Sights in Belgrade
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Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija, a green and sandy island park in the Sava River, is Belgrade's summer retreat. Gentle choices are swimming in the lake (naturists 1km upstream, please), renting a bicycle or just strolling through the woodland. Adrenaline junkies might fancy the bungy jumping or the water-ski tow. Plenty of places overlooking the lake sell restorative cold beers.
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Kalemegdan Citadel
Capture the hill protected by the junction of the Sava and Danube Rivers and you control the land to the south. This explains why there has been a fortified settlement here since Celtic times, but such prime real estate attracts enemies. Over the last 2300 years some 115 battles have been fought over this site, and parts of it and the outer city have been razed 44 times, as one conqueror removed another.
What remains today dates from the 18th century. The core of the fortifications is the Upper Citadel, accessed by several massive gates and bridges (now wooden) over deep moats.
The main entrance is the Stambol Gate, built by the Turks around 1750, which leads to the…
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Skadarska
Often hailed as Belgrade's Montmartre, Skadarska was the bohemian hang-out of poets and artists in the early 1900s. Today this cobbled street is famous for its Balkan taverns, strolling musicians, cafés and art galleries. In summer, the restaurants spill out onto the street, and music, theatre and cabaret performers entertain customers and passers-by.
The restaurants rejoice in unusual names, such as Tri Šešira (Three Hats - it was once a millinery), Ima Dana (There Are Days), Dva Jelena (Two Deer) and Dva Bela Goluba (Two White Doves).
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Palace of Princess Ljubice
The Palace of Princess Ljubice is a Balkan-style palace built for the wife of Prince Miloš in 1831. Mostly, it's a collection of period furnishings, carpets and paintings but it desperately needs the addition of personal items to bring out how the princess led her life. To one side is a little hammam (Turkish bath), where the princess would have had steam baths and massages, and were she a woman of today, her yoga or Pilates class.
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Nikola Tesla Museum
One of Belgrade's more interesting museums is the Nikola Tesla Museum dedicated to one of Serbia's few heroes, the man who discovered alternating current. Apart from demonstrations of Tesla's fascinating inventions, the big thrill is when the curator turns on a high-frequency oscillator that lights up the (unconnected) fluorescent tube you're gingerly holding in your hand. Shades of Star Wars' light sabres!
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Sveti Sava
Started in 1935 and interrupted by Hitler, communism and lack of cash, Sveti Sava is billed as the biggest Orthodox church in the world. The church lies on the reputed site where the Turks burnt the relics of St Sava, the youngest son of a 12th-century ruler and founder of the independent Serbian Orthodox church.
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Sveti Marko
Behind the post office stands Sveti Marko, a solid church supported by four massive internal pillars containing the grave of the Emperor Dušan (1308-55). Behind, and dwarfed, is a petite blue-domed Russian Church erected by refugees who fled the October Revolution.
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Stari Grad
South of the citadel lies Stari Grad, built mostly when the Habsburgs grabbed Belgrade from the declining Ottoman Empire.
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Ethnographical Museum
The outstanding Ethnographical Museum has a comprehensive collection of Serbian costumes, folk art and items of everyday existence. The costumes show a superb quality of weaving and embroidery using russet browns, wine reds and muted yellows. Some retro-designer just has to discover these patterns. Agrarian tools and equipment take up much of the top floor, with several displays of rooms furnished to reflect various periods of time and different communities.
Explanations are in English and a small shop sells examples of the crafts.
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Military Museum
Inside Belgrade's impressive Kalemegdan Citadel lies this large museum complex which presents a complete military history of the former Yugoslavia. Proudly displayed are captured Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) weapons and bits of the American stealth fighter that was shot down in 1999.
Outside are several bombs and missiles, which have been contributed from the air by NATO, plus a line-up of old guns and tanks, some quite rare. There's a guidebook in English.
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National Museum
The 3rd floor of the National Museum is an art gallery displaying just part of a very large collection of national and European art, including works by Picasso and Monet. Nadežeta Petrović (1873-1915), one of Serbia's first female artists, is well represented. The lower floors (prehistory) have been closed for several years.
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Gallery of Frescoes
You should visit the Gallery of Frescoes just to appreciate the artistic wealth cloistered in this country's monasteries. There are some originals but otherwise they're exact replicas, faithful to the last blotch and scratch. These you can photograph, whereas in most cases you can't photograph the originals in the monasteries.
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Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum
The UFO parked near the airport just happens to be a futuristic building housing the exceptional Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum, which is sure to engross any aircraft buff. On display are rare planes from WWII, bits of that infamous American stealth fighter and a parking lot of 'make me an offer' MiG21s.
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Museum of Automobiles
The Museum of Automobiles is a private collection of cars and motorcycles in Belgrade's first garage. First choice for our garage would be the '57 Cadillac convertible, with only 25,000km and one careful owner - President Tito.
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Maršal Tito's Grave
Don't miss Maršal Tito's grave with an interesting museum of gifts (embroidery, dubious-purpose smoking pipes, saddles and weapons) given by toadying comrades and fellow travellers.
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Historical Museum of Yugoslavia
The Historical Museum of Yugoslavia has occasional exhibitions. Check if it's open before visiting.
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City Zoo
The nearby City Zoo comes with an interesting anecdote reminiscent of Twelve Monkeys: when Nazi bombs damaged enclosures, several dangerous occupants were freed to wander the streets of Belgrade.
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