Belgrade Old town and river Danube
Belgrade is situated at the place where the Sava joins the Danube. City is one of the oldest cities in Europe and, beside Athens, the greatest urban whole of the Balkan Peninsula. The city is the capital of Serbia, having around 1,7 million residents. In traffic and transport, it’s a crucial city, serving as a major hub for roads, railways, river ports, air traffic, and telecommunications. It spreads over 3.6% of the territory of Serbia, and 15.8% of Serbian population lives in this city. Also, 31.2% of all employed workers in Serbia work in Belgrade.
Belgrade as Singidunum, “the city of the Sings”, a Dachian tribe succeeded by the Celts in the III century B.C., who were the lords of the settlements where today’s Zvezdara and Visnjica are… As the “White City”, called thus by the Slavs who settled here in the VI and VII century, whilst the first written record about the city named “Belgrade” dates back to the year of 878.
Belgrade fortress
Belgrade fortress, a museum of the city’s history, includes the Upper Town, Lower Town, and Kalemegdan Park. Before the 19th century, the park, known by its Turkish name “Kalemegdan” meaning fortress field, was an empty space where enemies were anticipated outside the fortress walls.
Belgrade on the water – a new, modern part of the city
Belgrade serves as a significant port where the Sava river meets the Danube, a location philosopher Constantine identified as the mystical biblical Pison from Genesis 2:11, one of Eden’s four rivers. The Danube infuses Belgrade with the inspiration of Strauss and the spirit of Central Europe. Meanwhile, the Sava river harbors the secrets of fishermen and bohemians like Derocco and Mika Alas, who navigate these modern times alongside their rafts, adding to the city’s unique character.
With its bridges it is not just Balkans, but it steps forward to Central Europe and becomes the city which collects the experience of different cultures. With its bridges, Belgrade acquires Zemun with Srem, Pancevo with Banat.
Avala
As the monument of nature whose green treasures are Kalemegdan and Tasmajdan parks, Avala, Topcider, Zvezdara, Kosutnjak, Ada Ciganlija. Among the see of buildings, skyscrapers and boulevards there are true natural reservoirs such as the Botnical garden or The Great War Island.
Belgrade as a big family having its feast, its holiday Spasovdan – the day of Christ’s Ascension which, by Christian calendar, is on different date every year, but always on Thursday, forty days after Easter and ten days before Pentecost.
Temple of Saint Sava(
Belgrade life means falling in love and adventure, going out, parting and meeting, romance and pathos, passion and youth, and rush through the traffic jam. Belgrade as the art pavilion where FEST, BELEF, BITEF, Joy of Europe, BEMUS, October Salon and Book Fair take place as the international exhibitions of art which meant life to Belgrade in all kinds of political and social circumstances.
Knez Mihailova Street
The Christian city where despot Stefan Lazarevic raised the Church of the Mother of God, writing down in his charter: “And having come, I found the most glorious place of all, the great city of Belgrade, which was at the time ruined and deserter. I raised it and dedicated it to the Mother of God.” Through the history of Belgrade, the tracks of building and demolishing were left by the Celts, Roman and Byzantine Empires, medieval Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, Serbs and the “Yugoslavs.” Its “invisible” history is yet to be revealed.
The Belgrade winner
Belgrade as a grid of allies, dark streets and vaults, cobbled and macadam streets, fences and huts – antiquities sometimes not respected enough. They are all over the place, but unnoticed for many, among buildings and skyscrapers, boulevards and parks… They remind of what Belgrade used to be, besides fortress, also a small and backwater town.
Belgrade as something old that runs away from oblivion and as something new to witch one joyously strives… Twice in a short time the words echo through squares and streets of snow-covered, this time truly, “white city” – the words expressing wishes and hopes for the better future. May all these wishes and hopes come true – for the happy future of BELGRADE!
