Similar to other countries worldwide, museums in Serbia started to develop in the years after the Second World War. Several of them are situated in architectural masterpieces, while others are in historic and former industrial buildings. Collections vary in range from contemporary arts, Neolithic artifacts, old-timers, and first computers to weapons, collections dedicated to the culture and history of Yugoslavia, and legacies of artists and scientists.

Dobar-dizajn-MIJ-MEDIUM

I will start with the most visited museums in Belgrade that are according to statistics on visitation The Yugoslav History Museum, The National Museum, the Museum of Nikola Tesla, the Military Museum, and The Contemporary Art Museum.

Museum of Yugoslav History, photo credits: MIJ Facebook page

The Yugoslav History Museum stands in one representative building from the post-war period and includes Tito’s private belongings, artifacts, and information on the culture of Yugoslavia, Tito’s mausoleum, and temporary exhibitions which often deal with current topics, and sometimes with the history of Yugoslavia. In recent times, this museum has opened a bar where visitors can grab a drink, as well as a museum shop that sells a bunch of interesting items inspired by the culture of Yugoslavia. Likewise, the entire venue stands in one beautiful natural environment on the outskirts of the city, outside the city bustle. 

national museum belgrade
National Museum

Another must-visit museum is the National Museum, which stands in the heart of the city and owns collections that are worth visiting. I wrote about this museum some time ago, therefore more information is available at this link.

MoCAB , photo by David Pujado

Likewise, the MoCAB-Museum of Contemporary Arts Belgrade occupies another post-war masterpiece, that stands in the beautiful natural environment on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Next to its desirable location, and a super interesting building, it has a collection of contemporary artists from Yugoslavia ranging from the period beginnings of the country till 2000. This museum is also home to temporary exhibitions from the field of contemporary art.

nikola tesla museum
The Museum of Nikola Tesla

The Tesla museum is one of the most popular amongst visitors to Belgrade. It is situated in a villa in Vracar and next to Tesla’s urn, it exhibits some of his private belongings and models of his inventions with information and very knowledgeable guides. If you do not quite understand Tesla’s work I would suggest booking a tour of this museum so you can get insights into the value of this genuine scientist and his life and work. According to the plans, this Museum will be moved to the Sava Amphitheater in the building of the former Railways. 

Next to the mentioned museums, there is a Military Museum that stands on the Belgrade fortress. This museum exhibits an interesting collection of weapons and presents a historical overview of the development of military equipment.

Southern than Sahara photo by Marly Shamir

Besides those museums, there are plenty of other super interesting legacies and public and private collections that are worth visiting. I will name just a few The Museum of Science and Technology (this is a kids-friendly museum); Museum of Applied Arts (this one has very peculiar temporary exhibitions);  Museum of Ethnography; Zepter private museum of contemporary art, Museum of Sport; Museum of Vuk and Dositej (try to understand Serbian culture); Museum of African Arts; The house of Jevrem Grujic; The Jewish Museum and Museum on Banjica (which are dedicated to the Holocaust and the destiny of Jewish people in Serbia); the Museum of Serbian history; the House of Petar Lubarda which was one of the most successful Yugoslav artists; Museum of old cars and Aeronautical museum; Houses of geographer Jovan Cvijic; Museum of Nobel prize laureate Ivo Andric and very peculiar private museum Macura in Novi Banovci not so far from Belgrade which exhibits contemporary arts and design. You can find more info on this museum in one of my older posts on contemporary art galleries.

Macura museum

Tickets for museums in Belgrade are often available at prices ranging from 3 to 5 euros per person, which makes them more affordable than tickets in other museums across the globe.

If you are an art and museum lover, I would suggest picking your top 3 museums from this selection, buying a public transport ticket, or renting a bike, and enjoying your time in the city.

If you would like to book a tour, check out our Belgrade tours.

For more information on creative team building, visit our page Belgrade Creative Teambuilding.