City Breaks Belgrade. Serbia with kids. What to do in Belgrade.
Belgrade is one of the cities that joined the group of my favorite places around the world and moreover, it totally surprised me. To be honest, I expected it to be a capital of post-Yugoslavia filled with socialist flavor. Instead, Belgrade turned out to be a cosmopolitan city where life never ends. Charming cafes, food from around the world, parks where locals and tourists enjoy beautiful weather, and prices that will allow you to enjoy the capital of Serbia without a financial hangover.
We’ve visited Belgrade twice. First time, almost a decade ago during backpacking through Serbia and recently with our two daughters (4 months and almost 4 years old). During our first trip we made a few friends in Serbia, with whom I planned a surprise party for Dario’s 30th birthday. And while during our first trip we checked the majority of Belgrade’s tourist attractions, this time we wanted simply to enjoy the city. We reached Belgrade at the end of August and, damn, it is hot. In general, August is really hot in whole Balkans, so it was not a surprise for us. However, if you are travelling with kids, it is good to remember this and plan your sightseeing in a way that your kids will not overheat. Here are the places we recommend you visiting with kids.
What to do in Belgrade with kids, babies, and toddlers
Kalemegdan
When Serbians say Kalemegdan, it automatically means not just Kalemegdan Park but as well Belgrade Fortress, and all other things you can find it this area.
Kalemegdan Park the largest park in Belgrade, is located on a cliff at the junction of the River Sava and Danube. If you’ve never been to Belgrade, you need to realize that Kalemegdan is not just a park. Inside the park you will find the Belgrade Fortress, old Orthodox churches, a museum, an observatory, a small amusement park, a zoo, many restaurants, and entertainment facilities. And all these reachable by foot. This is an ideal place to rest in the shadow and find fun thing to do with your kids, such as:
- Amusement park
- Zoo
- Playgrounds: one of them is located close to the Zoo and the amusement park
- Dino Park
- Little train ride
- Bouldering Kalemegdanska tvrdjava (Kalemegdan Fortess)
- Observatory
- The Military Museum
Don’t miss:
- Watching a beautiful sunset. Ok. This one is for you, make sure kids are so tired after running the whole day, so you can enjoy a few moments of serenity 😉
- Church Ruzica first mentioned in 15th century. It is the oldest church in Belgrade. Check the chandeliers inside, made from bullet shells, swords, and bayonets
- Church Sveta Petka is an important place for Orthodox Christians. Here is a spring with miraculous water. The water helps especially women (Saint Petka is a patron of all women), as well those who want to conceive or are pregnant. For us, being Orthodox, it is truly a holy place. The water that I took from the spring the first time we were in Belgrade, didn’t go bad for 7 years! I took sips from it before and during both of my pregnancies. When we came to Sveta Petka Church with our two daughters (4 years and 4 months), we wanted to thank the Saint for her blessings.
Tip:
If you are looking for a location to stay in Belgrade pick some place that is in a walkable distance from Kalemegdan. Believe me, you will be grateful for this tip, especially during summer months, when walking through the city in the heat is not a pleasant experience neither for you, nor your kids.
The Church of Saint Sava
This Orthodox church is simply amazing and we highly recommend you visiting it no matter if you are coming here with or without kids. Saint Sava is one of the most impressive Orthodox churches in the world we’ve visited and believe me, we’ve seen many. Just look at the pictures. BREATHTAKING!
‘?’ café
I usually don’t write about cafes or restaurants but this is the place we visited each time we were in Belgrade. This café is a traditional Serbian kafana. When you enter this place, you immediately feel it is not just a café but THE café. Vintage design with historic photographs and traditional food and coffee. During our second stay in Belgrade, Dario took me and girls here for breakfast. It kind of became a place we with pleasure and sentiment return to. So, don’t miss it, it’s very special.
Knez Mihailova Street (Kneza Mihaila)
It is a pedestrian street filled with shops and many cafes. We took a short evening walk here with our kids.
Skadarlija
Skadarlija is a vintage street in Belgrade often compared to Montmartre. Well, it is not Montmartre and I always find it weird to compare two places in the world that have barely anything in common. So, it’s not Montmartre (wanna see how it actually looks, check our article 4 Days in Paris: The Ultimate guide ) but it is a nice street. It is a little bit arty, bohemian, vintage. With many restaurants located in this area, this is a great place to plan your evening dinner, which we did when we visited Belgrade the first time without kids. Well, our kids don’t sit in restaurants 🙂
If you have time, check as well:
Republic Square (Main square) with the statue of Mihailo Obrenovic riding a horse. It is Belgrade’s main meeting point.
St. Michel’s Cathedral (Saborna crkva) is located close to Kalemegdan. The church is richly decorated. Close to it the building of Patriarchate is located.
The Residence of Princess Ljubica
The National Assembly of Serbia
St. Mark’s Church
Nikola Tesla Museum
Or simply take a walk 🙂
