Private Tour of Three House Museums in Belgrade: Cvijić, Andrić and Paja Jovanović

Minds of the Balkans

Duration: 2.5 hours  Price: EUR 55 per person

This private 2.5-hour walking tour visits three house museums in central Belgrade: the home of geographer Jovan Cvijić, the apartment of Nobel laurate Ivo Andrić and the museum of painter Paja Jovanović. Led by an art historian, it explains the insights into the minds of the Balkan peoples these three great men contributed and why their own work and lives were important for Serbia and Yugoslavia. The private tours run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The price is EUR 55 per person.

You’ll love this tour if you are

• History lover
• Cultural explorer
• Art lover
• Literature lover
• Looking for authentic historical interiors

Jovan Cvijić House Museum: the Geographer Who Mapped Balkan Minds

Curious about Balkan psychological types? So was Jovan Cvijić, the geographer who spent 40 years in field research across the Balkans. His maps of geography and cultures were instrumental in negotiating the borders of the new Yugoslav state after WWI.

The house museum tour starts at his home, in the atmospheric quarter from the 1900s. We promise to show you the interior you won’t find anywhere else! A unique combination of Art Nouveau and Balkan ornaments that burst with colors, textures and allegories.

The custom furniture was upholstered in the ethnic hand-woven materials Cvijić was bringing from the field. The perfect setting for us to discuss the Balkan psychological types Cvijić established, still living within us!

Ivo Andrić’s Apartment: See the Nobel Diploma

Our next authority on the Balkans comes from the literary world.

Ivo Andrić was a Bosnian-born writer, royal Yugoslavian diplomat and socialist Yugoslavia cultural eminence, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1961. His apartment is elegant and a bit austere, as was the author himself.

We’ll talk about what’s so special about Andrić’s novels and see his Nobel diploma. Much of his writing is about the culture, history and psychology of his homeland, Bosnia: the gallery of contrasts between Turks, Austrians, local urban and rural populations, European diplomats, and Catholic monks.

Paja Jovanović’s Museum: the Studio From 1890s Vienna Relocated to Belgrade

We complete the experience at the museum of Paja Jovanović, whose lavish decoration was brought from the artist’s studio in Vienna. Think green silk and crimson wallpapers, gold frames, Louis XV sofas and marble mantlepieces.

What is unique about Paja Jovanović in Serbian art history is his early and continuous commercial success and unbelievably universal appeal. Paja appealed both to the Viennese nobility waiting in lines to sit for a portrait and to a Serbian man, who would hang copies of Jovanović’s traditional scenes on the walls of his home.

The UK collectors from the late 19th century and today’s collectors from the Middle East love Paja’s Balkan Muslim folklore scenes. Serbian kings from rival dynasties and even the communist regime were commissioning Paja for the portraits.

The artist himself selected the works for his Belgrade museum: from the Balkan landscapes, portraits of the Belgrade mayor, Yugoslav Queen and Austrian noble women, to the private portraits of his beloved young wife, never exhibited anywhere else.

More Places and Tours for Art an Culture Lovers in Belgrade

Before or after the Three House Museums Tour, you’ll probably want to explore the surrounding streets. Read up for our recommendations on gems of contemporary creativity and culture to look for within the walking distance.

For understanding the Serbian culture before the modern times check out our private tour that introduces you to the art of Orthodox icons. If the contemporary art is your thing – book your private guided gallery hopping with us.

Practical Info