Did you know that Belgrade has its own China town? Or a metro station? If you are looking for a local experience and want to discover a different side of Belgrade off the beaten path, you may like this selection of the less visited places. These are Belgrade’s five hidden gems which most tourists never see.
1. Blok 70 – Belgrade’s China Town
You might have heard about the various stores run by Chinese people which you will find all over town, but Blok 70 is definitely another level. It is tucked away in the new part of Belgrade (Novi Beograd), the blokovi. Locals call it kinezi, Chinese Market or the Serbian China Town. With more than 10.000 square meters of space it’s the largest one in the Balkans. Blok 70 is a shopping center, in fact, surrounded by outdoor stands. Once you are inside, you’ll feel like in another country. You can find anything you can imagine that you might (not) need, from cheap household trinkets and exotic groceries to clothing and toys. There are some Chinese restaurants too, offering good soups. All in all, a place where it can be fun to get lost and buy some (s)crap you (don’t) really need.
- Jurija Gagarina 91
- every day except Thursday: 09:00-17:00
2. Beovoz – Belgrade’s Metro
Did you know that Belgrade has a metro station in the middle of the city center? The first plans for a full metro system were made in the late 30s. Unfortunately, WWII had occurred in between. Since then, the construction of a subway was mentioned several times but nothing really happened, except in 1995: Belgrade got a beautiful metro/railway station at Vukov Spomenik. These days, you’ll find beovoz, a S-train instead of a metro. It has the usage to connect the suburbs with the city center. My recommendation is to take the train at Vukov Spomenik (there is also an underground station at the Karađorđev Park) and go all the way to Zemun. It’s an awesome ride where you’ll see the city from a different angle and not to forget the concrete blocks and skyscrapers in New Belgrade.
3. KPGT
KPGT started as an artist community in Zagreb, in 1977. The independent Yugoslav theater ensemble, consisting of prominent artists, performed their theater plays all over the world and received several awards for it. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the story of KPGT has also come to an end. But only temporary. A few years later, KPGT continued in Subotica and ended up as a squat in Serbia’s oldest sugar factory in Belgrade with Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream as their first play. What makes KPGT unique is that it’s completely unlike anywhere else in the city. It’s an enormous space with a bar, two stages and a lot of creativity. The new repertoire will be published by the end of January and they also announced an art festival in the near future. Fun fact: The acronym KPGT stands for kazalište, pozorište, gledalište, teatar, all of them are synonyms for theater.
- Radnička 3
- opening hours depend on the events
- KPGT on Facebook
4. Restoran Ribnjak
One of my favourite fish restaurants to visit in Belgrade that not many people know about has to be Ribnjak. Located on the left bank of the Danube river close to the Pančevo bridge the family restaurant serves all kind of freshwater fish and different fish specialties such as fish soup and mućkalica, a stew made of fish and vegetables. Beside fish and traditional barbecue you can also find interesting dishes like frog legs and game meat on the menu. My recommendation is the fish starter plate which includes sixteen delicious appetizers, all made of fish and fish soup. I like the green ambience and the intimate atmosphere there.
- Jojkićev Dunavac bb
- Mon-Sun: 12:00-22:00
- ribnjak.rs
5. Dorćolsko Narodno Pozorište – Kosmodrom
Hidden in a quiet street of lower Dorćol, this independent theater is something what you’ve never experienced before. The place itself is an abandoned storehouse and was part of the Jewish neighborhood before the war. The space got transformed into a lovely art scene where the audience usually sits around the stage, very close to the actors. Braće i sestre Baruh, the story about one of the most famous Jewish families living in Dorćol, was Kosmodrom’s first theater play. The director together with his ensemble uses a new way of telling stories which will definitely make you fall in love with this place. The new theater season starts in February.
- Solunska 24
- Mon-Sun: 19:00-02:00
- DNP on Facebook
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