This guest post is written by my friend Dan, sharing his experience of visiting Serbia, where his Mum’s family are from, for the first time. He talks about why he wanted to visit, why he didn’t go until adulthood, and explains how the trip felt for him.
I’m pleased to be able to host this post telling such a personal story.
In April 2026, my son and I made the trip to Serbia for the first time. Now, whilst Serbia is growing in popularity, it’s not exactly known as a mass tourist destination, as opposed to Croatia and Montenegro. Visiting Serbia is still considered unusual for a lot of people.
I am of Serbian descent; my grandfather left the former Jugoslavia [Yugoslavia is an anglicised transcription] as a refugee following World War II, settling in England, where he met my grandmother.
My mum was their youngest child; we had always planned on visiting Serbia together, she had managed to visit her father’s home village. However, this was in Croatia, as he was part of an ethnic Serbian community that still lives there.
Sadly, my mum passed away suddenly in 2023. This was a heart-breaking time for us as a family. If any positives can be taken, it galvanised me to do two things: learn the Serbian language and to visit Serbia.
I was not a Serbian speaker from childhood. I’ve always been able to say a few words, but unfortunately, my father was not the nicest of people and wouldn’t allow us to learn Serbian.
I worked hard with a friend who happens to be a Serbian Orthodox priest as well as paying for lessons, self-study and practising the language at my local Serbian Orthodox Church. I also learned to read and write the Cyrillic alphabet, more on that later. My wife and I decided that I and my son would visit to keep costs down. So we booked visiting Serbia for April of this year.
Visiting Serbia with flights by Wizz Air
We flew with Wizz Air. Full disclosure, this carrier doesn’t always have the best reputation. However, it is the only budget airline that will fly directly to Belgrade, Serbia from the UK. Even then, all flights depart from Luton Airport only.
The only other option for a direct flight is via Air Serbia. The Serbian national airline only flies from Heathrow and is considerably more expensive.
Our flight was delayed, but after a panicky hour or so we finally boarded. The flight when visiting Serbia from the UK takes about three hours and we landed at Nikola Tesla airport.
Beautiful Belgrade
I was struck by how beautiful Belgrade was from the air. Very quickly, you see the Kula Tower on the Belgrade waterfront, which regularly lights from the ground up.
We were swiftly through Customs at the airport. The staff were fairly approachable and my use of the language helped. Now, I should mention that I still have relatives living in Serbia. Happily, my cousin’s partner, Vagelis, picked us up and took my son and I to our hotel in Zemun.
We stayed in a twin room in the Garni Side One Design Hotel in Zemun when visiting Serbia. The hotel had good reviews and is ideal if you’re travelling on a budget. The staff are super friendly and again, it helped I was able to speak to them largely in Serbian.
Bohemian Zemun-the ideal base when visiting Serbia
A word about Zemun: while it is officially part of Belgrade, Zemun natives don’t see themselves as being from the capital. They have a distinct identity borne out of Zemun’s long history. It’s worth noting it previously was a town in its own right.
You can think of Zemun as a fairly bohemian, chilled out town. The Danube flows straight through it and our hotel was literally on Zemunski Kej (Zemun Quay). This allows for stunning walks on the riverside. Here, you’re never far away from an ice cream, the local pancakes or a cheeky alcoholic drink.
After a continental breakfast in the morning, my son and I set off to explore Zemun. We started with Gardoš Tower, a local monument on top of a fairly large hill that offers breath-taking views of Zemun and the Danube. We didn’t go in at first. However, we did stop at the Gardoš Pub, a bar I’ve followed online for some years.
The staff were warm, friendly and hugely helpful. They were particularly keen to ensure my son had plenty to eat and drink. This was also a huge confidence boost. I was complimented on my Serbian language ability, with the landlord (“Gazda” in Serbian) saying I sounded like a local.
The best Ćevapi in Zemun
After that, we had a wonderful, first time meeting with my cousin Ružica and her wonderful mum, Rada. We have spoken and video called online for many years. It was quite emotional to meet for the first time, particularly as our family has sadly lost so many people over the years.
After meeting, we ate at a local restaurant serving reputedly the best Ćevapi in Zemun. For Ćevapi, think Balkan kebab shaped like a sausage. Food in my homeland is fairly cheap and they do not skimp on portions. You must be prepared to put on weight when visiting Serbia!
Stunning Kalemegdan: a must-see when visiting Serbia
On Tuesday, my son and I took a bus into Belgrade proper to visit Kalemegdan park and Belgrade Fortress. If you plan on visiting Serbia, an amazing thing about Belgrade is that all buses and trams are free. If you struggle navigating, ask a local, as most of them speak reasonable English.
Kalemegdan was simply stunningly beautiful, as was the fortress. From the old Roman well to the artillery park, it’s got everything from beautiful scenery to an abundance of history. There are also several stalls where you can get soft drinks, Turkish coffee, beer and rakija, a type of brandy, usually in its “cooked” or mulled form. Again, drinks are very cheap when compared with the UK.
We then walked into Belgrade itself; now, for further context, my son has autism. He’s very articulate, however crowds can be difficult for him. Belgrade is a lively, bustling city that never sleeps, so shortly afterwards we took the bus back to the hotel.
Travelling from Belgrade to Novi Sad when visiting Serbia
In the morning, we agreed to travel to Novi Sad, via high speed rail from Belgrade. We took a taxi to the station for ease. Taxis are generally pretty cheap. Drivers by and large are very chatty, particularly if you speak the language.
The train was clean, modern and got us to Novi Sad in under an hour. You actually disembark in Petrovaradin, a town now part of Novi Sad, which is dominated by the huge Petrovaradin Fortress.
Buses aren’t free here, but they are exceptionally cheap. After getting off in Novi Sad and a bite to eat a local pekara (bakery), we walked round the city centre, visiting a nearby Serbian Orthodox Church.
Novi Sad is known as “the Athens of Serbia”. This is an apt description given its stunning architecture, cultural heritage and historical significance in its province of Vojvavodina.
It was also a little bit easier to communicate. Novi Sad dialect is very relaxed and slow, as opposed to Belgradians who tend to speak rather rapidly. We didn’t stay long. I had wanted to visit the fortress, however my son has his limits, so we returned to Belgrade, then Zemun.
Temple of St Sava: an awe-inspiring experience
We then visited the simply beautiful, awe-inspiring Temple of St Sava (Hram Svetog Sava). This is the largest Orthodox Christian cathedral in Europe (however, the Orthodox followers refer to places of worship of this size as temples, cathedral is “katedrala” and is used to refer to Anglican and Catholic cathedrals).
I am not overly religious, but I was raised, albeit in a relaxed manner, in the Serbian Orthodox Church. Putting this aside, I would challenge anyone to visit St Sava and not be moved in their very soul. The traditional artwork, the high, domed and painted ceilings… the spirituality is deeply felt.
We fulfilled a promise by my son lighting candles for his Baba (grandmother), Orthodox tradition being that you light one for the living, one for the dead.
My mum was a fairly quiet believer. But I know she would have been moved to tears by the beauty and reverential atmosphere of St Sava. I’m not sure where I stand on the afterlife. However, if I’ve ever been sure that my Mum was with me, she was with us both then, however fleetingly.
A chill day in Zemun
My son asked for a “chill day” the next day, so we had a lazy breakfast and wandered Zemun, eating and drinking locally.
I must mention the Crveni Rak (Red Crab) pub. I have also followed them for many years online, it turned out they were a 30-second walk from our hotel. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming and vibrant, there is often live music and the beers, rakija and coffee are exceptional.
I regularly visited with my son and at times on my own (my son is in his mid-teens so can be on his own for an hour or so in the hotel with free WiFi).
One thing to make you aware of though: smoking in pubs is still legal in Serbia and a lot of people do smoke; I had to readjust to this.
We were also able to meet for dinner with my cousin, her mum, partner and my uncle, my Mum’s oldest brother, Nik. We reminisced on good times with my Mum and my uncle David, their middle brother, whom we sadly also lost in 2017.
It has to be said, flying back was very difficult and some tears were shed.
A cathartic experience visiting Serbia for the first time
Visiting Serbia for me was a deeply personal issue; unfortunately, my father actively prevented me from embracing my Serbian heritage and roots.
Undertaking this journey felt somewhat cathartic, as well as a process of healing, processing grief and reconnecting and reclaiming a part of me that was taken away. I continue to practice the language, with my dream to be fluent one day.
We will be returning to Serbia and I would strongly encourage you to do the same. It’s an old country with simply stunning beauty, as well as an at times difficult past. The people are warm, fiercely independent and welcoming: once they embrace you, they never forget you.
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