The colourful Bo Kaap of today is a far cry from its tumultuous beginnings — in the 16th and 17th centuries, slaves brought from Malaysia and Indonesia by the Dutch were forced to reside here. Each house received a fresh coat of bright paint following the end of apartheid, as an act of defiance, expression of individualism and a celebration of freedom at long last.

The Royal Palace was built between 1924 and 1929, on orders by King Alexander I, as the official royal residence. It is designed in the Serbian-Byzantine style, surrounded by pergolas, park terraces, pools, a pavilion, and a concert terrace. Located on the ridge of a hill, it provides a magnificent view of Dedinje, the Košutnjak forest, Topčider, and Avala. Within the same complex, a residence for sons of King Alexander I had been built and named the White Palace. Its salons are arranged in the styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI, and it contains a valuable art collection including notable artworks by Rembrandt, Fromentin, Vouet, Poussin, Bourdou, Jakšić, Meštrović and many others. It also contains the Royal Library that once housed around 35,000 books and the Ceremonial Dining Hall set up in the Chippendale style. The palace complex also contains the Royal Family Church modelled after the Church of the Monastery of St Andrew on Treska in Macedonia. Palaces are open for visits on weekends, during the tourist season, as it is a home of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and his family.

Sculptor Francisco Salzillo lived in Murcia in the 18th century, and christianity heavily inspired his original and colourful work. The Muzeo Salzillo displays close to 500 of his works of art, and each Easter, his art is used in the traditional parade through the city.