Belgrade - "Did you know?"

"...It is no Rome or Paris, and therein lies its appeal, Belgrade's charm is simply irrepressible... It (Belgrade) is a city where you can dance until sunrise seven nights a week, where hospitality crackles in the air and where looking good is a birthright and a religion in one."

("24 hours in Belgrade" by Tom Owen, CNN Traveller)

• Exceptional Nightlife •
• Outstanding Organic Food •
• Cheap Accommodation

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia and former capital of Yugoslavia. The city lies at the confluence of two great rivers (Sava and Danube) in north-central Serbia, where the Panonian Plain meets the Balkan Peninsula.

Strategically situated, Belgrade has been a major crossroad and trade route between the West and the Orient throughout its boisterous history.

A brief history of Belgrade

Belgrade is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its history dates back 7,000 years and the area around the Sava and Danube rivers has been inhabited from as early as the Palaeolithic period.

The Neolithic Starcevo and Vinca cultures existed in or near Belgrade and dominated the Balkans, as well as parts of central Europe and Asia Minor.

The city was settled and grew around fortresses built by the Celts in the third century BC, before becoming the Roman settlement of Singidunum.

The Slavic name Beligrad (a form of Beograd meaning White City) was first recorded in 878 AD. From the 9th to 16th centuries, it changed hands between Byzantine, Frankish, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Serbian rulers, until it was conquered by the Ottomans in 1521 who made Belgrade their chief strategic fortress in Europe.

Occupied three times by the Habsburg Empire between the 17th and 18th centuries, in 1841 (after its liberation from the Ottomans), Belgrade became the capital of the Principality of Serbia, which was renamed the Kingdom of Serbia in 1882. Belgrade was also the capital of several incarnations of Yugoslavia from 1918 until 2006.

Present

Today, Belgrade is the most economically-developed part of Serbia. It is a centre of art and culture and is exuberant as never before. Its nightlife is rich and lively and Belgrade offers many fine restaurants with local specialities in authentic surroundings. There is so much to see and do; from bars, riverside dining, concerts and clubs to galleries, exhibitions, sightseeing and excursions. Of course, you can shop, too, or simply relax in one of many downtown cafes. The famous charm and hospitality of Belgrade are hard to match.

Belgrade, essential:

Kalemegdan

Belgrade Fortress is the historical nucleus of Belgrade, around which the civilian settlement grew up, starting from the time of Singidunum in the Celtic and Roman periods. Numerous remains of the Roman fortification have been uncovered. While the IV Flavian legion was stationed here, the first fort constructed of square hewn stones was erected in what is now called the Upper Fortress (Gornji Grad). Parts of the original Roman walls are still visible near the Zindan gate, incorporated in the lower part of the north-west wall of the Upper Fortress, together with remains of a square tower.

Changing hands among the Byzantines, Bulgars, Hungarians and Serbs in the period from the 5th to the 15th century, Belgrade underwent certain changes, additions and repairs without losing its basic form or purpose. The large-scale building works undertaken from 1403-1427 by Despot Stevan Lazarevic gave the fortifications their developed medieval form with a citadel in the north-west corner of the Upper Fortress (Gornji Grad) and an extensive Lower Fortress (Donji Grad) and western and eastern suburbs. Today the remains of Belgrade fortress are incorporated in the large park of Kalemegdan.

The statue to the victor erected to the freedom of Belgrade is located on the Kalemegdan Fortress. World War I began there, when the Austrian artillery on the other side of the river began firing upon the Kalemegdan. Military museum is located in Kalemegdan, visit is a must.

Skadarlija

Skadarlija was the bohemian area of old Belgrade. It grew up spontaneously around the turn of the century, following the building of a brewery, which led to the opening of a number of cafes and restaurants. Close together in one short street, they became the meeting place of artists and writers, who spent the better part of their lives in the Three Hats (Tri sheshira), Two Deers (Dva jelena), Golden Chalice (Zlatni bokal) and other hostelries.

The present Skadarlija, a short, curved street which is a remarkable Belgrade tourist attraction, includes a well-known hotel Le Petit Piaf, antique and souvenir shops, Sebilj fountain, etc. Restaurants and pubs fill most of it with their open air tables; there are art galleries, all night bakeries and folk groups singing traditional city music.

Knez Mihailova Street

Knez Mihailova, pedestrian zone and shopping centre - protected by law as one of the oldest and most valuable monumental complexes of the city, with a large number of representative buildings and urban houses built at the end of 1870s.Nice examples of 19th century architecture is present. The street is also packed with world chain fashion shops and cafes. Knez Mihajlova Street is the very heart of Belgrade.

National Museum of Serbia

Founded in 1844 the museum today holds more than 400000 objects including many extraordinary and good quality collections. Most of these artefacts are first class works of national art and also many of international significance. Something that makes this museum one of few in the world is the fact that most of these objects originate in Serbia. There are also well known paintings and works of Pieter Paul Rubens, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Paul Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec etc

Saint Sava Temple

Saint Sava Temple (Sveti Sava Temple), this is the largest Orthodox Church in the world located only minutes from the city centre. It has been under construction for over 50 years but received a nearly completed look since last year; the outside appears complete, the inside is still under construction.

Despite this, visitors are welcome to look around inside and people come to light candles and pray. Inside is a small kiosk with icons for sale. If you approach the church and the doors are closed, try walking around to the side or back to find an open door. A beautiful park always full of people surrounds it. It is a breathtaking site that includes the statue to Karadorde (Black George) and the statue to St. Sava. Next to the St. Sava church there is also a much smaller orthodox church and the National Library. You can expect to see people walking along the park in front of the church at all times as it is popular with youth and seniors.

Nikola Tesla Museum

The Nikola Tesla Museum, founded in 1952, preserves the personal items of Nikola Tesla, the inventor after whom the Tesla unit was named. It holds around 160,000 original documents and around 5,700 other items. One half of this small museum is dedicated to Tesla's personal effects, while the other half contains models of his inventions. The English-speaking guides are students from the Engineering Department of the University of Belgrade, who can help you understand the sometimes-complicated science.

St. Marko's Church

St. Marko's Church at Tasmajdan Park was built between 1931-1940 at the place where the old church, from 1835, used to be. It was designed in Serbian-Byzantine style. Inside you can find one of the biggest chandeliers in the Christian world and valuable 18th and 19th century icons. In the southern part of the inner temple sanctuary, lays the sarcophagus with the remains of the Serbian emperor Dusan.

National Assembly of Serbia

The Parliament is in the centre of Belgrade. Prior to becoming the Parliament of Serbia, it served as the seat of parliament for Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro.

The construction of the parliament building started in 1906 and lasted for almost 30 years. It was designed in the manner of academic traditionalism, with rich interior (architectural and artistic) decoration, made by, then, famous artists and craftsmen. Tours inside the buildings are available. It is one of Belgrade's most significant buildings that has been witness to many important events in Yugoslav history.

Ada Ciganlija

Ada Ciganlija is a former island on the river Sava and Belgrade's biggest sports and recreational complex. Today it is connected with the shore, creating an artificial lake on the river. It is the most popular destination for Belgraders during the city's hot summers. There are 7 kilometres of long beaches and sports facilities for various sports including golf, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby etc.

Apart from Ada, Belgrade has total of 16 islands on both rivers, many still unused; among them, the Great War Island on the very confluence of Sava and Danube stands out as an oasis of untouched wildlife (especially birds).It is, along with nearby Small War Island, protected by the city's government as a nature preserve.

Belgrade Zoo

On Kalemegdan fortress, situated at the very centre of the city, the Belgrade Zoo or the Good Hope Garden stands on one of the most attractive city locations - the Kalemegdan Park. It was founded in 1936 and is one of the oldest homes of the animal kingdom in Europe. It covers an area of 6 ha, and has 2,000 animals of 200 species, and, beside wild animals, it abounds in domestic animals too. Its present beautiful look features many facilities and solid infrastructure, new drinking-fountains, Wooden Sculpture Gallery and a nursery for young animals - (Baby Zoo). For its 60th anniversary it was enriched with a monument dedicated to it's once most interesting and most famous resident; - Sammy the chimpanzee, the first of its kind ever in this Zoo.

Not a week passes there without the media present, to record birth of a cub or various other promotions... The Zoo is present almost daily in the life of Belgrade, enriching it with spirit of its gentle atmosphere, not without reason named the Good Hope Garden.

The Tito Mausoleum and The House of Flowers

Once upon a time there was one great country named Yugoslavia and Josip Broz Tito was her president. Many nations, nationalities and religions lived in that country.

Everything related to that period is exhibited in this museum.

After his death, Yugoslavia crashed and now we have the former Yugoslavian republics as independent countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

This is a grave of President Tito.

Twice every year a big crowd gathers here on the date of his death May 4th and on his birthday May 25th.

Links page covers in depth tourist information and sightseeing guides in Belgrade and Serbia. Many other activities are included too.