If you happen to be in Belgrade during summer months you might get surprised how hot our city can get. So, prepare yourself for that and I’ll help you by giving you the best insider tips on how to enjoy summer in Belgrade.
Whether it’s sea, lake or river, I love being by the water, especially in summer. I feel the happiest and most relaxed when looking at the water. Belgrade has a two rivers and some pretty cool restaurants and coffee shops near them, so that’s where your place should be.
If you’re near Sava river I suggest having lunch at Splav Suvenir and if you’re near Danube try Amfora (for food and drinks), Lemon Chili (for a relaxing afternoon or evening and a cocktail).
Where to go swimming in Belgrade
The number one thing we all need in hot summer months is to simply jump in the water and swim. Belgrade has some great places where you can swim. The first place on this list is Ada Ciganlija. This is a lake not far from the city center and one of the places where people often go swimming and sunbathing in summer months. You can choose which side you’ll spend your day at and if you change your mind and don’t have the car or a bike to get you to the other side, simply wait for a little train to get you where you want to go next.
So, what to do there? You can swim, sunbathe and enjoy your day at Ada Ciganlija. There are sunbeds and umbrellas that you can rent or you can bring your own. There are many coffee shops and restaurants here and some of my recommendations are: Sunset and Smokvica on one side and Ada Safari on the other. You can also go bungee jumping here, play mini golf or try water skiing.
Another place where you can go swimming in Belgrade is Lido in the part of Belgrade called Zemun.
If you prefer going to the swimming pool, there are a few of them which you’ll like. I recommend Tasmajdan and Milan Gale Muskatirovic, both in the city center. The second one is overlooking the river Danube on one side and Belgrade fortress on the other.
What else to do to enjoy summer in Belgrade?
Go shopping and have lunch with a view at Ada Mall. After a day at the lake you can relax and go shopping or have dinner with a view of the city. Restaurant Monument has an awesome terrace and their food is great.
Ice cream is the essential part of every summer so I suggest trying the flavours you love at Crna ovca (Black sheep) which is located in two places in Belgrade – Kralja Petra street and Njegoseva street. Another great ice cream shop is called Luff gelato and I recommend trying them as well (Prote Mateje street).
Go out for dinner and cocktail. There are so many restaurants and bars that I would recommend visiting while in Belgrade, but this would be a much longer post then. I’ll just tell you about my favourite dinner and drink spots.
If you like Italian food you need to go to Trattoria Campania! It’s in the city center, close to Belgrade Co-cathedral. One of the restaurants I really love is Smokvica. You can find it in three locations in Belgrade. The food and atmosphere are great!
Some very popular restaurants are located on the Belgrade waterfront. Here you can spend some time strolling by the river and having lunch or dinner.
Beautiful Belgrade parks
If you like picnics there are many parks in Belgrade where you can enjoy a day out. My favorite parks are Kosutnjak and Topcider park. They are close to each other and they’re perfect if you like spending time in nature.
Kosutnjak is actually a forest where you can go for a hike or simply bring your food and drinks and have a picnic. If you feel like having a coffee or something to eat you can do that at Kafanica.
Topcider park is a great place to let your dog run or to bring your kids to play in the nature. There’s also a restaurant here called Milosev Konak. if you feel like having something to eat or simply a cup of coffee and a refreshing drink. Like I already said, summer months in Belgrade can be pretty hot. You can find your place in the shade here and enjoy your day having a picnic, reading a book.
Just like Londoners, we also have Hyde park. It’s one of the most beautiful parks in Belgrade and you can find shade here even on the hottest summer days. You can take a stroll here or have a picnic. Close to the park there’s a nice restaurant called – well, Hyde park restaurant. So, if you’re not in a mood for picnic you can stop by here and enjoy some refreshing drinks and nice food in their beautiful garden.
What else can you do in Belgrade in summer?
Enjoy the view of the city center while having lunch at Mama Shelter. As you probably know Mama Shelter is a chain of hotels and is famous for its eclectic design. I love their restaurant, the food is great and the ambiance is very relaxing. You’ll enjoy this place for sure!
One really cool place to to spend a couple of hours at is The Museum of Illusions. If you feel tired from the heat go inside the Museum of Illusions and have some fun.
Visit The Botanical garden
Jevremovac botanical garden is located close to the center of Belgrade. It was founded in 1974 at the suggestion of Josif Pancic, famous botanist and who was its first manager. Botanical garden’s open space hosts 2,500 different plant species. Beside the open space, the arboretum includes a Greenhouse and the administrative building, library, lecture hall and laboratories. Parts of the arboretum are European and Japanese gardens.
If you like plants and enjoy learning something new about them, then this is the perfect place for you to enjoy one summer day in Belgrade.
What are the best places in Belgrade to watch the sunset from?
If you ask anyone from Belgrade they’ll probably tell you that their favourite spots for watching the sunset are Belgrade fortress and from Kosancicev venac. From these two spots you can see some of the most beautiful sunsets in Belgrade.
You can read more about Kalemegdan fortress here.
Kosancicev venac is a lovely area in Belgrade where you can have a nice stroll, have a cup of coffee in one of the coffee shops and simply enjoy watching people go by. It’s a residential area but with old houses that are worth seeing.
Another great place for sunset lovers is by the Danube river in the center of the city. Just type Dunavski kej (Danube wharf) on your Google maps and you’ll have no trouble finding it.
I really hope you’ll enjoy summer in Belgrade and that this post will help. If you have any suggestions or questions feel free to contact me or send me a message on Instagram.
If you happen to be in Belgrade for the first time here you can read about the Top ten things to see and do in Belgrade.
