Church of St Sava in Belgrade – Visit the World’s Most Beautiful Church!

It may surprise you that the most beautiful church I have ever visited on my travels is found in Belgrade. It certainly surprised me.

The Church of St Sava is a majestic temple and one of Serbia’s most notable landmarks dedicated to their patron saint. 

I’m not usually one to overtly praise religious places. I’m not devout by any means, but I respect other beliefs. 

Admittedly, after a while, one church starts to look like any other when I’m travelling.

But the Temple of St Sava is the world’s most beautiful church (in my humble opinion) as it’s not just a religious building. 

It’s a masterpiece made with over 50 million mosaic pieces that cover 15,000 square metres.

The interior architecture completely floored me and took my breath away. I swear my jaw was on the floor the whole time.  

You have to visit on your travels through Serbia. Here is a complete guide for visiting the Temple of St Sava in Belgrade. 

Church of St Sava history

The Temple of St Sava is dedicated to Sava, born Rastko Nemanjić. 

He was a prince who gave up his royal title to become a monk and eventually founded Serbian Orthodox Christianity.

Sava was canonised as the patron saint of Serbia shortly before he died in 1236.

During the Ottoman invasion, Vizier Sinan Pasha ordered his relics to be publicly burned in 1594 on Vračar Hill to break the Serbs’ spirit. 

But the sacrilegious act only strengthened their resolve, and the Serbian people decided to dedicate a church to St Sava on that spot instead. 

Temple of St Sava Construction 

The construction of this temple would become an uphill battle in Belgrade. For centuries, the work would start, only to pause and then resume. 

The temple didn’t open to the public until 1935 and, even then, it wasn’t fully finished. It’s still a work in progress now.

Many called it “Eastern Europe’s Sagrada Familia”, and it was modelled on the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul.

The majority of the interior design was completed in the 2010s, and the Byzantine-esque mosaic artwork was only finalised in 2023.

The ambitious project relied heavily on donations, and the Russian Federation provided a large contribution.

Today, it’s the fourth largest Orthodox church in the world and the largest church in Serbia. It can hold up to 10,000 worshippers inside. 

Even if you’re not religious, this majestic temple is worth visiting for the interior mosaics alone. The golden glimmering effect is breathtaking. 

How to visit the Church of St Sava

The Church of St Sava is located on Vračar Hill in Belgrade within Karageorge Park.

Public buses are completely free to use in Belgrade, and there is a bus stop right outside the park.

It’s then just a couple of minutes’ walk through the lush plateau to the temple. 

You’ll know when you’ve arrived as the bright white building with turquoise domes is enormous.  

I found Belgrade a very walkable city, so I made my way here on foot from my hotel on the main thoroughfare, King Alexander Boulevard. 

The temple is close to popular attractions like the Nikola Tesla Museum and Trpkovic Bakery.

Opening hours and entry fees

The church of St Sava is open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Sunday. 

Services are held here regularly, and so it may be temporarily closed off to visitors during the service.

Amazingly, this majestic church is completely free to enter. It makes a great budget activity in Belgrade.  

Dress code for the Church of St Sava 

As this is an active Orthodox Church, you must wear what they consider respectable attire to this religious place of worship.

Most locals dress up to visit their Orthodox churches, but regular tourists can remain casual.

Women also don’t need to cover their heads in this temple unless they want to.

You should have both your shoulders and knees covered. Avoid miniskirts, backless clothing, anything low-cut, skintight, and sleeveless. 

I’ve heard they sometimes get funny about sliders/flip-flops, but I saw plenty of people wearing them during the summertime. 

If it’s particularly warm in Serbia, I would bring a pashmina or thin scarf to cover your arms if you’ve opted for something skimpy. 

Arriving at the Church of St Sava

The domes of St Sava church can be seen all over the Belgrade city skyline, but approaching the building on foot is staggering. 

Standing at 79 metres high, it’s the largest Orthodox Church in Serbia and the fourth largest in the world.

The exteriors are clad in white marble and granite with several mushroom blue domes topped with gold crucifixes. 

It’s one of Belgrade’s most recognisable landmarks and a spiritual icon. I was eager to see what lay inside. 

Inside the Temple of St Sava

Walking into the Church of St Sava for the first time is something I will never forget. 

Looking up at the gorgeous artwork that seemed to glimmer in the low light took my breath away.

On closer inspection, you’ll see that the art is not painted but made of 50 million individual mosaic pieces (tesserae). 

It’s thought to cover 15,000 square metres of the walls and domes and weigh 300 tons. 

The effect is overwhelming, and it appears to glow and glitter by catching both the lamps and natural daylight. 

It’s definitely worth visiting at different times of the day to see the phenomenon. 

Main Dome & Apses

As you look up at the Main Dome, you’ll find Christ the Saviour surrounded by angels and saints.

The Altar Apses has portraits of Serbian saints and martyrs. The large chandelier, or Corona Lucis, dominates and shines over the central nave. 

There are also conclaves in each direction with more Serbian Orthodox figures immortalised in mosaics. 

I could have spent hours admiring these intricate designs. It was completely mesmerising. 

Is the Church of St Sava worth visiting in Belgrade?

Yes, in my opinion, the Church of St Sava is the world’s most beautiful church.

I’ve seen many churches on my travels, including cathedrals and Orthodox temples, but nothing on this scale of complexity. 

The golden mosaics are divine, and the glittering effect is something I will never forget. It truly is breathtaking.  

Don’t skip the Temple of St Sava on your travels through Serbia!

Important tips

• I recommend spending thirty minutes to one hour in the Church of St Sava. There is lots to see inside and a helpful audio guide.

• You must be respectful when visiting and taking photos. The kind staff helped me take my photos as I was visiting alone. 

• It can get extremely crowded here during the day. I recommend visiting early morning or around an hour before closing time. 

• You need to be wearing modest clothes inside the church. It can be casual, but shoulders and knees should be covered.

• Most visitors talk in hushed voices; the staff shut down any loud talking or shouting. 

• There is a lower crypt that you can visit for an extra fee. Unfortunately, this was closed on my visit. 

Read more of my Serbia guides

Visit Data Status Bookshop in Belgrade

Magical things to do in Novi Sad

How to Visit Golubac Fortress & The Iron Gates

Save the Church of St Sava for later