Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia, set at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Known for the Kalemegdan Fortress, the bohemian Skadarlija quarter, the Temple of Saint Sava and a lively splavovi (river barge) nightlife, it blends Ottoman, Habsburg and Yugoslav layers into one of the Balkans' most energetic cities.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Belgrade.
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1
Vinča Culture
Neolithic Vinča-Belo Brdo settlement, 14 km from central Belgrade, is one of Europe's earliest large prehistoric sites.
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2
Celtic Singidun
The Scordisci build the first fortified settlement named Singidun at the Sava-Danube confluence.
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3
Roman Singidunum
Rome garrisons Singidunum; the Fourth Flavian Legion is based there from about 86 AD and the town becomes a major border city.
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4
First Mention as Beograd
A letter of Pope John VIII uses the Slavic name Belgrade (Beograd), 'white city', for the first time.
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5
First Serbian Rule
King Dragutin receives Belgrade from the Hungarian king, becoming the first Serbian ruler of the city.
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6
Capital of Despot Stefan
Despot Stefan Lazarević makes Belgrade the capital of the Serbian Despotate and rebuilds the fortress.
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7
Siege of Belgrade
John Hunyadi defeats the Ottoman army of Mehmed II at Belgrade and halts Ottoman expansion for 70 years.
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8
Ottoman Conquest
Suleiman the Magnificent captures the city; Belgrade becomes a major Ottoman frontier town.
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9
Habsburg Capture
Prince Eugene of Savoy takes Belgrade; the Austrians hold it until 1739 and again briefly in 1789-1791.
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10
Capital of Serbia
Prince Alexander Karađorđević moves the capital of the Principality of Serbia to Belgrade.
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11
Ottoman Withdrawal
Ottoman troops leave the Belgrade Fortress and Prince Mihailo receives the keys of the city.
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12
Capital of Yugoslavia
Belgrade becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after the First World War.
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13
Bombing and Occupation
German air raids on 6 April destroy large parts of the city; occupation follows until October 1944.
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14
Non-Aligned Summit
Belgrade hosts the first conference of the Non-Aligned Movement under Tito.
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15
NATO Bombing
A 78-day NATO air campaign strikes military and civilian targets in and around Belgrade.
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16
October 5 Revolution
Mass protests in Belgrade force Slobodan Milošević from power.
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17
Expo 2027
Belgrade is set to host the specialized Expo 2027 exhibition in Surčin.
Historical sites
Places where Belgrade's past comes alive.
Belgrade Fortress (Kalemegdan)
A fortress complex on the Sava-Danube confluence with Roman, Byzantine, medieval Serbian, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian layers, including the Upper Town, Lower Town, Despot Gate and the Victor monument.
Where: Stari Grad, Belgrade
Admission: Grounds free; single facility tickets about 80-300 RSD (~$1-3)
Nebojša Tower
A 15th-century artillery tower on the Danube bank of the fortress, later used as a prison, with an exhibition of Ottoman-era history and a river view.
Where: Kalemegdan Lower Town, Belgrade
Admission: About 200 RSD (~$2) adult; about 100 RSD (~$1) reduced
Roman Well and Clock Tower
An 18th-century Austrian well, 51 m deep, and a 27 m Clock Tower from the Ottoman period, both in the fortress Upper Town. Visits to the Roman Well must be announced at least 24 hours ahead.
Where: Kalemegdan Upper Town, Belgrade
Admission: Roman Well about 120 RSD (~$1.20); Clock Tower about 80 RSD (~$0.80)
Cathedral Church of Saint Michael the Archangel
Neoclassical cathedral completed in 1840 and seat of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate in Belgrade, holding the tombs of Prince Miloš Obrenović and Vuk Karadžić.
Where: Stari Grad, Belgrade
Admission: Free
Princess Ljubica's Residence
A restored 1831 residence built for the wife of Prince Miloš, showing life in the early Serbian principality.
Where: Stari Grad, Belgrade
Admission: About 200-300 RSD (~$2-3)
Bajrakli Mosque
Belgrade's only surviving mosque, built in the 17th century in the Ottoman era and used as a prayer house for the city's Muslim community.
Where: Dorćol, Belgrade
Admission: Exterior free; interior open to visitors outside prayer times
Gardoš Tower (Millennium Tower), Zemun
A tower built in 1896 on the highest point of Gardoš hill to mark 1,000 years of Hungarian state history, now a landmark of Zemun, the old Habsburg border town.
Where: Zemun, Belgrade
Admission: Exterior free; interior access by schedule
Temple of Saint Sava
A memorial church built from 1935, halted in 1941 and resumed in 1985, on the site of the burning of Saint Sava's relics. The interior mosaics continue to be completed.
Where: Vračar, Belgrade
Admission: Church entry generally free; guided crypt and gallery access paid (about 600-1,200 RSD / ~$6-12)
Topčider Park and Prince Miloš's Residence
The residence of Prince Miloš Obrenović from 1831 and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul (1834), set in a former royal park linked to the Second Serbian Uprising.
Where: Savski Venac, Belgrade
Admission: Park free; residence about 200-300 RSD (~$2-3)
Museum of Yugoslavia and House of Flowers
The burial place of Josip Broz Tito and a museum of the Yugoslav state from 1918 to 1991, in the former residence grounds.
Where: Dedinje, Belgrade
Admission: 800 RSD (~$8) adult
Monument to the Unknown Hero, Avala
A granite memorial by sculptor Ivan Meštrović, finished in 1938, on Avala mountain for the unknown Serbian soldiers of the First World War.
Where: Voždovac, Belgrade
Admission: Free
Old Fairground (Staro Sajmište) Memorial
A 1937 fairground used by Nazi occupiers as the Sajmište concentration camp from 1941 to 1944; a memorial and the Tower stand on the left bank of the Sava.
Where: Novi Beograd, Belgrade
Admission: Free
General Staff Building Ruins
The preserved ruin of the Yugoslav Army General Staff building, hit by NATO air strikes in 1999 and left as a reminder of the bombing.
Where: Savski Venac, Belgrade
Admission: Free (exterior only)
House of the National Assembly
The seat of the Serbian parliament, begun in 1907 and completed in 1936, with sculptures, a neoclassical facade and a large marble hall.
Where: Stari Grad, Belgrade
Admission: Free (interior by guided visit, booked in advance at the Assembly website)
Church of Saint Mark
A Serbo-Byzantine church of 1940 holding the tomb of Emperor Stefan Dušan and copies of medieval frescoes.
Where: Tašmajdan, Belgrade
Admission: Free
Ružica Church and Saint Petka Chapel
A military church inside the fortress, rebuilt after the First World War, with chandeliers made from weapons and bullets, and a chapel to Saint Petka.
Where: Kalemegdan Upper Town, Belgrade
Admission: Free