Kalemegdan Park and Belgrade Fortress Sights

Kalemegdan Park and Belgrade Fortress Sights

Belgrade, Serbia

Memorial for the Delivery of Keys

It represents the location where sultan Abdul Aziss firman was read on April 6/19th, 1867 and where prince Mihailo received keys to the town form Turkish commander Ali Pasha Riza. This memorial, built by sculptor Mihailo Paunovic, was erected to commemorate the centenary of the event.

Monument of Gratitude to France

The work of sculptor Ivan Mestrovic was ceremoniously unveiled in 1930 in the presence of king Aleksandar Karadjordjevic. The monument was put up at the initiative of the Society of Friends of France and Society of Former Pupils of the French School in the same location where once stood the memorial dedicated to Karadjorde, which was destroyed during the First World War.

Fountain Fisherman

This bronze sculpture, 150 cm high, represents a fisherman fighting with a snake. It is the work of sculptor Simeon Roksandic (18741943). It was unveiled at Kalemegdan during the second decade of the twentieth century.

Bandstand

It was constructed according to th project of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Belgrade. It was ceremoniously unveiled on April 16th, 2004 as the Police Orchestra held an outoor concert. During the summer, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, promenade concerts of classical, ethno and jazz music are organised.

Small and Big Staircase

The first architectural project of the Belgrade Park was the staircase facing Pariska Street, built in the first decade of the twentieth century according to the project designed by Jelisaveta Nacic, who was the first woman architect in Serbia. There is a decorative fountain near the staircase, which dates from the same period.

Once the First World War was over, the renovation works on promenade along the Sava river resumed. The renovation was finally completed in 1928 with the construction of the new Big Staircase in romantic style, based on a project of the architect Aleksandar Krstic.

Tomb of National Heroes

Tomb of National Heroes was built in the year 1948. Granite plaque, which indicate the tombs of Djura Djakovic (18861929), Ivan Milutinov (19011944) and Ivo Lola Ribar (19161943), were brought from St. Savas construction site, while the busts are the work of sculptor Stevan Bodnarov dating from 1949. In 1957, Mose Pijade (18901957) was buried here. His bust was made by sculptor Slavoljub Stankovic.

Japanese fountain

Japanese fountain was erected in August 2010, in gratitude to people of Japane for donations that received the City of Belgrade.The fountain is the work of sculptor Bojan Mitrovic. Initiative to build a symbol of friendship of the two nations launched the "Blic" in July 2008.

Outer Stambol Gate

It is made of finely dressed stones on the eastern side of ravelin in the period between 1750 and 1760. The gate is arched, having a semicircular vault and massive two-winged doors on the outer side reinforced with horizontal tiles made of wrought iron. Interior of the gate includes niches, casemates and guardrooms.

Inner Stambol Gate

Fortifications at the southeastern front date from the period of Austrian rule over Belgrade, between 1717 and 1736, when they done major reconstruction works on the Fortress. They represent the work of military engineer Nicola Doxat de Morez. Stambol Gate, with all its passages, flanking rooms, casemates and a baroque faade, was also built during this period. Provisions set forth in the Belgrade Peace Treaty from June, 1740 prescribed the demolition of the entire gate at the southeastern front. In 1739, when Turks started regained control over Belgrade, they began building new fortifications in place of the demolished Austrian constructions, among which the Inner Gate whose grounds lay over the remains of the Austrian gate. The Inner Stambol Gate was even at the time of the Turkish rule the main gate on the Constantinople road. After the delivery of the keys to Prince Mihailo in 1739 on Stambol Gate, Serbian flag was put out alongside with the Turkish, while a Turkish guard was replaced by a Serbian one. When Serbia declared war on Turkey in 1876, the pole displaying the Turkish flag was removed from the gate as the last sign of Serbias vassal relationship with Turkey.

Military Museum

Although the museum was established on August 10th 1878 with a decree of prince Milan Obrenovic, it was not opened to the public until 1904 in a small octangular building on a Roman well located in the Upper Town. Since it was destroyed during the First World War, it was reopened on April 2nd, 1937 in a part of the building and a hut in the Upper Town of Belgrade Fortress. During the whole Second World War, the museums collection remained in Belgrade. The Germans took some valuable and very rare items. At the end of 1944 the museum reopened. A new collection of the museum was displayed on October 20, 1961 in a renovated building of the former Military Geographical Institute. It represents the military history of Yugoslavian people from their settlement on the Balkans to the twentieth century. This installation is basically well preserved. It includes: armaments, uniforms, flags, medals, archival materials, art works, photographs, scale models, etc. Some parts of thecollection are exposed in the open.

Lower Town

The spacious plateau between the mouth of the Rivers Sava and Danube and white lime ridge, after which Belgrade got its name, represents the Lower Towns plateau. During the rule of despot Stefan Lazarevic, this area was fortified and urbanised. It stood for an economic, cultural and spiritual centre of the despotate. Currently, the Lower Town represents a gathering place of athletes, nature lovers and a valuable archaeological site.

Ruzica Church

The church was dedicated to the holiday of the Birth of the Mother of God. The building was at first used as one of the three powder magazines constructed during the period of Austrian reconstruction of the Fortress. In 1867, after the Serbs restored the Fortress into their power, the powder building, with an added bell tower, was turned into a church named Ruzica (meaning small rose). During the First World War it was greatly damaged, but it was subsequently repaired and renovated in detail. In 1924, two bronze figures, which are the work of N. P. Krasnov, were put up at the entrance of the church, one representing a medieval knight and the other a soldier from the First World War.

St. Petka`s Church

The construction of the building started in 1935 in place of an old chapel, above a spring which is considered to have miraculous powers. It was completed and revived on the day of St. Petka-Paraskeva, October 27th, 1937. Architect Miomir Korunovic was in charge of the project. While digging the grounds for the Church of St. Petka, the bones of Serbian soldiers died while defending Belgrade in 1914-1915 were found.

Jaksic`s Tower

The octangular defensive tower was built in the period between the eleventh and fifteenth century. The Austrians demolished the Jaksics Tower during the period of reconstruction of the Tower between 1717 and 1739, since they considered it to be unnecessary. In 1937, the tower got its final form after the reconstruction of the rampart and the tower itself.

Hamam - Old Turkish Bath

It is located in the Lower Town and it originates from the eighteenth century. There was a powder magazine at the place of todays Hamam, which was destroyed in an explosion in 1690, together with surrounding buildings and a part of the old wall, creating a cutting in the hill. In this cutting the Turks made a bathroom, i.e. hamam. In 1944, Hamam was severely damaged as a result of an explosion of another powder magazine. It was reconstructed in 1961 and restored to its original form. Currently, the Planetarium of the Astronomical Society Rudjer Boskovic uses Hamma as their premises.

Vidin Gate

The gate originates from the eighteenth century. The first gate was built by the Austrians as a part of defensive system of the northeastern front facing the Danube River, but it was destroyed. At that same place the Turks built todays Vidin Gate. It got its name after the direction of the road leading to the east, towards Vidin. The gate has four flanking rooms used for the accommodation of guards.

The Gate of Carlo VI

It is integrated in the northeastern rampart of the Lower Town. It was built in 1736 in the honour of the tsar Carlo VI, the great conquer of Belgrade. Gate is a uniquely baroque achievement in areas south of the Sava and Danube, and by all accounts, is the work of Balthasar Neumann, famous German baroque architect, which at one time worked in Belgrade as a military engineer. Above the entrance, from the eastern side, there is the monogram of Carlo VI. Western side of the gate bears the crest of Tribalia with the head of a wild boar pierced with an arrow. Beneath it, there are war tokens and above it a royal crown. This crest is the oldest preserved crest in Belgrade. This gate is often called the Gate of Prince Eugene of Savoy.

Remains of Roman Castrum

Within the medieval northeastern rampart of the Upper Town there are still visible the remains of Roman castrum rampart, built with quader sandstones, and the remains of a rectangular tower.

Eastern Lower Town

The Eastern Lower Town together with the Jaki Tower, built in the second half of the 15th century, is the newest medieval part of the Belgrade Fortress. During World War I, but also during the reconstruction of the Upper Town in 1952, the land slid creating the six-metre layer of soil. So far, 1500 cubic metres covering the archaeological remains has been removed. As a result, a 4-metre high wall dating from the 15th century was discovered. This wall is 30 metres long, stretching from the Lower Towns Rampart and turning 90 degrees towards the Eastern Gate.