Belgrade

The "White City" at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava, with Kalemegdan Fortress, the Church of Saint Sava and nightlife on the rivers; visa-free and friendly for Chinese travelers.

Belgrade is in northern Serbia, where the Sava flows into the Danube, on the border between the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. It has about 1.7 million residents and is the capital of Serbia, and was once the capital of Yugoslavia. The city's name means "White City." For more than two thousand years it has sat on the dividing lines between Romans and barbarians, Byzantines and Hungarians, Ottomans and Habsburgs; by some counts it has seen over a hundred wars and been destroyed and rebuilt dozens of times. As a result there are few old buildings, but its layers of history and vibrant city atmosphere give it a unique charm. Areas to explore: first, the core of the old city. Kalemegdan Fortress Park sits on the promontory where the two rivers meet, and to the southeast follow Knez Mihailova pedestrian street, Republic Square and the National Museum, and the bohemian street of Skadarlija. Second, the Vračar district to the south, home to the Cathedral of Saint Sava and the Nikola Tesla Museum. Third, New Belgrade across the Sava, a district of large socialist-era housing estates and commercial areas, with many floating "splav" restaurants and clubs along the riverbank. Fourth, the old town of Zemun to the northwest, formerly part of Austria-Hungary, which keeps the look of a Central European small town. Fifth, the Museum of Yugoslavia (the tomb of Tito) in the Dedinje district to the south. Climate: April–June and September–October are the best times, at about 18–25°C. Summers often exceed 35°C, but the nightlife on the rivers is liveliest then. Winters are around 0°C. Getting there: Nikola Tesla Airport is about 18 km from the center; the A1 airport minibus takes about 30 minutes, or take a taxi (use the official taxi desk or a ride-hailing app). City buses and trams accept contactless bank cards or local ticketing methods, and the main Old Town sights are within walking distance. The high-speed train from Belgrade to Novi Sad, opened in 2022, takes about 40 minutes, and the Belgrade–Budapest railway (the Hungary–Serbia line) has also been completed, so you can combine Novi Sad and Budapest. We suggest staying 2–3 days. Notes: China and Serbia have a mutual visa exemption for ordinary passports (stays of up to 30 days; check the latest rules). The currency is the Serbian dinar, and cards are accepted at some places. Smoking indoors is still fairly common. Use official taxi channels to avoid being overcharged.

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