Belgrade summers run hot, and families head for the water. City outdoor pools open in mid-June, Ada Ciganlija has a lifeguarded lake beach, and an army pontoon bridge leads to a sandy beach on Great War Island. For a full day out, add a lake resort or a water park a drive away. Here's what we checked, from the paddling pool at 11 April to the wave pool at Petroland.
Ada Ciganlija is a former river island on the Sava, now a 6km-long peninsula beside Lake Sava. Its man-made beaches run about 6km, hold the Blue Flag, and have lifeguards through the bathing season.
Away from the water there are playgrounds, including a natural-wood Eco Park, a hands-on Science Park with physics and astronomy exhibits, mini golf, paddle boats, and a tourist train that loops the lake.
Lido is a small sandy beach on the northern tip of Great War Island, the protected river island where the Sava meets the Danube. Each summer the army lays a pontoon bridge, about 345 meters long, across an arm of the Danube from the Zemun quay, and visitors walk over to the island.
On the sand there are courts for beach sports and a few restaurants.
A public sports center in Dorćol with three outdoor pools for summer: a 2 m deep Olympic pool, a 1.2 m recreational pool with a mushroom fountain, wall and central geysers, and a kids' pool 20 cm deep with a rubber floor. From September to June the indoor 50 m Olympic pool opens for public sessions. A small 30° pool hosts the swim school.
The 11 April sports and recreation center, run by Sports Center Novi Beograd, has six pools. Indoors, the Vlaho Orlić complex has a 50 m pool, a 25 m pool and an 11 m learner pool, plus a parents' room with WiFi overlooking children's training.
In summer, three outdoor pools open: a shallow paddling pool, a school pool and an Olympic pool, with loungers and umbrellas on the deck.
Tašmajdan is a public swimming center with two big pools. The indoor pool has Olympic dimensions and hosts recreational swimming, a kids' swimming school and aqua fitness. The outdoor pool, open in summer, measures 50 by 20 meters, with stands for 2,000 and sun loungers and shades for hire.
The outdoor pool is 2.2 to 5 meters deep, so it suits confident swimmers.
An open-air summer pool complex at the Sports Center Košutnjak, run by Serbia's Institute for Sport and Sports Medicine. The headline pool is the Olympic one.
The complex sits inside Košutnjak, a park-forest that belongs to the largest stretch of green right next to the built-up city.
The outdoor pools at Sports Center Olimp were rebuilt as a summer swimming spot, with rows of sunbeds and room for about 2,500 swimmers. Lifeguards and an on-duty doctor are there all day, and on hot summer evenings the pools open again for night swimming.
The wider sports center also has seven tennis courts and halls for futsal and martial arts.
The Banjica pools belong to the Voždovac sports center, with an indoor pool hall and outdoor pools in a complex shared with a stadium, sports hall and tennis courts. It is the home pool of water polo club Partizan, which runs a water polo school for kids here.
The buildings are old and the main indoor pool has been out of use; the city has announced a rebuild.
Silver Lake (Srebrno jezero) is a 14 km arm of the Danube, up to 300 m wide, with clear water filtered through sand dunes. It is advertised as the "Serbian sea".
Families come for the lakeside beaches and the Aqua Club, five outdoor pools with slides, including shallow ones for small kids. There is also 12-hole mini golf at the marina, next to the lakeside promenade.
Aquapark Petroland is a big water park with eight water slides, rafting on a wild river and an open-air wave pool that makes sea-style waves.
Younger kids get their own large pool with colorful slides, towers and sprinklers. Adults can unwind in the relaxation pool with water massages or at the on-site spa.
Belgrade summers run hot, and families head for the water. City outdoor pools open in mid-June, Ada Ciganlija has a lifeguarded lake beach, and an army pontoon bridge leads to a sandy beach on Great War Island. For a full day out, add a lake resort or a water park a drive away. Here's what we checked, from the paddling pool at 11 April to the wave pool at Petroland.
Ada Ciganlija is a former river island on the Sava, now a 6km-long peninsula beside Lake Sava. Its man-made beaches run about 6km, hold the Blue Flag, and have lifeguards through the bathing season.
Away from the water there are playgrounds, including a natural-wood Eco Park, a hands-on Science Park with physics and astronomy exhibits, mini golf, paddle boats, and a tourist train that loops the lake.
Lido is a small sandy beach on the northern tip of Great War Island, the protected river island where the Sava meets the Danube. Each summer the army lays a pontoon bridge, about 345 meters long, across an arm of the Danube from the Zemun quay, and visitors walk over to the island.
On the sand there are courts for beach sports and a few restaurants.
A public sports center in Dorćol with three outdoor pools for summer: a 2 m deep Olympic pool, a 1.2 m recreational pool with a mushroom fountain, wall and central geysers, and a kids' pool 20 cm deep with a rubber floor. From September to June the indoor 50 m Olympic pool opens for public sessions. A small 30° pool hosts the swim school.
The 11 April sports and recreation center, run by Sports Center Novi Beograd, has six pools. Indoors, the Vlaho Orlić complex has a 50 m pool, a 25 m pool and an 11 m learner pool, plus a parents' room with WiFi overlooking children's training.
In summer, three outdoor pools open: a shallow paddling pool, a school pool and an Olympic pool, with loungers and umbrellas on the deck.
Tašmajdan is a public swimming center with two big pools. The indoor pool has Olympic dimensions and hosts recreational swimming, a kids' swimming school and aqua fitness. The outdoor pool, open in summer, measures 50 by 20 meters, with stands for 2,000 and sun loungers and shades for hire.
The outdoor pool is 2.2 to 5 meters deep, so it suits confident swimmers.
An open-air summer pool complex at the Sports Center Košutnjak, run by Serbia's Institute for Sport and Sports Medicine. The headline pool is the Olympic one.
The complex sits inside Košutnjak, a park-forest that belongs to the largest stretch of green right next to the built-up city.
The outdoor pools at Sports Center Olimp were rebuilt as a summer swimming spot, with rows of sunbeds and room for about 2,500 swimmers. Lifeguards and an on-duty doctor are there all day, and on hot summer evenings the pools open again for night swimming.
The wider sports center also has seven tennis courts and halls for futsal and martial arts.
The Banjica pools belong to the Voždovac sports center, with an indoor pool hall and outdoor pools in a complex shared with a stadium, sports hall and tennis courts. It is the home pool of water polo club Partizan, which runs a water polo school for kids here.
The buildings are old and the main indoor pool has been out of use; the city has announced a rebuild.
Silver Lake (Srebrno jezero) is a 14 km arm of the Danube, up to 300 m wide, with clear water filtered through sand dunes. It is advertised as the "Serbian sea".
Families come for the lakeside beaches and the Aqua Club, five outdoor pools with slides, including shallow ones for small kids. There is also 12-hole mini golf at the marina, next to the lakeside promenade.
Aquapark Petroland is a big water park with eight water slides, rafting on a wild river and an open-air wave pool that makes sea-style waves.
Younger kids get their own large pool with colorful slides, towers and sprinklers. Adults can unwind in the relaxation pool with water massages or at the on-site spa.
