Belgrade on 1 January - what is open

The first of January catches visitors out more than any other day of the trip. The city is beautiful and completely empty, but almost nothing is open, and anyone who did not plan for that spends the day looking for somewhere to eat. Here is what actually works.

Shops

Supermarkets and almost all shops are closed for the whole day. A small number open in the afternoon, but this cannot be relied on.

Neighbourhood convenience shops sometimes open for a few hours in the morning, with a very limited selection.

Anything you need for that day should be bought on 30 December, as 31 December is already restricted.

Bakeries

Bakeries open in the morning, usually until ten or eleven, and are the only dependable food option early in the day.

They close in the afternoon, because there is no trade once the morning is over.

If you are not staying in a hotel with breakfast, this is where breakfast comes from.

Restaurants

Most restaurants open in the afternoon at the earliest, and a significant number do not open at all.

Hotel restaurants operate, but on a holiday schedule and often only for guests.

Shopping centre food courts open around midday and are one of the few reliable places to eat.

Cafés

Cafés in the centre open gradually from the afternoon, and the city starts to feel normal again around four.

In residential neighbourhoods, almost nothing opens all day.

By early evening the centre is busy again, with people out walking rather than sitting.

Public transport

Buses and trams run on a Sunday timetable, which means fewer vehicles but no serious disruption.

The city is empty of traffic, so journeys are faster than on any other day of the year.

Taxis are available during the day without difficulty, unlike during the night before.

Museums and galleries

Most museums are closed on 1 January. It is one of the two days in the year when nearly all are shut.

A few open in the afternoon, but this varies and is worth checking by telephone rather than online.

From 2 January everything returns to normal, with the smallest crowds of the whole year.

Pharmacies

Duty pharmacies operate on 1 January, but there are few of them and they are in the wider centre.

The list is published before the holiday and is worth writing down in advance.

Regular medication should be bought several days earlier, as prescriptions cannot be filled that day.

Banks and exchange

Banks, post offices and public offices are closed on both 1 and 2 January.

Exchange offices are mostly closed on 1 January, so currency should be changed by 30 December.

Cash machines work but empty faster than they are refilled, particularly in the morning.

What is genuinely worth doing

Walking. Kalemegdan, Knez Mihailova and the river promenades are empty in a way they never are otherwise.

The light in the morning is good, the streets are quiet and the photographs are better than on any other day.

This is the single best thing about 1 January in Belgrade and it costs nothing.

Cinemas

Cinemas operate throughout the holidays, including 1 January, and are one of the few paid activities available.

Afternoon showings are busy, because there is little else open.

Films are shown in the original language with subtitles, so language is not a barrier.

Shopping centres

Larger shopping centres open in the afternoon on 1 January, though individual shops inside may not.

The food court is generally the most reliable place to eat in the middle of the day.

From 2 January opening hours return to normal.

Planning the day

Breakfast from the hotel or bought the day before, a long walk in the morning, a late lunch in a shopping centre or hotel.

Leave museums, shopping and anything requiring an appointment for 2 January.

Treat 1 January as a rest day and the emptiness becomes the attraction rather than the problem.

Petrol stations

Petrol stations operate around the clock throughout the holidays and their shops are often the only thing open early on 1 January.

The selection is narrow and prices are higher than in a supermarket, but basics can be found when nothing else is available.

For anyone driving onwards that day, this is also the only place to buy something to eat on the road.

If you are leaving that day

Roads are empty and the journey to the airport or station is quicker than on any other day of the year.

The difficulty is finding transport at all, which is why it is arranged before you go out the night before.

Check-in desks and counters operate normally at the airport, unlike bus and train stations where services are reduced.