by editorial office, cc
When thinking of Belgrade, one will imagine the juncture of the rivers Danube and Save, the monumental fortress of Kalemegdan, the shopping strip of Knez Mihailova, or a bustling, modern city in general. But there is more to the Balkan metropolis: More than a sixth of the city is covered with greenery – there are numerous parks and public green spaces for relaxing and resting the mind. Realizing this, tourism promoters have issued a new brochure called “Green Belgrade”. It is available in English at the Tourist Organization of Belgrade via e-mail at office@tob.co.yu.
The “Green Belgrade” brochure features the nine largest, most significant and most beautiful parks in the city, presented on 32 illustrated pages. A city map with references to all relevant sites helps tourists get their bearings. The brochure also features other “natural monuments” of the city – such as the river island of Ada Ciganlija (a very popular travel destination among city-dwellers and widely known as the “Ocean of Belgrade”) and the Botanical Garden with its 1,000 plus species of plants from all over the world, in part housed within a tropical greenhouse.
How about a break in Belgrade’s oldest municipal park, the Financial Park, for example? First opened in 1836, it is located in central downtown in the vicinity of the popular shopping strip of Knez Mihailova. A visit to Castle Kalemegdan, sitting on top of a hill, meanwhile, makes for a great combination with a trip to the fortress parks – to experience the contrast between historical architecture and mighty walls on the one hand and the quaint park on the other. The municipal park of Zemun, the Royal Garden, the Academic’s Park or a simple stroll through the alleys of Belgrade are just as attractive for travelers and contribute to making Belgrade a green city.
What’s more: Over 11,000 hectares of the city, which means nearly 15 percent of all of Belgrade, are public green spaces today. Counting in the front yards and gardens of the private properties, this number easily rises to 22 percent. And the city planners are not yet satisfied, with a master plan involving the expansion of the city’s green spaces by another 9,000 hectares by 2021 to reach nearly 20,000 hectares – a remarkable percentage considering the city’s total area of 77,000 hectares.
More “green” ideas for venues in all of Serbia can be found in the flyer “Green Serbia – Ancient Treasures”, issued by the Serbia National Tourism Organization and featuring select natural preserves and national parks. They can be ordered via e-mail at office@serbia.travel.
General information on Serbia available at
Serbia National Tourism Organization
Dečanska 8, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Telephone: 00381/11/3139789 • telefax: 00381/11/3221068 • e-mail: office@serbia.travel
