December in Belgrade

December is all about celebrations and time spent with friends and family. It’s also the time when you make the most resolutions which you will (never) keep. Prioritize family time over work, be kind to yourself and other and make the most of this festive month. It's time to relax, get cozy and enjoy New Year's magic. Find out more about cool happenings this December in Belgrade.

Belgrade New Year's Festival

“Belgrade Winter” is the name for all festive celebrations organized by the city of Belgrade. This festival brings New Year's euphoria to various locations in the city. One of our favorite happenings is the New Year's Fair, which is traditionally (58 times in a row!) organized at Belgrade Fair. For the past few years it was famous for its carousel rides and candy stands, but this year it went through a serious makeover. Under the name of Belgrade New Year's Festival, this manifestation now has an excellent program catered to both adults and children.

Along with carousels, extreme rides and merry-go-rounds there will be various stands where you can buy sweets, food and mulled wine. You can also do some holiday shopping here, as there will be dozens of pop-up shops with handcrafted items. The festival also has a skating rink, theater for kids and all day concerts. Bring your kids to the Belgrade New Year's Festival and experience real magic in Belgrade fair halls 1, 1a, 2 and 4. The festival will be opened on 14 December until 30 December. Free entry for this festival!

Nikola Pašić Square

On 15 December, the Nikola Pašić Square in the center of Belgrade will be turned into a beautiful skating rink called "The Path of Love." What is new this year is that the skating rink will go around the fountain, making it more exciting for the visitors. Those who don't want to skate but want to be part of the magic can enjoy music and lights on small pedestrian bridges that will be installed over the rink.

Magical tram in Vračar

What we find exciting is that each year we have more and more festivals and manifestations in every part of Belgrade, not just the city center. A unique children’s festival will take place in Vračar from 3 December until New Years. Festival is organized in a magical tram and trolleybus where Santa and his helpers will meet with kids, while theatre groups will host plays. One play lasts for one hour, and tram and trolley operate the following route:

Tram route: St. Sava Temple -  Gospodarska mehana - St. Sava Temple

Trolleybus route: Crveni krst - Studentski trg - Crveni krst

Tickets are free and available in the Vračar townhall in Njegoševa 77, which is open from 7:30 until 15:30.

Fairytale Square in Zvezdara

Fairytale Square in Zvezdara will be organized from 1 until 30 December in front of "Vuk Karadžić" culture center. Children's theatre will perform national fairytales, puppet shows, and interactive workshops. This festival also has a unique bazaar where you can purchase original presents, holiday candy, and hot drinks. Kids will love the acrobats, jugglers, artists and opera singers who will perform operas for children. Part of this program will be inclusive. Entrance is free, so all you need to do is dress warmly and get ready to discover a new fairytale world with your young ones.

Belgrade Winter 2018-2019

Considering that Republic square is under construction, this year the Open Heart Square will be organized in Knez Mihailova street. A huge Christmas tree will be put near Obilicev venac along with wooden cabins where you can get a hot drink and winter specialties. This is also a good place to get presents as there will be many DIY stands where you can snatch crafty goods.

The day after New Year's is reserved for rest and recovery, but also the Open Heart Street. Svetogorska street traditionally becomes a pedestrian zone full of New Year's magic. Here you can buy sweets, treats, cotton candy, party balloons, and take your kids to see the parade. This kind of celebration started back in 1969. When actors from Belgrade theatre "Atelje 212" invited passersby to join them for lunch in a "kafana" next to theatre. A few years later, this became a tradition, and each year over 10,000 visitors attend this street event.

Winter magic on the big screen

Since it’s snuggling season, we tend to spend more time indoors. Getting outside in subzero temperature is acceptable only when we're going somewhere warm, like the movies. This season we have many Christmas theme movies, and our favorite one is the Nutcracker, which you can watch in 3D or 4D. 4D technology brings a whole new realistic experience with moving and vibrating seats, unique smell, fog and other effects that immerse you in the experience.

We hope that you will make the most of this time to enjoy holidays with friends and family. Now is the perfect time to stop and take a break, do something nice for yourself and achieve great things. If you're planning to buy an apartment in Belgrade or a family house, you can count on holiday magic and City Expert to make your wishes come true.