Belgrade

 Being at the junction of three rivers puts you at an ideal location for trade, in early times. Unfortunately, who rules the river, controls this wealth. In its history, Belgrade has been taken over ,and ruled ,by different neighboring countries before it became the capital of Serbia. During the 1700s it changed rulers 5 times in 3 years. The city itself shows this conflict in its mishmash of architecture styles and somewhat gloomy atmosphere. Recent times (1990’s) the fight for independence and control of Croatia , resulted in sustained bombing of the city. There are some streetscapes that show a once grand city but these are few. 

As the city was in constant danger of being invaded, a fortress or walled city was originally the first settlement. This was begun in Roman times and as each subsequent invasion took place, the fortress became higher , more layers of dirt were added and walls became thicker. The original walls are now 17 metres below the present walls. The fortress itself remains as a reminder of the history of the city. You can see the different walls that were the lines of defence and the entrance areas.

Gate to outer wall, the first line of defence ? Dinosaurs?

The second line of defence ,was the inner wall. Beyond this was the actual fort which was accessed by usually one or two gates. The area of the fortress is now parkland, sport facilities and a zoo. It is a popular recreational area for the local people.

Another main feature of the Belgrade skyline is the Orthodox Church. It was designed in 1935 but has only recently reached a stage where all the external walls and roof are completed. It is an imposing white marble clad building with a concrete dome. The main cross is 12 metre high. It may take up to 20 year for all the internal icons, frescoes and tiling to be completed.

When the war ended, the people wanted to develop a new Serbia and Belgrade. They organised this huge naked figure with a sword to indicate victory and a falcon for strength. There was some difficulty to place the figure as it’s nakedness was thought to embarrass some. It was placed looking out over the newly developed region and stands in the fortress of the old city.

Serbia was a communist country under the control of Tito. He was considered a benevolent leader compared to Stalin and so, respected by his people. He is buried in the botanical gardens where he also lived. During his lifetime, a baton was carried from his birth place in Slovenia to Belgrade and presented to him at a big celebration for his birthday. There is a display of local and the presentation batons along with his grave in the gardens.