BY: Ellie Tzortzi

BELGRADE, SERBIA - After almost two decades off the tourist map, Belgrade is making a comeback with a reputation as a 24-hour party city. Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors make the most of the Serbian capital, a city on the crossroads of Europe and the Orient.

FRIDAY

4 p.m. - Start on Terazije, one of the central boulevards. Lined with neoclassical and modernist buildings from the city's bourgeois golden age, it's a great starting point for landmarks such as the city hall, presidency building and the old Yugoslav Parliament, which was stormed on Oct 5, 2000 during demonstrations that brought down nationalist leader Slobodan Milosevic. You can never escape history in Belgrade, so you might as well submit to it: walk to Kneza Milosa street to see the ruins of government buildings -- which were bombed by NATO in 1999 but stand untouched as grotesquely beautiful monuments to precision bombing and nationalist defiance.

6 p.m. - Shake off any existential blues by walking up the pedestrian Knez Mihailova street, one of the main promenades for Belgrade's emerging affluent class. Pavement cafes and ice-cream stands will fuel you on the way up to Kalemegdan fortress, originally a Roman outpost overlooking the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers that over the last two millennia has been sacked, destroyed and rebuilt by Byzantines, Slavs, Ottomans, Hungarians and Austrians. Chill out in the shady park, get lost in the tunnels and gates and check out the Military Museum's outdoor collection of 18th to 20th century artillery and armored vehicles. For a stunning sunset, walk up to the statue of the Victor to watch the light fire up the waters and the city skyline to all corners of the horizon.

9 p.m. - Serbs eat late and party even later. You can do both in the beautiful Dorcol neighbourhood, which retains the bustle of its Ottoman-era past as a multicultural trading center alongside its current incarnation as a nightlife hotspot. Start with sampling Serbia's national drink at the Rakija Bar (Dobracina 5), then try local specialties at Jevrem (Gospodar Jevremova 36) and the Writer's Club (Francuska 7). For upmarket international food head to Cafe Ipanema (Strahinjica Bana 68) or Duomo (Strahinica Bana 66), and stay on this street - nicknamed Silicon Valley for the breast implants favoured by its female patrons - for after dinner drinks and dancing in bars like Nachos and Insomnia.

1 a.m. - After midnight is when Belgrade really gets going: Club White (Pariska 1, in a cave under Kalemegdan) and the exclusive Magacin (Karadjordjeva 2-4, by the Sava docks) are good choices for city slickers, while fans of unpretentious, riotous fun should head to Andergraund (Pariska 1a), legendary Akademija (Rajiceva 10, in the basement of the Fine Art faculty) or the well-hidden Apartman (Karadjordjeva 43) that features a chill-out space with beds, a dance podium and pumping 80s music.

Pensioners play chess in a park downtown Belgrade.

SATURDAY

11 a.m. - Blend in with a late coffee and people-watching at Republic Square or in the cobble-stoned Skadarlija district before heading to the tree-lined Vracar part of the city. Kalenic market, a vibrant open air market offering the best in local produce, is a great place for a mid-day snack, and just a stone's throw from the St Sava church, a gigantic building that has been under construction for a century and is still not finished.

2 p.m. - If you're in a shopping mood, buy rakija fruit-flavored brandies or head to Schlitz (Palmoticeva 23) for Serbian designer labels that stand out from the crowd. Once the heat sets in, it's time to head to the shores of the Sava and Danube rivers, the best places to spend lazy weekend afternoons. Ada Ciganlija Island is a top choice with its seven 7 km (4 mile) promenade for cycling and rollerblading, watersport facilities, a beach and dozens of bars and restaurants. Alternatively, head to Topcider park, developed by the 19th century Prince Milos Obrenovic and try the roast lamb at the Milosev Konak restaurant - fit for a king.

9 p.m. - Maybe you should have had a nap, because it's time for the epitome of Belgrade nightlife, the infamous 'splav', river club restaurants that run the gamut from floating death-trap to elaborate luxury hotspot for the discerning clubber. The main drags are along the Zemun quay on the Danube (no address, just tell the name of the place to the taxi driver). Splav-hopping is encouraged, so head to Stara Koliba, Zabar or Pasa for dinner, then Exile, Freestyler or Sound for drinks and dancing. For barbecued meat and exuberant brass band music, the Black Panthers on Ada Ciganlija will have you dancing on the tables until dawn.

SUNDAY

A girl runs in the park during hot weather in Belgrade.

11 a.m. - Work off your hangover with some more sightseeing in the Royal compound (top of Dedinje Hill), which offers a peek into the lush lives of Serbia's now dethroned royal family. After 50 years in exile, the Karadjordjevic's are now back in Serbia, but are largely irrelevant and unloved compared to the man who ousted them: Josip Broz Tito, father of Yugoslavia and probably history's most stylish and charming autocrat. You can visit the House of Flowers (25th of May museum, Boticeva 6), his former home and now mausoleum and see his cult of personality in action. Thousands of presents from his people and world leaders, his collection of luxury cars and his medals are all on display.

2 p.m.- Jump in a cab and head to Zemun, an Austro-Hungarian outpost on the Danube that has now been swallowed by Belgrade's urban sprawl. Get lost in its romantic cobbled streets or sit in one of the cafes by the river, then head up to the Millenium Tower, built by the Hungarians on the southernmost corner of their empire in the late 1890s, for magnificent views of the city. Just under the tower, Salas (Sindjeliceva 34), a converted family home now serving great Vojvodina cuisine and breathtaking views over the Danube, will reward you for the trek and leave you full all the way home.