Skadarlija and Knez Mihailova

Knez Mihailova runs over the remains of Roman Singidunum. Wealthy and influential Belgrade families built their houses along it, and it grew into the city's main shopping street and promenade. Because of its historical and cultural significance it is protected by the state. In the basement of the Belgrade City Library, the Roman Hall preserves remains from the Roman era.

Skadarlija's story began around 1830, when Roma families settled in abandoned trenches outside the old ramparts, followed from 1835 by Serbs and Turks who built the first proper houses. In 1872 the street was named Skadarska. At the turn of the 20th century actors, writers and painters moved in and its taverns became meeting places for well-known figures of Belgrade culture, earning comparisons with Montmartre in Paris. The house of the writer and painter Đura Jakšić became a gathering place for poets. Skadarlija has been legally protected as a cultural-historical area since 1967.

Knez Mihailova is where Belgraders meet friends, shop and take an evening walk, while Skadarlija keeps alive the kafana tradition of long meals, conversation and live music. Some Skadarlija taverns date back to the 19th century, and a meal there with musicians playing at the table is a classic Belgrade experience for locals celebrating special occasions as well as for visitors.