We visit our neighbor Serbia for 3 days and discover the beauties of the place going from the bustling Belgrade to the dreamy Subotica...
Basic informations
In Serbia you can travel with a passport or Police ID
Its currency is Serbian Dinar and €1 corresponds to 117rsd
It does not belong to the EU and roaming for calls and data on your mobile phone is not free, so choose a voice package from your mobile phone or get esim Airalo as we did and we had internet. Details here
The border of Serbia is about 3 hours from Thessaloniki, so you could make the journey and roadtrip with your own vehicle or with a direct flight from Athens or Thessaloniki.
He chose to exchange in the city center but asked if he keeps a commission
Population 6.8 million, Language: Serbian (similar to Croatian & Bosnian)
Almost all restaurants allow smoking indoors
Parking is free from Saturday noon until Monday morning, on the other days you have to buy a ticket from the relevant kiosks.
Itinerary of 3 days in serbia
'Below we will analyze the route we followed in order to see as many sights as possible on our trip. Our time was limited (3 days) so we decided to get to know the northern part of Serbia as well as its capital...''
How we start...
Our trip started from El.Venizelos Airport in Athens with a direct flight to Belgrade. We had pre-arranged to pick up a car from the airport to drive to the farthest town on the Hungarian border Subotica. Our flight landed at the airport at 5:30 in the morning, at this time all car rental offices are closed so please inform the company you will be booking with of your arrival time so that an employee will be waiting for you for delivery.
We picked up and started our drive to Subotica, a 2 hour drive on very good road network and for those who have driven in Italy have the same toll mentality. (You pick up a card at the entrance to the national road and pay at the exit without intermediate stops, total cost from Belgrade - Subotica €5.5)
Lake Palic - Subotica
First stop the enchanting landscape of Lake Palic just 15' away from Subotica. The lake is a pole of attraction for residents and tourists, especially in the summer months, giving a breath of fresh air and they choose it for their holidays. It is the largest natural lake in Serbia and you will find several hotels, guesthouses and restaurants along the lake.
In winter, a veil of fog covers the lake and its towers and gives a romantic and cinematic character to the landscape...
Subotica
The diamond town on Serbia's northern border with Hungary...A stunning mosaic of sights with a clear Magyar and Slavic influence make up this unique city
First stop in Suboticca and with the time having reached 9 it was time for a full breakfast and not anywhere but at the nicest cafe in town, the ''Boss Caffe''. It is a gem of the city with a retro decoration, a courtyard decorated with wonderful statues and right behind the most famous building of the city, the Raichle Palace. The prices in Serbia, especially in the restaurants and cafes of the city, are quite economical and the portions are filling
We recharged our batteries, dressed warmly and started our tour of the city, along the central sidewalk you will find most of the attractions such as the city hall, Subotica Synagogue, the national theater and the Raichle Palace. Most of the buildings are painted in pastel shades that really make you want to fool around with the time... Although it is small, it is one of the most beautiful cities we have visited, due to the season we also found a small Christmas market with traditional products and local delicacies.
Noon had arrived and we had to leave for the city where we would spend our first night, Novi sad...
Novi Sad
And how can we not describe it as colorful since wherever you turn in the city center you will see bright pastel colors in cafe buildings and courtyards. Novi sad is the second largest city in Serbia, a university campus and full of restaurants, cafes and of course new people moving around at all hours. We would stay here for one night and chose to be in the center to have direct access to the city without the use of a car since parking on the weekend is very difficult to find.
The hotel we booked was Lanterna Rooms City Center right in the heart of the city with private parking (€9/day), comfortable rooms and an amazing Italian restaurant where we enjoyed our breakfast!!
Although it is the second largest city in Serbia, you have covered it in one day so don't rush and enjoy the walk on the main pedestrian street Zmaj Jovina where it starts from the Orthodox Cathedral of St. George and ends at the renovated square (Trg) Slobode where the imposing church of Panagia with a height of 76m and built in 1892. Along the pedestrian street but also in vertical alleys you will find countless souvenir shops, clothing shops, wonderful restaurants and of course, patsad shops, something for which the area is famous!!
During the festive period we traveled, the city had put on its festive decorations, quite decorated and with a picturesque Christmas market where you can enjoy mulled wine as well as wonderful delicacies from the food stalls.
Next route to the fortress of the city of Petrovaradin to see the panoramic view from the city's clock tower... On our route we also crossed the Danube park which gives a cool stop in the summer and its wonderful pond full of ducks!!!
After a long day full of walking, it was time to have lunch and believe us, the food, the service, the decoration combined with the low prices made Petrus Caffe Gallery Bar restaurant to love it...
We also ate very well and recommend:
Cafe Restaurant and Club Giardino with a great view of the city from above,
Project 72 for its creative local cuisine
Brauhaus Brewery a unique beer hall for all hours
Trčika, for coffee or a drink in a unique tram car!!
Chocolato Cafe, for the best ice cream and unique sweet creations
Sremski Karlovci, the city of wine
The second day started in the direction of Belgrade but we made a stop in the provincial town of Karlovci where it is famous for its vineyards and its central square where the Church of St. Nicholas and the Karlovci Gymnasium stand out.
The distance from Novi Sad is 15' by vehicle and here we had the opportunity to taste fine wines at the winery ''Djurdjic Winery'' with a view of its vineyards. Along with the wine tasting (try the rosé!!!) we had the opportunity to be guided through the cellars and to be told about the bottling process. The cost was about €5/person for 2 wines that we tried and if you wanted you could buy your own wine.
If you find yourself in Belgrade without a means of transport and want to visit Novi Sad and Karlovci Sremski on a one-day trip with a wine tasting at a traditional winery, you can choose the tour below which also provides free pick up from your hotel in Belgrade.
For reservation & infos press here
Belgrade, the ''white'' city
Last stop of our trip the capital of Serbia, Belgrade. A city located at the junction of 2 rivers, the Danube and Savvos, a city that marries the modern with the old, a city that knows how to have fun and resist military raids.
Gardoš area
Our tour starts with one of the most beautiful areas we shot in Belgrade, the Gardoš area where of course the Millennium Tower dominates but the area is also buzzing with restaurants and bars. You will find cobbled picturesque streets leading to the river, an area where in the summer months the Serbs prefer seafood restaurants.
Entrance to the tower is €2 and parking is free. To visit it by bus look for the 15 & 84 from the center of Belgrade otherwise prefer a taxi where the distance is about 15'.
In the area we found an amazing restaurant ''Stara Carinarnica'' which was a renovated Old Customs House and we recommend it whether you want seafood or meat... as well as the exquisitely decorated Cafeteria Gardos!!
Belgrade Fortress
At the end of the most central street of Belgrade ''Michailova'' we met the main entrance to the fortress and the Kalemegdan Park. Within the overall area we saw a lot of green space enjoying the walk and the view from the hill, there is also a zoo, a large collection of tanks and war equipment from the First & Second World War and of course the Statue of Victory which was built in 1928. in summer you will see quite a few young people waiting for the sunset at the top of the hill. Admission is free
Belgrade center , Skadarlija
Kneza Mihaila could be said to be the commercial and tourist center of the city, a majestic pedestrian street with department stores, tourist items and restaurants - fast food. In its vertical narrow streets you will find bars and pubs where you can enjoy your drink until late, here you will understand how open-hearted the Serbs are and they have fun until morning... The street starts from the Republic Square where the National Museum of Serbia is located and the National theater with a long history and worth a visit.
A few meters further, the bohemian district of Skadarlija begins, where it is a pole of attraction for tourists and locals in all seasons. Here we encountered cobbled streets with tasteful restaurants and bars full of people, most of them with live music and bands setting the pace, we visited several of them and below we will tell you which ones we recommend!!
Churches ,Tesla museum & NATO bombing memorial
In close proximity to each other, you will find the following attractions, starting with the church of Agios Savvas, the largest in the Balkans and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.
Our next stop is the museum - home of Nikola Tesla with exhibits of his personal belongings, instruments and designs. (entrance fee €4)
The second largest church is the church of Saint Mark with several notable religious icons. Right next to the temple you will see the TV building damaged by the bombings (NATO bombing 1992).
Food - Restaurants
The food in Serbia is so familiar to the Greek that he will not have to be careful where he chooses to eat. In most traditional restaurants in the catalogs we even found Greek recipes, while most of their dishes include cevapi (small kebabs), sarma (vegetable dumplings), pickled salads and slow-cooked braised meats. The truth is that everywhere we ate was excellent, with smiling people who made you feel warm and welcoming. The restaurants we singled out for the delicious food combined with the impressive decoration are the following:
Restoran Hyde Park, amazing breakfast - nicest restaurant in town
Lorenzo & Kakalamba,maybe the design reaches its limits but impressive
Tri šešira, the most famous restaurant in Skadarlija with live music and traditional dishes
Boho Bar, next to the fortress suitable season Spring - summer
Restaurant Duomo,of the most delicious Italian they told us and suggested to us
Kingash Pinsa Bar, pizza bar in a wood oven and loud music!
Our comment...
Apart from the Northern part that we explored together with the capital, Serbia also hides many beauties in its southern part, where you can find castles, and nice cities like Nis.
We had 3 days and made a choice, if you have more days we suggest you do the following excursions. Also if you come by road and choose to reach Subotica then you will see almost the whole country, so look for all the places that interest you and make your own wonderful route.
The Serbs are one of the most welcoming smiling and relaxed people we have visited and willing to serve you!!
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