Belgrade, Serbia, Is a Can’t-miss Cultural Destination — How to Visit

A crowd spills along the sidewalk outside Proces, Belgrade’s boisterously intimate natural wine bar in historic Stari Grad. In this corner of the Old Town, the energy is decidedly new: a soft neon glow rings the room, where a DJ bumps bass-heavy electro while 20- and 30-somethings sip Serbian orange wine and light up cigarettes around high-tops. (Smoking indoors is still legal in bars and restaurants here.) Outside, I catch strands of Serbian, Russian, English, and French as I thread through the crowd in search of Katja, a new friend I’d been introduced to earlier in the week.

“It’s our little wine circus, where anything can happen on any given night,” says Ekaterina Sumenkova, or Katja, who co-owns the bar with her partner, Griša. This seems an apt description of Belgrade in general: The city thrums with a dynamic energy that seems poised to shape-shift, to carry you from kitschy speakeasy to rowdy street party, or homey kafana to hip wine bar, at a moment’s notice.

It’s a capital with a long history of being in flux, of trying to regulate its own rhythm amidst centuries of bombardments, ever-shifting borders, and its more recent past: decades of communism, the Yugoslav Wars, years of hyperinflation, and the 1999 NATO bombing have all left scars on the city. Yet time and again, Belgrade has managed to rebuild, and during my recent visit, it felt on the verge of a reimagining, which is perhaps why I found myself forming such a swift bond with the city — an unexpected kinship borne out of mutual reinvention.

The secret to making the most of a trip to Belgrade — to anywhere, really — is to find the places where you want to root yourself. If traveling nearly full-time has taught me anything, it’s that you’ll never be able to do it all. So, rather than cramming several venues into a day, I strive to become a bit of a guest-star regular at those that speak to me the most. It’s a lesson I keep learning: I don’t want to look back at my travels and see a roundup of the best places to eat, drink, and stay. I’d rather return to the embrace, however fleeting, of the places that make me feel at home. I only visit Proces twice, but already it’s the nucleus of my Belgrade.

“I think our bar reflects who we are, and the community around it is forming in the same way: In the best sense, it’s full of passionate and lively people,” Katja tells me over another glass of tamjanika, a native white grape variety. She and Griša are part of a wave of young Russian immigrants who are making their mark on the hospitality scene, introducing natural wine to a wider audience and creating space for a new sort of community that folks are hungry for.

At the center of my tentative new community here is the radiant, no-nonsense Draga Tontić, my unofficial tour guide and the keeper of all things cool in the Serbian capital. We’d been introduced through the winery where I’d been working, Gut Oggau, which she imports through her company Naked Wines. A Belgrade native, Draga quickly turned a week-long visit to an unfamiliar city into what felt like an overdue adventure with an old friend.

Between her recommendations for coffee shops (D59B was my favorite), buzzy cultural centers-turned-bars (Silosi), and nightlife destinations (Ruke), there was plenty to pack my time with — but my favorite place she brought me was to a mutual friend’s apartment.

There’s no greater thrill while traveling than making new friends and being invited into their homes — to see what photos they’ve framed, which books they leave next to their bed, the spices in their pantry. On this particular occasion, we’d been invited by Aleks Zecevic, a Serbian-American journalist. He was house-sitting at a friend’s place, which was sprawling. The three of us spent a few hours drinking wine and listening to Yugoslav music on vinyl, the voice of Croatian singer Josipa Lisac floating through the background as we discussed Serbia’s cultural past and present.

Both of them speak warmly about their hometown. “In Belgrade, you have all the possibilities as a metropolis does, but on the other hand, we are still a small city,” Draga tells me. “You still have that village vibe where you know when you’re going to drink coffee who will be there. You have these beautiful walking distances, and you know your neighbors — it’s still locals who are actually living in the city center,” she adds. “On the other hand, you have wild nightlife. Our cultural life is on a certain level, so there’s a mix of everything, but it’s always about the people.”

The locals share a strong sense of identity and pride, she says. “After being ruined and rebuilt so many times, and being affected by so many different cultures and languages and people, I love that we still can see how Belgrade people are, who they are,” she explains.

At the moment, they are helping shift their city from an under-the-radar European nightlife destination to a fully-fledged international capital for food, cocktails, and culture — and doing so alongside a roster of hospitality heavy-hitters who’ve largely come to Belgrade from elsewhere, like Katja and Griša, or Vanja Puskar, the Bosnia-Herzegovina-born founder of New Balkan Cuisine.

“Belgrade is on the brink of becoming a global gastronomic destination, and its time in the spotlight is just around the corner,” Vanja says. It’s my last night in the city and Draga has organized an impromptu dinner for the three of us at New Balkan Cuisine, where he’s reimagining traditional regional food with a modern spin. “The dining scene is undergoing a dynamic transformation, where the focus is on creating a distinct Balkan gastronomic identity,” he explains, adding that unique hospitality concepts (like Table 57, which hosts dinner parties and wine tastings in an apartment) are thriving at the moment, while gastronomic street food concepts are injecting fresh energy to the city.

As the three of us tuck into a mouthwatering mixture of oxtail, gnocchi, and caramelized onions, someone waves from the road — one of the bartenders from Proces, who stops to say hi to the two of them, and recognizes me as well. It sends a small, pleasant shock through me to have an unexpected encounter in a city I’m just getting to know — to feel seen on a foreign sidewalk, somehow closer to home than I’ve felt in a moment.

Getting There

Air Serbia operates several direct flights a week from New York and Chicago to Belgrade; a new direct route from Miami to Belgrade launched at the end of 2024. The airline also recently announced that they will operate out of the new Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport in NYC starting in 2026.

Where to Stay

Saint Ten

Saint Ten, an upscale boutique property located just down the road from the famous Saint Sava Temple, is surrounded by charming cafes and kafanas. The hotel’s glassy facade is perched above two intricately carved balconies, relics of its nearly 100-year history. Inside, expect spacious suites with plush bedding, a sauna, a fitness center, and excellent 24-hour room service. The in-the-know concierges helped me make the most of my stay, and can curate local food tours, gallery visits, or scent workshops.

Square Nine

Smack in the city’s oldest (and now, perhaps trendiest) neighborhood, 45 design-focused rooms are housed behind a striking Bauhaus facade at this beloved Dorćol hotel. Like Belgrade itself, this boutique property exhibits old-world glamour enhanced by modern comforts: Rooms are airy and spacious, with dark wood paneling, Turkish rugs, mid-century furniture, and luxe extras like Hermès toiletries and Loro Piana cashmere blankets.

The St. Regis Belgrade

For business travelers or those looking for unparalleled luxury in the Serbian capital, The St. Regis Belgrade — a glistening glass skyscraper that opened along the shiny new Belgrade Waterfront in November 2024 — is establishing itself as a destination in its own right. It’s all curves, no corners, with a silhouette meant to emulate the fluidity of the city’s two rivers, the Sava and the Danube. The property offers deluxe waterfront views from 119 rooms and suites, along with the brand’s signature butler service. Locals and international guests alike are sure to be lured by the beautifully appointed St. Regis Bar, waterfront brasserie, serene spa, and 360-degree rooftop observation deck.

Where to Eat

Note that it’s still legal to smoke inside at most bars, restaurants, and cafes in Serbia, so you may prefer to request a seat in a non-smoking section, or try to dine ahead of the crowds.

Znak Pitanja (a.k.a. Question Mark)

You can’t come to Serbia without eating in a kafana, a type of traditional Balkan tavern where portions of homey food are extravagant and soul-nourishing, and a roving band plays nostalgic Serbian tunes on request. This one, built in 1823, is known as the oldest in the city, which has rendered it a beloved tourist attraction, as well as local spot. The tavern is an invitation to time travel, with red checkered tablecloths dotting the rustic interior and open gardens that are piled high with platters of meat, salad, and fresh cheese.

Koordinata Street

Fans of Paris’s Les Enfants du Marché will fall head over heels for this tiny, exhilarating operation tucked into a farmers market in the village-like Zemun neighborhood. Nested beside stalls selling coffee, flowers, and chicken, a handful of tables are cozily crowded together to form the heart of Belgrade’s innovative farm-to-table dining scene. Literally, the owners — Sara Biočanin and her partner, chef Stefan Živković — live on a farm outside the city, driving their freshly picked produce 90 minutes to work each day. The menu changes seasonally, but their famous chicken liver — served on brioche bread with pickled prunes, inspired by Anthony Bourdain — is always in rotation. Reservations are required and recommended.

Pretop

Just a few stalls down from Koordinata sits what might be my platonic ideal of a dining experience. As someone easily exasperated with making decisions while traveling, I was enamored with Pretop‘s straightforward menu: bread, pork, and Champagne, served on silver platters and in plastic flutes. Nineties West Coast hip-hop blasted in the background as I dug into juicy roast pork with crispy skin before dipping the homemade sourdough bread into a salty, heavenly bowl of pretop, or warm roast drippings. Call ahead or come early, as they tend to sell out.

Homa

For one of the most memorable tasting menus in Belgrade, book in at this Michelin Guide restaurant, set back from a leafy terrace in Dorćol. With the option for a vegetarian or meat-focused menu, I chose the eight-course heritage (meat) option with wine pairings. Dishes play off of each other in delightful ways, like the translucent half-moon of shrimp carpaccio, topped with shavings of sea bream bottarga and dancing in a bergamot and almond oil dressing. It’s served alongside their “cuttlefish napkin,” a samosa of sorts with foie gras and sour cherry gel wrapped in delicate, crispy dough. Halfway through, a palate cleanser arrived in the form of a perfect dollop of cherry sorbet and rose petal foam. Reservations are required.

Iva New Balkan Cuisine

Whatever your expectations are for Balkan cuisine, the elevated riffs on traditional dishes at this restaurant will surprise you. Founder Vanja Puskar tells me the concept behind his sustainably minded restaurant group is “a creative exploration of local ingredients and their potential to be transformed into innovative dishes while staying true to their roots.” His aim is to introduce a new generation to classic Balkan dishes, all with appealing contemporary spin. My mouth waters whenever I recall my favorites: fresh, fluffy pita stuffed with lamb and basil dressing, and a decadent chicken liver pâté smeared on homemade bread with wild strawberry jam and pickled veggies. To top it off, they’ve banned smoking indoors.

Where to Drink

Rakia Bar

Open since 2006, this convivial bar is dedicated to Serbia’s beloved brandy, called rakia. It’s now part of Belgrade Urban Distillery, which produces more than 20 of its own small-batch rakias in-house. A flight is the best way to get a proper sense of the potent drink, which clocks in at around 40 percent alcohol. Ours included rakia distilled from quince, apricot, and plum, as well as a barrel-aged option.

Proces

Natural wine lovers should beeline for Proces, where you can discover Serbian wines alongside familiar bottlings from all around Spain, France, and beyond. The bar boasts exclusive collaborations with local winemakers, including a skin contact tamjanika from Kostić winery that was so nice, I ordered it twice. Small plates feature locally sourced products, like seasonal Serbian tomatoes pooled in olive oil and paprika, and Katja’s grandmother’s secret pickle recipe. On weekends, DJs turn the whole thing into a jam-packed party, playing everything from Balkan psych to Afrobeats to disco.

Druid Bar

Of the handful of speakeasies I visited, Druid Bar felt the most familiar — perhaps because it’s modeled after New York City’s Employees Only, one of the city’s earliest and most iconic Prohibition-style bars, which was co-founded by Belgrade-born cocktail impresario Dushan Zaric. Down a quiet side street, a phone number is posted on an unassuming door, which says to call the bar when you’ve arrived; inside, the bar is intimate, with suspenders-clad bartenders asking friendly questions about your flavor preferences before freestyling precisely the thing you’d been craving. Service here is thoughtful and conspiratorial — none of the too-cool energy that seems to pervade speakeasies in other European cities. No photos are allowed inside, and reservations are recommended.

Riddle Bar

Hidden in the heart of the bohemian Skadarlija neighborhood, Riddle Bar is an art nouveau-style speakeasy that’s all about showmanship. The style here is exuberant and playful rather than stuffy or serious. On my visit, two bartenders tossed shakers back and forth, frothy pink liquid arcing overhead. I’d requested Serbian gin with a fresh, citrusy profile; the final concoction was topped with zesty lemon juice, chamomile tea, and beer. I doubted my ears on the last one, sure he’d said some obscure Serbian herb I hadn’t heard of. Bee-ear? What is that? I asked. He set a small bottle of Heineken in front of me. “Makes it breezy,” he laughed. Reservations are required.

What to Do

Non Canonico

Set in a stunning ground-floor apartment with parquet floors, striking columns, and crown molding, this gallery is a work of art in itself. Visits are available by appointment only, and you’ll be shown around the intimate rotating exhibitions by the artist, curator, or art director.

The Royal Palace

Don’t miss a guided tour of the Royal Compound — presently home to Crown Prince Alexander and his wife, Crown Princess Katherine. The basement billiards room and cinema are design highlights, with ornately patterned wallpaper modeled after the Terem Palace at the Kremlin in Moscow. There’s also a small, beautiful chapel on the grounds. Note, it’s bookable only via guided tour through the Tourist Organization of Belgrade, from April through November.

Ada Ciganlija Beach

In warmer months, Lake Sava at Ada Ciganlija draws locals to its banks, where you can swim, sunbathe, and picnic on the sand, or sip cocktails at one of the popular beach clubs. You can also rent bikes, waterski, or go zip lining.

Museum of Yugoslavia and House of Flowers

Serbia’s most-visited museum is a fascinating look at the history of former Yugoslavia, with rotating exhibitions that are brimming with more than 200,000 artifacts, including clothing, photography, films, and more. One of the museum’s three buildings is also the resting place of Josip Broz Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia.

Saint Sava Temple

Crowning Vračar Hill, this massive marble structure is one of the city’s unmissable landmarks, modeled after Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. It’s an absolute masterclass in mosaics — and like most things in Belgrade, in patience. Plans for the temple were first drafted in the late 19th century, and only completed in the early 2000s.

Going Beyond Belgrade

Although the city is thrumming with enough energy to keep you entertained for days on end, Serbia is bigger than Belgrade, and the rest of the country deserves attention as well.

Zorica Jovanov, head of international marketing for the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, highlights the country’s expansive natural parks (there are five), wineries, and historic settlements as oft-overlooked highlights for visitors who only explore Belgrade.

“Located in a surrounding of the incredible natural beauty, where the collision of East and West left mixed-up traces of its culture, history, temperament of people, gastronomy, music, and architecture, Serbia offers a unique and unrepeatable experience,” she says. “It is about visiting the hidden and unexplored nature; the capital city which vibrates with a modern spirit; towns hidden from the crowds full of charm and warmth from the old days or rural households where you can experience the full meaning of what it means to be someone’s guest.”

Below, a few places to add to your itinerary outside of the country’s vibrant capital.

Novi Sad

For a taste of smaller city life, Novi Sad is easily reachable from Belgrade by car, or by high-speed train in just 30 minutes. It’s a vibrant, bike-friendly cultural hub with ample street art, historic architecture, the Štrand beach along the Danube, and delicious restaurants, like Jasmin a Maslina for fine dining or Salaš 137, a family-run bed-and-breakfast outside the city that serves up an old-school atmosphere. Famously, it also plays host to Exit Festival, one of Europe’s largest musical events, which takes place at the 18th-century Petrovaradin Fortress overlooking the city.

Wineries

Just outside Novi Sad, the picturesque town of Sremski Karlovci has a rich winemaking history alongside the Danube. It’s tucked beside the forest of Fruška Gora, which is the country’s primary winemaking region, says Aleks Zecevic, Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large. Aleks, who grew up in Belgrade, suggests checking out some of the top natural winemakers in the region, including Oszkár Maurer, Ernő Sagmeister, and Bojan Baša.

“Besides Fruška Gora, you can find great vineyards in Župa, Prokuplje and Negotinska Krajina,” he adds, noting there are hundreds of old underground cellars in the latter. “These three are interesting for various reasons, but in Župa, you will find one of the oldest vineyards in Serbia, planted in 1905 at Vinarija Vujić.”

Viminacium and Lepenski Vir

Approximately 90 minutes outside of Belgrade, history buffs can walk through Roman ruins at Viminacium, an ancient Roman city and military site where relics of Roman baths, a graveyard, and an amphitheater are on display. Viminacium is also home to Mamut Park, which features enormous skeletons of prehistoric mammoths discovered in the area. To dive even deeper into the past, drive a bit further afield to Lepenski Vir, Europe’s oldest settlement along the banks of the Danube.

National Parks

Serbia is home to five national parks, which cater to all sorts of outdoor adventures. Hop on a river cruise through the Iron Gates, a series of scenic gorges separating Serbia and Romania along the Danube; In western Serbia, Tara National Park boasts a network of hiking and cycling trails, as well as waterfalls and rafting opportunities on the Drina River Canyon. Winter sports lovers will appreciate the snow-capped peaks in Kopaonik National Park, which is popular for skiing and snowboarding in colder months. Closer to the capital, the lush valleys of Fruška Gora are studded with dozens of wineries and centuries-old monasteries overlooking the hills.