Belgrade - city of culture and festivals
Belgrade, built at the point where the Sava and Danube Rivers join, is the capital and largest city of Serbia, and has quite a history of flux of different peoples. First settled by the Celts, then later by the Romans, Belgrade has been under Byzantine, Frankish, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Serbian rulers. It has been part of the Ottoman Empire, and later the Habsburg Empire. Belgrade was also the capital of Yugoslavia, before the establishment of Serbia as an independent country again in 2006.
The bohemian quarter of Belgrade, Skadarlija, is a magnet for tourists, artists and musicians, and has plenty of restaurants, art galleries, antique and souvenir shops. It also has an abundance of street performers, and its atmosphere makes it a great place to be, even if you just go there for a stroll.
The National Museum of Serbia is in Belgrade, on Republic Square, and contains magnificent collections of archaeology, numismatics, and art, ranging from medieval to modern. The art collections include French, Italian, Dutch, Flemish, Russian, Austrian, German and Japanese art as well as Serbian, and other art of the area of former Yugoslavia. However, don’t rush to go and see the museum at the moment, as it is currently undergoing renovation, and one of the new splendours will be a glass dome for the roof, which will allow sunlight into the museum.
The National Theatre on Republic Square, built in 1869 was designed by Aleksandar Bugarski, who was probably the most prolific architect of Belgrade of the nineteenth century. The theatre stages drama, opera and ballet.
The impressive Kalemegdan Fortress also attracts the visitors. Surrounded by parkland, from the fortress you can see the point where the Sava River flows into the Danube.
Belgrade has a number of annual festivals, including a film festival, a theatre festival, a music festival, a summer festival and a even a beer festival.
Still a little off the beaten track for those touring Europe, Belgrade is worth visiting now, before it becomes more expensive, popular and crowded.
Filed under: Museums, Serbia, Architecture, Art, Music, Eastern Europe
