Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park
Belgrade Fortress, built on the white reef above the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, many times razed and rebuilt during the course of 16 centuries, is today a famous trademark of Serbia’s capital.
It was built somewhere during the long period between the II and XVIII century. Just as many armies, nations and conquerors that passed through these regions left some sort of a mark, in that same manner the walls of the Belgrade Fortress have many different layers, the ones made by Romans, Serbs, Turks, and Austro-Hungarians.
Today’s Belgrade Fortress consists of Gornji and Donji Grad (Upper and Lower Town) and the field in front of the fortress, which Turks called “Kalemegdan”, by merging words “kale”, meaning town, fortress, and “megdan”, a Turkish word meaning field. What is today the largest and the most beautiful park in the Serbia’s capital was once a field where the enemy was confronted.
Knez Mihailova Street
Knez Mihailova Street is the main street in Belgrade, a pedestrian zone that stretches from Terazije to the entrance to the Kalemegdan Park. It is connected to Trg Republike (Republic Square) that holds the statue of Prince Mihailo and where National Museum is located. This is the most vivid street in Belgrade, decorated with numerous shops and cafes, places of enjoyment and relaxation.
In its surroundings there are culture centers, embassies, faculties, many galleries and museums like the Ethnographic Museum, Princess Ljubica’s Residence, Museum of Applied Arts, and Frescoes Gallery… Also, in its vicinity there is the Patriarchate Palace, the centre of the ecclesiastical authority of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the St Michael’s Cathedral.
Bohemian quarter – Skadarlija
Skadarlija is to Belgrade as Montmartre is to Paris! Skadar Street or Skadarlija, has always been a meeting place for bohemians and artists, people who enjoyed good songs, great wine and even better food.
The steep cobbled street with the oldest and the most famous taverns in city, that still echoes the old traditional urban music, is most certainly one of the largest tourist attractions, as well as the source of pride for all the people living in Belgrade. Skadarlija is the keeper of the old spirit of Belgrade and a place that must be visited.
The Temple of Saint Sava
The Temple of Saint Sava is the largest Orthodox temple in the Balkans, and one of the largest Orthodox temples in the world.
It is located on Vračar, while it can be seen from various points in the city due to its size. It was built on the ground where, according to many experts, Sinan Pasha burned the remains of Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The construction of the church was financed entirely thanks to the donations.
Zemun
Zemun was once the most beautiful border city of Austria, while today it is the most charming part of Belgrade, the unfaltering guardian of the authentic atmosphere of distant past that impudently seduces the visitors of the capital.
Located on the right coast of Danube, Zemun attracts the curious eyes with its unusual beauty and the spirit of antiquity that can be observed in every street and every alley of this historical part of town. The soul of Zemun rests in the old quarter, Gardoš, rising above the blue Danube with its famous “Millenium Tower”, built in 1896 as a part of the celebration of 1000 years anniversary of settling of Hungarians to the Pannonian Basin. Precipitous cobbled streets of Gardoš stretch towards the most beautiful Belgrade promenade along the Danube, Zemun quay, where there are numerous fish restaurants, as well as the popular splavovi (rafts).
Royal Compound
A compound of palaces of the Serbian royal family Karađorđević, that consists of the Royal Palace, White Palace, the Royal Chapel of Apostle Andrew The First-Called, and the outbuildings, is located on the highest hill in Dedinje, a luxurious Belgrade neighborhood.
Karađorđević family even today lives in one part of the compound, while the other part is open for visitors. The Royal Compound enjoys a magnificent view of Belgrade and Avala, while the oldest part of it is called the Royal Palace.
Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija is a former river island, and now a peninsula on the River Sava. Covered with dense deciduous forests, and sea-like beaches, Ada is the largest, the most beautiful and the most visited resort, swimming grounds and resting area for citizens of Belgrade.
It seems as if the entire population of Belgrade moves to Ada in the summer. There are various cafes and restaurants, nightclubs, sports fields…
Avala
At only ten kilometers from Belgrade, rising from the plains is Avala, a conical mountain shrouded in mystery and legend. Today, a favorite resort of people in Belgrade and once a mighty stronghold of many civilizations that replaced one another over the years, Avala always aroused the curiosity of people living at its foot, as well as a number of researchers. Deciduous and pine park-forest with eight sources of pure mountain water is today a legally protected natural wealth of Serbia, and makes an ideal destination for a day trip or a picnic.
One of the symbols of Belgrade and its surroundings is located at the top of Avala Mountain – Avala tower, standing at 204.8 m. The original Avala Tower was destroyed in the NATO bombing in 1999. Like its predecessor, tower that stands today is still the tallest building in the Balkans.
On top of Avala there is also a monument to the Unknown Hero. It is a monumental complex with 8 caryatids in national costumes, symbolizing the unification of all ethnic groups in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Life on Belgrade rivers
Two great rivers run through Belgrade – Sava and Danube, while they unite at the confluence under the shadow of the Belgrade Fortress.
One of the greatest peculiarities of Belgrade is life on the rivers. During the day, their banks are the main promenades and resting areas in Belgrade, where people drink coffee, enjoy the seafood specialties, bathe and sunbathe, play sports… At night, the river banks are filled with music coming from the floating clubs-rafts, Belgrade’s widely known attractions, and the reasons why Belgrade is considered the city with the best nightlife in Europe.
