Nature & Recreation
Košutnjak
Belgrade · Belgrade
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Nature & Recreation
- COUNTRY
- Serbia
- REGION
- Belgrade · Belgrade
- DURATION
- 2–4 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Košutnjak — “the deer reserve”, after the Ottoman hunting park it once was — is Belgrade’s green lung: 460 hectares of forest riding the hills south of Topčider, criss-crossed with 20 kilometres of marked running, walking and cycling trails. In the 1930s the film studios of “Film City” were built here, and they still work; in the woods stands the memorial to the Partisan units destroyed defending the city’s edge in 1941–44. In autumn the forest is heavy with chestnuts and acorns; in summer its shade runs 5 degrees cooler than the streets. Belgraders run here before work and picnic here on Sunday — join the river of runners at any entrance.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Košutnjak was the Ottoman hunting reserve of the Belgrade pashas — “the deer reserve”. After 1867 it passed to the Serbian state, and by the 1900s it was the city’s picnic forest; the “Film City” studios opened in 1947, and the Partisan memorial in the woods marks where the fighters of the Kosmaj detachment fell in 1941–44. In the interwar years the forest’s edge was Belgrade’s most fashionable villa quarter.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The 20 km trail network — every entrance has a map; the ridge loop is 7 km.
The WWII Partisan memorial deep in the woods.
Film City — the open-air cinema and studios, screening on summer nights.
GOOD TO KNOW
Facts & Curiosities
The forest covers 460 hectares — three times the size of London’s Hyde Park — and holds 20 km of marked trails.
Film City’s open-air screen has run since 1947; its studios shot the classic Yugoslav cinema of the 1950s–70s.
Košutnjak’s oak woods run 5 degrees cooler than the city in summer — the running scene calls it “the fridge”.
The Partisan memorial commemorates the Kosmaj detachment’s breakthrough of 1941 — annual ceremonies are held on the meadow.
MAP & LOCATION
Košutnjak
Košutnjak, Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
44.7810, 20.4270
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Belgrade
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Skadarlija’s kafanas (Tri šešira, Dva jelena) for the full bohemian ritual — grilled meat, tamburica and rakija
Zemun’s Danube quay for river fish and smoked carp at the fish-market stalls
Dorćol around Cetinjska for the new-wave restaurants and specialty coffee
The splav rafts on the Sava — food until late, music until later
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Dorćol for character, cafés and the river walk — the best all-round base
Around Knez Mihailova or Slavija for first-timer convenience
The Sava promenade hotels for river views
Zemun’s quay guesthouses for the quiet, local alternative
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
PART OF
Keep exploring
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