Belgrade is situated in south-eastern Europe, on the Balkan penninsula, and lies at the very confluence of the river Sava, and one of the three longest rivers in Europe, Danube, which is a unique position on the Continent. The Danube River connects the western and central Europian countries with the countries of southeastren end eastern Europe. The most touristic point of the Town is Mestovic’s „Victor“ on Kalemegdan.
The view of the rivers and of New Belgrade from Kalemegdan, the panoramas of Srem and Banat plains and the hills of Šumadija, from the place below Mestrovic’s monument, is a magnificient and fascinating view. In this view is hidden the guide’s story, the geographic panorama and before all, the tourist romance which fulfills expectations and which is remembered.
Belgrade is the gateway of the Balkans, the crossroads of Europe…
Belgrade is one of the oldest, most battered cities in the world. Those who love and know this city today, know it not from what they have seen or touched. Its greater, perhaps finest part has disappeared without a trace and we shall never see, photograph or touch it again. But the part of it that is gone, thar can never bi reconstructed, belongs to history too, the historiy we carry inside us. (Milorad Pavić)
The city compass points are : southern (kragujevački put) Kalemegdan – Terazije – Slavija , eastern (smederevski put), Bulevar kralja Aleksandra, northern Bulevar Mihaila Pupina (New Belgrade and Zemun) and western (Obrenovački put i Šabački put)
Time zone is Central Europian. Climate is mildly continental. The summer daylight lasts from the end of March to the end of October, but bad weather comes from the west and south-east wind named Košava which blows more freqently in autumn and winter, in interval from one to seven days. Belgrade winters are not usually very severe and summers begin suddenly. Autumn, with its many sunny days is longer than the short and rainy spring.
Officail language is Serbian, Cyrillic script, although Latin script is equally used. Political sistem is a parlamentary democracy.
Main religion is Christian – Ortodox.
Serbian Ortodox Church has been autocephalous since 1219.
Belgrade is one of the oldest towns in Europe, which will offer you frankness cultivated over centuries, sincere cordiality, well-known hospitality, openness….althougt it was completely destroyed 40 times.
In the course of history it has been expanded, destroyed, rebuilt and modified in such a variety of styles.
The Argonauts, Celts, Romans, Byzantines, Goths, Huns, Avars, Bulgars, Ugrians, Crusaders and Turks all passed through this portal, city named by the Turks „portal of Wars“ and „Bastion of Christinaity“ by Christians , leaving behind traces of their power, their rage and their cultures. („Short history of Belgrade“ M.Pavić)