 20-30€ – 6 hours.
- Zagreb – Belgrade from 20-40€ – 5,5 hours.
- Podgorica – Belgrade from 20-30€ – 10 hours.
- Pristina – Belgrade from 15€ – 7 hours.
- Sofia – Belgrade from 30-40€ – 7,5 hours.
- Skopje – Belgrade from 20-40€ – 7 hours.
- Bucharest -Belgrade from 50€ – more than 15 hours.
➡️ Buy your tickets to or from Belgrade here ⬅️
Buses are comfortable and sometimes offer wifi. But don’t forget you are in Balkan so you never know what kind of bus will come.
Note: At Belgrade Central Bus Station, you must buy a special ticket to enter platforms only (very annoying and makes no sense!).
You can buy a ticket in the window where you buy other bus tickets, the queue can be long so come earlier to avoid missing your bus!
Tip: Location of Belgrade Central Bus Station.
Getting to Belgrade by train
Unfortunately, the old train station in the city center was closed in 2018, for the Belgrade Waterfront project and the station was repurposed to become a museum.
Currently, there is only one direct international train connection between the surrounding countries and Serbia.
The train connection is Belgrade-Podgorica-Bar (Montenegro). One of the most scenic rides in Europe!
The journey time is 10h 53min to Bar. 1 hour less to Podgorica.
Tickets are around 24€ oneway + additional cost for the night train.
Trains can be fully booked so buy your ticket as soon as you can.
For other countries, you must use many different train connections and it will take way too long.
It’s better to take a bus.
Tip: Location of new Belgrade Centar train station.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT BELGRADE?
Belgrade and Serbia as a whole have a humid subtropical climate and four seasons alternate here. The coldest month is January and the warmest is June.
The best time to spend 1 day in Belgrade is from the end of April, May, and September.
The warm but not hot weather like during the summer months is ideal for walking and exploring the city.
We visited Belgrade during the summer and the weather was unbearable sometimes for long walks.
WHAT TO EAT IN SERBIA
Serbia lies between East and West, and its cuisine is therefore diverse and has elements from Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish, and Hungarian cuisine.
Typical traditional dishes of Serbia include:
Sarma (ground beef with rice wrapped in a cabbage leaf)
Gibanica (egg and cheese pie)
Ćevapi (grilled meat)
Punjena Paprika (ground meat with rice filled inside paprika)
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BELGRADE, SERBIA
Is Belgrade expensive to visit?
Serbia is a relatively cheap country and its capital city is one of the cheapest capital cities in Europe in general.
Visitors like to visit Serbia precisely because of the low costs of accommodation, food, and transport around the cities. Serbia has a lot to offer for all types of travelers. So you will not spend too much money when you have 1 day in Belgrade.
Belgrade currency
The currency code for Serbian Dinars is RSD. The currency symbol is Дин.
1€ – 117 RSD
1$ – 109 RSD
(always check the current exchange rate)
Language in Serbia
Serbia has one national official language, which is Serbian. It is written in the Cyrillic script and is closely related to the Russian language.
Other languages spoken in Serbia include Hungarian, Croatian and Bosnian.
You can communicate in English in the capital and all the tourist cities of Serbia in hotels, restaurants, and services.
How big is Belgrade
The city, located at the confluence of the rivers Sava and Danube, is home to more than 1.6 million people and began to be inhabited thousands of years ago.
The city has an urban area of 360 km2 (140 sq mi).
Tip: Read our article about Albania. Another great country on the Balkan.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Belgrade famous for
Belgrade has a rich history dating back to ancient times. Once a Roman settlement was known as Singidunum. Over the centuries it was influenced by many Byzantine, Ottoman, Hungarian, and Austrian cultures.
The city is also known as the famous birthplace of Nikola Tesla, with a museum dedicated to him.
Is Belgrade safe for tourists?
Serbia is a safe country, but you have to be careful in crowded tourist places.
However, petty crimes are at a minimum.
Is Belgrade worth visiting
Without a doubt, Belgrade is worth a visit. The city is less touristy than other cities in Europe. There is much to see from historical monuments, museums, and hidden gems that will captivate you during your 1 day in Belgrade.
Is 1 day enough in Belgrade?
As one of the largest cities in the Balkans, there is more than enough to visit in and around the city. So it’s better to have more than 1 day in Belgrade.
It has good transport connections not only to other cities and states around it but also within the city itself.
From Belgrade, you can take several day trips to Novi Sad, for example, if you are in Serbia for more than one day.
OUR FAVORITE TRAVEL RESOURCES
Accommodation: We use Booking.com where we always find great deals for hotels.
For hostels, we use Hostelworld where we find cheaper options and meet new people.
Rental cars: To rent your car with free cancellation check out Discover Cars.
Ferries: For cheap ferry tickets worldwide we use Direct Ferries.
All travel options in one place: Omio.com we use for easy travel planning where we can find trains, buses, ferries, and more.
Tours and other activities: Wherever we go we look at GetYouGuide to find the best tours and many other activities around the world!
Travel insurance: Never travel without travel insurance! Ekta works all over the world and has 10 years of experience in the industry. It is your right choice!
Reviews: Before we travel somewhere we always look at Tripadvisor, where we always find a summary of restaurants, places to visit, or hotels with current ratings and photos from people who have visited this place recently.
Luggage storage: Radical storage is such a helpful Luggage storage network! When we have a late check-in or an early check-out we don’t need to carry our luggage with us, we just simply put it in the Radical storage which operates in over 70 countries!
E-sim card: The best way how avoid all the stress of searching for local SIM cards or wifi signals and save time after you arrive in your new country is to get Airalo e-sim. Download and install a digital data pack from 200+ countries/regions!
