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Things to Do in Serbia
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Plan language: EnglishMost popular attractions in Serbia
Things to do in Serbia include exploring Belgrade Fortress, a historic site offering panoramic views over the Danube and Sava rivers. Visit the Temple of Saint Sava, one of the world's largest Orthodox churches, known for its impressive white marble. Stroll through Skadarlija, the old bohemian quarter, lined with cobblestone streets and traditional restaurants.
1. Belgrade Fortress
Belgrade
Get a breathtaking view where two rivers meet. Experience centuries of history and lush gardens in one vibrant spot.
Quick facts: This fortress offers panoramic views over the confluence of two major rivers in Europe. It has layers of history with Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Austrian influences visible in its walls and design.
Highlights: A captivating secret lies in the ancient underground tunnels that once served as escape routes and water reservoirs. Visitors can explore the spectacular Kalemegdan Park surrounding the fortress that blooms with colorful tulips each spring, providing a stunning contrast to the historic stones.
2. Temple of Saint Sava
Belgrade
Dominating Belgrade's skyline, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. Step inside for vast mosaics, a soaring dome and a calm crypt museum.
Quick facts: A colossal white-marble dome dominates the skyline, its gleam visible from miles away and often mistaken for a palace at dusk. Inside, the cavernous nave amplifies sound so that even a single candlelit hymn feels epic, while mosaics and gilding color the air like slow-moving light.
Highlights: Look upward in the main nave and the mosaics shimmer like a gold-and-blue sky, each tiny tessera catching light so faces below glow with filtered warmth. A subtle local custom has visitors and parishioners tucking handwritten name slips into crevices near chapels, the paper edges darkened by beeswax and incense as a private, tactile prayer.
3. Skadarlija
Belgrade
Charming cobblestone nights with spirited folk songs. Dive into mouthwatering Serbian flavors while soaking in a buzzing Bohemian vibe.
Quick facts: Cobblestone streets and vintage street lamps give this vibrant quarter a timeless charm. Locals and visitors mingle over traditional Serbian food and lively live music sessions in open-air restaurants.
Highlights: Flamboyant street artists perform folk dances and sing epic ballads that echo the spirit of the Balkan past. The area glows warmly under strings of fairy lights that create an intimate, magical evening ambience unlike anywhere else.
Have you heard of free walking tours?
After traveling to 30+ countries, there's one thing I wish someone had told me from day one, and it completely changed how I experience new cities.
Free walking tours. Yes, actually free. No credit card needed. No catch.
Local guide, 2-3 hours
Major sights, hidden gems, local stories
100% tip-based
Guides earn only tips, so they give their absolute best
You tip what feels right
At the end, just tip whatever you feel is right
I've done these in dozens of cities and they've been the highlight of almost every trip. If you're visiting Serbia, do this on your first day. You'll thank me later.
4. Petrovaradin Fortress
Novi Sad
Fortress offering sweeping Danube views and layers of Austro-Hungarian military history. Walk ramparts, explore tunnels, and watch colorful sunsets over Novi Sad.
Quick facts: A vast labyrinth of 16 kilometers of underground passages runs under the site, candlelit tours make the cool, damp air feel cinematic. An oversized tower clock swaps the usual roles, the large hand marks the hours so river travelers can read time from far across the water.
Highlights: An odd clockwork quirk gives the big hand the job of hours and the little hand the minutes, a practical twist that helped river pilots spot the hour from a long distance. Exploring the 16 kilometers of vaulted galleries you can taste the metallic tang of damp stone, hear slow dripping echoes and find faded graffiti with initials and dates left by soldiers and masons.
5. Studenica Monastery
Kraljevo
A 12th-century Serbian Orthodox complex with exquisite Byzantine frescoes and a peaceful hilltop setting. Walk cloisters, study fresco detail, and feel the quiet monastic rhythm.
Quick facts: Low, arched windows and white-marble walls let thin shafts of light pick out layers of ochre and lapis on medieval frescoes, some so vivid you can read the expressions on the saints' faces. A small brotherhood still lives and prays there, and the steady scent of beeswax candles combined with occasional chanting makes the whole place feel quietly alive rather than frozen in time.
Highlights: A hush settles over the nave where monks chant in low, resonant tones and the air is thick with beeswax and pine, so close you can taste the smoke on your tongue. Local guides point out a carved inscription invoking Stefan Nemanja and a narrow slit in the stone where legend says a 13th-century reliquary was hidden during raids, a tiny detail that rewards patient eyes.
6. Đerdap National Park
Donji Milanovac
Epic Danube gorge scenery where towering limestone cliffs meet ancient history. Walk scenic trails, boat the Iron Gates, and explore archaeological sites and lookout points.
Quick facts: Jagged limestone cliffs plunge nearly 300 meters over a sinuous river channel, forming echoing gorges where griffon vultures and golden eagles ride warm thermals. Archaeologists have uncovered Mesolithic settlements with fish-faced stone sculptures and timber house foundations, offering surprisingly direct traces of riverside ritual and daily life.
Highlights: Slip down to a riverside outcrop and find Trajan's Tablet, a Roman rock inscription you can almost touch while the river hisses below, a literal piece of imperial graffiti carved into the cliff. Evenings on local boat runs feel cinematic, with wet-rock scent and pine on the air as cliffs close in and the water flashes an almost tropical blue-green under shafts of light.
7. Uvac Special Nature Reserve
Nova Varoš
Spectacular meanders and large griffon vulture colonies make Uvac worth visiting. Canoe, boat or hike to cliff viewpoints and watch vultures circling above.
Quick facts: Winding limestone meanders carve dramatic U-shaped gorges, where vertical cliffs and hidden coves make every viewpoint feel like a new discovery. Silent electric boats and narrow skiffs slip through mirror-still waters, giving close-up looks at layered rock faces and colonies of scavenging birds riding the air currents.
Highlights: Warm thermals lift as many as 150 griffon vultures, each with a 2.6-meter wingspan, so their slow-circling silhouettes stitch shifting shadows across the limestone amphitheaters. Local rangers sometimes play recorded calls during carefully timed release events, a hands-on conservation technique that helped add dozens of breeding pairs and is visible when juveniles practice their first soaring flights.
8. Niš Fortress
Niš
Historic fortress with thick walls and lively summer events overlooking the Nišava. Walk the ramparts, explore courtyards, and enjoy cafés and sunset views.
Quick facts: You can walk along broad earthen ramparts and find cannons and watch-towers poking above poplars, while kids play on grassy courtyards beneath old stone archways. Archaeologists uncovered Roman road fragments and Ottoman gate foundations under the park lawn, the layered stones showing at least five distinct occupation phases to careful eyes.
Highlights: Strings of bulbs and the smell of grilled meat turn the courtyard into a buzzing nightclub at night, with more than 50 acts on multiple stages and crowds sometimes swelling into the thousands. Sit on the warm stone steps and hear a brass trio echo off the inner walls, the notes lingering for nearly ten seconds as if the stones are keeping the memory of each song.
9. Drvengrad
Mokra Gora
A cinematic timber village created by Emir Kusturica, where folkloric architecture meets mountain scenery. Wander wooden streets, a tiny cinema, folk art and sunset valley views.
Quick facts: A cluster of around 20 timber houses, a wooden Orthodox church, and a vintage cinema give the place the feel of a hand-carved movie set. Festival weekends draw several thousand people, turning cobbled lanes into outdoor screening rooms, pop-up concerts, and late-night bonfire hangouts.
Highlights: Lantern light and wood smoke mix with projected film light in the square, where a 10-meter screen and outdoor benches create the sensation of watching a movie inside a village postcard. Filmmaker Emir Kusturica personally curates the festival gatherings, reportedly inviting about 50 directors and musicians for late-night jam sessions and acoustic screenings, and guests sometimes leave with hand-stamped wooden tickets as souvenirs.
10. Kopaonik National Park
Raška
High alpine meadows and dense spruce forests atop Serbia's highest massif make Kopaonik a nature playground. Hike marked trails, spot chamois, or ski wide slopes.
Quick facts: You'll see snow-laced ridges that fall into highland meadows where about 1,600 plant species thrive, and deep beech and spruce forests that muffle footsteps. The highest point tops out at 2,017 meters, and on clear days hikers get serrated panoramas with sudden, biting mountain winds.
Highlights: Catch sunrise on the 2,017-meter summit and inhale a mix of pine resin and wild thyme, tiny endemic flowers peeking from rocky cracks like postage stamps. Scientists have catalogued roughly 1,600 plant species with more than 200 rare or endemic types, so spotting a pint-sized endemic feels like finding a private postcard from the slopes.
Where to Stay in Serbia
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Traditional Sweet Dishes
Krempita
A layered custard and puff pastry cake, krempita is so beloved in Serbia that local towns hold krempita festivals and competitions celebrating their best versions.
Tufahije
Poached apples stuffed with walnut filling and topped with whipped cream, tufahije reflect Ottoman influences and are a showpiece at Serbian feast days.
Palačinke
Thin crepes served with fillings from jam and chocolate to cheese, palačinke are a ubiquitous Serbian treat found in homes, cafes, and street stalls.
Traditional Savory Dishes
Ćevapi
Small grilled minced meat sausages, ćevapi are a barbecue cornerstone in Serbia, traditionally served in flatbread with raw onions and ajvar for a smoky, comforting meal.
Pljeskavica
A large seasoned meat patty often called the Balkan burger, pljeskavica is commonly topped with kajmak and onions and served in lepinja bread at festivals and roadside eateries.
Sarma
Cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice, sarma is a beloved winter comfort dish in Serbia, typically simmered for hours and served at family gatherings and holidays.
Traditional Beverages
Šljivovica
A strong plum brandy regarded as Serbia's national spirit, šljivovica is traditionally homemade and central to toasts, celebrations, and rural hospitality.
Rakija
Fruit brandy made from plums, apricots, pears, or quince, rakija is ubiquitous in Serbian culture, often produced at home and offered to guests as a sign of welcome.
Turkish-style coffee
Known locally as kafa, this strong unfiltered coffee is served in small cups and forms the backbone of Serbian social life, from formal visits to long cafe conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions about Serbia
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Most popular day trips
Sremski Karlovci and Fruška Gora
Historic baroque town, wineries, monasteries and mountain trails.
Topola and Oplenac
Royal complex, St. George church mosaics, wine estates nearby.
Viminacium (Požarevac)
Roman archaeological park with excavations and museum.
Golubac Fortress and Đerdap National Park
Scenic Danube gorge, medieval fortress, hiking views.
Rent a car in Serbia
Getting there
Train stations
Domestic to Novi Sad, Niš; international to Budapest, Zagreb
Regional and long distance domestic services
From BEG use the A1 shuttle bus, airport taxi, or prebook a ride to central Belgrade.
Click to get eSim for Serbia
The easiest and most affordable way to get mobile internet wherever you travel.
Visa & entry
EU member states, USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea, most South American countries
Some African countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and select Asian nations
Check the Serbian MFA or local embassy for your nationality before travel.
Comments (10)
Felt safe walking around late in Belgrade, but some areas outside the city center seemed a bit sketchy after dark. Use common sense like anywhere.
Stayed in Serbia for a week and the countryside scenery really stole the show. Would skip the big cities next time and spend more time in the mountains.
Most museums in Belgrade have free entry on Sundays, plan accordingly and save some cash. Worth checking their websites first.
Food in Serbia is a mix of hearty and fresh, loved the local cheeses and grilled meats. Not all cities as vibrant as Belgrade though. 5 days felt about right.
Avoid the touristy restaurants near the main square. Walk a few blocks out for authentic food that's cheaper and tastier, especially grilled meats.