Arriving in the Serbian capital, Rus can get confused and waste a tidy sum on taxi drivers. I will tell you how to reduce the damage done to the wallet by understanding a little how it works. And more about why you need make friends with fur seals. But first things first.
Belgrade has been promised a full-fledged metro since 1950, but until now, construction ambitions have been embodied in just one underground station. So the urban transportation family is still represented only by buses, trams, trolleybuses and the Beovoz electric train.
You can ride them by paying the fare:
- BusPlus card (for 1, 3, 5 days or replenished);
- from the driver (2 times more expensive);
- using a mobile phone with the tariff of a certain operator.
Great maps will help you figure out how to get to the right place belgrademaps.com. At first glance, the schemes of day and night transport lines seem intimidating, as if web of a dye-eating spider. However, it is worth peering and getting used to it - and you will appreciate the intention of their creator.
A scary "spider" of transport lines. It is worth understanding, it becomes convenient. Screenshot: belgrademaps.com
I personally downloaded the "spider web" in pdf format and now, when I have to go somewhere far away, I just look out for nearby lines. Some prefer to use a smart site planplus.rs, offering a ready-made route, but it seems to me that sometimes it spawns entities unnecessarily and greatly complicates the task. In short, a matter of taste.
Another option is an app. Moovit for the phone, surprisingly well "understanding" public transport in Belgrade. Just enter the start and end points of the trip and follow the instructions of the artificial logistic mind.
Travel zones
To streamline the collection of money from riders, Belgrade was conditionally divided into 4 zones with corresponding tariffs. If you're not going far to the suburbs, it is enough to pay the fare in the first and second zone(center and sleeping areas).
On the BusPlus website, you can see in which zone the place you are interested in is located and estimate how much it will cost to get to it in Belgrade public transport: https://www2.busplus.rs/lt/zone-tarifnog-sistema
How to pay for public transport
1) At the driver
150 dinars(zones 1+2), 300 dinars (zones 1+2+3), 400 dinars (1+2+3+4).
An option suitable if you are standing with your mouth open for the first time at the exit of the Belgrade airport. Or if you suddenly ran out of the house in pajamas, jumped into the approaching bus, and exactly 150 dinars were lying in the folds of your pants.
Only in these cases is such wastefulness justified. In all others there is busplus travel card, for which one trip can cost only 89 dinars (more on that).
If the driver suddenly did not have a ticket, we sit down and drive with a clear conscience - the controller does not have the right to issue a fine.
From airport to city there are buses number 72 (last stop - Zeleni venac) and A1 (to Slavija Square). And that's where you can and should buy a travel card.
2) Temporary travel card for 1, 3 or 5 days - "day card"
For all types of BusPlus travel card, the following is valid: you can buy it at any kiosk, and use it - on any type of transport from 4 am to 24 pm. Exactly at midnight, it will turn into a pumpkin, and you will be transported by tram at a double rate (150 dinars for the first two zones, 300 for the remaining ones). In addition, you will have to pay separately for rides in a minibus with the letter “E” on the windshield - an analogue of our minibus.
An energetic tourist or a poor fellow who has to run through various bureaucratic instances is recommended to purchase unlimited travel card, valid 1, 3 or 5 days(no more options). To do this, stick your head through the window and ask:
- One day / three days / one day Busplus card, we beg you.
The seller will be impressed by your knowledge of Serbian and will give you a blue paper rectangle for which you will pay 40 dinars(the card itself) plus:
As you probably already understood, with this rectangle you can ride around the city as much as you like, without restrictions on transfers (don't forget - except at night and on minibuses). The validity of the card in public transport in Belgrade begins from the moment of purchase. Despite the fact that everything is “paid” for everything, it should be applied to the validator when entering.
3) Replenished non-personalized travel card - "non-personalized card"
Plastic BusPlus, working on the principle of an electronic wallet - how much money, so many songs. The card itself is in the kiosk 250 dinars, lives 3 years, and you can replenish it for any amount (no more than 2500 at a time and a maximum of 5000 dinars in total on the card).
Come in, apply the card to the validator, it is debited 89 dinars for 1 trip. Moreover, after the squeak of the validator, you will have exactly 90 minutes for all sorts of transfers and rides. True, each time you need to "beep" the card again, entering the transport.
LIFE HACK: if you replenish the card immediately with at least 1000 dinars, you will receive another 100 bonus on the travel card. In general, 900 dinars should be enough for such a bonus, but nothing worked out for me the last 3 times, but I never had a thousand misfires.
89 dinars will most likely be enough for your regular trips, and for trips to the suburbs there are their own tariffs:
| Zone | Price (for 90 minutes) |
| 1 and 2 | 89 dinars |
| 3 | 89 dinars |
| 4 | 89 dinars |
| 1, 2, 3 | 179 dinars |
| 1, 2, 3, 4 | 269 dinars |
| 3 and 4 | 179 dinars |
By the way, this pass can pay for several people at once by clicking on the inscription on the validator "Grupna karta" and selecting the quantity (maximum 5).
4) Personalized travel card - "personalized card"
A magical piece of plastic with a photo, which can be obtained by both Serbs and foreigners with a temporary or permanent residence permit. You need to regularly transfer a fixed amount to this card, paying yourself to your beloved daily "unlimited".
Marching with money to the kiosk is officially allowed from the 25th to the 30th/31st of the month (to pay for the whole next month) or from 1 to 24 (to pay for the current month). If you decide - to walk like this - and pay for the whole year in advance, you will receive another bonus from BusPlus - discount in the amount of the monthly fare. That is, as a result, you will pay not for 12, but for 11 months.
Here is the cost of nominal passes for public transport in Belgrade in 2019:
| ZONE | ||||||||
| Category | Period | 1 | 1 and 2 | 1,2,3 | 1,2,3,4 | 3 | 3 and 4 | 4 |
| Working Serbs; foreigners with a residence permit | month | 2.990 | 3.275 | 3.890 | 4.990 | 3.275 | 3.890 | 3.275 |
| 365 days | 32.890 | 36.025 | 42.790 | 54.890 | 36.025 | 42.790 | 36.025 | |
| Non-working Serbs, students and other beneficiaries | month | 1.090 | 1.120 | 1.410 | 1.730 | 1.120 | 1.410 | 1.120 |
| 365 days | 11.990 | 12.320 | 15.510 | 19.030 | 12.320 | 15.510 | 12.320 | |
And people over 65 pay for unlimited travel in all zones 407 dinars per year. To see this is delightful, lepo, gratifying.
In order for a foreigner to issue a personal travel card, it is necessary:
- come to the office of the SHG organization with a passport, a copy of it,
- say: “sy-y-yr” into the camera of the local worker;
- fill out a standard application and sign a consent to the processing of personal data.
5) Using a mobile phone
If you purchased a SIM card from an MTS operator (not Russian, but local - Mobile telephony Serbia), your phone runs on Android version 4.4 or later and supports NFC technology, download the application mts centar. When you need to pay your bus fare in Belgrade, select the Bus Plus option and buy a ticket.
And you can do it even before the arrival of the bus. But at the entrance, be sure to lean your mobile phone back against the validator. When the controller approaches you, show him the phone so that he can make sure: you are an honest citizen, you bought a ticket.
How to know when the bus is coming
While waiting for the bus (tram, trolleybus), look around - somewhere nearby on a pole there is a small red-white-blue plate covered with mysterious Serbian letters. To a quick-witted traveler, they will reveal the name of the stop and the numbers of the Belgrade public transport lines passing by.
A digital code sent from a mobile phone will tell you how soon this very transport will arrive (about 3 dinars will be removed from the account, a nightmare). The beginning and end of the code are always the same, and the changing part is the ordinal number of the stop:
*011*523# stop number - 523
An SMS will be sent to the request, which will indicate how much of which transport is left before you. For instance, 23 – 2;12 means there are two number 23 buses approaching, one two stops away and the other twelve stops away.
Fly in the ointment: sometimes buses in Belgrade take on a life of their own and deceive the electronic alarm.
Breaking through the ticket
The electronically fed validator is green and peaceful In order for the fare to be considered paid, you need to attach the Busplus card to the validator at the entrance to the transport and make sure that it blinks green light happily. Some devices look a little different, and the travel card is applied not to the screen, but to the black field below it.
If suddenly you forgot to put money on the card, the artificial intelligence living in the validator glowing red wickedly, loudly and contemptuously notify the entire bus of your beggarness ( nemate pretty credit- Srb), and machine guns will pop out from under the seats and shoot you on the spot, you just have to go out and replenish BusPlus at the kiosk or wonder if the controller will catch you.
Okay, this mug does not appear on the screen. But the waves of electromagnetic contempt from the validator just keep coming The validator also has a bright, caring side: a tiny shemka hangs in the upper right corner of the screen. When touched, a list of all stops along the route opens in the correct order, and the one where the bus is now will be highlighted. Healthy.
Crouching Controller, Hidden Hare
In Russia, the controller is usually monumental aunt, with an orange vest, dimensions, a stern expression on her face, - reigning in the cabin with her whole appearance. She does not leave him until the end of the shift, and she wraps up the incoming passengers with a majestic wave of her hand, without getting up from the throne. It is impossible not to notice her, it is impossible to avoid her, she only needs to submit and pay tribute with a sigh.
Completely different - Serbian controllers, who probably borrowed their strategy from "fur seals". They operate in groups of 2-3 people, they are not constantly on the bus, but selectively arrange raids on popular lines.
An ordinary Belgrade controller is indistinguishable from an ordinary city dweller: if earlier they waved hand-held ticket-checking machines for force, now they have become insidious and these machines are hidden in their bosoms. Passengers are rammed into the passenger compartment, the last to enter undercover are the controllers - at the head, tail and middle of the bus.
The doors are closing, the controllers barely noticeably nod to each other, the inscription “CONTROL” lights up on the malicious validator - that’s it, the trap has slammed shut, not a single travel card can be broken through, and people rush through the windows, some into the pipe in all directions. Particularly lucky people play for time until the next stop, where they urgently run out, like, it was necessary.
The rest are discharged fine (from 2000 dinars) or try to take them to the communal police for identification. Many Serbs consider the fare unfairly high (89 dinars = 3 loaves of bread), so there are entire sites on the Internet dedicated to fighting the controllers and boycotting BusPlus. You can speculate on this topic, but you should not forget:
Public transport in Belgrade does not work for free. Paid travel = gasoline, drivers' salaries, repair and maintenance of buses.
Additional discounts and bonuses with the BusPlus card
Named pass holders can get discounts from 5 to 10% at BusPlus partners - for example, in supermarkets, furniture and sports stores, clinics, etc.
You can see the list of partners and bonuses on the BusPlus website in the "Partneri i popusti" section.
Summary – public transport in Belgrade
So let's recap. If you have arrived at the Nikola Tesla airport for the first time, buy a ticket to the city from the driver for 150 dinars.
If you are a tourist and expect to have a good look around Belgrade, take it from the kiosk travel card for 1, 3 or 5 days.
If you are going to visit the Serbian capital often or even live in it, buy rechargeable unnamed card and spend what you put in.
Well, as soon as you have already firmly settled here and plan to ride around the city a lot and often, issue nominal unlimited travel card with a fixed monthly price.
Don't piss off the fur seals and pay your rides in a disciplined way. Have a good trip!
Are you planning to visit Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, a city located at the confluence of two rivers - the Danube and the Sava? If so, then I will try to tell you about the main attractions of the city, where it is better to stay, take a walk, and where to go for a delicious meal and a little drink. In general - "Welcome to Belgrade" or, as the Serbs say, "Welcome to Beograd!"
Visa, insurance, local currency
To visit Serbia, Russian citizens need a valid passport, no visa required. The period of stay in the country without leaving is limited to 30 days if you have an ordinary passport, and 90 days if you are a lucky holder of a diplomatic or service passport.
Medical insurance for tourist trips to Serbia is not needed. But I do not recommend going abroad without its registration. Having an insurance policy will help you avoid significant financial expenses in the event of unforeseen medical expenses during your trip. The personally verified Cherehapa service will help you compare offers of insurance companies and quickly issue a policy via the Internet.
Currency- Serbian dinar. 1₽ corresponds to 1.71 dinars. 1€ is equal to 118.5 dinars. The current exchange rate of the dinar against other currencies is available at website of the National Bank of Serbia. In the "Datum (dd.mm)" field, enter the date, and in the "Vrsta" field, select "Srednji kurs".
Where and how is it more profitable to buy dinars? If you have a Visa or Mastercard bank card from Sberbank, the best way to get dinars is to withdraw from an ATM at the local branch of Sberbank. ATM locations on the map of Belgrade are shown here. There is no transaction fee.
If you are an Intesa cardholder, you can receive cash without commission at Banca Intesa ATMs.
In the absence of Sberbank or Intesa bank payment cards, you can withdraw money at any ATM, there are many of them in the center of Belgrade, but most likely you will have to pay a withdrawal fee.
There is also a VTB branch and ATM in Belgrade, I saw it next to the Moskva Hotel, but here they take a commission, even when using their bank cards.
How to get to Belgrade?
By plane. This is the most obvious and fastest way to be in Belgrade. On the route Moscow (SVO) - Belgrade (BEG) - Moscow (SVO) Aeroflot and Air Serbia carry out regular flights. The duration of the flight is 2 hours 30 minutes. Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of direct flights, the cost of air tickets from Moscow to Belgrade and back is on average more than 15 thousand rubles. The price of a ticket for a flight with a transfer can be 2000–3000 rubles lower (often found at the Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus with a long connection in Istanbul), but most likely you will spend more during the transfer than you saved on tickets.
In 2018, Air Serbia again included a direct flight from Belgrade to St. Petersburg and back in its summer schedule. Flights are operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and the travel time is 2 hours 40 minutes.
You can find cheap flights to Belgrade on the reliable website aviasales.ru, as well as through the form below.
The minimum cost of air tickets Moscow ↔ Belgrade and St. Petersburg ↔ Belgrade
Moscow - Belgrade - MoscowSt. Petersburg - Belgrade - St. Petersburg
By train. At the moment, there is no railway connection between Moscow and Belgrade.
Airport "Nikola Tesla Belgrade". How to get to the city center?
Nikola Tesla Belgrade International Airport, located 18 km west of the center of the Serbian capital, is the country's largest air harbor. Since 2006, it has been named after the famous physicist and inventor Nikola Tesla. Previously, it was named after its location - "Belgrade Airport" or "Surcin Airfield".
At Belgrade Airport, pre-flight screening is carried out at the exit before boarding.
In the inner area there is a smoking room located in the area of gate A6.
There are three ways to get from the airport to the city:
- on a special express
- by city bus
- by taxi.
Express. Bus A1 follows the route airport - Belgrade railway station (Nemajina street) - Slavia square. The stop is located to the left of the exit from the airport building. The fare is 300 dinars, payment to the driver. Travel time is about 30 minutes. On Slavia Square, the A1 express train stops near the hotel of the same name.
The schedule of the bus A1 on the route Nikola Tesla Airport - Slavia Square
City bus. Bus 72 leaves from the stop located near the entrance to terminal 1: exit the arrivals area, go up the stairs or escalator to the second floor (check-in hall, terminal 2) on the left, go outside and go left for 40 meters. City bus 72 follows the route Airport "Nikola Tesla Belgrade" - "Zeleni Venac", right in the center of Belgrade. The cost of a ticket from the driver is 150 dinars, when paying with a Bus Plus card, 89 dinars. Travel time is 35-40 minutes, but it depends heavily on traffic.
Timetable for bus 72 on the route Nikola Tesla Airport - Zeleni Venac
Taxi. Here, as in other airports, there are many taxi drivers who want to cash in on arriving tourists. The normal price from the airport to the city center is €15, to Zemun – €10. Approximately this cost of the trip was set by the airport management for official carriers. You can order a car at a special “Taxi info” desk located in the baggage claim area. The exact cost of the trip, depending on the destination, can be viewed at the link. Please note that it is much more profitable to pay in dinars than in euros.
Another option is to independently negotiate with a taxi driver who has just brought passengers from the city at the bus stop of route 72, but the price difference will not be large.
If you do not know Serbian or English, arrive late or travel with a group or with children (when a child seat is required), use the services of the international transfer order service - KiwiTaxi and order a taxi online. The driver will meet you at the exit from the arrivals area with a name plate and take you to a pre-specified place without any questions.
Note! At Belgrade airport, pre-flight inspection is carried out before the boarding gates themselves. Therefore, in order not to overpay for drinks in a cafe located outside the border control, you can buy them at the airport kiosks in front of it and bring them to the waiting area. By the way, before a night flight to Moscow, most of the shops at the airport are already closed, but in the depths of terminal 1 (the entrance is opposite the bus stop on route 72), on the way to the toilet, you will find a working one.
Public transport: payment methods
Belgrade has a well-developed public transport network. On the streets of the city you will find buses, trolleybuses and trams.
To pay for the fare, you need to purchase a paper (40 dinars) or plastic (250 dinars) BusPlus smart card at any of the street kiosks and top it up there. The paper version is perfect for tourists, because the card can be topped up for the number of days spent in Belgrade - 1, 3 or 5, and the number of trips during this period is not limited. Please note that the time of the ticket begins to "tick" from the moment of purchase at the kiosk, and not the first time you apply it to the validator. Price:
- 1 day - 250 + 40 (card) dinars;
- 3 days - 700 + 40 (card) dinars;
- 5 days - 1000 + 40 (card) dinars.
Prices are for movement in zones 1 and 2, which cover Belgrade and the nearest settlements. For example, the airport belongs to the 2nd second transport zone. A graphical diagram of the zones is available here.
The BusPlus plastic card is an electronic wallet, that is, they put money in, they put the card on the validator in transport, the fare 89 dinars (1.2 zones) was written off. The card can be used for group trips. To do this, before paying for the fare, select the “Group Card” icon on the validator and indicate the number of people from 2 to 5, then attach the card.
Group trip on the BusPlus card
The current fare for public transport is available at BusPlus official website.
If you do not have a BusPlus card, then pay the driver for the fare. The ticket price will be 150 dinars.
To plan a route from point A to point B by public transport, I recommend using the site planplus.rs. Click on the arrows to the right of the search form, select the bus. Then, using the right button on the map itself, you can mark the point of departure and arrival, and the service will plot the route by public transport.
Metro. It's like it exists, but it's like it doesn't. The project just stalled. Now the metro in Belgrade consists of 2 underground stations Vukov Spomenik on Roosevelt Street and Karagorev Park near the Cathedral of St. Sava, through which electric trains pass. Trains run at 1–2 per hour, so if you want to ride, check the timetable on the Srbija Voz website in advance.
Taxi. There are many official taxi companies in Belgrade. Their difference from illegal ones is the presence of a taximeter, as well as information on transportation tariffs. Usually taxi drivers wait for clients on busy streets, central squares and near shopping centers. You can also try to stop the car with a wave of your hand, and if the driver is free, he will stop. Before getting into the car, check the approximate cost of the trip.
The most reliable way to order a taxi in Belgrade is to call the operator who will send the car and announce the cost of the trip in advance, or use the smartphone application.
Verified taxis in Belgrade
| Company | Site | Telephone | Appendix | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beogradski Taxi | http://www.beogradski-taxi.com | 19801 | Android | |
| Pink Taxi | http://www.pinktaxi.info | 19803 | Android | |
| Naxis Taxi | http://naxis.rs/ | 19804 | Android/iOS | Payment by card |
In Belgrade, 2 special applications are available for ordering a car, similar to Uber, Car:Go(Android/iOS) or Taxify(Android/iOS). Car:Go is local and is presented only in the capital of Serbia, but Taxify is an international service that also allows you to order a taxi in Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw and other cities.
Where to stay in Belgrade
Today I received an email from Booking.com with an individual referral link. When booking on it, both you and I will receive a bonus of 1000 rubles. The promotion itself is valid only for 10 bookings, so hurry up to use it. Well, the link itself: https://www.booking.com/s/35_6/d5f6d311. If bookings are still available, you will see at the bottom of the screen:
Every time I plan a trip to a new city for myself, the second thing after buying tickets is the question - where is it better to stay, so that it is not very expensive, and not far from the sights? The best place residence in Belgrade is the city center - the area of the pedestrian street of Knez Mihail, Terazija and Kralja Milana to the intersection with Knez Milos street. This area was marked on the map published at the end of the article. There is accommodation for everyone here: there are apartments and hotels of different price categories, as well as budget hostels.
Hotels in Belgrade
To select a hotel, I recommend using the Booking.com website. To cut off options located outside the city center, check the box "Stari grad" on the left. But do not forget, after choosing a hotel, be sure to compare the cost of living in different booking systems, as the price can vary significantly. To do this, use the special service RoomGuru.
I will take it upon myself to recommend the best hotels to stay in the center of Belgrade from different price groups: above 100 euros, 50–100 euros and less than 50 euros per night in a standard double room.
Hotels over 100 €/night
- Boutique Hotel Townhouse 27 is a modern boutique hotel located on a quiet street in the center of Belgrade. Spacious rooms, impeccable service, friendly staff and excellent breakfast, as a result, the highest rating of the guests in the Booking.com system.
- Zepter Hotel is a stylish hotel located in the very center, on Terasia, at the beginning of the pedestrian street of Prince Michael. For accommodation are offered spacious, comfortable, well-equipped rooms. The hotel has a gym and breakfast is included. The cost of standard rooms is slightly lower than in Townhouse 27, plus there are often special offers.
- Square Nine Hotel Belgrade is the only five-star hotel located in the center of Belgrade, just 50 meters from Knez Mihail Street. The luxurious hotel boasts its spa complex, which includes a saltwater pool, sauna and hammam, roomy rooms and a good breakfast.
Hotels from 50 to 100 €/night
- Hotel City Savoy is a new four-star hotel in the city center. Clean modern comfortable rooms, good breakfast, small spa and friendly staff. The best option according to reviews on Booking.com among hotels in this price category.
- Hotel Bohemian Garni is located on one of the most popular streets of Belgrade - Skadarlija. It is here that the most famous national restaurants of the Serbian capital are located. The hotel offers modern, spacious rooms with an interesting design. The cost of living is less than 60 euros, the location, and also good feedback guests make this option very tempting.
- Hotel Opera is a good hotel in the very center of the city - between Republic Square and Skadarliya. Clean, comfortable rooms with great bathrooms. Friendly staff. Excellent value for money.
Hotels under 50 €/night
- Hotel Garni Petrov is the only hotel located in the recommended central part of the city and corresponding to this price range. Located on Cetinska Street a little further from Republic Square than Hotel City Savoy, on the site of a former brewery. Now there are many clubs and discos. If you plan to walk a lot and sleep early, then the place is clearly not suitable for you, but if you “light it up”, then feel free to book it. The hotel offers roomy double or triple rooms at a very good price.
- Hotel Tash Belgrade - located next to the Tashmaydan park in the building of a sports center. Please note that smoking and non-smoking rooms are available at the hotel. Which one you want, you need to specify in the comments when booking. Low price and location are the main advantages of the Tash Hotel in Belgrade.
Hotel Slavija - or "the last of the Mohicans". Old hotel, some of the rooms have not been renovated for a long time. But the cost is from 16 and 30 euros for single and double rooms, respectively, the location - Slavia Square, and the hot breakfast make it a pretty good and very budget place where you can spend a couple of nights. Near the hotel there is an A1 express stop, which follows from / to the airport, so it is very convenient to get there. One of the main sights of Belgrade, the Cathedral of St. Sava, is a 5-minute walk away.
Note! In the warm season in Belgrade, you can stay in an interesting place, right on the river - in a hotel or hostel located on the famous Belgrade rafts - pontoons in the area where the Sava merges with the Danube. The advantages of such accommodation are nature, fresh air and a beautiful view from the window. And all this is very close to the center, to which you can walk even on foot. Interesting? Pay your attention to San Art Floating Hostel & Apartments, ArkaBarka 2- Floating Dream Apartments and their hostel.
I would like to say about one more hotel - Royal Hotel. It is located in the very center, next to Knyaz Mihail Street and Kalemegdan. It was possible to stay there at the price of Slavia, it was especially advantageous to take a double room. But now this hotel is closed for repairs, and when it opens and what it will be like, is not known.
Apartments, apartments
You can also rent apartments, rent an apartment in Belgrade through Booking.com, there are a lot of options - on the left in the "Popular" block, select "Stariy grad", and "Accommodation type" - "Apartments". There are a lot of good options here up to €50 per night.
The second option is to use Airbnb service. By the way, if you haven’t registered there yet, then do it at www.airbnb.ru/c/226361 and get a 1500₽ discount on your first booking. Here are some interesting accommodation options:
- https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/11818894
- https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/11766351
- https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/5353317
- https://www.airbnb.ru/rooms/1814331
Please read the reviews and conditions carefully before booking. I recommend booking accommodation with hosts with the status of Superhost.
Another option is local sites offering apartments for rent. Booked twice when visiting the city with a group of three people. The application was sent in Russian. Both apartments were clean and comfortable. But I also ran into a few problems. We were not met at the airport, although we ordered a transfer. I had to call to find out the exact address where to go. Wi-fi did not work, most likely, it was simply not paid. They did not respond to SMS on this issue, but simply apologized upon departure.
Feel free to book an apartment if you are not afraid - possible small overlaps and the expectation of the owners, you arrived in Belgrade for more than one day in the amount of 2 or more people, and also want to live in the city center at an affordable price.
What to see in Belgrade: the main attractions of the historical part of the city
In this section of the guide article, I will share a tourist route in the central part of the city. I will tell you about interesting places and monuments that you can visit and see in Belgrade in 1-2 days. I will also recommend where else to go, go if you plan to stay longer in the capital of Serbia.
Excursion route, walk in the center of Belgrade
Start your tour of Belgrade with Republic Square (Trg Republic) is the central and one of the most popular places from local residents. Installed here Monument to Serbian Prince Mikhail Obrenovic, right on it National Museum of Serbia (Folk Museum), and on the right hand, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, - National Theater (Folk shame).
Go to the central pedestrian street of the city - st. Prince Michael (st. Knez Mikhailova). If you want to buy quality Belgrade souvenirs, go to Cultural Center of Belgrade (Kulturni centar Beograd, st. Knez Mikhailova, 6). It is located on the left opposite a small fountain. Some 10 years ago, on this main tourist artery of Belgrade, it was impossible to find a single seller of souvenirs, so you could buy even the simplest magnet only in the Cultural Center. On the other side of the street, opposite the entrance to the Cultural Center, is Tourist information center (tourist information center, st. Knez Mikhailova, 5, open daily from 9.00 to 19.00), where you can get a map of the city, information booklets and answers to your questions.
Kneza Mihail Street connects the central Terazije Street ( st. Terazije) with the Kalemegdan park, where the Belgrade Fortress is located. A lot of souvenir shops, bookstores, fashion brand shops, cafes and restaurants - this is how the local Arbat looks like, a favorite place for Belgrade residents and guests of the city.
Moving towards Kalemegdan, you will soon see "Delhi Fountain" from which clean, drinking water beats. Once upon a time, Turkish cavalry rested here, now Serbs and tourists from all over the world are walking around.
A little before reaching the park, turn left onto Krala Petra Street ( st. Land of Petra), along it you will reach the oldest Serbian Kafana "Question Mark" ("Sign of food") (look on the left side), opened in 1823 under the name "At the shepherd". Later it was renamed "At the Cathedral Church", but the parishioners forced the owner to abandon this name. To which he hung a sign with a question mark above the entrance, another name was never invented, but the “Question Mark” took root. You can go to check in this historical place - you can drink something, have lunch, dinner is not worth it.
herself ( Saborna Church Svetog Archangel Michael) is opposite. The temple was built between 1837 and 1840 on the site of an old church. Princes Milos and Mikhail Obrenovici are buried here, and at the entrance are the graves of Serbian educators Vuk Stefanovich Karadzic and Dositej Obradovic.
Across the road from the entrance to the church is the building where Serbian Patriarchy(Srpska Patriarchy), here nearby Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church(Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church). To the left across the road from the building of the Patriarchy - Palace of Princess Ljubica(Konak knegiњe Kubice), built in 1831 for the wife of the Serbian prince Milos Obrenovic Ljubica and their children.
Return to Knyaz Mikhail and turn left or exit to Paris Street ( Pariska st) and go up to the main entrance to Park "Kalemegdan" (Park "Kalemegdan"). It is here that one of the main attractions of all of Serbia is located - Belgrade fortress (Beogradska Tvrva).
The first thing you will see when walking along the central alley of the park is Monument of Gratitude to France (Spomenik Francusko's arrogance), erected to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the end of World War I in 1930. Then go through the gate to the territory of the fortress itself, and then through another gate - Istanbul. You will find yourself on the bridge over the moat, where it is installed a large number of old military equipment - these are exhibits military museum (War Museum, is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00-17.00, www.muzej.mod.gov.rs ), the building of which is located here on the ramparts. The museum has a permanent exhibition (you can see, for example, a piece of a wing shot down on March 27, 1999 by an American stealth F-117 aircraft), as well as various thematic exhibitions.
Through the Sahat Gate with the Sahat Tower (with a clock) go to the Upper Town of the Belgrade Fortress. There are many historical sights here, but I don’t see the point in listing them all. The main one, of course, is a symbol of the fortress and Belgrade - monument to the winner (winner). It was opened in 1928 in honor of the decade of the breakthrough of the Thessalonica Front. Interestingly, the monument was originally supposed to be installed on the street. Terazije, but the Belgrade ladies said no to a naked man in the very center of the city.
Another attraction of the Kalemegdan park is the view from the walls of the Belgrade fortress, at the confluence of the two rivers Sava and Danube. Locals, especially young people, love to spend their free time here.
View from Belgrade Fortress
Take a walk around the fortress, near the Victory there is the King's Gate ( The edge of the kapija), through which you can go out and see what is behind the walls on this side. For example, photo exhibitions are often held here near the Grand Stairs, and on one of my trips, I could admire the views of Russian cities.
Climb back to the Victory Monument and walk along the fortress wall, admiring the views. Exit through the gate, turn left and go down the path. There are 2 very interesting churches here. First - Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Church Ruzica). The building itself was built in the 18th century for a powder warehouse, at the end of the 19th century it was rebuilt into a church. During the First World War, it was badly damaged, then restored and consecrated on October 11, 1925. There are 2 statues in front of the entrance: Tsar Stefan Dushan and an infantryman from the time of the Balkan wars. Second - Church of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa (Church of Svete Petke). It was built in 1938 on the site of a miraculous spring. From the outside, the church seems very simple, but inside it is decorated with stunning mosaics.
Climb back and exit the fortress through the Zindan gate with two towers. The route continues along Belgrade Zoo, then a little to the left and to the right along the tram tracks. You are on Tsar Dushan Street ( st Tsar Dushan).
If you are hungry and do not plan to spend money on Skadarli, then 2 restaurants from are located on this street. If you want a quick refreshment, check out LOKI (the intersection of Kralja Petra and Gospodar Jovanova streets) - a small nondescript establishment. There is an opinion that it is here that they offer the most delicious splash in Belgrade, as a result, the price is slightly higher than in other similar places. Although, in Serbia I did not try the tasteless splash.
Walk along Tsar Dusan Street to Skadarliya. On the road on the left, don't miss church of st. Alexander Nevsky (Church of Light Alexander Nevskog). Its construction lasted from May 12, 1912 to November 23, 1930. Such a long period is associated with the outbreak of the Balkan and the First World Wars. November 23, 1930 Serbian Patriarch Varnava consecrated the temple in the presence of King Alexander I Karageorgievich.
Skadarska street (st. Skadarsk) is a pedestrian street in Belgrade with many national restaurants and various bars located both on it and in the adjacent lanes. The Skadarliya area is called bohemian, and some even compare it with Parisian Montmartre. The reason is that at the beginning of the 20th century, actors, artists and poets actively settled here. The heyday of the street came in the 20s of the last century. But after the war, it became unremarkable. In 1966, the street was reconstructed and made pedestrian. Is it worth popping in here tonight for dinner? It depends on whether you are ready to overpay for the atmosphere, music, the name of the institution, and so on, the place is a tourist one. The portions are large, everything is delicious, but the cost is higher than in most restaurants of national cuisine located in other parts of the city. I almost forgot, another plus of restaurants in Skadarliya, arriving here after midnight, for example, after an evening flight from Moscow, you will definitely find where to have dinner.
Walk along Skadarskaya and turn right onto Despot Stefan Boulevard, along which you will exit to Republic Square. Further, from the Cultural Center of Belgrade we will go in the opposite direction. You will find yourself on the main city Terazije street (st. Terazije). Its name comes from the Turkish language, the so-called special mechanism that distributed water through the city water supply. A similar installation was located on the site of the modern Terasian fountain(Terazian Chesma). Behind it rises one of the most beautiful hotels in the city - Moscow hotel opened in 1908. Go to the cafe on the ground floor of the hotel to admire the architecture, the view from the window and drink a cup of coffee - it's worth it, book a standard room and don't stay - small and not as comfortable as in the above accommodation options for 100 + euros per night.
Further, Teraziye street smoothly turns into st. Kralya Milana ( st. Edge of Milan), on the left side of which are Old and New Palaces. Previously, the Old Palace was the residence of the Serbian royal dynasties, currently the city hall is located here. The New Palace was the residence of the Karadjordjevics, and now the President of Serbia.
On the right side, in the Maiden's Park, there is monument to Nicholas II. Previously, the embassy of the Russian Empire was located here.
Cross the roadway to the palaces. Here, next to the New Palace at Andrichev Venac 8 ( Andriyev Venats, 8), situated museum-apartment famous Yugoslav writer, author of the novel "The Bridge on the Drina", and diplomat Ivo Andrica. Here he lived with his wife from 1958 until his death in 1975. And the museum opened a year later, in 1976. detailed information and the opening hours of the museum are available at official website.
Pass through Pioneer Park to building of the National Assembly of Serbia. Some kind of pickets often take place here, you can see various appeals to members of parliament. Although now the deputies most often sit not here, but in an inconspicuous building on the street. Kralya Milana, 14.
If you are facing the Parliament building, turn right and go forward, so you will exit on the Boulevard of King Alexander. On the left you will see the Tashmaydan park ( Tashmajdan park), where it is located (Tsrkva Svetog Marka), built in 1931-1940 in the Serbian-Byzantine style. The relics of the Serbian king Dusan are kept here. Right behind her Russian Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1924 by White Guard emigrants. General Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel is buried here.
Russian Church of the Holy Trinity
Not far from the Russian Church there is a small memorial sign "Zashto?" (Russian Why?), dedicated to the memory of 18 employees of the Serbian television and radio company who died during the NATO bombing on April 23, 1999.
The Tashmaydan park itself was recently restored, and the government of Azerbaijan allocated a large amount for this. Therefore, now you can see here not only a monument to the popular Serbian writer Milorad Pavic, but also to the first president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev.
There is another memorial sign dedicated to NATO aggression in the park - Monument to Milica Rakic, which is a symbol of all the innocent victims of that war. On it, in Serbian and English, is written: "We were only children."
Return to Kral Alexander Boulevard and turn onto Belgrade Street ( st. Beogradska) towards Slavija Square. Turn left onto Krunska Street. Here in house 51 is located Museum of Nikola Tesla(Museum of Nikola Tesla, open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00, nikolateslamuseum.org).
Walk along Belgrade Street to Slavia Square, where you go around the towering hotel of the same name and along St. Sava Street ( st. Svetog Save) exit to one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world - Temple of Saint Sava (temple Svetog Save). The first architectural projects of the cathedral appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. They were even sent to Petrograd for consideration by the Imperial Academy of Arts. Construction began in 1935, but was interrupted due to World War II. Again, the construction of the temple was returned only in 1985. The dome was completed in 1989. The cathedral was officially opened in 2004, but interior decoration work is still ongoing.
Temple of Saint Sava
1-2 days are just enough to inspect the sights of the center of Belgrade described above. Now I’ll tell you what else is worth seeing in the city and its environs if you plan to stay here longer.
What else to see in Belgrade and surroundings
New cemetery ( Novo coffin)
In its depths there is a Russian necropolis (plots No. 80, 80a, 90, 90a), where white emigrants and their descendants are buried. You should focus on the Iverskaya chapel and to the right of it is the memorial of "Russian Glory", which is the figure of Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the army, standing on a pedestal in the form of a shell, on which is written "Eternal memory to Emperor Nicholas II and 2,000,000 Russian soldiers great war". Under the monument there is a crypt where the remains of Russian soldiers and officers who died during the First World War are buried. The memorial sign itself, the author of which is the architect Roman Nikolaevich Verkhovskoy, was installed in 1935 at the initiative of the Colonel of the Russian army, Knight of St. George, Mikhail Skorodumov.
Memorial of "Russian Glory" at the New Cemetery of Belgrade
Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov, a famous Russian architect, author of the famous Livadia Palace in Crimea, is buried on the territory of the Russian cemetery in Belgrade. By the way, during his life in Belgrade, he managed to have a hand in the construction of the buildings of the National Assembly and the Government of Serbia (the intersection of Knez Milash and Nemajina streets), the reconstruction of the Ruzice church.
Opposite the main entrance is a memorial park with the graves of the liberators of Belgrade, perpetuating the memory of the Yugoslav partisans and Soviet soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of Belgrade from the Nazis in 1944.
Zemun - Austro-Hungarian piece of Belgrade
Zemun is a district of Belgrade located on the opposite side of the Sava, on the right bank of the Danube. You can get here by buses No. 15, 704, 707 from the Zeleni Venac stop, and in good weather and on foot, since 90% of the route will run along the Danube. Zemun was under the rule of the Habsburgs for a long time, which could not but be reflected in its architectural appearance. Later, it became an independent city, and as part of Belgrade since the 30s. of the last century with a short break from 1941 to 1944, when it was part of the fascist Independent State of Croatia.
The main attraction of Zemun is Gardosh tower(another name is Millennium), built in 1896 at the southernmost point of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Thus, the Hungarians immortalized the 1000th anniversary of their stay in the Middle Danube Plain. There is also a small bar here - Fat Cat Pub, where you can sit and admire the view of the Danube, tiled roofs and the tower itself, and whoever is not enough can climb it for a small fee.
Gardosh Tower
Zemun is also known for its churches and cathedrals - both Orthodox and Catholic, as well as the Town Hall building, built in the classicism style in 1823-1832, located on Victory Square.
On the Danube embankment there are many restaurants of both Serbian and European cuisine, so you can always refresh yourself if you wish. The only thing is that the prices here are a bit higher, but you have to pay for the view.
Ada Ciganlija or where to hide from the heat in the capital of Serbia
Ada Ciganlia ( Ada Ciganlija) - an island on the Sava River, 4 km from the center of Belgrade. In 1967, it was connected to the shore by two dams. As a result, the Sava Lake, 4 km long, appeared. Here, local residents escape from the summer heat, swim, sunbathe, walk and actively play sports. The beach "Ada Ciganlija" is marked with a "blue flag", which indicates the purity of the water in the lake and the developed beach infrastructure. On the opposite bank of the Sava is New Belgrade (Novi Beograd), where, if desired, you can get over by boat.
Mount Avala
Mount Avala is only 511 meters high and is located 16.5 km southeast of Belgrade. From here you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city, and an even more breathtaking view opens from Aval television tower (Avalski television toraњ, 10.00–16.00). The tower was originally built in 1961-1965, but on April 29, 1999 it was destroyed during a NATO bombardment. The restoration of the television tower was completed in 2010.
Mounted on top of a mountain memorial to the unknown hero (Spomenik to an unknown Junaku) in memory of the participants of the First World War. Its creator is the Yugoslav sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.
On the slope of Avala, in memory of the Soviet delegation that died at this place in a plane crash on October 19, 1964, a monument to Soviet war veterans (Companion to the Soviet military veterans). Then a group of military men from the USSR, including Marshal of the Soviet Union Sergei Biryuzov, flew to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade, but due to heavy fog, the plane crashed into a mountain.
Food in Belgrade: where to eat delicious food
In any new country for myself, I like to try something local. In this sense, Serbia conquered me - here in any restaurant they will offer delicious meat dishes and fresh vegetable salads. What else is needed?
List dishes from brief description, which will 100% meet in any menu of a national restaurant in Belgrade:
- Salads:
- Serbian salad - everything is simple: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions;
- shopska salad - cheese was added to Serbian;
- coleslaw - cabbage seasoned with oil, vinegar and a little hot pepper.
- Soup or Chorba. The second differs from the first in slightly greater richness and density. I recommend trying telecha chorba.
- Main meat dishes:
- splash - a very tasty and large cutlet from different types of meat. It can be stuffed with cheese, ham or served with kaymak - curdled salted cream. It is the main dish of Serbian fast food, offered in a bun with various vegetables. For me, it is number one among all Serbian dishes;
- chevapchichi or chevapi - chopped sausages, a local analogue of kebab;
- hanger - pork chop, which can be stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, etc .;
- razhnichi - mini-kebabs;
- karadđorđev schnitzel - veal, pork, and sometimes chicken chop, in which cheese and ham are wrapped, then rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in boiling oil;
- muchkalitsa - cooked on coals, and then languishing for a long time with peppers, onions and tomatoes;
- sarma - Serbian cabbage rolls, smoked brisket is added to minced meat and wrapped in sauerkraut leaves.
List of restaurants
To get acquainted with the Serbian national cuisine, I recommend the following restaurants in Belgrade:
Mala Kolubara(Ivankovachka, 2, www.malakolubara.rs). Delicious food, large portions, inexpensive. Russian-speaking waiters work.
Mala hostel(Dobrachina, 6, www.facebook.com/malagostionica), the restaurant is located in the city center on a quiet street. There is a veranda and 2 rooms for smokers and no, which is rare for Belgrade. Some of the waiters speak Russian. Prices are average.
Shta je to je(Tsara Dushana, 18, www.stajetuje.com ) a home-cooked restaurant located near the Kalimegdan park. To get into it, you need to turn off the street. Tsar Dushin on the street. Riga od Feret. Delicious food, low prices.
Restaurant "Sarajewski"(Tsar Dushan, 32, www.sarajevski.rs ) another restaurant on Tsar Dushan street. Smoking is allowed in the hall. Portions are big, delicious. Prices are average.
Restaurant "Zavichaj"(Gavrilo Princip 77, www.restoranzavicaj.rs ) chain of ethno-restaurants in Belgrade. One of them is located in the center, not far from the railway station, which is convenient. Prices are average.
Stara Herzegovina(Tsarigradska, 36) - a restaurant and a pub under one roof. The main visitors are residents of the surrounding houses. A rich assortment of menus, high quality food, friendly service and low prices.
Map of Belgrade with attractions, best hotels and restaurants
Conclusion
Belgrade is one of my favorite cities. After reading the guide, it is probably difficult to understand the reason for this? To be honest, there are not so many sights, and those that exist will not surprise a sophisticated tourist, and the devastation is very striking. So why? The answer is very simple - the people, the kitchen and the view from the fortress! Come to Serbia, to Belgrade, for 2-3 days, this is quite enough to get to know the city and form your own opinion about it.
By the way, Air Serbia now offers many low-cost flights with a connection in the capital of Serbia. Advice - take with a long one. So, you "kill two birds with one stone" - save on tickets to your destination and visit Belgrade.
I flew from Slovenia to Moscow via Belgrade (or, in Serbian, Beograd). In the capital of Serbia, I had a long connection between flights, which I took advantage of to get to know the sights of Belgrade.
Two types of buses run from Nikola Tesla Airport to the city center: express A1 and city bus number 72. The stop is opposite the exit from the airport building. The distance from the airport to the center of Belgrade is 18 km.
Tickets can be bought from the driver. At the airport, I changed 10 euros for Serbian dinars, and paid with them. A ticket for the 72nd bus cost 90 dinars, for a shuttle - 300 (100 dinars ~ 60 rubles).
During daylight hours, both the express and the 72nd run almost every 20 minutes. I went there on the 72nd, back on the express. They wrote in the reviews that the 72nd makes many stops. According to the time on the 72nd, it was 10 minutes longer.
A1 makes 3 stops along the way: one in Novi Beograd (Fontana-Paris Commune) and two in the Old Town (at the railway station and at Trg Slavii). From Trg Slavia, final stop A1, close to St. Sava Church, Nikola Tesla Museum, Parliament.
At the 72nd bus, the final "Zeleni Venats" (vegetable market), from which 5-10 minutes to Teraziye Square and to the beginning of Prince Michael Street. I would advise you to start the route from Prince Michael Street and the Kalemegdan Fortress, to which this street leads.
The official website of the Belgrade airport is https://www.beg.aero/. There you can see the schedule, traffic scheme and check the current ticket prices.
Map of Belgrade with attractions
First impressions of Belgrade
So, at the airport, I took a bus and went to the city.
Before the trip, I read reviews about Belgrade, how beautiful and interesting it is, but the urban development floating in front of my eyes outside the bus windows did not confirm this in any way. On the contrary, after the cozy Ljubljana (the capital of Slovenia), after the perky, dashing (the capital of Croatia), Belgrade looked unkempt and neglected. From a prosperous Euro-society, I moved to a half-Asian - half-Gypsy city. But not so long ago, all these cities belonged to one country - Yugoslavia.
Another level of life was felt both by the appearance of the streets and by the clothes of the inhabitants. The uniform of young girls is tight jeans, sneakers and T-shirts. Many of the men were dressed in tracksuits.
First, the bus drove along Novi Belgrade, then crossed the Sava River along the Brankov Bridge - we moved to the Old Town. But outside the windows, little has changed.
Next to me was my grandfather, who spoke Russian well. He suggested which stop to get off at (“Zeleni Venac”).
Came out. Dirty at the bus stop, scary in the underpass.
I reached Teraziye, a wide central street, the main decoration of which is the Moskva Hotel - a building in the Secession style.
Next to the Moskva Hotel is the Teraziyskaya Chesma fountain, built by the Italians in 1860.
Other houses on Terazije look gloomy.
Knyaz Michael Street
From Teraziye, Knez Mihail Street began - a wide pedestrian street with solid houses. The picture has changed dramatically. I was inspired and prepared to admire.
Indeed, on Knez Mihail Street there are many architecturally remarkable buildings built in the 70-80s of the 19th century (the same "secession", the influence of Vienna and Budapest).
There are benches in the middle of the street.
Wires entangled in a web
The street, more strict and official at the beginning, closer to the Kalemegdan park, is filled with tables of summer cafes.
As a result, Knez Mihail Street became for me the most remarkable and beautiful place in Belgrade.
By the way, the city itself was born on this place: here was the center of the Roman settlement Singidunum.
Belgrade fortress Kalemegdan
Knez Mihail Street led me to the main sights of Belgrade - Kalemegdan Park and the Belgrade Fortress. It was a Sunday afternoon, and a lot of people were walking in the park and around the fortress.
In Turkish, Kalemegdan means the field between the fortress and the city (another interpretation is the battlefield). Kale is a fortress, megdan (maidan) is a field.
The high cliff (125 m) at the confluence of the Sava River with the Danube and the wide plateau above is an ideal place for building a fortress, and the first fortress was erected on this site by the Romans in the 1st century AD. Then the fortress grew, strengthened, rebuilt by each new owner. And the owners changed very often.
The whole history of these places is an endless series of battles, destruction and rebirth. Romans, Huns, Byzantium, Avars, Slavs, Hungarians, Bulgarians. 1284 - for the first time the city is ruled by the Serbs (not for long and alternating with the Hungarians). Since 1521 - then the Turks, then the Austrians. 1867 - Belgrade finally became Serbian. During the First World War it was occupied by Austria-Hungary. 1918 - Belgrade is declared the capital of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
1941 - bombed by the Germans. 1944 - Allies bombed. 1999 - Americans bombed. Just some rock.
Now Kalemegdan is called both the park in front of the fortress and the Belgrade fortress itself. The fortress consists of two parts: the upper part is located on the plateau, then there is a sharp descent to the bottom of the hill, and there, near the Danube, is the lower part of the fortress. The fortress was built of bricks. Although on the diagram it is depicted with white stone walls.
For the Serbs, this place is significant in that it was here in 1867 that the Turks admitted their final defeat and handed over the city to the Serbs. The Turkish sultan handed over the keys to the fortress to Prince Mikhail Obrenovich, and now there is a monument to the Delivery of the Keys of the Belgrade Fortress on this site. Prince Michael is a key figure in the history of Serbia.
There is also such an expressive monument in front of the fortress, erected as a token of gratitude to France for its help in the First World War.
To get into the fortress from the side of the park, you need to go through three gates.
First, we cross the bridge to the ravelin - a triangular fortification in front of the main gate.
The moat of the ravelin now houses tennis courts.
From the ravelin we pass to the Istanbul Gates. But that's not all.
The space between the second and third walls is filled with military equipment. The fortress houses the Military Museum, and part of the equipment is exhibited in a moat under the fortress walls.
Inside the wall is a cash register. You can walk around the fortress for free, but there are several objects on the territory of Kalemegdan, for which you need to buy a ticket. These are the Sahat and Neboisha towers, a Roman well and a powder warehouse. A single ticket costs 400 dinars (~240 rubles).
The first paid object is located immediately at the entrance to the fortress - this is Sakhat Kula, or the Clock Tower.
It is necessary to climb the fortress wall, and then climb the tower. However, Sakhat kula is not high.
From it you can clearly see the section of the wall near the main gate.
This is how the Military Museum looks brutal:
View of the Military Museum
Inside the fortress, the park continues. Walking along it, all the time you come across the remains of foundations, fragments of buildings.
The upper part of the fortress ends with a parapet along the edge of the cliff, from where the lower part of the fortress, the Sava and Danube rivers and the Bolshoy Ratny Island lying opposite the fortress are clearly visible.
The Danube in Belgrade is viscous, full-flowing, imposing. That summer, my travels took me to the banks of the Danube several times - from and to . Near Vienna the river is young and agile, in Budapest the Danube is gaining solidity, in Belgrade it is mighty and majestic.
If you go along the edge of the cliff to the right, then you get to the Despot Gate.
Despot Gate
The gate is named after Despot Stefan Lazarevich.
For us, the word "despot" is akin to "tyrant", but among the ancient Greeks it meant "lord, master." The Serbian state in the 16-17 centuries was called - "Serbian despotism". Stefan Lazarevich became the first despot of this state.
The intersection of our languages allows us to understand the inscriptions and sometimes even find out something. But to our ears, the Serbian language seems rustic and a little naive. Here, for example, are the names on the map of the city: “monument to Vasya Charapich”, “Captain-Mishino building”, “pawn zone”.
Behind the Despot Gate there is a ditch with a long wooden bridge over it.
The bridge leads to the most powerful gate of the Belgrade fortress - the Zindan gate built in 1450.
From them begins a paved passage, sandwiched between two fortress walls, leading to a low, corner tower.
Having passed this fortified corner with three towers, we come to a picturesque section of the park.
To the right of the wall is the Belgrade Zoo.
On the left, just below the fortress walls, on a small platform in the middle of the slope, there are the Ruzhitsa church and the chapel of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa (Svete Petke). This is a whole complex, although very compact, including, in addition to the church and the chapel, a gallery and a covered colonnade.
Perhaps this is the most populous place of the fortress. In the church of Ruzica, the people stood close to each other. However, it is small in size.
Murals and mosaics - in an unusual manner for us. Reminds me of illustrations in children's fairy tales.
This is Jesus: snub-nosed, rustic, with huge eyes.
From the church complex, a path descends to the lower part of the fortress.
We pass by the former Turkish hammam,
past the gates of Charles VI,
past the guardhouse - to the Nebojša tower, the second museum object included in the ticket.
I came to this tower just in time, because in an instant the weather turned bad: the heavenly abysses opened up, and a downpour poured.
There is a museum in the Neboisha Tower, it has several levels-floors and is dedicated to the Turkish period of the fortress.
Once upon a time, the Neboisha tower had customs functions and regulated the passage of ships to the city - the end of the chain was attached to the tower, blocking the passage through the river. It was also used as a prison.
The downpour lasted so long that for a while I myself felt like a prisoner of Nebojsha.
Finally, tired of wandering around the tower, I went out into the rain and went to the other end of the lower fortifications. The ascent uphill began, and soon I was already entering under the arches of the Powder Store - the third object of the museum ticket. The powder store resembled catacombs and was filled mainly with sarcophagi and tombstones.
From the Powder Store, a cobblestone path led up to the upper level of the fortress.
I was again at the top, already in the southern part of the fortress. Here, a monument in the form of a naked man on a high pillar-pedestal dominated the area. This composition was called "The Victor". Installed in 1928 in honor of the victory at Thessalonica in 1918.
Pobednik had a wide view of New Belgrade and Sava.
next to observation deck, almost rooted into the ground, one could see the dome - and it turned out to be the fourth museum object: the Roman well, which simply struck me with its power.
For some time, you approach him as if in a spiral.
There is a dome above the well (there was a similar dome above the Turkish one).
The shaft of the well goes into the depths of the hill.
In general, the well is impressive. "What Romans!" I admired. And then I read that the well was rebuilt by the Austrians in 1717 during the reconstruction of the fortress. The well is 60 meters deep. Two spiral staircases around it descend to a depth of 35 meters.
Railway and bus tickets in Europe - and
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Nikola Tesla International Airport (Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd) is located 18 kilometers from the capital of Serbia - Belgrade, and 12 kilometers from the main railway station of the city. This is not only the country's main airport, but also the busiest of all airports in the former Yugoslavia - in addition to Serbia, now it is Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia.
Belgrade Airport is divided into two terminals, connected by a corridor, and is a hub, that is, a hub airport, for the national airline of Serbia - Air Serbia. Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd is also used by such a popular low-cost airline as Wizz Air.
The official website of the airport is www.beg.aero.
From the airport to Belgrade
If you plan to get to the city by taxi, then keep in mind that the cost of the trip is determined not by the distance, but by the area of Belgrade that you need to visit. There are only six of them. The price can vary from 14 to 60 euros. You can get acquainted with the prices in more detail.
Important: all payments in Serbia are made in the national currency - dinars, which can be easily exchanged either at the airport or, if you have a bank card, at any ATM. The euro to dinar exchange rate is approximately 1:120.
If you do not take into account the taxi service, then the most convenient and cheap way to be in the center of Belgrade is, of course, a bus. And here there are two options.
The first is city bus number 72. A ticket will cost 89 dinars if bought at a kiosk. As befits public transport, this bus makes many stops along the way. In addition, it can be crowded, so you should not count on a comfortable trip. The final stop of the bus is the central area of Zeleni venac, near the vegetable market. More information about bus route number 72 - http://www.eway.rs/en/cities/beograd/routes/72.
To find cheapest flights to Nikola Tesla airport, it is better to use the international Skyscanner service, which will select the most successful options for you.
The second option is more preferable. This is a small A1 shuttle bus. And although the trip on it will cost more (300 dinars), this route is attractive because the shuttle bus makes only three stops on the way to Belgrade: in the new district of the city of Fontana, near the railway station and on Slavia Square, which is in the central part of the city . The bus departs according to a schedule that you can see.
Finding the A1 stop is very easy. At the exit from the airport building, turn left, and literally after 10 steps you will see the stop of this mini-bus with the corresponding stand. Tickets can be bought from the driver. Travel time will take approximately half an hour.
In the article I will tell you how to get to the city from Belgrade Airport. I will share all the ways, of which there are few. There are three of them: public transport, taxi or car (own / rented). I will tell you about the nuances with buses, the cost of a taxi and parking at the airport, and also tell you how to get from the airport to the hotel for less than 1 euro. Are you going to the Nikola Tesla Belgrade International Airport or, conversely, from it? Then you are at the right place.
If you decide to get from Nikola Tesla Airport to the center of Belgrade by public transport, then you have two options.
- Express A1.
- Bus number 72.
The A1 bus costs 300 dinars per person one way (the BusPlus card is not valid in it). The ticket is purchased from the driver. Travel time is 30 minutes. The bus runs in the direction of Belgrade Airport - Slavia Square (Serb. Trg Slavija) almost without stops. I know for sure that it stops at the Railway Station (the bus station is also located there). Perhaps the driver can stop somewhere at your request, but not sure.
From 08:00 to 18:00, the bus leaves the airport every 20 minutes, at other times - once or twice an hour. It runs from early morning until late at night (a break in traffic is two hours - from 03:00 to 05:00).
At the airport, the A1 bus stop is very easy to find. It is located almost at the exit from the arrivals area.
Bus number 72 is a regular city flight departing from Belgrade from the Zeleni Venac market near and going to Nikola Tesla Airport. Travel time is 40-50 minutes. The fare is 89 dinars on the BusPlus card (zone 2), 150 dinars if you buy a ticket from the driver. In the autumn of 2018, Belgrade public transport has the opportunity to pay with a direct bank card (no need to take Bus Plus). But I couldn’t pay with a card (Alfa-Bank, Russia).
The bus ride takes longer, but its advantage is that, having a BusPlus card, you can transfer to another type of public transport within 90 minutes after validation. For example, I lived for. Arrived by plane, got on the bus number 72, drove to Zeleni venac. I got off the bus, went up to Terazii Square, got on bus number 26 and drove home. And I paid for everything about everything 89 dinars.
Details about public transport in Belgrade, about BusPlus and fares.
At Belgrade Airport, bus number 72 stops on the upper tier.
From Belgrade airport by taxi
The Nikola Tesla Airport website provides official taxi rates. The price is fixed, divided into zones. For example, in Novi Beograd and a taxi from the airport will cost 1,400 dinars (14 euros), and in the center of Belgrade - 1,800 dinars (18 euros). If they call prices higher, do not agree. Better yet, book a transfer online in advance. It costs a little higher, but the driver will meet you at the airport with a sign, a meeting guarantee is 100%.
From Belgrade airport by car
The distance between Belgrade Airport and the city center is 18 kilometers. The two points are connected by a wide modern highway, there are all the necessary signs, it is difficult to get lost even without a navigator.
There are racks of international rental offices at Belgrade Airport, but I recommend not to look for an offer on their websites, but to compare prices in one place. Just keep in mind that there are very few cars with automatic transmission in Serbia, and their rent is usually almost twice as high.
There is a large parking lot at the airport. Parking directly at the terminal costs 100 dinars per hour. Paid at a special kiosk, which operates on the territory of the parking lot.
If you are flying to Belgrade from Moscow and driving to the airport in your own car, then information about parking at the capital's airports will also be relevant. For example, you can book a parking lot at Domodedovo using the link. On the same resource, it is possible to book a parking space at other airports in Moscow.
If you are flying from Belgrade for a few days and there is a need to leave your car in the parking lot at the airport, then another parking lot is intended for this. It is located 300 meters from the terminal. 1 day in the parking lot costs 800 dinars.
