What to Visit in Belgrade?
Hostel Jelica Milovanovic - "Best Hostel in Belgrade" - by all who come to us
- Kalemegdan, High above the Sava and Danube confluence, on the rocky ridge which opens the view of Novi Beograd, Zemun and wide plains of Pannonia, there is the Belgrade Fortress with Kalemegdan, the former historical and urban centre of Belgrade. This spatial complex consists of: The Fortress, divided into Upper Town and Lower Town, and the Kalemegdan park, the most popular promenade for Belgrade citizens. The Knez Mihailova and Uzun Mirkova streets lead to the Belgrade Fortress. At that direction are the main Fortress gates - Stambol Gate (inner and outer) and Sahat Gate. The entrance to the medieval fortress was on the eastern side (near today's Zoo), through Zindan Gate and Despot's Gate of Upper Town. The access to Lower Town is from Bulevar Vojvode Bojovića (Vidin Gate) and from Karađorđeva Street (Dark Gate). 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. There are new maps o the complex available in Belgrade tourist stands across the city.
- Knez Mihajlova, 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. The streets is also packed with world chain fashion shops. You must see this amazing street when you are in Belgrade.
- National Museum of Serbia. Now is under reconstruction.Founded in 1844,has more than 400000 items including Italian Art Collection(230 works) including Titian, Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese,..., French Art Collection (250works) includes Renoir, Monet, Degas, Signac, Lautrec, Matisse, Goughen, Utrillo, Pissaro, Corot...,Dutch and Flemish Art Collection(120 works) include Vincent van Gogh, Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Goyen, Breughel, Mondrian,... Cubist Art Collection includes Picasso, Cezanne, Delaunay, Arhipenko,... Yugoslav (Serbian) Art Collection includes Paja Jovanovic, Uros Predic, Lubarada,...,Other Art Collections (German,Austrian,Russian,...) include Durer, Gustav Klimt, Kandinsky, Sisley, Marc Chagall, Modigliani, Kunisada, Kassat...
- Sveti Sava Temple, this is the largest Orthodox Church in the world located only minutes from the city. It has been under construction for over 50 years but received a nearly completed look since last year. Though the outside appears nearly complete, the inside is still under construction. Despite this, visitors are welcome to look around inside and people come to light candles and pray. A small kiosk inside sells icons. 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 Karađorđe (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 are expected to see people walking along the park in front of the church at all times as it is popular with youth and seniors.
- Skadarlija, (Skadarska street) In the eastern part of the old city, which used to be a Bohemian (in the sense of Rom, or Tzigan) quarter, there are several streets with interesting shops and well preserved buildings. In particular you should visit Skadarlija , which is the familiar name of the street, whose actual name is Skadarska, and which is immediately east of Republic Square . In this pedestrian only street the appearance of the city, as it was in the 19th and early 20th century. Restaurants and pubs fill most of it with their open air tables, there are art galleries and bakeries open all night, folk groups singing either gypsy music of traditional city music, people dressed in traditional Serb costumes (presumably supported by the local touristic organizations). This is a place for families, full of children, but also of young couples; a place to taste the typical rostilj, that is grill with a pivo (beer), and to spend an evening talking with friends.
- Republic square (Main square), the present square was formed after the demolition of the Stambol Gate in 1866 and the construction of the National Theatre in 1869. The Gate had been built by the Austrians at the beginning of the XVIII century, and stood in the area between the present monument to Prince Mihailo and the National Theatre building. It was the largest and most beautiful town gate at the time when Belgrade was encircled by the moat. It was named after the road, which led through it - to Constantinople (Istanbul). The people remembered the Stambol Gate as the place in front of which the Turks executed the "raya", their non-Muslim subjects, by impaling them on stakes. It was also the place where during the attack on Belgrade in 1806 in the First Serbian Insurrection, one of the leading Serb military commanders, Vasa Čarapić, was fatally wounded. In memory of this sad event, a street near the square and a monument in the vicinity were named after him.
- Old Palace, the Royal Palace of the Obrenović dynasty of Serbia, presently housing the City Assembly of Belgrade, is situated at the corner of Kralja Milana and Dragoslava Jovanovića streets. It was built between 1882 and 1884, according to the design of Aleksandar Bugarski, in the style of academism of the XIX century, with intention to surpass all existing residences of the Serbian rulers. Tours within the palace are available to visitors.
- Belgrade Zoo (on Kalemegdan fortress), Situated at the very center 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 it is one of the oldest homes of 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 is contributed by many built facilities, infrastructure, new drinking-fountains and fountains, Wooden Sculpture Gallery, the work of the sculptor Vuk Bojović, nursery for young animals - Baby Zoo... For its 60th anniversary it was enriched with a monument dedicated to its once most interesting and most famous resident - Sammy the chimpanzee, the first of its kind ever in this Zoo. Not a week passes in this zoo without the media present, to record birth of a cub, various promotions... So this zoo became present almost daily in the life of Belgrade, enriching it with spirit of its gentle atmosphere, not without reason named the Good Hope Garden.
- National Assembly of Serbia, at Trg Nikole Pašića 13: Konstantin A. Jovanović made the first design for the House of the National Representation in 1891. At the open competition of 1901 for the building on the area near the Batal mosque, the winning work was that of Jovan Ilkić, which is, in fact, a variant of Jovanović's solution. The construction of the palace began in 1907, and King Petar I laid the cornerstone. During World War I, Ilkić has died in the concentration camp in Nežider, while the plans have been lost. In accordance with the completed parts of the building, Ilkić’s son Pavle has made the new plans, while Nikolaj Krasnov has helped in completion of the building, especially the interior. The construction was not finished until 1936. It was designed in the manner of academic traditionalism, with rich interior (architectural and artistic) decoration, made by, at that time, most famous artists and craftsmen. In 1939, a monumental sculptural group made by the famous sculptor Toma Rosandić was placed in front of the main entrance. It was named "Igrali se konji vrani" (Black horses are playing). Tours inside the buildings are available.
- The Tito mausoleum Take bus # 40/41 from Studentski Trg or from Kneza Miloša Street in the direction of Dedinje and ask for "Kuća cveća" (House of flowers). Entry is free of charge, but the museum closes in the afternoons. Inside is the grave of the beloved second president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito, along with his baton collection and two preserved rooms of his furniture.
- The Ivo Andric museum may interest lovers of literature, but is very difficult to find, as there is no proper sign on the building and you have to ring the bell of a could-be-private-flat (where Andric lived when he stayed in Belgrade). It's situating at the Andricev venac, just go to the federal parliament, cross the street and the small park - the museum is situated next to the Andric statue.
- Ada ciganlija, a river island on Sava river with an artificial lake in the centre of the city. The lake has an 8 km long gravel beach, which is visited by about 300,000 bathers during the summer. This is a great place for sports and picnics. In summer, it is swamped with people wanting to cool down in the water.
- Great war island / Veliko ratno ostrvo, a river island at the confluence of Sava and Danube river, for picnics and bird spotting.
- Museum "Nikola Tesla", museum dedicated to the man whom Serbs revere http://www.tesla-museum.org/. Half of this small museum is dedicated to Tesla's personal effects, while the other half contains models of his inventions. There are English-speaking guides who are students from the Engineering Department of the University of Belgrade who can help you understand the sometimes-complicated science.
- Residence of Princess Ljubica (Konak Kneginje Ljubice).
- Army Museum/Vojni muzej (on Kalemegdan fortress).
- Avala, small mountain (511 m) near Belgrade.
Copyright (c) 2007 by Hostel Jelica Milovanovic, best cheap hostel in Belgrade