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I ended up in Serbia by accident but I am glad my life led me to this small eastern European country. I was able to do a home swap in Belgrade, and having access to a local and all of her knowledge allowed me to see a bit more of off the beaten path Serbia. So, between that, and some of the most popular Serbia tourist attractions, here is my Serbia travel guide based on my short and very sweet trip to the country. And if you need more help putting together your complete Serbia itinerary, get in touch, I would love to work with you!
Table of Contents
Belgrade
The capital, and Serbia’s largest city, Belgrade may be an obvious stop, but it is still one of the must-visit cities in Serbia. I based myself out of Belgrade and took day trips from there. Belgrade is a very organized city, it’s modern with a great transportation network and it has a lot going on. There are definitely a lot of things not to miss in Belgrade.
I think one of Belgrade’s top highlights is the Temple of Saint Sava. The temple is Serbian orthodox and it is oh so decadent. I’ve never seen anything quite like it and in my opinion it is one of the best things to do in Belgrade.
I stayed out in an area called New Belgrade — and while this is quite a distance from the center of the city, you might consider going out there simply for the river. There are two rivers in Belgrade — the Danube and the Sava. New Belgrade is built along the banks of the Sava. Along a good stretch of the river is a paved pedestrian walkway and floating restaurants, bars, and cafes. Stop for a drink at Cruise Cocktail Bar and sit out on the back deck looking over the river.
One thing to note out here — according to Google Maps, there is seemingly a boat that crosses the river — as of spring 2024 that crossing is defunct, so don’t plan on it!
Back in the center of the city I’d recommend wandering the streets around Skadarlija. There are some really nice older vibes back here right alongside repurposed parking lots and warehouses. I had a sandwich at Zendwich which is amongst a lot of other hipster-vibe bars, restaurants, and a record shop.
➡️ If you’re looking for a place to stay in Belgrade, check out the clean and comfortable Seven Luxury Suites ⬅️
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is just to the northwest of Belgrade and is one of the most popular — and easiest — day trips from Belgrade. Novi Sad has a picture perfect city center. There isn’t a huge amount going on in Novi Sad so I think it’s perfect for a day trip and doesn’t necessarily need more time than that.
I walked from the train station into the city center which allowed me to pass by the Old Jewish School — a synagogue built in 1909. If you go up to the front door and it’s closed, just walk round to the right side of the building and you’ll see a little guard house in the back. The guard will unlock the door and let you in. They do ask for a small donation so plan to have some cash/coins with you (the equivalent of €2-3 is fine).
In the center of the city is Liberty Square where the Church of the Holy Name of Mary sits. This is a large imposing Gothic Revival church. Unfortunately during my visit the nave was under construction (maybe painting?) so I could only just barely go in the door and wasn’t able to see much. Around the corner is another church which in my opinion was more impressive (based on what little I saw of the first one). So make sure not to skip Saint George’s Cathedral.
What many people will tell you is the main attraction in Novi Sad is the Petrovaradinska tvrđava. This is a fortress. I think it’s important to note that the draw of the fortress is the views — while they are lovely, don’t expect much else. There is a restaurant on sight though, if you want to have a drink above the river.
➡️ If you feel like you want more time in Novi Sad and staying the night makes sense, check out Queen Palace ⬅️
Sremski Karlovci
I was doing a home swap in Belgrade, and my host asked me if I like wine — I love wine. So she arranged a little day trip out to Sremski Karlovci — and I think it may be one of the best Serbia hidden gems I found. This small town is in the same direction as Novi Sad but you’ll need to take the slow train as Sremski Karlovci is one of the intermediary stops between Belgrade and Novi Sad and the fast train doesn’t stop there.
Now, you might not ever have thought of Serbia as having wine country — but it does, and this is it. The town center is very small, it’s basically a large square and that’s it. But when I was there on a Saturday morning, it was absolutely bustling. There is yet another church — St. Nicholas Cathedral — which is quick and central to pop into if you’re not over all of the gold plating quite yet.
From there, it’s time to start wine tasting. We popped into two wineries close to town before walking out to a third a bit farther where we had a lunch and a tasting booked. The first winery was Wine cellar Bajilo where they said we should have made a booking, but poured us a sample of bermet anyway and were very kind and friendly. If you’ve never heard of Bermet before, neither had I. It’s a dessert wine specific to Serbia which is quite medicinal in flavor. You have to try at least a sample as it is totally unique to this region.
Our second stop in Sremski Karlovci was Winery Kurjak where we were again treated to a few samples of their various wines. When I asked the woman who greeted us if reservations were normally necessary, she responded — of course not, this is my family’s home and winery and I am always happy to welcome guests.
Our third and final stop as I mentioned was farther from the city. We did walk but I’d recommend just hopping into a taxi. The property is called Veritas Winery and is a gorgeous estate set amongst rolling hillsides. If you want to see the fields in bloom, the best time to visit Serbia is springtime — it’s then that everything is a lush, deep green!
In the middle of the vineyards is a large building, looking out over the vineyards, it is there that you will enjoy a lunch with wine tastings. There is no real wine tour here, but if you request it they will give you a quick walk around the basement where the vats are.
➡️ After much wine and food we headed back to Belgrade, but if you want to roll right into bed and do some more wine tasting the next day, check out Premier Prezident Garni Hotel and Spa, a 5-star hotel right in the center of town ⬅️
Did you make it to Serbia? I’d love to hear how your trip went. Did you get to any lesser-known places in Serbia? Or if you’re still planning your trip and need even more help, don’t hesitate to reach out and I’d be delighted to get involved in your trip planning process!
