In addition, Belgrade is a fun city to visit, especially in the summer. People crowd the raft restaurants, bars and clubs along the banks of the Sava and Danube rivers, the parks, and the shores of Ada Ciganlija Lake. As one article puts it, you have the feeling that every day is a Saturday and every night, a Friday night.
Also, there is going to be an annual beer festival around the same time. For more info, please check Belgrade Beer Fest 2010.
On a separate note, we've noticed that airfares to Belgrade are for some reason unusually expensive this year. In addition to Kayak, these two search engines may have better deals: edreams.net and ITA Software.
As an alternative, several low-cost airlines fly to Belgrade from Western Europe: Wizz Air (from London), Germanwings (from Germany), and Fly Niki (various).
Belgrade Map with some of the sights and hotel locations
View Belgrade in a larger map
Denitza recommends:
1. Exploring Kalemegdan at sunset. Grab an ice-cold beer or sip on a cappuccino at the outdoor cafe at the Restaurant Kalemegdanska Terasa. A great spot, although sometimes you do get a whiff of the lion housed in the zoo below.
2. Enjoying a meal at one of the many raft restaurants along the Danube. (Insect repellent is recommended, as the summers can bring mosquitoes.)
3. Getting lost in Stari Grad - the oldest part of Belgrade. Definitely venture beyond Skadarlija; you never know what or who you might run across.
4. Having some amazing crepes (savory or sweet) at Keops.
5. Visiting the Bulgarian Consulate. Just kidding. But this is where we spent a bulk of my visit to Belgrade last summer, so to me it is a landmark. And it is in a pretty nice location. Hurray to no more visas for Serbian citizens to EU countries!
Milos recommends:
1. Coming to Belgrade.
Belgrade Accommodation Info
Our parents have secured a group rate at Life Design Hotel (75 EUR per night for a double room, 70 EUR for a single). To book this option, please e-mail Denitza's father, Tzvetan Jilkov (e-mail: vadeli at skynet dot be), with the following information: name(s), type of room (double king, double twin, or single), and the check-in and check-out dates.
We have tried to provide some other recommendations for everyone's taste and budget below. You can also always check hotels.com, booking.com, expedia.com for any deals. Personally, we think that renting an apartment for a couple of nights may be a much better deal (value for money) as most are super nice, centrally located and very decently priced. We have provided a few links for apartment-renting sites below. If you need some help with booking any of these options, please let us know. For hotel locations, check the map. (Sorry, apartments are too many to map.)
Top-end (over 150 EUR for double room, 4-5 stars)
Hyatt Regency
Townhouse 27
Between mid-range and top-end (120-130 EUR for double)
Le Petit Piaf (small rooms, but very nice location on Skadarlija)
Queens Apartments (good location, delux apartments, B&B treatment)
Mid-range (65-100 EUR for double, 3 stars)
B&B Art Home
Pension Traveling Actor (can be booked via www.booking.com)
Belgrade Art Hotel (new, right on Knez Mihajlova street)
Excelsior (recently refurbished, on the cheaper end of the mid-range options, central location)
Rex (near train station which is a somewhat sketchy area but good reviews, good value for money, 10-15 mins walk from center)
Zira (good reviews but 30-min walk from center)
Budget (50 EUR and under for double)
Manga hostel
Hostel 360 (right on Knez Mihajlova street)
Spirit Hostel
Also check Hostelbookers for other hostel options.
For a real cultural experience
Hotel Moskva (Communist-era furniture and setting)
Apartment rentals
www.belgrade-apartment-rentals.com/index.html
www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentals-g294472-Reviews-Belgrade-Vacation_Rentals.html
www.beorent.com/belgrade/short-term-apartments.html
www.belgradeapartment.net
bgapartmani.com/
www.apartmentinbelgrade.com/
Serbia Travel Guide
Belgrade Travel Guides and Blogs
http://www.tob.co.rs/eng/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/serbia/belgrade
http://www.belgradenet.com/
http://www.belgraded.com/
Recent Articles on Belgrade
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/travel/13next.html?ref=travel
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/dec/13/belgrade-from-our-correspondent?page=all
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/music_and_travel/article5082856.ece
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/serbia/belgrade/overview.html
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