How to explore the secret subterranean side of Belgrade

Control of Serbia and its storied capital has shifted between Eastern Europe’s dominant powers for millennia. Over the years of foreign domination and rule change, Belgrade became a layered city, with each new leader building on top of the last. The Romans fortified a Celtic fortress; the Austro-Hungarians rebuilt it into a citadel; the Ottomans added spindling minarets to the skyline, later juxtaposed by Yugoslavia’s brutalist style. Take an often-subterranean walking tour of the city’s historic centre to glimpse its different iterations, from the sturdy walls of antiquity to Cold War spy cellars.

1. Tasmajdan Caves

Belgrade’s foundations stand above a network of prehistoric caves — some of the scattered shells found within them date back up to eight million years. These cavernous spaces have housed a Roman aqueduct system and  military tunnels; more recently, they served as Second World War bunkers for Nazi occupiers. Enter the network from Tasmajdan Park and explore a section used by German soldiers escaping Belgrade’s liberation in 1944.

2. Roman Castrum 

Continue to the site of a second-century castrum (fort). During the city’s Roman era, a frontline legion was stationed here to defend the city (then known as Singidunum) against impending forces from the east. Traces of the garrison are minimal today, but you can still find evidence of the monumental gate that once stood at its entrance: keep a close look out for its stone foundations at the intersection of the city’s Knez Mihailova and Pariska streets. 

3. Klub Knjizevnika

Take a break from the underworld to lunch at one of Belgrade’s most storied restaurants. In its 70-year history, Klub Knjizevnika (‘The Writers’ Club’) has hosted stars including Sophia Loren and Richard Burton, as well as some of the region’s most acclaimed literary figures — it was here that author Ivo Andrić celebrated his 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature. Tuck into rich servings of pork alongside savoury beignets (deep-fried dough). 

4. Belgrade Fortress 

Back on Pariska street, Belgrade Fortress — a more modern iteration of the castrum — is a treasure trove for history-lovers. Inside, an underground space once used as a gunpowder warehouse  now holds Roman and Byzantine antiquities; the sculptures and sarcophagi were excavated from beneath the city. Moving on, there’s a Roman Well — used, according to legend, as a place to abandon prisoners — and a bunker used by Cold War leader Josip Tito.

5. Galerija Stab

Take a short walk along the Sava River to the hip Savamala neighbourhood. Here, the Galerija Stab art gallery is located within the eastern arches of Brankov Bridge and features a subterranean passage leading out of the gallery’s main hall. On display are some of the city’s best contemporary works, astutely juxtaposing young Serbian creativity with the history of the space that surrounds them. 

6. Panajotovic wine cellar

This family-run establishment has been serving wine below street level for 90 years, persevering through the strictures of the Communist era. Wall-mounted candles flicker in the arched interior, casting a low light over wooden furniture and barrels full of wine. Book a tour and a tasting, settling in for a glass of Traminac in the atmospheric cellar.