I vacationed in Serbia in June 2021 and did not limit myself to Belgrade: I visited the cultural capital of the country, Novi Sad, the center of Serbian winemaking Sremski Karlovci, Subotica – a city on the border with Hungary, – Zlatibor with the longest cable car in the world and Mokra Gora – a village-decoration for Kusturica’s film. I traveled by bus: the country has well-developed connections between cities.
The trip turned out great: I was cozy and insanely delicious in Serbia. I often met hospitable people. Let me tell you what I saw in each city.
Serbia is worthy of a full-fledged trip through it. Belgrade should not be used only as a stopover before traveling to neighboring countries
Belgrade
What to do: walk around three different atmospheric districts of the Serbian capital, watch the sunset at the fortress and relax at the Ada Ciganlija resort.
What a city: the capital and largest city in Serbia. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times in its two hundred year history, most recently after the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 during the Kosovo war.
One of the main attractions of the city is the Belgrade Fortress. Tourists usually walk to it along the pedestrianized Kneza Mihaila Street, which starts at Republic Square and ends at Kalemegdan Park. The walk takes 25 minutes. I chose an atypical route an hour longer to get to know the Old Town better.
From Kneza Mihaila Street, I turned away from the crowds of tourists onto the quiet Vuk Karadzic Street and walked to the fountain with the rooster in the small square. It has no name, four streets intersect here, the landmark being the Crveni Petao café. The atmosphere reminded me of Paris: houses drowned in greenery, the smell of fresh pastries, and at the tables of street cafes relaxed visitors. Here I went to the Italian gelateria Sapore and got a pistachio gelato – it was wonderful, almost like in Florence. I paid 140 RSD for one ball.
Next on the way was the Museum of Applied Arts. I was not interested in it, but I went to the souvenir shop and bought postcards of Belgrade for 120 RSD. Then I visited the house of merchant and banker Dimitrij Živadinović, located opposite the fountain with the rooster. Its front room was made in the Art Nouveau style. It is not for nothing that the building was recognized as a cultural heritage site: when you enter a residential building, you enter an art gallery where the walls and ceiling are painted with floral patterns.
Serbs love to spend time with a cup of coffee in the local taverns – kafanas. I went to the oldest one in town, Znak Pitanja. Its courtyard is a nice place to take shelter from the heat. There I got a domaća kafa – homemade coffee – for 130 RSD. It was served in a turk with lukum and a glass of water. The taste reminded me of Turkish coffee – I recommend it.
Further down the street is the palace of Princess Lubica, which is a museum of the interior of 19th century houses. I only toured it from the outside. A ticket for adults in 2023 costs 300 RSD, for pupils and students 150 RSD, children under 7 years old go free. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Afterwards, I turned onto Kosancicev Venac – one of the oldest streets in Belgrade – and followed the sidewalk to the fortress. I really enjoyed walking along the quiet and beautiful streets of my route.
On the territory of the Belgrade Fortress there are monuments from the times of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, but many Belgraders come here not for history, but just for a walk.
The fortress is open 24 hours a day and admission is free. One of its main points is the Victory Monument, a symbol of liberation from the Ottoman Empire. The quickest way to reach it is through the gate on the Vojvoda Božović Boulevard, the landmark is the Stećak Museum. From the observation deck next to the monument you have a view of the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. On one side I saw the high-rises of New Belgrade, and on the other side endless green river islets. The city was memorable for just such contrasts.
On the territory of the fortress I was most impressed by the church of Ružica, or the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was destroyed during the First World War and the soldiers rebuilt the building. The church hall is small and there is not enough light inside, but I wanted to stay there longer and look at the details. I was alone in the church, so I got even more vivid emotions.
After meeting the sunset near the Despot’s Gate – it is one of the surviving fragments from the 15th century – I walked back into the Old Town to Knez Michael Street through Kalemegdan Park. It was a stark contrast: I had just passed cannons and weapons, and in the park I was greeted by dinosaur figures. Whether there is a connection between the two remains a mystery to me.
In the Old Town, I enjoyed walking around the Skadarlija neighborhood the most – it’s Parisian Montmartre in Serbian. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, musicians, actors and artists lived here. Now there are many restaurants in the quarter, each with live music. To immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Old Town it is enough to walk along the central street of Skadarlija, but I do not recommend eating here: the prices are overpriced.
For the main Serbian street food – pleskavica, a flat cutlet of minced meat – I went to Loki. It is an unremarkable place from the outside and inside, but judging by the number of Belgraders in line, the restaurant is popular. The menu here is in Serbian, but everything is intuitive. My pleskavica for 260 RSD had chopped cutlet, onions and cabbage – very juicy. The restaurant is not open in 2023
On the other side of the Danube is New Belgrade. From the city center, buses No. 15, 84, 704 and 707 run there. The trip takes 15 minutes, the fare in 2023 costs 89 RSD and cards are accepted.
In the new part of the city there are no historical monuments, but ordinary life is bustling. The neighborhood is characterized by rafts, or “splavovi” in Serbian. These are landing stages that have been converted into restaurants, clubs, hostels and hotels. I stayed in one of them – the Bahus Inn. I paid 38 € for a night in a room with a terrace overlooking the Danube and a continental breakfast.
The room didn’t feel like I was on the water. But when I opened the door to the terrace and breathed in the Danube air, I realized what a good choice I had made.
I walked from New Belgrade along the Zemunski Key promenade to Zemun, a neighborhood that was an independent city of Austria-Hungary until 1930. The drive took 30 minutes. Here I rejoiced that Serbs know how to enjoy life. In the evening, the promenade is full of vacationers: people feeding swans, drinking cocktails on rafting trips, or just sitting on benches and admiring the views of the Danube.
Wherever I go, I always want to climb higher to see the city from above. In Zemun, I climbed the spiral staircase to the Gardos Tower, or Millennium. From there you have a gorgeous view of the Danube and the red tiled roofs of Zemun. It’s cozy and feels like a provincial Western European town.
The climb is not difficult, it took 5 minutes. Entrance to the observation deck in 2023 costs 200 RSD and only cash is accepted. It is open from 10:00 to 19:00.
After walking around the neighborhood, I stopped by Cafeteria Gardos, a stylish place to grab a bite to eat in the garden on the upper terrace overlooking the waterfront. I paid 620 RSD for a cappuccino and two large bruschetta with prosciutto.
It was +38°C in Belgrade in June, and I wanted to escape the heat. The best place for that was the Ada Ciganlija river peninsula. At the end of the 1960s, it was connected to the coast, thus creating the artificial Lake Sava. From the city center to the peninsula goes bus number 56, 20 minutes drive.
Ada Ciganlija is a free recreation area with a pebble beach with toilets and changing rooms, water activities, golf and tennis courses, playgrounds, restaurants. Here I took a bicycle, in 2021 an hour’s rental cost 260 RSD. When paying with Mastercard they gave a 10% discount. I left my driver’s license as collateral. The peninsula is small – I took my time to ride around it in an hour. I rode in the shade of trees, and then bathed in the Sav Lake. The water in it is the cleanest and warmest.
Subotica
Distance from the capital:180 kilometers
What to do: see the Secession-style gingerbread buildings and visit the “McDonald’s” in the town hall
How to get there from Belgrade: by bus from the bus station. I didn’t pay attention to the bus numbers: intercity transportation has specific directions, for example “Belgrade – Subotica”. Travel time is 2.5 hours. In 2021, the fare cost 1100 RSD. In 2023, the average price increased to 1350 RSD.
It is comfortable to travel in Serbia by bus: the seats are comfortable and there is air conditioning. There are frequent connections between cities, but it is better to check the schedule at the bus station’s information desk: it does not always coincide with the information on the website. Belgrade bus station in 2021 accepted only cash.
What a city: The northernmost city of Serbia in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. The Austro-Hungarian influence is most noticeable in the architecture of this region, as at the end of the 17th century this part of the territory of modern Serbia passed from the Ottoman Empire to the Habsburg dynasty.
Subotica, or Szabad, means “free” in Hungarian. But if one word were to characterize the city, it would be “bright”, because of its atypical Serbian architecture. Most of the buildings were built in the Secession style, which is the same as Art Nouveau, but with Hungarian motifs.
It takes 15 minutes to walk from the bus station to the center of Subotica. I started my walk from the Reichlja Park. There are two Secession-style buildings here: the oldest is the Simeon Leovic House, built in 1893, and the more unusual one is the palace of architect Ferenc Reichl, which was erected in 1904. The building has a lot of details on the facade. It reminded me of Gaudi’s architecture in Barcelona – the same bright colors and curved lines.
Across the street from the park, the pedestrianized Corzo Street begins. Among the buildings with cafes and restaurants I saw two more representatives of secession. House No. 3 is the former Golden Lamb Hotel with a green facade, and building No. 4 is the Trade Bank building decorated with Hungarian Zsolnay ceramics. Both buildings, like most of the houses in the center of Subotica, have been restored and look like new. I enjoyed walking around such a gingerbread colored town.
All the streets of Subotica lead to Republic Square to the Town Hall, the tallest building in the city, which was built in 1912. It houses the city government, the mayor’s office and city services.
The Town Hall has a hall called “Velika Vecnica”, decorated with stained glass windows with portraits of the rulers of Hungary. You can see them and climb up to the Town Hall observation deck only on a guided tour. They are held from Tuesday to Friday at 12:00 noon. In 2023, the ticket costs 300 RSD. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for the tour, so I only got to see the brightly colored facade with Hungarian national motifs.
There is also a stylish McDonald’s in the town hall building. I didn’t eat anything there, I only went in for the interior, to look at the stained glass windows, chandeliers and wrought iron staircases.
In unusual Subotica, even the synagogue stands out with its appearance. It was built in 1903 and is the second largest synagogue in Europe after the one in Budapest. The massive dome was made of ceramic, and the interior was done in the Hungarian Art Nouveau style: there are light colors, colorful stained glass windows and floral patterns on the walls. I was delighted with the synagogue.
Entrance to it in 2023 costs 250 RSD. The synagogue is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, closing at 14:00 on weekends.
Novi Sad
Distance from the capital:100 kilometers
What to do: See Austro-Hungarian architecture and a 17th century fortress
How to get there from Belgrade: by bus. It is better to check the schedule at the bus station information desk. A ticket to Novi Sad in 2021 cost 870 RSD, and 620 RSD on the way back. In 2023 a bus ticket costs from 800 RSD. Travel time is 1.5 hours.
And you can take a train from Belgrade to Novi Sad in 36 minutes. A one-way ticket costs from 373 RSD.
What a city: the cultural capital of Serbia and the main city of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It was founded in the mid-17th century as a settlement for Orthodox Serbs. From the mid-19th century until 1918, Novi Sad was the center of Serbian culture in Austria-Hungary. The architecture has a strong Habsburg heritage – I never left feeling that I was in a Western European city.
It takes 25 minutes to walk from the bus station to the center, passing through Liberation Boulevard. Here are the usual residential quarters of Novi Sad: gray tall panel buildings, with stores, bakeries and shoe repair stores on the first floors.
After looking at this unremarkable picture, I turned onto Jewish Street, where the Art Nouveau synagogue is located. It resembles a beautiful Victorian castle. I managed to find myself in the synagogue as I was preparing for the concert: during rehearsals, admission to the synagogue is free.
I walked along Jewish Street to the heart of the city, Liberty Square, where St. Mary’s Catholic Church is located. It was built in 1895 in neo-Gothic style. The bell tower and roof were covered with Hungarian ceramics – in this I found similarities with St. Matyas Cathedral in Budapest.
Jovan Zmaj’s pedestrian street begins at Freedom Square. At its end is one of the most striking buildings in Novi Sad – the palace of the Bishop of the Diocese of Bača with Byzantine elements. It stands out against the background of pastel residential buildings with its red and yellow facade. Tourists are not allowed into the palace, so I only saw it from the outside. But the nearby 18th century St. George’s Cathedral is open to the public. From the outside it attracts attention with its baroque decor of the bell tower with a clock, and inside – an iconostasis with marble columns and 33 paintings with Gospel subjects. It looks unusual.
Afterwards I stopped for lunch at Cafe Veliki, it is located a 5 minute walk from the cathedral. The cuisine of Vojvodina is similar to Hungarian cuisine. I enjoyed the goulash on my trip to Budapest, so it was interesting to compare how it is prepared in Serbia. Verdict: Novisad’s is just as good as the Hungarian one. A large portion cost 590 RSD. In 2023, goulash at this cafe will cost 950 RSD.
On the other side of the Danube stands the Petrovaradin Fortress. It was built in the 17th century. Before the emergence of Novi Sad, Petrovaradin was a separate settlement, but now it is one of the city districts. During the Austro-Hungarian rule, Petrovaradin became the largest fortress on the Danube.
You can cross the river on the Varadin Bridge. I climbed the stairs to the fortress from the side of Strosmeyer Street. It took 15 minutes, but in +36 °C it seemed like an eternity, although the climb was not difficult.
Entrance to the fortress is free of charge. Fragments of fortifications have been preserved inside. You can walk around the territory in 20 minutes. At the top, at the Sahat Tower, there is a beautiful panorama of the Danube and Novi Sad. I liked the view from the observation deck more than the fortress itself.
Since 2001, the fortress has hosted the annual EXIT music festival. In 2023 it took place on July 6-9. The ticket cost 109 €.
Sremski Karlovci
Distance from the capital:65 kilometers
What to do: Visit wineries and see the architecture of the main square
How to get there: from Belgrade by public transportation. The bus takes a little over an hour, the train 45-50 minutes. Any option in 2023 will cost about 340-500 RSD.From Novi Sad, you can get there by regional bus No. 61 or 62. It is convenient to get on them after a walk around Petrovaradinska Fortress at the Beogradska-Lisinskog stop. The journey takes 20 minutes and the 2023 fare costs 125 RSD. The electric train will make this journey in 8 minutes, the ticket costs the same.
What a place: A provincial town in the Vojvodina region. Sremski Karlovci is located between the Danube and the Fruska Gora National Park, so the town has become a center of attraction on Serbia’s wine road.
Winemaking has been active here since the 17th century. There are 36 wineries in one small town. The main drink is a strong dessert wine based on herbs and spices. It was offered on the tables of the royal families of Europe and on the wine list of the Titanic. Each winery has its own recipe.
The oldest winery in Sremski Karlovci, Kiš, was founded in 1830. I attended a free tasting at their store in the center of town.
The wineries themselves, including Kiš, are located on Karlováčkog Mira Street, in a cottage village – it is a 20-minute walk from the city center. Grapes grow right on the slopes of Fruska Gora, and the houses have private wine cellars where tastings are held. To taste drinks at the wineries, you have to book a place for a tasting on their websites. Only adults can participate.
I recommend visiting Sremski Karlovci: it has nice baroque and neoclassical architecture and many historical buildings. For example, opposite the wineries is the Peace Chapel. It was built on the site of a wooden building where the Peace of Karlovice was signed in 1699 between Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Republic of Venice.
The most beautiful buildings are located on the main square of Branko Radicevic: the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas built in 1762, the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity, which was erected in 1735, the Town Hall building and the Karlovac Gymnasium built in 1891. I missed the quiet European cities, so I just enjoyed the measured atmosphere at the Four Lions fountain in the center of the square.
Zlatibor
Distance from the capital:200 kilometers
What to do: Take a ride on the longest cable car in the world and enjoy the mountain scenery
How to get there from Belgrade: by bus from the bus station. In summer, transportation runs every hour. The first flight is at 06:10, but it is better to check the schedule at the information desk of the station. Travel time is 5 hours. Fare in 2021 cost 2000 RSD. In 2023 you can find a bus that goes only 4 hours and will cost a little cheaper, or go by train – the ticket costs from 852 RSD.
What city. Zlatibor is the name of the mountainous region and the town on its territory. It is located in southwestern Serbia at an altitude of about 1000 meters.
The town has few historical sights, but it is rich in nature and clean air. In the 1920s, wealthy residents of the country started buying houses in Zlatibor, and since the middle of the 20th century the place became a favorite resort of Serbs. In summer, people hike mountain trails here, and in winter they ski and bask in thermal springs.
“Zlatni bor” means “golden pine” in Serbian. The town was named in honor of a local species of pine tree with yellow needles. There are few of these trees left here. The center of Zlatibor is small: in a couple of hours I managed to walk through the city park among pine trees along the artificial lake and relaxed at the Royal Fountain next to it.
The Gold Gondola panoramic cable car was opened in Zlatibor in January 2021. It connects the city center and the top of Tornik Mountain, which is 1,496 meters high. The length of the road is 9 kilometers. According to the website of the cable car, it is the longest cable car with gondolas in the world.
A ride in a cabin with a 360-degree view is 25 minutes of cool scenery. These are far from the highest mountains I have seen, but they are impressive: there is nothing but nature for dozens of kilometers around.
The largest amusement park in the Balkans is being built next to the starting station. Here you can get off, have a look around and continue on the cable car. At the Tornik station, there is a risk of hanging around for a long time, looking at the Tara National Park and the mountains of our neighbors, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. I spent about two hours at the top while walking along the hiking trails and enjoyed the views to the fullest. In summer, there are mountain bike rentals and go-karting, and in winter the place turns into a center of ski tourism.
At the Maxi store in the center of Zlatibor, I bought the city’s and Serbia’s specialty – Zlatibor prsut. Because of the local climate, the dried meat has a unique flavor that cannot be replicated in other regions of the country. It is a worthy answer to Italian prosciutto. A 100 gram package cost 540 RSD.
Mokra Hora
Distance from the capital:230 kilometers
What to do: Take a ride on the narrow gauge railroad and visit Kusturica’s village
How to get there from Belgrade: from the bus station to Užice station in the direction of Zlatibor. I advise you to check the schedule at the bus station’s information desk. The fare there costs 1680 RSD, and 1450 RSD on the way back. Travel time is 3,5 hours. You can pay for tickets only in cash. A cab ride from Uzice bus station to the village in 2023 will cost 25 €.
What a place: A village in southwestern Serbia, it is near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The place is associated with the filming of the movie “Life as a Miracle” directed by Emir Kusturica.
The narrow gauge railroad “Sharganska osmica”, which means “Sharganska eight”, runs in the mountainous terrain. It was named so because in the vicinity of the Sharganska Pass it forms the number eight when one part passes over the other.
In the 1920s-1970s, the road connected the Serbian town of Uzice and the Bosnian town of Višegrad. Then it was closed due to unprofitability. At the end of the 20th century, the Serbs realized that the road could make money and opened its 15-kilometer section as a tourist attraction.
The train runs from April 1 to August 28 twice a day – at 10:30 and 13:30. From August 28 to October 31, one train per day – at 11:15. From November 1 to March 31 the road is closed, but from December 22 to January 7 one train is running daily – at 11:45. Tickets are bought at the ticket office and can be booked in advance by e-mail. A round trip on a diesel train for an adult passenger costs 1200 RSD in summer, 1800 RSD in fall and 800 RSD in winter. A steam-powered train is more expensive – 1200-2500 RSD depending on the season. Foreign bank cards are accepted.
The route passes through four stations. From Mokra Hora to the final station the train runs for 50 minutes without stopping. On the way you can see tunnels and mountain scenery. The train returns with stops at the stations for 5-15 minutes. During the ride, Balkan melodies play and the audio guide tells you about the railroad in Serbian and English. The music sets the mood: a couple of times you even wanted to dance. Riding in such an environment is a real thrill: you stick your head out of the open window and then sharply hide as you approach the tunnel.
Three stations on the route have always been operational, and Golubichi was specially built for Kusturica’s movie. But it seems that the whole road is a set for a movie: an ancient train, puppet stations, and all around – endless mountain expanses. When I remembered that everything here is real, I was amazed at how much effort it took to build such a railroad through the gorges 100 years ago.
After a busy trip, I stopped for lunch at Sarganska Osmica, a Serbian restaurant at Mokra Gora station.
I got a gourmet pleskavica with cheese, quince rakija – a 40-degree drink – and Zlatibor cheese, similar to feta. It was delicious, and I paid 950 RSD for everything with my card.
You should also come here to visit the ethno-village of Drvengrad, aka Mechavnik, or Emir Kusturica’s village. It took me 15 minutes to get there from Mokra Hora station – it’s an easy uphill climb.
Drvengrad was also created as a set for the movie “Life as a Miracle”. After filming, the director began to live in his house here. Streets and squares in the village were named after celebrities whom Kusturica honors: Tarkovsky, Fellini, Mikhalkov, Tesla, Bruce Lee. The Kustendorf Film and Music Festival is held annually in Mećavnik. The next one will take place in January 2024.
Drvengrad is a tourist attraction and entry costs 250 RSD in 2023. Guests of the Mecavnik Resort hotel enter free of charge. The village is open from 09:00 to 16:30 in winter and from 08:00 to 18:30 in summer.
I stayed in one of the wooden houses of Drvengrad. It was interesting to feel like a villager. The room cost 40 € per night, the price included a visit to the spa and a breakfast buffet. The room is spacious, the furniture is hand-painted – you feel like you’re visiting your grandmother, but in a house with a modern bathroom. It’s also where I gazed at the stunning scenery and sunsets. In 2023, the price of a single room with breakfast and dinner – from 6100 RSD per night.
