Belgrade - The Capital of Serbia

Population
1,405,192
Language
Serbian
Continent
Europe
Since
1918
Eco Ranking
66/195

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

About Belgrade

Belgrade's position at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers has made it a strategically contested site for over two millennia, and by some historical counts it has been destroyed and rebuilt more than 40 times. The city became the capital of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, following the collapse of Austria-Hungary, and served as the capital of Yugoslavia through multiple political transformations, royalist, wartime occupied, socialist, until the federation began to dissolve in the early 1990s. During World War II, Belgrade was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1944 and subjected to aerial bombardment both by the Germans in 1941 and by Allied forces in 1944. As Yugoslavia fragmented, Belgrade remained the capital of a shrinking federation: the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) from 1992, then the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003, and finally the Republic of Serbia from 2006 when Montenegro declared independence. The city houses the National Assembly, the Presidency, and the Government of Serbia. NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999 during the Kosovo conflict, targeting government and military infrastructure.

About Serbia

Serbia is a parliamentary republic in which the President holds a significant political role alongside the Prime Minister. The country is a candidate for European Union membership but has not met accession benchmarks, in part due to the unresolved status of Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by over 100 UN member states but not by Serbia or several EU members.

View Belgrade on the map

View Belgrade - The Capital of Serbia on the map

Flight time from Belgrade to other capitals

CityDistance (km)Flight Time
Rome7000h 49m
Paris14001h 39m
London17002h 0m
Abu Dhabi38004h 28m
Washington, D.C.76008h 56m
Cape Town880010h 21m
Tokyo920010h 49m
Singapore940011h 4m
Buenos Aires1190014h 0m
Canberra1560018h 21m

Capitals with similar population to Belgrade

CityPopulation
Abu Dhabi1,482,816
Sofia1,405,612
Belgrade1,405,192
Dublin1,388,233
Montevideo1,381,611
Tegucigalpa1,363,000
Prague1,335,084

Capitals with similar eco ranking to Belgrade

CityEco Rank
Dili61
Belgrade66
Bogotá67
Santiago68
Roseau69
Gaborone70
Georgetown71

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When did Belgrade become the capital of Serbia?

    Belgrade became the capital of the modern Serbian state in stages. It served as capital of the Kingdom of Serbia before World War I, became the capital of Yugoslavia in 1918, and has been the capital of independent Serbia since 2006, when Montenegro declared independence and dissolved the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.

  • Was Belgrade the capital of Yugoslavia?

    Yes. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia from its establishment as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 through its various forms, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, until Yugoslavia's final dissolution in 2006.

  • How many times has Belgrade been destroyed?

    Historical estimates suggest Belgrade has been destroyed and rebuilt more than 40 times, owing to its location at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, which made it a key strategic position fought over by the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Habsburg, and later European powers. These figures are approximate and used by historians to illustrate the city's turbulent history.

  • Why did NATO bomb Belgrade in 1999?

    NATO conducted an air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from March to June 1999 in response to Serbian security forces' actions against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, which had sparked a humanitarian crisis and mass displacement. Belgrade was struck along with other targets; the campaign ended with a UN-brokered agreement placing Kosovo under UN administration.

  • Is Belgrade the largest city in Serbia?

    Yes. Belgrade is by far the largest city in Serbia, with around 1.4 million people in the city and nearly 1.7 million in the wider metropolitan area. Novi Sad, the second-largest city, has a population of around 280,000, making Belgrade's dominance over the urban hierarchy considerable.

Sights and landmarks

The Belgrade Fortress (Kalemegdan) at the confluence of the Sava and Danube combines Roman, Byzantine, medieval Serbian, Ottoman and Habsburg fortification elements. The surrounding park is the city's favourite walking spot. St. Sava Temple, one of the world's largest Orthodox churches with a dome of 70 metres, was begun in 1935 and only completed in 2017; the mosaic ceiling covering over 15,000 square metres of gold tiles was inaugurated in 2020. The Nikola Tesla Museum houses the inventor's original documents and the urn containing his ashes. The 19th-century district of Skadarlija is the bohemian street with traditional kafanas and live music. Novi Beograd across the Sava displays Brutalist Yugoslav architecture.

Climate and best time to visit

Belgrade has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with warm summers and cold winters, influenced by both Mediterranean and continental air masses. July is hot with temperatures between 17 and 30 degrees Celsius, with periods above 35 degrees. January ranges between -3 and 4 degrees, with the feared Košava wind from the Carpathians that can significantly lower the perceived temperature. Annual rainfall totals around 700 millimetres, with the most in May and June. The best time to visit runs from April to June and September to October. Summer nightlife flourishes on the floating clubs (splavovi) along the Sava and Danube.

Culture and customs

Serbia is predominantly Eastern Orthodox through the Serbian Orthodox Church, with religious identity closely intertwined with national identity; the slava, a family feast day honouring a patron saint, is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. Belgrade has a vibrant nightlife scene and is regarded as one of Europe's party capitals. The cuisine combines Balkan, Ottoman and Central European influences: ćevapi (grilled minced meat rolls), pljeskavica (meat burger) and rakija, the fruit brandy distilled in every household according to its own recipe. Football, with the eternal derby between Red Star and Partizan, is a primary cultural element and can completely take over the city on match days.
Belgrade, capital of Serbia
Belgrade, capital of Serbia

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