4 days in Belgrade

Start your day at the Kalemegdan fortress. It is the representative site of the city: a place of battles, of taking power, of successive dominations. Its geographical location, dominating the plain to the north-west and the meeting of the Sava with the Danube, is inherent to the history of the city and, by extension, of Serbia. A visit to the fortress and its various sites such as the Army Museum or the statue of the Victor will easily occupy your morning, after which you will have a coffee break or lunch at the kafana, a Belgrade institution with a warm welcome.

Then stroll along the city's most important shopping street, Knez Mihailova, and don't forget to look up to admire the architecture of one building after another. Pass through Trg Republike (or Republic Square) where the equestrian statue of Prince Michael Obrenovic, the instigator of the shopping street from which you came, stands. Head down towards Skadarlija, the bohemian quarter - or rather, bohemian street - with a false air of Montmartre with which it is twinned. Look out for the kafana where you will return that evening to enjoy the traditional Belgrade nights of tamburasi and rakia.

Head up to Terazije where you will find the Moskva Hotel with its elegant art nouveau architecture. Walk past the Parliament building, which was erected in 1936 in a neoclassical style. Two imposing bronze horse statues stand in front of the building, the work of the famous sculptor Toma Rosandic. Opposite the Parliament are the Stari and the Novi Dvor, respectively the "old" and "new" palaces. The former houses the Belgrade City Assembly and the Mayor's Office. This is also where the assassination of King Alexander Obrenovic and his wife Draga took place in 1903, bringing Peter I of Serbia, of the Karadjordjevic dynasty, to power. Finally, visit St. Sava's Cathedral, the largest Orthodox building in the Balkans. You can finish your day by sitting in an old kafana such as Kalenic.

The second day is mainly dedicated to the other part of Belgrade including Novi Beograd and the municipality of Zemun, full parts of the City of Belgrade. The starting point will be the Brankov Bridge connecting Stari Grad to Novi Beograd. Take the bridge that allows you to cross the Save and, at the end, turn right and get off on the promenade along the left bank of the river to arrive at the confluence of the Save and the Danube. You will have a beautiful view of Kalemegdan fortress. Continue the walk through Prijateljstva Park (or Friendship Park) which was created in 1961 and dedicated to the Non-Aligned Movement, which Tito was the instigator. As a result, people from all over the world came to plant trees from Gandhi to Elizabeth II. By continuing direction Zemun, you will cross the imposing silhouette in the Palbije Palace (or Palace of the Federation) that runs over a surface of 5,500 m ². On your way, floating on the Danube, the famous splavs can welcome you the time of a gourmet break. The following days may be dedicated to visiting sites farther from the city center and which, in fact, require more transportation time. On the other hand, you can also take advantage of this to explore in detail the central areas of Belgrade.

Explore Savski venac starting with a visit to the Royal Complex located in Dedinje. Two palaces, the white palace and the Royal Palace, will learn more about the Karadjordjevic lineage. With luck, you may even meet him in person in the throne of Serbia, Alexander II, and his wife. Find out about visits because they are not open throughout the year. Right next door, in Topcider Park, visit the Prince Milos Obrenovic konak and this time became acquainted with the history of the other Serbian dynastic family in dotted dots from 1817 to 1903. Spend the rest of the day on the Ada Ciganlija Peninsula by enjoying all the leisure and activities it has.