What to expect of accommodation in Serbia as a digital nomad and/or comfortable kayaker? We stayed in Serbia from roughly the 28th of March till the18th of May, 2024. These are the places we booked to both work online from and rest on our off days during the Danube Kayak trip.

Apatin: Pegasus Apartments

Duration: 5 nights. Book Pegaz Apartmanhere on Booking

We arrived at the apartment much later than expected after kayaking with a headwind all day and then waiting for a taxi. Luckily, it was self-check-in.

This apartment was in an unassuming building from the outside, besides the rather big lit-up sign that said it was an apartment. We had to walk up some short stairs to get here, which we used in the daytime to drink a coffee or dry our boat in the sun. The entryway was quite nice and separated. There was a good coatrack to store all our stuff.

This led to the kitchen-cum-living-room. The couch was very comfortable and nice, but a little offset from the TV. The dinner table was round, which is okay for eating but not ideal for working online. Though the kitchen was small, we managed to cook a few things here during our rather long break in Apatin. The only odd thing was the very separate fridge, which stood out like a lonesome mountain, but was otherwise useful as another place for us to chop veggies or store foodstuffs. It wasn’t great, but we managed.

Living room and kitchen overview

The most elite spot of the couch (the corner) wasn't well-positioned for the TV

The kitchen was a bit tiny and basic for our grand cooking projects

The living room leads to a corridor past the big bathroom. The shower was nice and there was a washing machine. There was shampoo, body wash, and a few tidepods for laundry provided. The shower didn’t dry well after use, so we’d avoid the room and try to ventilate it well. This was slightly inconvenient as it was in the middle of the apartment.

We love a good washing machine + drying rack

The corridor also led to a separate toilet. Since this was the only toilet, we found it a bit disorienting at first, as we’re used to always having a toilet in the main bathroom. There was plenty of toilet paper.

The separate toilet room

And finally, the corridor led to the bedroom. It was two single beds pushed together with a nightstand on only one side. It was okay to sleep in, nothing remarkable. By the position of the lights, the design is for two single beds.

Note: only one nightstand

The apartment has a good location for visiting downtown Apatin. All major supermarkets were a short walk away and the same goes for the pedestrian zone with its restaurants. I would stay here again, but that’s mostly because Apatin doesn’t have a lot of options.

Novi Sad: Central Apartment

Duration: 7 nights

After a wonderful day of kayaking out of the Croatian border area to Novi Sad, followed by a terrible welcome to the city, we arrived at our Airbnb in Novi Sad. The host gave us the key and showed us around the apartment. When he left, we wandered around the place. The entryway looked like this and gave access to all rooms.

The bathroom was small but had everything we needed, including a washing machine.

Next to the bathroom was the access to the bedroom, which was nice and had a good wardrobe for storing our stuff. We slept well here and both had a nightstand. There was mosquito netting on the windows.

The living room plus kitchen was also our work spot. We found this Airbnb by applying the ‘dedicated workspace’ filter. Though there was a separate desk, it was pathetic and good for people with neither short nor long legs, so we didn’t use it and instead made space on the dinner table for our laptops. We used the kitchen to cook some nice meals, but also ordered/ate out a lot since it’s quite central.

That thing was supposed to be the dedicated work desk

The living room also had a very comfortable couch with a TV. We had some good nights here watching and relaxing. This area also led to the balcony, which had two chairs, a drying rack, and a nearby tree, but not a spectacular view. It was wonderful for drying laundry when it didn’t rain. As you can see, there were lots of plants in the house that we didn’t take responsibility for.

The location was quite central and close to some useful businesses. We enjoyed Novi Sad mostly on foot and sometimes by bus or Yandex taxi. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about the apartment or our welcome, but we’d be willing to stay here again.

Stari Slankamen: Acumincum⭐

Duration: 4 nights. Book Acumincum apartment here on Booking

This was probably our favorite accommodation in Serbia (it’s also the header picture of this article 📸), despite it not being much of a destination. After a nice albeit cold kayaking day from Novi Sad, Jonas got the key from the host while I packed up Zucchini. It’s a small village and this Airbnb was in one of the tallest buildings in town overlooking the Danube River.

After a few flights of stairs up, the entryway gave access to a corridor with a coatrack and a cupboard.

The main bedroom faced the Danube River, which was wonderful. It had a small double bed without any nightstands and a TV we didn’t use. There was also a nice metal table I used to work from with my laptop cover beneath it to prevent magnetism. This room had access to a proper balcony with arguably the best views we’ve had of our river, despite the mixed weather.

The corridor led to the living room, which had a spacious couch and a smart TV we used to watch Baby Reindeer on. There was a bowl of candy on the TV table we couldn’t resist. We used the dinner table in this room either for work or for its intended purpose. The windows here had mosquito netting.

The living room gave access to the long and narrow kitchen. It wasn’t the best, but it did have a dishwasher, which we used, as dishwashing tablets were provided. Though too small for two people, the kitchen was extremely well-equipped.

An outside door of the living room led to a sunroom, which was also a designated laundry drying spot. There was another door here that led to the next apartment, which was locked up. Besides for drying clothes, we didn’t use this room.

Back to the corridor, there are two rooms left. The first one was the bathroom, which had a nice shower and a washing machine. Though it’s in the interior of the building, it wasn’t tricky to ventilate the place.

Lastly, there’s the second bedroom behind the sunroom. There were two single beds here that were comfortable. The downside is that this room doesn’t receive a lot of natural light because it’s behind the sunroom and has a window facing that place.

View from the second bedroom

I quite loved this apartment because of its incredible views of the Danube River and its traffic. Though there isn’t much to do in Stari Slankamen, there are quite some decent restaurants and enough food diversity at the local shop to make things work. Stari Slankamen as a whole exceeded my expectations, and this Airbnb helped me to enjoy the place thoroughly.

Novi Banovci: Prenociste Dunav

Duration: 1 night. Book this Danube River accommodation here

Novi Banovci was a one-night stop before we continued to Belgrade. Although our landing spot wasn’t ideal, the walk to this accommodation in Serbia was conveniently short. The place is run by a German family, so Jonas went there first to check in while I dealt with the boat. We kept Zucchini inflated in the garden next to the parking spots. The accommodation is in a rather big house, which has multiple self-sufficient accommodations inside. The main door inside also led to a few of the other apartments and our door opened up straight into the living room.

The living room gives access to the kitchenette, the bathroom, the covered veranda, and the bedroom. It had a nice couch area, but the TV didn’t face the couch, so we used the small glass table and a laptop to watch Netflix in the evening. The sitting area was quite nice and we used the fireplace in the evening for extra cozy time. It was wonderful.

The adjacent kitchenette was a little too cramped for us to really cook and as we were there for only one night, we just went out to eat. But we had to prepare sandwiches for the next kayak day here, which was a bit of a hassle. Also, the only table we could work at was the small dinner table. I got some work done, but it wouldn’t have fit the both of us had we stayed longer. So for digital nomads and passionate cooks, this won’t cut it. Hence no ⭐ for this otherwise incredibly nice place. There was a bit of instant coffee provided.

The bathroom was long and narrow and had a bathrobe and plenty of fresh towels on a shelf. You could see they put a lot of effort into the design of this place to make it feel like a bit of a retreat. The showerhead wall mount was rather useless for hands-free bathing.

The bedroom was lovely. Two nightstands, dedicated night lights, a wardrobe, and a little extra side table to store stuff. The bedroom windows are east-facing and I woke up with the orange light of one of the most beautiful sunrises over the Danube the next day. If that’s not your thing, there are blinds to roll down so it won’t wake you. The decor had a Mercator-projection world map split in three, with none of the continents north up. Seemed intentional. Your OCD might not allow you to keep it that way.

The covered veranda was a really lovely place. There was a couch beneath the roof we used for sipping some wine before sunset and drinking our morning coffee with that beautiful sunrise. The couch had a blanket to make staying out comfortable for longer. There was even a little cat visitor that came by, who I think doesn’t belong to the place (but should).

The shared areas with other guests (there were none in late April) featured a barbeque area, two pools, sunbeds, and a viewpoint over the Danube. I bet that on very clear days, it’s possible to see Avala Tower in Belgrade. We loved the garden, but the jetty at the property was neglected and unusable. It would have been great if we could have departed from within the property instead of going back to the nasty landing spot.

The location was great and in walking distance from a good supermarket and a pizza restaurant called Luna #2. We didn’t have time to see more of the town or Stari Banovci up the road. Novi Banovci itself isn’t much of a destination as the road to Belgrade just passes through town. I would stay here again, but wouldn’t expect to get any work done.

Belgrade: For the Book Lovers

Duration: 7 nights

Finally, after 57 paddle days, we arrived in Belgrade, my old stomping grounds and the last capital on the Danube. We booked an Airbnb a few days before we arrived. Unlike most searches for accommodation in Serbia on this kayak trip, this city had lots to choose from. Booking Belgrade only shortly in advance did mean all the exceptional apartments were probably not available anymore. But we eventually settled on this apartment in walking distance from the Sava River, which is where we arrived. The host’s mother let us in, showed us around the apartment, and gave me cat slippers to keep my feet warm.

Approach to the apartment + cute cat slippers

The door opens up straight into the kitchen, which also has the washing machine. The kitchen is quite small and it was impossible to cook here and chop vegetables without one of us going to the living room to use the big table there. I wasn’t super fond of this, but Belgrade has plenty of delivery food options and nearby restaurants. So we ended up not cooking that much. Still, for a longer stay, this would be a dealbreaker.

The kitchen/entryway also has the doors to the bathroom and the living room. The bathroom was also very small and cramped. There was barely any space to put our toiletries as there were also lots of items from the host. It was important to immediately ventilate the bathroom after a shower. The window opened into a courtyard between blocks.

Now about the good parts, the living room was very spacious and cozy. There was a lot of art on the walls and a big painting on an easel. Very cool. The living room was also very bright. Jonas worked from the big table in this room. We dedicated one side for work and the other for meals. The TV worked well and we had some pleasant nights in here, though Belgrade has an amazing craft beer scene as well, including many nearby taprooms and breweries. There were some apples on the table, which we ate. The host’s mother had been very welcoming.

Now the absolute highlight of this Airbnb was the bedroom, which was very bright and spacious and had a well-stocked library. There was a hanging chair for reading and I managed to read one book about Algeria and France in one day. The only downside was that the interblock courtyard on this side of the building is part of some sort of school, which meant there were pubescent noises around recess on weekdays.

I Kant even describe how cozy this was

I also used the bedroom to work. There were two tables here, one set up as a desk. But that desk had an ancient sewing machine frame for legs, which was uncomfortable, so I moved the other table in front of the window and grabbed a chair. I got quite some work done from here, including my how to get a Serbian SIM card article. The bed was comfortable and had this cool mushroom decor. However, there were no real nightstands.

The location of this accommodation in Serbia was not as central as I would have loved, but there were plenty of businesses within walking distance. We prioritized booking a place within walking distance from the Sava River at a good landing spot. The reason was our atrocious experience with taxi drivers in Novi Sad, so we didn’t want to depend on them. From the apartment, we visited most highlights of Belgrade, such as my old Tašmajdan neighborhood, the Kalemegdan, Avala Tower, Novi Beograd, and Ada Ciganlija. Our favorite nearby restaurant was Good DumplingsX. I wouldn’t per se stay here again since there’s lots of choice in Belgrade and we always had to cross a terrible road, but I enjoyed my time here.

Grocka na Dunavu: Apostolović’s House ⭐

Duration: 3 nights. Book this historic home on Booking

After a difficult day kayaking from Belgrade to Grocka na Dunavu, our arrival also was a bit troublesome despite good intentions. The hosts asked if we would arrive in Grocka by kayak. They’d been following our journey via Jonas’ Instagram/Facebook stories since we booked the place. The hosts also came to the river to greet us and take some of our stuff by car, which was appreciated. I arrived last at Apostolović’s House (Апостоловићева кућа), which is probably the first place we’ve stayed at that has its own Wikipedia page (in Serbian). Jonas showed me through the gate from the outside and into the nice garden space between buildings. There was an outdoor sitting area we sometimes used for eating. The whole building is quite big, but our accommodation was just in part of it.

The building on the right is Apostolović's House

We ate some meals outside here

Once inside, the entryway led to the bathroom, the living room, and the main bedroom. There was plenty of space to hang our kayak stuff without it being in the way. There was a working fridge in the entryway as well, which we found a bit odd at first. Inside, there was some provided beer and wine. The bathroom itself was small but had everything we needed. The shower was nice and the washing machine worked well.

The living room gave access to the kitchen and also a small bedroom. The living room had a comfortable sitting area with a nice couch. There was an old Serbian typewriter in the room, which was cool, a TV, and plenty of art from the sights and history of Grocka na Dunavu. The dinner table with fresh fruit was big enough for the both of us to work from, but there was a second working spot as well. The kitchen was nice enough to cook our favorite basic meals such as vegetarian carbonara and ojja. There was another (working) fridge in the kitchen.

The small bedroom is ideal for getting some hardcore sleep as it’s in the middle of the house and doesn’t receive natural daylight.

The master bedroom is very comfortable. The bed has two nightstands. There’s another TV here we didn’t use, but we loved the dedicated desk for working. There were also some cool historical features, and I generally loved the interior touches, like the cat statue, the kind of oven thingy built into the wall next to the bed, and the nice but random old photo of Château d’Aigle in Switzerland.

Cat!

So, why is House of Apostolović worthy of a Wikipedia page? It’s the oldest preserved house in Grocka na Dunavu, dating back to the 18th century. It was built on the main street of Grocka Bazaar (Грочанска чаршија), where the houses served both business and residential purposes. Many buildings in the street have survived the modernization that came (hard) to Serbia in the previous decades. But here, their folk architecture and original vibes withstood the test of time and are now declared a cultural monument. Though the interior is decidedly recent, the exterior is quite historic. I regret not taking better pictures of it. For obvious reasons, Apostolović’s House has undergone renovations throughout the ages.

The house has remained in the central part of Grocka, so restaurants and shops are within walking distance. I liked Grocka, though I was quite sick during my stay. The friendly hosts offered to extend at a steep discount, but we declined since the weather for paddling to Smederevo looked good on our originally planned departure day. Would I stay here again? Yes.

Smederevo: Apartment Centar Exclusive

Duration: 5 nights. Though I don’t recommend this place, this is the link. Wish to book something else in Smederevo? Then click here

I absolutely loathed this place. There was only one big fork, no scissors, and no electric kettle (like in the pictures). The neighbors were noisy and fighting right next to the bedroom. When I shoved the nightstand closer to the bed, there was a revelation of dried-up vomit beneath it. And it was four flights of stairs up.

This apartment is very central, right around the corner from the pedestrian street with lovely restaurants and bars. But I would not stay here again. On the surface, everything looked functional and clean, but everywhere you could take a closer look you’d find fake leather peeling off or other damages. Perhaps this place was once nice, but it left its best days in the past.

Entrance Smederevo apartment

I don’t care if it’s the guests before us who stole all adult-sized forks. Replace it, damn it. Instead, for the missing kettle – which we use every day multiple times a day – the man gave us €10 worth of Serbian dinars back for the inconvenience. Just buy the apartment a new kettle. Also, some of the foodstuffs and condiments left behind by other guests were not stored well or expired.

After a pleasant and short kayaking day to Smederevo, the guy who checked us in was very nice, but because he presented the place with such confidence, we didn’t see a lot of the issues. Also, all the blinds were down at first, hiding a lot of the things amiss. Not that we would have said anything not nice about it on the spot and to his face. The tiles in the kitchen bamboozled me into thinking that this kitchen was well-equipped. Smart, but such a disappointment when there are no deep bowls for soup, snacks, salads, porridge, or whatever.

Hypnotizing light fixture

The tiles behind the kitchen counter gave the illusion that this place was well-equipped

Condiments left behind + mixed guestbook reviews + the nasty floor

The guy also spent about 30 minutes in the house trying to call the cable company because the TV wasn’t working. We eventually had to tell them that we don’t care about TV since we don’t understand Serbian. He can fix that for the next guests.

99% of effort put into original light fixtures

The one silver lining was the bed. I slept really well on it and it was neither too firm nor too soft. There was a big closet to put all our stuff in. But there were no curtains on any of the windows, just these rolling blinds for the zombie apocalypse. And the bedroom is at eye level with the apartment across the street, where there’s always a shirtless guy smoking on the balcony. So for privacy, we had to close it very often.

The nightstand close to the window is where I found the dried-up vom

When the blinds are up, it’s very nice and bright in the apartment. The kitchen/dining area has nice light fixtures. I would have preferred two forks, but the lights are nice. And it has a very decent table to work at.

The bathroom is quite small and has a Bluetooth speaker with multiple colors for a light fixture. The shower cabin is very nice and four types of shower gel were provided/left behind by other guests. There are water inlets for a washing machine, but the machine ain’t there. I wish there had been one, but that was our oversight.

Bluetooth speaker bathroom

I can’t stress this enough, we wouldn’t stay here again. Smederevo, however, was really awesome.

Ram: Rajski Horizonti Rooms Ram

Duration: two nights. Book a room in this guesthouse here

We arrived in Ram in the afternoon at the ferry landing. This arrival spot is right below our accommodation and right next to Ram Fortress. Needless to say, there are wonderful views of the Danube from the shared balcony and outdoor space. Since there’s no kitchen and all the restaurants were closed or not within walking distance, that’s also where we used our camp stove to cook dinner.

It was also the only online bookable accommodation in Ram. Though there was one business across the Danube (there’s a ferry connection) in Stara Palanka, when we visited the other side, we saw it had been forced to shut down. Good thing we didn’t book that accommodation in Serbia.

The room itself is quite small but has a private ensuite bathroom. It was very clean and comfortable. Since we were only here for two nights and wanted to visit Ram Fortress and Stara Palanka, we didn’t work from here. There was a coat rack and small wardrobe with an extra blanket. The hallway gives access to the balcony and the exit, where there was sometimes a little cat visitor. They also run the Ram Quad Tour business, but we found it too expensive. Below the guest house is a restaurant that we ate at once.

The bed was nice, but the thin duvets didn’t come with a duvet cover. We asked them about it and they said they wash the skinny duvets after all guests. We accepted that answer though we found it a little weird. The window is covered in mosquito netting and has nice views of the main street and the ferry to Stara Palanka.

The bathroom wasn’t cramped at all and was quite nice.

It was okay to stay here for two nights, but it’s not good for working remotely. If I’d visit Ram Fortress again – though I don’t see why I would – I’d stay here again.

Golubac: Aleksandar Apartments & Rooms

Duration: 5 nights, extended to 9 in total. Check them out on Booking

Our kayaking day from Ram to Golubac ended 8 kilometers earlier in Vinci due to the strong Košava headwind. We were looking at buses or hitchhiking and also contacted our host Ivan, who promptly offered to come pick us up. He was incredibly helpful during our final stay in Serbia—although we still did a kayak day trip from Golubac to Donji Milanovac. We arrived at the complex, which is rather large and has multiple rooms and apartments with a big garden. The hosts live on the property as well and we mostly had contact with the mother, who doesn’t speak English, though that wasn’t an issue. We enjoyed the covered terrace with outdoor seating a lot. That’s also where we kept Zucchini.

Exterior and outdoor seating area of Aleksandar Apartments

The apartment itself has a shared front door with another apartment, though during our stay, there were no other guests making use of it. We put our shoes in that hallway. The door opens up straight into the living room and kitchen area. There’s a big table that we used for working from. We also put a laptop on the table to watch Netflix from the couch. The kitchen itself isn’t very spacious and we only cooked basic meals here. Part of it is under a slope from the stairs that lead to the first floor. The microwave didn’t work very well and we once started a fire in it trying to make popcorn, which led to a small panic, but we put it out.

The bedroom wasn’t very spacious, but we made it work. No nightstands next to the bed. There were plenty of blankets, which were swapped and washed by the hosts a few times during our stay. There’s a wardrobe that was very handy during our long stay in Golubac, which was originally five days but ended up being nine. We paid the extra four nights with our last Serbian Dinars.

The bathroom was narrow, but it had a top-loader washing machine. The shower was a bit small and the showerhead didn’t have a hands-free mount. There were bottles of water in case the taps would stop working, but that wasn’t an issue during our stay.

All in all, this place was rather cheap, and contact with the hosts was great. Ivan even brought us to the ferry when we departed for Romania from Usije to Moldova Veche. There are some nice vegetarian-friendly restaurants within walking distance, such as NANA and Wood Fire. I would probably stay here again if I’d revisit Golubac, although it was ne

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