Kalemegdan is generally divided into four sections:
Donji Grad occupies the slope towards the riversides, from the top spot (ridge where "The Victor" is). Between the lowest section and the Danube is Kula Nebojša ("Fearless, or Daredevil Tower"), which was turned into a museum of the Greek revolutionary Rigas Feraios as the Turks strangled him in this tower and thrown him into the Danube. Donji Grad , so as the neighboring Savamala, gets flooded during the high levels of water in the rivers and Kula Nebojša suffered extensive damage during the major floods of 2006. Orthodox churches of Ružica (former Austrian gun depot) and Sveta Petka are also located in this area.
Gornji Grad a top section of Kalemegdan, turned into a park, with beautiful promenades and the statue of "The Victor" the "Roman well" (actually, built by the Austrians), the Observatory and Planetarium, tennis and basketball courts, etc.
Mali Kalemegdan occupies the area in the eastern section, which borders the urban section of Belgrade. Northern section of Mali Kalemegdan is occupied by the Belgrade's ZOO, opened in 1936. The art pavilion Cvijeta Zuzorić is also located here.
Veliki Kalemegdan occupies the southern corner of Kalemegdan, with geometrical promenades, Military Museum, Museum of forestry and hunting, Monument of the Gratitude to France.
Kalemegdan is the most popular park among Belgraders and for many tourists visiting Belgrade because of the park's numerous winding walking paths, shady benches, picturesque fountains, random statues, mammoth historical architecture and incredible river views (Sahat kula – The clock tower, Zindan kapija – Zindan gate, etc). Former canal which was used for city supplying in the Middle Ages is completely covered by earth but the idea of recreating it resurfaced in the early 2000s. Kalemegdan is known for its kilometers long lagums, underground corridors and catacombs, which are still largely unexplored. In the true sense, Kalemegdan is today the green oasis in the Belgrade's urban area.
Belgrade is the centre of culture and art of Serbia. It is Belgrade where our most notable artists create, where over 11.000 theatrical performances, exhibitions, concerts, performance events, and other artistic programs are presented and where prominent authors in the world of art are hosted. Belgrade is the centre of the highest state and national institutions of culture and art: Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Library of Serbia, the National Museum, the National Theatre and the University of Arts.
It is Belgrade where the most significant works of architecture are located, with Kalemegdan accommodating Belgrade Fortress, cultural monuments and other immovable cultural treasures, numerous archeological sites with remnants of developed civilization and culture on Belgrade territory from prehistory until this day.
The City of Belgrade is the founder of 36 cultural institutions (11 theatres, 8 institutions for protection of cultural values, 4 libraries, 13 cultural centers and galleries) and the supporter of 2 public companies, at the same time the contributor in the implementation of schedules and scheduled attractions of 231 institutions and artistic associations.
The City of Belgrade is the founder of 11 cultural events (FEST, BITEF, BEMUS, BELEF, International Competition of Music Youth, Festival of Documentary and Short film, October Salon, Joy of Europe, Belgrade Book Fair, Sopot Film Festival, Belgrade Jazz Festival), and also the supporter of 69 events in the field of culture performed in Belgrade.
Art museums:
National Museum, Trg republike 1a, tel. 330-6000,
www.narodnimuzej.rs
Museum of Applied Arts, Vuka Karadžića 18, tel. 2626-494,
www.mpu.org.yu
Museum of Modern Art, Ušće bb, tel. 311-5713,
www.msub.org.yu
Cultural and historical museums:
Museum of Ethnography, Studentski trg 13, tel. 328-1888,
www.etnomuzej.co.yu
Historical Museum of Serbia, Nemanjina 24/7, tel. 3616-268,
www.imus.org.yu
Jewish Historical Museum, Kralja Petra I 71/1, tel. 2622-634,
www.jimbeograd.org
Historical Museum of Yugoslavia, Trg Nikole Pašića 11, tel. 3398-532,
www.muzejistorijejugoslavije.org.yu
Konak Kneginje Ljubice, Kneza Sime Markovića 8, tel. 2638-264
Konak kneza Miloša, Rakovički put bb, tel. 2660-422
Museum of the "Banjica" Concentration Camp, Gen. Pavla Jurišića Šturma 33, tel. 3674-877
Museum of Belgrade Fortress, Gornji grad, tel. 328-4317,
www.beogradskatvrdjava.co.yu
Museum of the City of Belgrade, Zmaj Jovina 1, tel. 2630-825,
www.mgb.org.yu
Museum of Yugoslav Cinotheque, Kosovska 11, tel. 324-8250,
www.kinoteka.org.yu
Mladenovac Home Museum, Mladenovac, Vlajićeva 68, tel. 823-2969
Museum of Theatrical Art, Gospodar Jevremova 19, tel. 2626-630,
www.theatremuseum.org.yu
Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church, tel. 328-2593,
www.spc.rs
Museum of Pedagogy, Uzun-Mirkova 14, tel. 2627-538,
www.pedagoskimuzej.org.yu
Military Museum, Kalemegdan bb, tel. 334-3441,
www.muzej.mod.gov.yu
Museum of Vuk and Dositej, Gospodar Jevremova 21, tel. 2625-161
Zemun Home Museum, Glavna 9, tel. 3165-234
Memorial museums and commemorative collections:
Legacy of Milica Zorić and Rodoljub Čolaković, Rodoljuba Čolakovića 2, tel. 2663-173
Legacy of Paja Jovanović and Collection of Petar Popović, Kralja Milana 21/IV, tel. 334-0176
Manak's House, Gavrila Principa 5, tel. 3036-114
Memorial Gallery of Petar Dobrović, Kralja Petra I 36/IV, tel. 262-2163
Memorial Museum of Jovan Cvijić, Jelene Ćetković 5, tel. 322-3126
Memorial Museum of Nadežda and Rastko Petrović, Ljube Stojanovića 25, tel. 767-140
Museum of African Art, Andre Nikolića 14, tel. 2651-654,
www.africanmuseumbelgrade.org
Museum of Archibald Reiss, Bulevar vojvode Mišića 73, tel. 2656-122
Museum of Physical Education, Blagoja Parovića 156, tel. 355-5000, lok. 103
Museum of FC "Crvena Zvezda", Ljutice Bogdana 1a, tel. 322-4412
Museum of Toma Rosandić, Ljube Jovanovića 3, tel. 2651-434
Memorial Museum of Ivo Andrić, Andrićev venac 8/I, tel. 3238-397,
www.ivoandric.org.yu
Technical and natural-history museums:
Museum of Automobiles, Majke Jevrosime 30, tel. 3034-625
Museum of Science and Technology, Skender-begova 51, tel. 3037-850,
www.muzejnt.org.yu
Nikola Tesla Museum, Krunska 51, tel. 243-3886,
www.tesla-museum.org
Museum of Aviation, Aerodrom "Nikola Tesla", Surčin, tel. 2670-992
Museum of Natural History, Njegoševa 51, tel. 344-2265,
www.nhmbeo.org.yu
PTT Museum, Palmotićeva 2, tel. 3210-325
Railway Museum, Nemanjina 6, tel. 3610-334,
www.zeleznicesrbije.com
The White Palace is a mansion located in Belgrade. The mansion is part of the Royal Compound, a real estate of royal residences and parklands located in Dedinje, an exclusive area of Belgrade.
The Royal Dedinje Compound covers an area of over 100 hectares, of which 27 hectares surround the Royal Palace and another 12 hectares the Beli dvor. The service buildings include kitchens, garages, Palace Guard buildings, the administration of the Office of the Marshal of the Royal Court,
Designed by architect Aleksandar Đorđević, Beli dvor is a severe neo-Palladian structure that was inspired by 18th century English houses such as Ditchley Park. Its interiors were decorated with English Georgian and 19th century Russian antiques by the French design firm Jansen, which later decorated the White House during the administration of John F. Kennedy.
While the Old Palace (Royal Palace) was being built, King Aleksandar of Yugoslavia wanted to build a house for his children.
After the King's assassination in 1934 in Marseille, Queen Marija and the couple's sons, including the young King Peter II, who was then 11, continued to reside in the Royal Palace (within the Royal coompound) as well as the sprawling Novi Dvor (New Palace) in central Belgrade, which was the royal family's official residence, and is now the Presidency of Serbia. Construction of Beli dvor continued, however, and it was completed in 1936. Although historians often say that the building was completed in 1937, Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia was born in the White Palace in 1936, so it is safe to say that it was completed at that time.
It became the residence on loan to the Prince Regent and his family in waiting for King Peter II's majority.
After World War II, when the Communist government seized control of Yugoslavia, Beli dvor was used by presidents Josip Broz Tito and later by Slobodan Milošević.
After the democratic revolution on October 5, 2000, the Royal Family, then living in the United Kingdom, was invited to return to Yugoslavia, and it did so, in 2001. Crown Prince Alexander, his wife, Crown Princess Katherine, and his three sons Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander by his first wife, Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans Braganza, now live in the Royal Compound.
Beli dvor is open to the public on weekends, for regular visits, during the tourist season, from April to November.
The Art collection
The qualified tour guides at the Palace will tell any visitor that Beli dvor's notable works of art include paintings by Eugène Fromentin, Simon Vouet, two paintings by Nicolas Poussin, Sebastien Bourdon, Madonna dream by Albrecht Altdorfer, Man with flaute by Rembrandt, Paolo Veronese, two paintings by Antonio Canaletto, Breughel, Eugène Fromentin, Biagio d'Antonio, Giuseppe Crespi, Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Đura Jakšić, Steva Todorović, Ivan Meštrović, Vlaho Bukovac and others.
The White Palace 1938: Princess Olga and her sister
Duchess of Kent Marina
Virtual tour of the White Palace:
The Royal Palaces
http://www.royalfamily.org
The Residence of Princess Ljubica was erected by order of Miloš Obrenović in 1831. The edifice used to be a private residence of Princess Ljubica, Prince Miloš's wife. Contractor Hadži Nikola Živković did the construction. By its architectural composition and arrangement, the palace belongs to the Balkan style, with some western Baroque elements. Since then up to 1980, the purpose of the edifice has been changed. At present, the Palace displays interiors of the Belgrade rural homes of the 19th century, from the Oriental (Turkish), through the influences of the Mid- (Biedermeier) and the Western Europe (neo-baroque, neo-rococo, Napoleon III and alt-Deutsche style). The Palace basement, “Vault Hall”, is a remarkable ambient area, where The Belgrade City Museum organizes exhibitions, lectures, music evenings, promotions, and other happenings. The building is located in the Belgrade centre, on Kosančićev venac, and has been registered as a cultural monument.
Kneza Sime Markovića 8
Phone: 2638-264
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday 12 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
On Mondays the Museum is closed.
The entrance is free-of-charge every first Saturday of the month.
Topčider is a forest park and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade. Being close to downtown, it is one of the major locations for relaxation, picnics and fresh air for the citizens of Belgrade.
During the Ottoman occupation, valley of Topčiderska reka and the Topčider wood were locations where the Turkish artillery was positioned, intended to defend Belgrade, being distant from the town itself at the time. This is how the area got its name as in Turkish it means "artillery men's valley", though it is usually erroneously thought it means simply the cannon valley.
History of the park itself begins in 1831 when the Prince of Serbia Miloš Obrenović start building his personal quarters in the swampy terrain of the Topčider, today one of the major attractions in Belgrade, the famous Milošev konak.
A stone church, inn and military complex were also constructed. Planting of trees also began, mostly platanus, which are today among the oldest ones in Europe. Biggest and oldest platanus, protected by the state, is 34 meters high and diameter of deck is 55 meters, while the shade of its crown covers an area of 1,400 square meters. Some sources claim it was planted in 1834 when prince Miloš ordered for a seedling of platanus to be planted in the lime kiln in front of the konak. Other, more reliable sources, say the tree was planted in 1868, when 250 seedlings of platanus were bought in Vienna, Austro-Hungary, for which a receipt still exist today.
Even older is almost 180 years old pear tree, nicknamed kruška topčiderka According to popular legend, it was planted by prince Miloš few years after the konak was finished. He wanted to redeem to his wife princess Ljubica because of his frequent infidelities and in front of the pear seedling swore to loyalty. It still bears fruits, so attempts are beign made to produce it's seedling in the greenhouse. The pear is surrounded by five pedunculate oak, all of which are over 100 years old.
Topčider was the first public park outside the central city area. Today it covers an area (with the Topčider and Košutnjak woods) 3.46 km². Many other monuments are centered around the konak: the binjektaš stone ("hopping stone") which prince Miloš used to jump on a horse, Museum of the First Serbian Uprising (in the konak itself), three public drinking fountains with additional fourth with lion's heads which was temporarily moved here, but restored in 1976 and returned to its original location in Terazije, and the stone obelisk erected in 1859, one of the first public monuments in Belgrade. A bronze monument to the Swiss doctor and philanthropist Archibald Reiss (by Marko Brežanin) was erected in 1931.
The Parliament building is in the city center of Belgrade, on the Nikola Pašić Square, in front of Pioneer's Park. The building is shown on the five thousand Serbian dinar note. The Parliament of Serbia moved into this building on July 23, 2006, after the independence was regained.
Prior to becoming the Parliament of Serbia, it served as the seat of parliament for Yugoslavia (Kingdom, DFY, FPRY, SFRY and FRY) and Serbia and Montenegro.
Construction on the building started in 1907, with the cornerstone being laid by King Petar I. The building was based on a design made by Konstantin Jovanović in 1891; a variant of that design made by Jovan Ilkić, which won a competition in 1901. World War I delayed construction, and the original plans to the building were lost. Reconstruction of the plans were made by Jovan's son Pavle. The interior was designed by Nikolaj Krasnov. It was designed in the manner of academic traditionalism.
A sculpture by Toma Rosandić, Igrali se konji vrani (Play of Black Horses), was placed in front of the building in 1939.
Knez Mihailova is a common meeting point for Belgraders. The street has been named one of the most beautiful pedestrian zones in Eastern Europe and is a constant buzz of people and tourists. Thousands of people stroll along the street every day as it is the shortest path from Terazije to Kalemegdan park and fortress.
The street is home to Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU), Instituto Cervantes, Goethe-Institut, Centre Culturel Français, British Council (moved to Terazije) as well as many other leading shops and several cafes.
In December 2006, BusinessWeek magazine included the street as one of Europe's notable Christmas shopping sites. One can find international clothing brands such as Mango, Zara and Zara men, Springfield clothing, Nike men and women, Replay, Azzaro, Cortefiel, Morgan de Toi, Office Shoes, Swarovski, Cesare Paciotti, Tally Weijl, Miss Sixty, Bata, Champion, Aldo Shoes, Adidas and local clothing brand Todor and many more shops. There are also shopping centres Millennium, Robna Kuca Beograd and City Passage located nearby which have multiple world wide clothing brands. The closest hotel is the five star Aleksandar Palas Hotel which is a few seconds walking distance to the street.
Furthermore, the representative offices of various airlines such as Aeroflot, Malev, Emirates Airline, Qantas, British Airways and Air France are located in Knez Mihailova.
Famous buildings
The Srpska Kruna Hotel, 56 Prince Michael Street, was built in 1869 in the style of romantism, as the most modern hotel of Belgrade then. Between 1945 and 1970 the National Library of Serbia was located in this building. Today, the Library of the City of Belgrade is located in the building
Marko Stojanović’s house, 53-55 Prince Michael Street, was built in 1889 as a private home of the lawyer Marko Stojanović, in the renaissance style. The Academy of Fine Arts, established in 1937, used to be in the building but now the Gallery of the Academy is located there.
The block of urban houses, 46, 48 and 50 Prince Michael Street, built in 1870's, represented the beginning of discontinuity of traditional "Balkan" architecture. All those buildings have been shaped in the same manner, a transitional style from romantism to renaissance. The block consists of three buildings:
The house of Hristina Kumandudi, No. 50, was built in 1870 as a corner building at the intersection of Kneza Mihaila and Dubrovačka streets. For a certain period, this building was the residence of the French-Serbian Bank, and later of the consulates of Belgium and Great Britain.
Kristina Mehana, No. 48, built in 1869 as an administrative-commercial building in which Krstić brothers have opened a hotel under the same name, and where the meetings of the City Assembly took place until the construction of the Assembly's building.
Veljko Savić’s house, No. 46, built in 1869 as a residential house with shops. It went under many changes from its original look.
The building of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Knez Mihailova 35, built in 1923-1924, by the plans of 1912 made by Dragutin Đorđević and Andra Stevanović, in style of academism with elements of secession. The building houses: the Library of the Academy, one of the richest in Belgrade; The Archive of the Academy with numerous materials about the history of Serbia; the Gallery of the Academy on the ground floor, with a special lecture hall, the bookstore and the antique shop.
Nikola Spasić Endowment, 33 Prince Michael Street, built in 1889, by the designs of the architect Konstantin Jovanović in the renaissance style, as a residential house of Belgrade merchant Nikola Spasić.
Nikola Spasić Passage, 19 Prince Michael Street, built in 1912 in recession style.
Grčka kraljica (Greek Queen) coffee shop, 51 Prince Michael Street, built in 1835 in style of academism. (ovde sam se otrovao
)
Ruski car (Russian Tzar) caffe & restaurant, built in 1926 in style of academism.
Hotel Russia, 38 Prince Michael Street, built in 1870 and annexed in 1920. Today it houses business offices of the "Rudnap" company.
The history of Skadarlija began in the 1830s with the settlement of Gypsies in the abandoned trenches in front of the ramparts. The 1854 town plan of Belgrade reveals that the Gypsy hovels had been replaced by brick buildings into which artisans, caterers, petty clerks and others moved. The whole locality was referred to as the Gypsy Quarter until 1872, when the street was named after the town of Skadar), which was part of the Serbian medieval state (today Shkodër in Albania). Skadarska ulica, Serbian for "Skadar street", is still the official name.
Skadarlija, a short and curved street, is a remarkable Belgrade tourist attraction. It includes well-known restaurants, hotels (e.g. Le Petit Piaf), art galleries, antique and souvenir shops, and the Sebilj fountain. Groups singing either Gypsy music or traditional city music and actors dressed in traditional Serb costumes perform freely down the street. Unlike other similar and popular places in Belgrade that are considered posh, Skadarlija is known as a place visited by entire families with children, and young couples. Restaurants offer the typical national cuisine, most notably the roštilj (grilled meat) with pivo (beer). Skadarlija's cafés, restaurants, art exhibits and cobblestone promenade attract up to 20,000 people daily. The street is a car-free zone but it would be unsuited for traffic anyway because it is too narrow and with bumpy cobblestones (Turkish: kaldrma).
Since 1993, the official opening of the summer season in Skadarlija (restaurants are open the entire year) has been marked by rising a "bohemian flag". The flagpole is located in front of the Zlatni bokal restaurant. The ceremony is always attended by celebrities, including popular and opera singers, actors, and artists.
The Temple of Saint Sava is one of the largest Orthodox church in the world. The church is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia. It is built on the Vračar plateau, on the location where his remains are thought to have been burned in 1595 by the Ottoman Empire's Sinan Pasha. From its location, it dominates Belgrade's cityscape, and is perhaps the most monumental building in the city. The building of the church structure is being financed exclusively by donations. The parish home is nearby, as will be the planned patriarchal building.
It finishes Belgrade's line Kalemegdan - Trg Republike - Terazije - Beograđanka - Slavija - Temple of Saint Sava. The dome is 70m high, while the main gold plated cross is another 12 m high, which gives a total of 82 m to the height Cathedral of Saint Sava. The peak is 134 m (439.6 ft) above the sea level (64 m [210 ft] above the Sava river); therefore the church holds a dominant position in Belgrade's cityscape and is visible from all approaches to the city.
The church is 91 m (298.5 ft) long from east to west, and 81 m (265.7 ft) from north to south. It is 70 m (229.65 ft) tall, with the main gold-plated cross extending for 12 more metres (39.4 ft). Its domes have 18 more gold-plated crosses of various sizes, while the bell towers have 49 bells.
It has a surface area of 3,500 square metres on the ground floor, with three galleries of 1,500 m2 on the first level, and a 120 m2 gallery on the second level. The Cathedral can receive 10,000 faithful at any one time. The choir gallery seats 800 singers. The basement contains a crypt, the treasury of Saint Sava, and the grave church of Saint Lazar the Hieromartyr, with a total surface of 1.800 m2.
The facade is in white marble and granite and, when finished, the inner decorations will be of mosaics. The central dome will contain a mosaic of Christ Pantocrator. To give a sense of the monumental scale, the eyes will each be about 3 metres wide.
Great War Island is located at the mouth of the Sava river into the Danube, in the Danube's widening between the Kalemegdan fortress as the ending section of the Terazije ridge of northernmost part of Šumadija on the west and the low, easternmost sextion of the Syrmia plain, the modern Ušće neighborhood of Novi Beograd, on the south.
Great War Island is generally triangulary shaped and covers an area of 2.11 km². It is low, for the most part marshy and often flooded by the Danube. The main physical feature on the island is the canal of Veliki Galijaš. In time, the canal was cut off from the Danube and effectivelly turned into a lake, with an area of 0.24 km² and the major natural bird and fish spawning area on the island. However, during the droughty years the lake drains out completely causing damage to the closed eco-system centered around it. Currently some two-thirds of the island are used as a nature preserve for 196 bird species, many of which are endangered. Plant life on the island includes the typical marshy fauna, like reed, yellow flag or rush, but also trees like black poplar, ash tree, elderberry, hawthorn and even some rare conifers.
One of Belgrade's beaches, Lido, is located on the northern tip of the island.
History
The island gained its militant name because throughout the history Great War Island was an important strategic point either for the conquest or the defence of Belgrade. For example, in 1521 when Belgrade was under siege by Turkish forces, the majority of their attacks on Belgrade fortress were launched from the island. In liberating Belgrade in 1806 the rebel army headed by Karađorđe also used the island for military purposes, as the Serbian artillery with 500 soldiers was bombing the Kalemegdan fortress from there. During the offensive in 1915 by Austria-Hungary against Belgrade, Austria-Hungary forces used the island to launch their attacks.
When construction of Novi Beograd began in 1948, the city government made a decision to completely destroy the island by using its sand and earth to cover the marshes of Syrmia, where new city was to be built. However, the deposits of alluvial materials continually brought onto the island from the Danube completely prevented this from happening. Instead, the smaller Little War Island served this purpose and was nearly destroyed in the process.
Tašmajdan Park is a public park and the surrounding urban neighborhood of Belgrade. The majority of the area is occupied by the park itself (central, east, west) while the northern and extreme western sections are urbanised.
Small Palilulska church (church of Palilula) was built in 1835. It was destroyed in the German bombing of Belgrade on April 6, 1941. Today existing Serbian Orthodox St. Mark's Church was built in 1931-1940, in the medieval Serbo-Byzantine style, patterned after the Gračanica monastery. Next to it is a small Russian Orthodox church built in 1924.
Sports complex
Within the Tašmajdan park a sports complex of Tašmajdan Sports Centre is located. Centre administers several facilities located outside Tašmajdan, like "Pionir Hall" and "Ice Hall". However, swimming pools are located in the park.
Underworld
Geologically, caves under Tašmajdan are 6 to 8 million years old.
Remains of the Roman aqueduct are found in the caves. Military arsenals and warehouses have been housed for a long time in the catacombs left after the excavations of stone blocks, and these catacombs have been also used as shelters and first-aid places for wounded soldiers. It was a major hiding place for the local population during the bombing of Belgrade by the Austro-Hungarian army in the World War I. During the World War II, the caves were the headquarters of the Alexander Löhr, head of the German Air forces in Serbia. Headquarters were massive, with large metal doors, truck entrances and fully prepared to support 1,000 soldiers for six month without making any surface contact. Vast labyrinth of corridors, expanded by the Wermacht, branches into all directions beneath the city and today nobody knows how many of them there are or where they all lead. Future examinations are slowed because of the luck of fundings and many remaining German mines. After 1945 the entrances into the caves were closed and new generations completely lost any knowledge of it. It was only in the 2000s that they were rediscovered and today are slowly turning into one of Belgrade tourist attractions.
Sea World
Underwater research company "Viridijan" announced in June 2006 it will began construction of the first Belgrade's sea aquarium in the underground caves beneath Tašmajdan. The project includes construction of 50 underground aquariums with about 1,000 cubic meters of water in the period of 9 years. Over 900 marine animals were supposed to be placed in the natural environment provided by the caves. The project was initially backed by the Ministry of trade in the Government of Serbia and Belgrade City Assembly (the only problem appeared to be the building permit), but as of August 2008, the project which was promised to be "more than just exhibit space" and pompously announcing "the return of Pannonian Sea to Belgrade" still exists only on paper.
Avala is the mountain overlooking the city. Nicknamed one of two "Belgrade mountains" (the other one being the mountain of Kosmaj), it is situated in the south-eastern corner of the city and provides a great panoramic view to Belgrade, Vojvodina and Šumadija, as the surrounding area on all sides is mostly a lowlands. It stands at 511 metres (1,677 ft) above sea level, which means it enters the mountain category just by 11 meters.
The Avala is a traditional picnic resort of the Belgraders, but it's capacities are not being used much. In 1984 number of tourists was only 15,700 despite over 1,5 million of inhabitants in Belgrade. Some attractions and capacities on the mountain include:
Šuplja Stena, a former very popular children resort, located on the mountain's wind rose; after the 1990s it turned into a residential place of the refugees from the Yugoslav wars
Avala TV tower, in the process of rebuilding
Weekend-settlement on the southern slopes
Motel "1000 Ruža" in Beli Potok
Hotel "Avala"
Trešnja resort, in the southernmost extension of the mountain
Projected ethno-park above Beli Potok
Monuments
Mountaineering camps of Čarapićev brest and Mitrovićev dom
Monuments on the Avala
Monument to the Unknown HeroSpecial attractions of the Avala are several monuments. They include:
Monument to the Unknown Hero - dedicated to the unknown Serbian soldier from World War I; sculptured by Ivan Meštrović in the form of mausoleum with 8 caryatides (columns shaped like female figures, in this case each one representing a woman from a different historical region of Yugoslavia), it was completed in 1938. An earlier monument was erected in 1915 at the location by the German soldiers, on the orders of Field marshal August von Mackensen.
Monument to the Soviet war veterans - dedicated to the members of the Soviet military deputation which died in an airplane crash on the Avala on October 19, 1964. They were flying to Belgrade for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade in the World War II, October 20, 1944, as Red Army forces participated in the expulsion of Germans. Among those killed in the crash were marshall Sergey Semyonovich Biryuzov, chief of staff and defense minister of Soviet Union and general Vladimir Ivanovich Zhdanov. Monument was sculptured by Jovan Kratohvil.
Memorial Park - dedicated to the victims of the World War II
Monument to Vasa Čarapić - dedicated to Vasa Čarapić, one of the leaders of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804 and liberator of Belgrade from the Turks, built in Beli Potok, his birthplace, near the mountaineers home Čarapićev brest. It was sculptured in 1991 by Dušan Nikolić.
AVALA Tower special
Avala tower was 202, 87 meters tall and it was built between 1960 and 1965
It was a pride and a land mark of Belgrade.
The Tower was very unique; it was the only tower who had a triangle in its base and one of the rare ones that had 3 legs without direct reliance.
On 29th April 1999. during the NATO bombing of Serbia, the tower was destroyed.
Why?
National tv used one of his antenna to broadcast a Tv program which, NATO says, make it a legitim target?????
Ten years after on 29th April 2009 the tower is back!
Not bigger and taller.... but completely the same! once again proudly above Belgrade the tower will stand!
construction update
sorry that i get little bit emotional about Avala tower.
Gardoš is one of three hills on which the historical core of Zemun was built.
For the most part, the neighborhood preserved its old looks, with narrow, still mostly cobblestoned streets unsuitable for modern vehicles, and individual residential houses. As a curiosity, almost half of the neighborhood is occupied by Zemun's largest graveyard. As a popular promenade become somewhat of a fashionable place since the 1990s, several modern restaurants were built near the top of the hill with the view on the Danube.
The major attraction in the neighborhood is the Kula Sibinjanin Janka (The tower of Janos Hunyadi) or the Millennium tower, also known as the Tower on the hill or simply the Gardoš tower. It was built and officially opened on August 20, 1896 to celebrate a thousand years of Hungarian settlement in the Pannonian plain. It was part of the massive construction effort which included buildings in Budapest as well as four millennium towers on four directions of the world. Being the southernmost city in then Hungary within the Austria-Hungary, the tower was built on the ruins of the medieval fortress on Gardoš hill which barely survived today (only angular towers and parts of the defending wall). The tower was built as a combination of various styles, mostly influenced by the Roman elements. Being a natural lookout, it was used by Zemun's firemen for decades. Today, the tower is better known after the Janos Hunyadi, who actually died in the old fortress four and a half centuries before the tower was built.
Red Star Belgrade is a football club sometimes known worldwide by translations of its Serbian name, FK Crvena zvezda. Red Star Belgrade are the only Serbian club to have become European and World Champions having won the 1991 European Cup and 1991 Intercontinental Cup. They are also the only Serbian club ever to win an international title. According to recent polls, Red Star is the most popular football club in Serbia, with nearly 50% of the population supporting the club. Their main rivals are fellow Belgrade side, FK Partizan.
Red Star's home ground is the Stadion Crvena Zvezda. It has a capacity of 55,000 and is the largest stadium in Serbia. Due to the former capacity of over 100,000 the stadium is commonly referred to as Marakana after the famous Brazilian stadium. It was opened in 1963 after construction which had started three years earlier.
The largest crowd was recorded that autumn at a derby against FK Partizan – 74,000 people. Next year, after the stadium was fully completed its capacity increased to 110,000 spectators and it got the unofficial moniker - Marakana, in honour of the famous Brazilian stadium. Apart from the exciting look, the new stadium also featured a magnificent grass pitch with drainage, which made the overall playing experience much more enjoyable.
Still on the subject of records, according to the number of tickets sold, Marakana saw its largest crowd on 23 April 1975 at the Cup Winners Cup semi-final home leg against the Hungarian side Ferencváros (2-2). There were officially 96,070 spectators in the stands that night with purchased tickets, but it is believed that the stadium was filled to the maximum allowable capacity which at the time was 110,000.
In the years since, the stadium's capacity was gradually decreased. Following different modernisation touch-ups more seats were put in each time. During mid 1990s in order to meet UEFA demands for spectators' comfort and security, standing places at the stadium were completely done away with. Seats were installed on all four stands so that the Marakana‘s maximum capacity today reaches 51,538.
Today the stadium has a modern press box, with a capacity of 344 seats,including seven extra-comfortable seats.The stadium also has a modern media center for promotions, press conferences etc. On the west stand of Marakana there is an official Red Star Shop along with Nike shop.
In August 2008 the club reconstructed the pitch in the stadium. Under-soil grass heaters were installed and new modern turf replaced the old surface. The training pitch was also renovated by laying down synthetic turf and installing new lighting equipment.
Supporters of the various Red Star sports teams are known as Delije . A rough English translation might be "courageous and brave young men" or simply "The Heroes". They are generally concentrated in the North Stand of the Stadion Crvena Zvezda.
Red Star have two friendship clubs, Olympiacos of Greece and Spartak Moscow of Russia. The fans of the three teams have been dubbed "Orthodox Brothers".
Ada Ciganlija or colloquially just Ada is a river island, artificially turned into a peninsula, in the Sava River's course through central Belgrade. It is also colloquially used name for the adjoining artificial Sava Lake and its beach. Located close to the city's downtown, in the past few decades it was turned from an inaccessible place, into the immensely popular multifunctional recreational zone of Belgrade, most notable for its beaches and sport facilities, which during summer seasons have over 100,000 visitors daily and up to 300,000 visitors over the weekend. Because of the popularity, for years Ada Ciganlija has been commonly nicknamed "Belgrade Sea".
Košutnjak is one of the most popular recreational places in Belgrade. Sports Center Košutnjak is one of the largest and most diverse in the city (stadiums, pools, etc), while the park also has an auto-camp, modern settlements of Filmski Grad and Pionirski Grad, big studios of the national broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia, many popular restaurants and arranged paths criss-crossing the forest.
Here some more from Belgrade
Beogradjanka
view from Beogradjanka
New Belgrade view from Kalemegdan forteress
entering Knez Mihailova street
For more photos on Belgrade visit
BELGRADE PHOTOS
Beograd 2009.
Last edited by Chupavi; March 10th, 2009 at 06:37 PM.
