Belgrade saves its biggest party for New Year's Eve, and December builds up to it: Deda Mraz brings the presents, and Orthodox Christmas follows on January 7. Squares and parks fill with lights, wooden stalls, rinks and kids' stages from late November into early January. Here's what we checked, from the Zemun Fairy Tale on Zemun's main square to the New Year's Fair rides at Belgrade Fair.
An open-air ice rink set up each winter in front of Ušće Shopping Center, ringed by wooden market stalls, music and holiday lights. Kids skate laps while the rest of the family walks the stalls.
The 2025 opening night brought drummers, a neon dance show on the ice and a children's play with skating fairy-tale characters.
Zemunska bajka (Zemun Fairy Tale) turns Veliki trg, the main square of old Zemun, into a winter meeting place for the holiday season. This is its second edition, with a bigger and more varied program than the first.
Kids can skate on the outdoor ice rink, join children's workshops and catch music and entertainment shows. It suits families with kids of any age looking for an easy, festive drop-in outing.
Zimska Bajka (Winter Fairy Tale) is Belgrade's winter festival in Savski Park at Beograd na vodi, down by the Sava. The organizer dresses the park like a set from a holiday movie, with thousands of lights, music, food and other winter activities.
It's a come-and-go outing: wander the lights, eat something warm, and head home when the kids are done. It suits families with children of any age.
Belgrade's New Year's Fair has been a December fixture at the Belgrade Fair for decades. The heart of it is a big indoor amusement park, with carousels, little cars and other rides that pull in both small children and older kids.
Around the rides, stalls sell New Year's decorations, toys, gifts, souvenirs and holiday sweets. It suits families after a warm indoor outing with some holiday shopping on the side.
Beogradska zima is the city's own winter festival for the New Year and Christmas holidays, and most of it is built for kids. Squares and parks fill with short children's plays, craft tables, costumed mascots and live music.
Nothing needs booking: kids wander between the stage, the workshops and the carousel, and you leave when they're cold. It suits preschoolers and primary-age kids best.
Belgrade saves its biggest party for New Year's Eve, and December builds up to it: Deda Mraz brings the presents, and Orthodox Christmas follows on January 7. Squares and parks fill with lights, wooden stalls, rinks and kids' stages from late November into early January. Here's what we checked, from the Zemun Fairy Tale on Zemun's main square to the New Year's Fair rides at Belgrade Fair.
An open-air ice rink set up each winter in front of Ušće Shopping Center, ringed by wooden market stalls, music and holiday lights. Kids skate laps while the rest of the family walks the stalls.
The 2025 opening night brought drummers, a neon dance show on the ice and a children's play with skating fairy-tale characters.
Zemunska bajka (Zemun Fairy Tale) turns Veliki trg, the main square of old Zemun, into a winter meeting place for the holiday season. This is its second edition, with a bigger and more varied program than the first.
Kids can skate on the outdoor ice rink, join children's workshops and catch music and entertainment shows. It suits families with kids of any age looking for an easy, festive drop-in outing.
Zimska Bajka (Winter Fairy Tale) is Belgrade's winter festival in Savski Park at Beograd na vodi, down by the Sava. The organizer dresses the park like a set from a holiday movie, with thousands of lights, music, food and other winter activities.
It's a come-and-go outing: wander the lights, eat something warm, and head home when the kids are done. It suits families with children of any age.
Belgrade's New Year's Fair has been a December fixture at the Belgrade Fair for decades. The heart of it is a big indoor amusement park, with carousels, little cars and other rides that pull in both small children and older kids.
Around the rides, stalls sell New Year's decorations, toys, gifts, souvenirs and holiday sweets. It suits families after a warm indoor outing with some holiday shopping on the side.
Beogradska zima is the city's own winter festival for the New Year and Christmas holidays, and most of it is built for kids. Squares and parks fill with short children's plays, craft tables, costumed mascots and live music.
Nothing needs booking: kids wander between the stage, the workshops and the carousel, and you leave when they're cold. It suits preschoolers and primary-age kids best.
