Zemun Market: The Soul of the Square

Zemun’s green market fills Masarikov trg with farmers’ cheese and kajmak, peppers for ajvar, cured meats, honey and river fish, as it has since at least the 17th century. Here is how to make the most of a morning there.

Every town has a square that tells you who lives there. In Zemun it is the green market: a morning crowd of regulars with their wheeled baskets, farmers calling out the day’s best, the smell of peppers and smoked meat, and the easy talk of people who have been buying from the same stall for years. Visitors are welcomed warmly, especially those who stop, taste and ask questions. Spend an hour here and you will understand Zemun better than in a day of sightseeing.

A meeting of senses and centuries

The market is older than most of the houses around it. According to Belgrade’s city markets company, records from the late 17th century describe farmers bringing produce to Zemun, often straight to the doors of wealthier households, while the town’s poorer people did their shopping at the market itself. Much of it came from the nearby village of Novo Selo, known then as now for its farming; watermelons and grapes arrived by river from Stari Slankamen, cabbage came from the gardens of the Lido, and Zemun’s German families sold butter, sour cream and Swabian cheese.

Come early, taste before you buy, and leave with more than you planned: that is the Zemun market way.

Zemun also had a fish market on the riverbank, where Danube fishermen sold their catch, and fresh river fish is still one of the market’s specialities. Today the market spreads across Masarikov trg and Omladinski trg, with Gospodska street cutting it in two, a few steps from Glavna, the main street of old Zemun.

The sellers

The heart of the market is its people. Many of the stallholders are farmers and small producers from the villages around Belgrade and the plains of Vojvodina to the north, and the city markets company has brought them together here for events such as its days of Vojvodina home food and old crafts. Look for the dairy counters, with tubs of kajmak, the rich, slightly tangy cream skimmed from boiled milk, and blocks of white cheese in brine. Sellers will happily cut you a sliver to try: it is the best way to choose.

The earth’s bounty

What you find follows the seasons. In early autumn the stalls are piled high with long red peppers, bought by the sackful for ajvar, the roasted pepper relish that families still make at home, and the city markets company runs a winter-preserves caravan at the market for exactly this season. Through the year you will find cured hams, smoked bacon and sausages hanging above the counters, jars of local honey, fresh vegetables and fruit, flowers and plants.

The fish market

Fish is Zemun’s old speciality. At the fish stalls, river fish such as carp swim in tanks until you choose one, a sight that goes back to the days of the Danube fishermen. The tradition is alive in other ways too: in November 2024 the market held its first fish soup (riblja čorba) cooking competition, with eleven teams cooking in traditional kettles and the proceeds going to a Belgrade children’s shelter.

Speak like a local

A few words of Serbian go a long way at the stalls, and are always met with a smile.

Dobar dan: good day, the polite way to greet a seller.

Pošto je ovo?: how much is this?

Mogu li da probam?: may I taste it?

Dajte mi pola kile, molim Vas: half a kilo, please.

Hvala Vam puno: thank you very much.

Prijatno: goodbye, and enjoy it, said as you leave.

Getting there

The market is at Masarikov trg 17 in Zemun, a short walk from Glavna and from the Zemun Quay. The city markets company lists many bus lines that stop nearby, among them the 84, 88 and 706. It gives the opening hours as 6:00 to 19:00, but the busiest and best time is the morning.

Nearby, Fit Pahuljica sells organic and health foods on Masarikov trg, Bio Špajz has a health food shop on Glavna, and Ćiribu Ćiriba on Masarikov trg is a good place for lunch afterwards.

A day in Zemun, from the market to the river

If you have a whole day, let the market set the pace and follow the old town down to the Danube.

Morning, the market: arrive early, when the stalls are fullest. Taste kajmak and white cheese, and buy fruit and a wedge of cheese for breakfast on the hoof.

Mid-morning, Gospodska: walk out along Gospodska, the street that runs through the market, into the lanes of old Zemun, with their Baroque churches, pastel houses and little squares.

Late morning, Gardoš: climb the steps and cobbled lanes to Gardoš Tower, built in 1896. It usually opens as a gallery during the day, and the hilltop and its views over the red roofs, the Danube and Belgrade across the water are free at any hour.

Coffee: walk back down for coffee and a pastry at Mlin Zemun, a café and bakery in the old town.

Lunch, the quay: stroll the Zemun Quay, where more than 120 swans gather on the river, then sit down to fish soup and grilled river fish at Šaran, one of the classic fish restaurants by the Danube (closed on Mondays).

Afternoon, Avijatičarski trg: walk on to Avijatičarski trg and Dragiša Brašovan’s landmark Air Force Command building, home to Galerija Ikar and its changing exhibitions. In the evening, S5 by Angie, on the same square, cooks personal, Italian-inspired food.

Sunset, the Danube: finish where the quay begins, on the terrace of Venecija, built out over the river since 1913, and watch the Danube turn from gold to crimson.

Our advice: come early, ideally on a Saturday morning, bring cash and a bag, greet the seller with “Dobar dan”, and taste before you buy. Then carry your kajmak and peppers to a café on the square and watch Zemun go about its morning.