Belgrade Fortress

SIGHTSEEING, BELGRADE Updated : Sep 13, 2016, 01.01 PM IST

Priti Zararia

Priti Zararia is a traveller, explorer, travel writer and a photographer. She has lived and traveled around Europe extensively. She has delved into diverse historical and cultural experiences across Western, Central, Eastern Europe and Asia. Besides the usual ‘things to do’ her guides feature must-try food & wines, must watch musicals and hike to offbeat places around popular destinations. She has traveled to over 30 countries and dreams of traveling to each and every country across the globe. Other than writing for Happytrips, she posts exclusive travel stories on her travel blog https://ilovetripping.com/.

Credit: ThinkStock Photos
Located right in the middle of the urban city centre, Belgrade Fort is the capital’s oldest monument. Situated on a ridge, at the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, the fortress has existed in the same place since 3rd century BC. The fortress’s history has witnessed many occupations by Celtic, Roman, Byzantine, Hungarian, Austrian, Turkish, and Serbian. The fortress has lived up to its name, Kalemegdan in Turkish means "battlefield fortress." Once a battleground for bloody encounters between many Celtic and Slavic tribes, the fortress has now been in ruins since centuries. It serves as a venue for concerts and events in recent times. You can find traces of all its crusaders marked on the walls, towers and ruins of the fortress. The Fort area consists of the Lower Town, Upper Town, Larger Kalemegdan Park, and Little Kalemegdan Park. The Victor Monument dedicated to Serbian victories in Balkan Wars stand tall at the centre of Kalemegdan Park. The visit to the fortress is for free, and you can explore the entire area on foot. Take a tour of the fortress and get a grasp of the history of Serbia. The Clock Gate, Zindan Gate, King's Gate, Despot's Gate, and Nebojša Tower are some of the highlights inside the fortress. Check out the collection of canons and tanks on display in the open air at the Military Museum. The best way to capture the expanse of the fortress is from across the river front.
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