Ada Ciganlija Belgrade Sea

Belgrade is lucky enough to have a bona-fide beach right smack in the middle of the wider downtown area. When sizzling asphalt becomes too hot for Belgraders, they can swim, sunbathe and simply, cool off, play some sports in the sun, rent a bike or roller skates.

Ada Ciganlija (the island of Gypsies) was a river island populated by Gypsies in the past. Word "ada" means river island in Turkish. Before WWII, there was a prison here, and the area was not of recreational value to Belgraders.

This began to change in the 1960s and 1970s when Ada became connected to the land.

Today, Ada is clean, urbanized and the visiting spot for many Belgraders.

Here are some of activities and sports offered at Ada: tennis courts, bike paths, volleyball courts, beach volleyball courts, soccer fields, five-a-side football fields, skateboarding ramps, rollerskating paths, basketball courts, a paintball field, baseball fields, bocce facilities, Water football facilities, rugby fields, kayaking facilities, an artificial rock climbing wall, chess facilities ,water slides, rowing facilities, diving range, artificial alpine skiing slope, artificial snowboarding slope, bungee jumping platform, trim trail fishing facilities, cable skiing facilities, canoeing facilities, water polo courts, pedalos, and a golf course.

Also, there are many restaurants and cafes on the beach. Many young people in the summer spend their nights here.

In the middle of the lake, there is a water jet fountain, akin to the one in Geneva. At night, there is a light show around the water jet.

Ada is very well connected to all other city areas with numerous buses and even a few special "Ada-bound" lines that criss-cross the city.

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Kalemegdan Fortress

Located in the downtown area, at the end of Knez Mihailova pedestrian street, this vast fortress is an interesting mix of nations and tribes who lived and fought for Belgrade throughout the history. Kalemegdan was the oldest urban part of Belgrade, and the first mention of it comes from the 3rd. century B.C.

Today, Kalemegdan is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. there are many statues of which the famous is undoubtedly The Victor, a statue so controversial because of its nudity, that Belgraders decided it was too risque to be facing the main city square - and thus it ended on Kalemegdan. Zoo Park is also situated in one part of the fortress.

Some other things to see while there are the military museum, turkish mausoleum "turbe", the observatory, Belgrade Zoo....

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Belgrade travel tips

Belgrade is a safe city. There are no restricted areas as there are in some other cities. Having said that, use your common sense as you would in any other foreign city or any place.

One small thing to look out for is this:

When arriving by train or bus, avoid cab drivers parked outside of the bus and the train station offering their services. Same goes for the luggage carriers who might approach you. They will try to trick you into paying a lot of money, especially if you are not familiar with Dinar currency exchange rates.

Given that this is the only "danger" mentioned on many tourism websites, you can imagine you'll be safe in Belgrade and able to enjoy many different things and sights.

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