24 hours in Belgrade: what to see

The Kalemegdan Fortress opens the day: built and rebuilt by Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and Austrians, it dominates the confluence between Sava and Danube from a park that is also the city's main green lung.

Descending toward the center, you walk along Knez Mihailova, the city's main pedestrian street, flanked by nineteenth-century buildings and shops leading to Republic Square.

On the square stands the National Museum, which houses Serbian and international works of art in a recently restored building after years of closure.

For lunch, restaurants in Skadarlija, the city's bohemian quarter with its cobbled streets, offer traditional Serbian cuisine in an old inn-like atmosphere.

For the final part of the day, the Temple of Saint Sava, one of the world's largest Orthodox churches, whose golden dome dominates the city skyline from any viewing point.

On the Sava River, Savamala is instead the former industrial quarter transformed into the city's creative center, with galleries, alternative venues, and street art murals.

By evening, returning to Skadarlija or Savamala, the restaurants in the neighborhood lend themselves well to dinner, before diving into Belgrade's celebrated nightlife.

Kalemegdan Fortress, Knez Mihailova Street, and the National Museum suffice to convey Belgrade's historical stratification, while an afternoon choice between the Temple of Saint Sava and Savamala adds either religious or creative dimension.

The splav—floating nightclubs on the Danube—and a trip to Smederevo Fortress, nearby, remain chapters for a second visit. Watching the golden dome of the Temple of Saint Sava dominate the skyline at sunset best sums up Belgrade.