Belgrade gets two holiday seasons. New Year is the big one: Deda Mraz brings the presents, the squares fill with lights and fairs, and the countdown ends in fireworks. Then on January 6, Orthodox Christmas Eve, families gather around the badnjak oak-branch bonfire before Christmas on the 7th. Here's what we checked, from the Zemun holiday festival to the Christmas Eve fire at the Temple of Saint Sava.
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.
On Badnji dan, Orthodox Christmas Eve, the plaza in front of the Temple of Saint Sava gathers for the lighting of the badnjak, the Serbian Yule log, with a blessing and a choir.
Around it runs an afternoon built for kids: fairy-tale plays on an outdoor stage, craft workshops, traditional games and costumed mascots. It's all in Serbian, but the bonfire and the craft tables work for any child.
A touring ice show that tells Alice in Wonderland on skates. Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and a furry Cheshire Cat skate the story to music, joined by a giant inflatable caterpillar, an aerial hoop act and big video projections across the backdrop. It suits kids who already know the story and can sit through a full evening show.
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.
Belgrade gets two holiday seasons. New Year is the big one: Deda Mraz brings the presents, the squares fill with lights and fairs, and the countdown ends in fireworks. Then on January 6, Orthodox Christmas Eve, families gather around the badnjak oak-branch bonfire before Christmas on the 7th. Here's what we checked, from the Zemun holiday festival to the Christmas Eve fire at the Temple of Saint Sava.
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.
On Badnji dan, Orthodox Christmas Eve, the plaza in front of the Temple of Saint Sava gathers for the lighting of the badnjak, the Serbian Yule log, with a blessing and a choir.
Around it runs an afternoon built for kids: fairy-tale plays on an outdoor stage, craft workshops, traditional games and costumed mascots. It's all in Serbian, but the bonfire and the craft tables work for any child.
A touring ice show that tells Alice in Wonderland on skates. Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and a furry Cheshire Cat skate the story to music, joined by a giant inflatable caterpillar, an aerial hoop act and big video projections across the backdrop. It suits kids who already know the story and can sit through a full evening show.
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.
