Belgrade Activities: Markets, Kafanas, Beer
Belgrade Activities: Markets, Kafanas and Beer
Belgrade’s best mornings start at a cheese stall, where a spoonful of kajmak is pressed into your hand before you have asked the price. The city runs on appetite, and most of what is worth doing here involves a table, a market counter or a glass.
Start at a green market
Kalenić, in Vračar, is the market locals use. Head for the cheese pavilion (mlečna hala) and taste fresh white cheeses and kajmak scooped from wooden tubs, then look over the cured meats, mountain honey and seasonal fruit. Bajloni, at the foot of Skadarlija, sits beside traditional bakeries and is handy after a late breakfast.
Bring dinars (RSD) in small notes. Stalls, bakeries and street kiosks mostly want cash, while hotels, malls and modern restaurants take Visa and Mastercard. Exchange bureaus (menjačnice) are everywhere in the centre, and it pays to compare two or three boards before you change money.
If you would rather taste your way round with a local guide, compare Belgrade food tours on GetYourGuide and check the meeting point and stops first.
An evening in a Skadarlija kafana
Skadarlija is a cobbled bohemian street from the 19th century, and its kafanas still hire roving string bands (tamburaši) who play old urban love songs. Tri Šešira (Three Hats, Skadarska 29, opened 1864) and Dva Jelena (Two Deer, Skadarska 32, opened 1832) are the two names everybody knows.
Order a meze platter of smoked pršuta, aged kajmak and urnebes cheese spread, then grilled ćevapi or pljeskavica, with plum šljivovica or quince dunjevača brandy alongside. Budget roughly 3,000 to 4,500 RSD per person (about €25 to €40). Reserve a table for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Craft beer in Dorćol
Dorćol, once an industrial and trading district, is where Serbia’s craft brewing scene took hold. Samo Pivo (Milutina Bojića 2) pours more than 20 rotating taps from Serbia and elsewhere in Europe, and Gunners Pub (Braće Jugovića 2a) is a relaxed neighbourhood standby. Walking between the two is a pleasant way to see the district’s older streets.
A free sunset at Kalemegdan
The fortress park above the confluence of the Sava and Danube is open around the clock and costs nothing to enter. Walk to the Pobednik, the bronze Victor monument by Ivan Meštrović (1928), and watch the light fade over the flat plain beyond the rivers. It is the classic end to a day, and it pairs well with a kafana dinner afterwards. Opening details for the fortress museums are on beogradskatvrdjava.rs .
Getting around
Buses, trams, trolleybuses and the BG Voz are free for all passengers, so you can simply board. The city tourist organisation keeps current transport and event information at tob.rs . Demonstrations happen in Belgrade and can escalate quickly, so avoid protest areas and check the news before heading to central squares.
Staying in the old town puts the kafanas, Kalemegdan and Knez Mihailova on foot. You can check rates on Booking.com for Stari Grad and Dorćol.
For landmarks to combine with these, read the sightseeing page or the 2-day Belgrade itinerary .
Tip: carry a few hundred dinars in coins and small notes for market stalls and for tipping, because card machines in kafanas usually cannot add a tip to the bill.