belgrade’s most charming green markets

This article was developed within the program Venture an Idea funded by the USAID.

Green markets are charming microcosms and as soon as you step in, you enter a time and space traversing machine which is the best possible way for you to become acquainted with the spirit of the city, customs and people’s mentality, as well as the colors, aromas and scents that you came there to obtain. Green markets are not only true city landmarks, but they are also authentic meeting places and locations where people’s stories and habits, the past and the present are crossed and intertwined. The best way to become familiar with a place and its community is to visit its green market. These are not merely places where you buy fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, or tea, but indeed locations of true life. So if you want to be immersed in the spirit of the city, and try our world-famous raspberries, so-called tobacco greaves, or homemade goat cheese, make your way to a green market. We present you the five most charming and best-known Belgrade’s green markets, each of them in its own way representative of the spirit of its neighborhood.  

Bajloni Green Market or officially the Skadarlija Market, is a market in the city center, and absolutely everyone calls it after its founder, the Bajloni Market. It is located in Dorćol, at the bottom of Skadarska Street, i.e. in the immediate vicinity of the bohemian quarter of Skadarlija. This picturesque market is the favorite not only of the local Dorćol inhabitants but also of the residents of other parts of the city. In the summer, the Bajloni smells of strawberries and peaches, while sweet, pink-centered watermelons lie on the counters, basking in the sunshine. In the fall, you would go to the Bajloni to purchase an aromatic muscat pumpkin. Your quest for fresh local food products would frequently be made more poetic by street musicians, entertaining vendors who peer out from behind the heaps of meaty red paprika and dusty potatoes, inviting you to sample their products. 

Palilula Green Market. Until recently, this was a typical Belgrade open-air market. We must say that its transformation into an enclosed market certainly has its charms. Palilula Market used to be a small city market best known for homemade dairy products, but also offering everything else you expected from a green market. It sold fresh produce, fruit and vegetables, bragged a couple of fantastic butchers, a fish vendor here and there, and that was about it. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. After its renovation, the market became an enclosed structure that, among other things, houses a multitude of small shops offering different products. In addition to fresh agricultural produce, here you can find a number of local producers and small domestic brands. 

Zeleni Venac is a green market in the very heart of the city and is among the oldest marketplaces in Belgrade. Zeleni Venac (green wreath) got its name after a tavern that used to be located in that place, which, instead of a nameplate, had a wreath of greenery hung above its main entrance.  Interestingly, at the location of the market there once was a pond and a number of taverns located there needed to be reached by boats. Today, Zeleni Venac is a semi-enclosed market where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Zemunska Market has its distinctive charm, just like the Zemun neighborhood where this market is located. It is situated in the center of Zemun, but on the opposite side of the old town. This charming little market is brimming with fresh fruit and vegetables, while it also has a section where you can buy fresh river fish directly from fishermen. The counters also offer homemade cured meat products, as well as flowers. If your exploration takes you to Zemun, make sure you visit this market.

Kalenić is not just a market. It is a symbol of the city and the trademark of its Vračar neighborhood. Kalenić has its special atmosphere, entirely its own and defying description. This is substantially contributed by the part of the market selling old objects and secondhand goods. Here you can spend the entire afternoon immersed in old letters and postcards, browsing through vintage dresses, bags, and jewelry, or just talking to the vendors. At the Kalenić, you can find everything that you could imagine, and if there is something you were unable to locate anywhere else, you will surely find it here. The spirit of this place simply can’t be expressed in words. The Kalenić is a gallery of various characters, a forgotten short novel about its people… and if you go there early in the morning, you are bound to find them playing chess in their empty stalls. 

For additional relevant information, visit our Belgrade Insights page.

This program is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this program are the responsibility of Nova Iskra and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.