Belgrade is the capital and the largest city in Serbia with its population of 2 000 000 inhabitants. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Danube and Sava.

How to arrive Belgrade:

You can come by plane, by bus or by train. Your contact person, most probably other than the one you have in your CA (for emergency contact), will wait for you no matter where you arrive – the airport, the train or bus station, at the precise time when you arrive. So it is very important to inform your contact person about the exact time and place of your arrival.

Belgrade has one airport called “Nikola Tesla” and one main train and bus station. However sometimes international bus lines do have alternative bus stops in the city other than the main bus station, so you might as well check it out with the agency or the driver where will the bus stop in the city.

Your contact person will show you around the city and point out a couple of places which we call “meeting spots” for the social gatherings.

You will also receive the “Welcome package” with some maps and brochures of the city as a regard from the IFMSA-Serbia.

Clinics and working conditions:

You will probably start working in the clinic the first day after your arrival. The clinics are mostly located near each other in the Clinical Center of Serbia (In Serbian language it is “Klinicki Centar Srbije”) close to the city center. Some clinics such as Department of Urology and Plastic Surgery are not in the main hospital area, but are close.

There are other clinics in Belgrade – Clinical Center “Dedinje”, Clinical Center “Bezanijska Kosa”, Clinical Center “Zemun”, Clinical Center “Zvezdara”, Clinic for Orthopedics scattered around the city where med students in Belgrade have practical exercises with patients. But of course the main place for both Serbian and students on the exchange is the Clinical Center of Serbia where you will have your practice. There is also Military Medical Academy complex where our med students do not have any lectures or practical exercises.

The clinic expects you to arrive punctually. Show interest in work and be active yourself. Ask as much as you wish - remember, it will all be for your own benefit! The tutors and doctors speak English, but the patients only occasionally. You are expected to work from 8 or 9 a.m. until about 12 p.m. If you try to ask politely, a day or two off is possible. You will have to take your own white coat and a stethoscope. If you have your clerkship in Neurology department take your own hammer and a light.

Lodging:

You will most probably stay at the “Kralj Aleksandar I” dormitory, the best dormitory in the city for students. It is also used as a hostel in summer months when the students have the summer break. “Kralj Aleksandar I” is located in the city center in the street Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra (Boulevard of the King Alexander), which is very convenient for all the activities we’ll have during your stay. And of course it is surrounded with cafes, photocopy stores, internet cafes and all the other facilities that a student needs. It is 20 minute walk from the Clinical Center.

Two students of the same sex share a room with a private bathroom and a small kitchen. We advise you to bring your own towel, because the dormitories do not provide them. There are frequent trams and buses from King Aleksandar to other parts of the city.

Occasionally, when there are no more vacant rooms in “Kralj Aleksandar I” we have to lodge the exchange students in another dormitory called “Rifat” which is not in the very center, but 10 minute tram ride from Lola. It is located in a quiet area with a beautiful garden, so Serbian students also like it. Two students of the same sex share a room with a private bathroom and a small kitchen. We advise you to bring your own towel, because the dormitories do not provide them. There are frequent trams and buses from Rifat to other parts of the city.

In each dormitory there is a canteen where the meals for students are served, so you will have your board there, as in the hospitals we do not have lunch breaks.

If you’re coming outside the summer months we usually find Serbian students to be your host, so you can have somebody to keep you company, as there are not many students coming at that time.

IFMSA-Serbia offers you the apartment ONLY for the dates you are accepted in Belgrade. So if you plan to come earlier or to stay extra you should be prepared to arrange your lodging on your own. IFMSA-Serbia can help you with this, of course.

Social program:

We organize social program every month and it doesn’t depend on the number of the exchangees in the city. We formed an enthusiastic team of students who would like to help you to plunge into Serbian culture and lifestyle and have a good time. On your arrival you will get the exact program with the dates when you’ll have specific activities, such as visits to other cities and monuments.

Unfortunately we cannot organize free excursions for you, so you will have to pay for all the trips yourself, but Serbia is much cheaper country than other countries in Western Europe, so we think you will be able to follow our program.

City attractions:

Kalemegdan fortress – the old fortress built in the Roman and Turkish period. In the city there are lots of orthodox churches, among them the Temple of Saint Sava which is the biggest Orthodox Church in the world presently in use.

Millennium Tower – built by Austro-Hungarians as a mark of a South-eastern Border of their Empire, which locals call “Gardosh”

Ada Ciganlija Lake – the lake on the river Sava, one of the recreational resorts

Skadarlija – the bohemian part of the city, restaurants with national dishes, the quarter of artists and poets

Vinča – archaeological site with relicts of the ancient civilization which lived there in the bronze age.

Avala - is the one of our mountain centers

Rafting and much more!

Don’t forget the famous Belgrade nightlife!

City traffic:

Combines buses, trams and trolley-buses (combination of tram on the wheels – some countries do not have it and people are not familiar with it). As a foreigner you are not able to have a monthly card, so you will have to buy single ticket for each ride. The single ticket bought on the kiosk in the street cost 27 dinars, but on the bus at driver’s it cost 40 dinars.

Weather

Weather in Belgrade during the summer can be sunny and warm, but recently it started to be quite rainy and cool. The temperature can vary anywhere from under +15 to over +30 degrees Celsius. You should bring your umbrella but don’t forget your sunglasses either. During spring and autumn the temperature can vary anywhere from 0 degrees to +15 degrees Celsius and it can rain a lot. In the winter it is snowy and quite cold (-20 to +5 degrees).

Prices

The currency in Serbia is “dinar” and the smaller unit is “para”

1 euro = 80 dinars. Generally the prices are lower than in the countries of European Union. 1 L of milk is 70 dinars, a beer in a pub is 120 dinars, coffee 100 dinars.

Confirmation:

You need to send a confirmation that you accept the exchange 4 weeks before the beginning of the exchange. If you have not sent us a confirmation before that date, we will consider your exchange canceled.

We’re anxious to see you here! You’re most welcome!

Our exchange team in Belgrade: