Free Things to do and see in Belgrade, Serbia

1)  Visit Belgrade Fortress which is the oldest part of Belgrade and first mentioned in the 3rd century BC as Singindunum. Later the city became part of the Roman Empire but was always attacked by the Huns and the Goths. Legend says Attila’s grave is at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers under Belgrade Fortress. The longest occupants of the Fortress were Ottomans, nearly 500 years.

2. Walk to the statute of the Pobednik (The Victor). It’s a work by the famous sculptor Ivan Mestrovic and it’s built to commemorate Serbia’s liberation from the Ottoman occupation. An excellent place to take photos of New Belgrade and the confluence of the Danube and Sava.

3. Visit St Petka Church (avoid Friday which is celebrated in this church – Petka means Friday) and St Ruzica Church (used to be an Austrian gun depot) within the Fortress.

4. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was founded in Belgrade in 1961. There is a derelict monument to mark the occasion but today it’s an excellent place for graffiti and a good spot for taking photos.

5.  Walk along Zemun promenade and admire Austro- Hungarian architecture. Continue to Gardos Tower for a beautiful photo opportunity of Zemun and Belgrade.

6. Walk along the Sava all the way to Ada Cingalija, a lake within the city. Excellent place for swimming or cycling.

7. Check the open food markets. They are full of colours and freshness especially in the spring.

8. Visit the old bohemian part of Belgrade called Skadarlija which is an excellent place to enjoy a Serbian’s second home – the kafana.

9.  Take photos of the NATO bombed buildings, monuments to wrong-headed politics which won’t last long as there are talks of pulling them down and opening hotels instead.

10. Try to play basketball with the local kids on one of the many free basketball grounds built during Tito’s time when lots of energy and money was invested in sport.

Free advice: Chat. Everyone has an endless amount of time to chat.  Buying a can of coke turns into a long discussion of bad dietary habits, advice of how to avoid them and the phone number of a local nutritionist.