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Kalemegdan Park: This is the perfect place to see the confluence of the two rivers, and to take a stroll around the Belgrade Fortress, among the fountains, steps, masterpieces of garden design and emblematic monuments, such as the Pobednik (The Victor). Built at the top of Šumadija Hill, 125m above sea level, the fortress is a combination of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian defensive works, standing on the remains of Roman and Byzantine fortifications. The grounds of the castle, full of trees and plants, also boast a zoo and some small museums. Address: Terazije 3, 00381112620685, www.beogradskatvrdjava.co.rs

Church of Saint Sava: Belgrade is home to the largest Orthodox church in the world, which can accommodate 10,000 worshippers and is dedicated to the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Saint Sava. The cathedral, built of white marble and granite in the Serb-Byzantine style, rises above the city skyline with the 18 crosses atop its domes and its 49 bell towers. Work has been continuing on the church for a hundred years now – and it still isn’t finished! Address: Krušedolska 2a, www.hramsvetogsave.com/

Ada Ciganlija: A lush island at the mouth of the River Sava, artificially converted into a peninsula, creating a beautiful lake. Just four kilometres from the centre of Belgrade, rare birds and hares flit and scamper through the dense foliage of the peninsula, which the local people refer to complacently as their own Hawaii. There is an artificial lake for small boats, canoes and kayaks, with a beach seven kilometres long – all in the heart of the city! This is the ideal place for walks, picnics and sport – the island of Ada has more than 50 pitches and courts for football, basketball, rugby and hockey, among other sports, as well as its own golf course. Address: Ada Ciganlija 2, 00381113544634, www.adaciganlija.rs

Mt. Avala: Climb to the top of Mt. Avala, 511m above sea level, and enjoy the panoramic view of almost the whole of northern Serbia – from just 18km south of Belgrade! You will see the Monument to the Unknown Hero, dedicated to the Serbian soldiers who fell in the First World War, as well as the memorial park commemorating the 80,000 Serbs executed by the Nazis. And you can marvel at the landmark symbol of modern Belgrade, the TV tower, which at 204.5m is the tallest structure in the Balkans, destroyed in the bombing of 1999 but rebuilt and reopened to the public in 2010. Address: www.avalskitoranj.rs

Novi Sad: The delightful capital of the province of Vojvodina, just 69km from Belgrade, is an enchanting blend of Baroque and Rococo architecture, with picturesque narrow streets, brightly painted buildings, a spacious square and a romantic esplanade along the banks of the Danube. Towering above the river is the imposing Petrovaradin Fortress, the impregnable castle of the Hapsburgs. Visit the Vojvodina Museum and admire the exhibits, ranging in date from the Palaeolithic Era to the 2nd World War.

Residence of Princess Ljubica: This is a villa in the Balkan style, built in 1831 and displaying elements of both European and Ottoman architecture. Every Friday visitors to this historic palace with its antique furniture can join in a special event: coffee with the Princess. The trustee of the Museum of the City of Belgrade, Natasha Popovska, dressed as Princess Ljubica, takes visitors on a tour of the villa and tells them its fascinating story; coffee and sweets are served. Address: Kneza Sime Markovića 8, 0038111 26 38 246, www.mgb.org.rs

Fresco Gallery: Admire life-size copies of frescoes from various monasteries in the former Yugoslavia. The collection is of particular value in that it has rescued works of art from monasteries in Kosovo, where the originals have been destroyed. Address: Cara Uroša 20, 0038160 80 75 032

Ethnographic Museum: Founded a hundred years ago, this is one of the oldest museums in Belgrade. It offers a penetrating insight into the Balkan lifestyle, both urban and rural, through 160,000 items of everyday use, Serbian traditional costumes and works of folk art. Address: Studentski Trg 13, 00381 11 3281888, http://etnografskimuzej.rs.

Take a stroll along one of the most attractive pedestrianized streets in Europe, lined with beautiful neoclassical buildings, which takes its name from the Serbian Prince Miloš Obrenović. The dazzling Knez Mihailova Street is the heart of Belgrade’s shopping district. All the main representatives of Balkan fashion are to be found here, both established and up-and-coming Serbian fashion designers, presenting their imaginative creations in the boutiques of Kneza Sime Markovića and Delijska Streets.

Belgrade has a number of ultra-modern shopping malls where you can find all the mainstream labels in clothes and accessories; you’ll also find a huge variety of sporting goods. At the city’s malls you can combine your shopping with a meal, a movie or a bowling session, while at the outlets in Zemun and in the modern part of Belgrade you will find bargains and sales all year round.

If you’re looking for souvenirs, we recommend babushkas from the Zeleni Venac food market, woven fabrics, funky T-shirts and the local rakija, a spirit made from fruit, usually plums.

Serbian cuisine is a blend of Ottoman influences, legacies from the Austro-Hungarian past and flavours from neighbouring Italy, with the emphasis on meat and pulses. You can sample local specialties, cooked in the traditional manner, at the kafanas, the traditional restaurants of the bohemian Skadarlija district. These resemble Greek tavernas and neighbourhood restaurants, serving classic Serbian dishes accompanied by local rakija and live music, usually gypsy violins. Make a point of trying the fish mezedes served on the banks of the Danube, and enjoy your dinner on the terraces with their views of the river.

Belgrade is famed for its exciting nightlife, with super-hot venues where famous DJs from around the world keep the beat at full volume. Current musical trends in the Balkans feature skilful combinations of electronic music with techno and jazz, particularly in the youthful bars on Strahinjica Street. In the summer months the nightlife moves out onto the waters of the River Sava, with the city’s fashionable people partying on the splavovi, river boats converted into floating clubs.

Music plays the leading role in most of Belgrade’s major events.

• Exit: World-renowned music festival held in the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad. For five days and nights in July the picture-perfect capital of the province of Vojvodina comes alive to the fever of rock, pop and hip hop, with 22 open-air stages and performers from all over the world appearing before an enthusiastic audience of 200,000 people, pouring into the ‘Gibraltar of the Danube’.  
• FEST: Every year in late February-early March, Belgrade demonstrates its love of the seventh art in the International Film Festival, with non-stop film screenings and tributes to actors and directors.
• Belgrade Summer Festival: Every summer the city is transformed into a huge stage for music, theatre, dance and multimedia artistic happenings. All through July and August events are held in the streets and squares of the city, in the Kalemegdan Park and the Ada peninsula.
• BEMUS: Serbia’s oldest and most important classical music festival is held every October in the Sava Centar, the Kolarac Foundation and other musical venues in Belgrade, featuring top soloists and ensembles from all over Europe.
• Belgrade Jazz Festival: Musicians from Serbia and the rest of the world come together for five days of thrilling jazz. The festival is held in late October, at the Belgrade Youth Centre.

Getting to and from the airport

Aegean Airlines flights land at the Nikola Tesla international airport, located just 12km to the west of the city. This modern airport boasts shops selling designer clothes and accessories, souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants with Serbian cuisine and international dishes, a bank, foreign exchange desks, a small clinic, a pharmacy and a casino. Wi-Fi is free for the first 15 minutes of use.

To get from the airport into the city you can take the A1 minibus or the PTC Belgrade 72 bus, both of which make stops at all the central points of Belgrade. Taxis are also an option, and will take you into the city for a reasonable price.