Belgrade, the capital and largest city of Serbia, is a crossroad between Europe and Asia. Its history dates back to the 6th century BC with the Celtic settlement Singidunum. The Romans conquered it in 75 AD, renaming it Belgrade. It was taken by Ottoman Turks for four centuries before Serbian forces liberated it in 1806. In 1918, when the country was part of Yugoslavia, Belgrade became the European capital once again. With such a rich history that spans so many cultures from across Europe and Asia, there are plenty of interesting facts about Belgrade!

Facts about Belgrade

Belgrade Location

Belgrade is located on the confluence of two major rivers, the Danube – the second longest river in Europe – and the Sava. The average height of the city is 147 meters, while the Belgrade fortress is situated at an altitude of 131 m.

Belgrade has got many historical landmarks and tourist attractions, like The National Museum, St. Sava Temple and more!

Belgrade – Population

The population of Belgrade is over 1 million, and yearly, Belgrade is the most popular tourist destination in Serbia, with more than 3 million tourists each year.

The weather in Belgrade is very pleasant during the summertime. The average daily temperature during June, July and August is 34 degrees Celsius.

Belgrade – The White City

Belgrade’s name, Belgrade, is derived from the word “belo grad” which translates to “white city” in Serbian. This is a reference to Belgrade’s coat of arms, which is three white towers on a red background.

The first mention of Belgrade in written form was in 878 in the papal letter to Boris I, the ruler of Bulgaria.

Other names for Belgrade

Beside Belgrade, the city is know under 15 different names starting on Celt naming it Singidūn. Other names are  Alba Graeca, Alba Bulgarica, Belgrat, Castelbianco, Fehérvár, Nandoralba, Nándorfehérvár, Landorfehérvár, Prinz Eugen Stadt, Weißenburg and Griechisch-Weißenburg,  Veligrada, Dar Al Jihad (House of War).

Belgrade Nickname – the White Phoenix

The White Phoenix is the name given to Belgrade due to it being able to rebuild itself after every devastating event. It has been attacked a total of 115 times and destroyed completely, even 44 times, but rose up again in its history.

St Sava church Biggest Orthodox church in Balkans

St. Sava Temple is the biggest Orthodox church in Balkan. The church was built in dedication to Serbia’s patron saint, Saint Sava. It has a marble facade and is topped with a golden dome, and measures 70 meters in height.

The National Museum is located near St Sava Temple. It houses many important artefacts from all over Serbia, such as medieval frescoes, religious icons and ceramics from the Roman period.

First Coffee Shop in Europe

Belgrade’s first kafana – coffee shop in Europe was open in the Dorcol section of Belgrade in August 1521. First Kafana served only black coffee.

The underground Belgrade

Do you know that Belgrade is built on the remains of old Roman City. So Belgrade’s underground houses some of the city’s most iconic historic sites: roman aqueduct, caves, canals. you can spot them in Rajiceva shopping centre and around Republic square

Vinča is one of the oldest cities in Europe.

Belgrade is home to Vinča, one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was first settled in the neolithic period and continued to be inhabited until the Roman conquest in 75 AD. The settlements were existing continuously here for a minimum of 7000 years. That means that Belgrade is older than the civilization in Mesopotamia.

Cave in the middle of Belgrade

Underneath church Saint Mark’s, there is one of Belgrade’s many hidden treasures – The Šalitrena cave. The cave was formed in limestone and is about 300 million years old.

Famous people from Belgrade

Belgrade is the home of many famous Serbian musicians, artists, actors and sportsmen. e.g. Zoran Slavnic- one of the most popular Serbian writers and playwrights; Nikola Tesla – one of the most important inventors of all times; Djordje Balasevic – a famous Serbian singer and songwriter.

Fun Facts about Belgrade

City square duck hunting

The Slavija square in the 19th century was a hunting ground for wild ducks. The land belongs to Scotsman called Francis MacKenzie, and it was used as a place for hunters to gather.

Belgrade Night Life

The nightlife in Belgrade is very famous all over Europe and tourists that come to visit this city never regret it. There is a great selection of nightclubs, pubs and bars where you can drink some Serbian brandy or rakija.

Belgrade is one of the cheapest capitals in Europe. Food, drinks and accommodation are very affordable- especially if you compare prices to those in other major European cities (i.e. Londonr, Paris).

Parks in Belgrade

Belgrade has got some very beautiful parks, like Kalemegdan Park and Tasmajdan Park. In the summertime, they are full of Belgraders who enjoy barbecuing with family or playing sports on one of the many playgrounds.

Food in Belgrade

There you can taste traditional Serbian cuisines like cevapcici (grilled minced meat), pljeskavica (meat patty), burek (meat pie) and gibanica (pastry filled with cheese, spinach or meat).

Belgrade Facts – Summary

Belgrade is the capital and largest city in Serbia. Belgrade has a rich history of being crossroads to Europe and Asia, which you can explore for yourself with some of the points of interest mentioned above. If you’re looking for an affordable destination that offers great nightlife, delicious food, or fascinating historic sites- look no further than Belgrade!

Facts about Belgrade – Pin it for Later

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