Country | Serbia |
Population | 11000 |
Area | 389.12 km2 (150.24 sq mi) |
Time Zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
Coordinates | 44.80401, 20.46513 |
Highest elevation | 117 m (384 ft) |
City Gallery
City Description
Belgrade, the capital and largest city of Serbia, is situated at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, bridging the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. According to the 2022 census, the Belgrade metropolitan area has a population of 1,685,563, making it one of Southeast Europe’s major cities and the third most populous on the Danube.
Belgrade is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities globally. The Vinča culture, one of Europe’s significant prehistoric cultures, thrived here in the 6th millennium BC. Thraco-Dacians initially inhabited the region, followed by the Celts, who named the city Singidūn after settling in 279 BC. Under Roman rule during Augustus’s reign, Belgrade gained city rights in the mid-2nd century. The Slavs settled in the 520s, and the city alternated between Byzantine, Frankish, Bulgarian, and Hungarian control until it became the seat of Serbian King Stefan Dragutin in 1284.
The city served as the Serbian Despotate’s capital under Stefan Lazarević and briefly reverted to Hungarian control in 1427. The Ottomans captured Belgrade in 1521, establishing it as the Sanjak of Smederevo’s seat. The city was a focal point in the Ottoman–Habsburg wars, resulting in frequent changes of control and extensive destruction.
Following the Serbian Revolution, Belgrade was designated Serbia’s capital in 1841. It remained the southernmost Habsburg post until 1918, when it became part of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes after World War I. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia from 1918 to its dissolution in 2006. The city, strategically vital, has endured 115 wars, 44 razings, five bombings, and numerous sieges.
As Serbia’s primate city, Belgrade holds special administrative status and is the seat of the central government, administrative bodies, and ministries. It hosts nearly all of Serbia’s largest companies, media, and scientific institutions and is classified as a Beta-Global City. Key landmarks include the University Clinical Centre of Serbia, one of the world’s largest hospital complexes; the Church of Saint Sava, among the largest Orthodox churches; and the Štark Arena, one of Europe’s largest indoor arenas.
Belgrade has hosted major international events such as the Danube River Conference of 1948, the first Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1961, the first significant OSCE gathering in 1977-78, and the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008. It has also been the venue for the first FINA World Aquatics Championships in 1973, UEFA Euro 1976, the Summer Universiade in 2009, and EuroBasket in 1961, 1975, and 2005. On June 21, 2023, Belgrade was confirmed as the host of the BIE-Specialized Exhibition Expo 2027.
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