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 Military Museum.

Most of the Upper Citadel is now parkland, and the massive walls are a favourite place for Belgraders to snatch an alfresco lunch on work days, or for young couples to find a bit of romantic solitude.