Kalemegdan

Kalemegdan is a historic fortress and park in Belgrade, Serbia, occupying the promontory where the Danube and Sava rivers meet. It forms the core of the Belgrade Fortress and is one of the city’s principal cultural and tourist sites, offering views over the river confluence and the surrounding city.

Fortifications at Kalemegdan date back to Roman times, when the site protected the town of Singidunum. Over the centuries it was rebuilt and expanded by successive rulers, including Byzantines, medieval Serbs, and Ottomans. The fortress changed hands during numerous sieges and wars and remained a strategic stronghold into the early modern period. In the 19th century, as Serbia consolidated its independence, Kalemegdan was gradually transformed into a public park and a preserved historic site.

Notable landmarks within the fortress include the Pobednik (The Victor), a bronze statue by Ivan Meštrović erected in 1928 to symbolize freedom and victory; Nebojša Tower; the Clock Tower (Sahat-kula); and the Despot’s Tower. The Military Museum of the Serbian Army is also located on the site, and the fortress walls, gates, and bastions provide panoramic views of Belgrade and the confluence of the rivers.

Today, Kalemegdan serves as a major cultural and recreational space, hosting exhibitions, outdoor events, and promenades. It remains a symbol of Belgrade’s history and its strategic position at the meeting point of two major European rivers.