Last Updated on: 6th February 2023, 12:22 am
Nobody visits Belgrade without a walk through Belgrade Fortress. Not only is it the city’s most iconic landmark, but it’s also free to enter. Given the fact that Belgrade Fortress, also known as Kalemegdan, has been occupied for thousands of years, there’s a lot more to it than first meets the eye.
The total number of landmarks is staggering, while Kalemegdan is also home to some hidden subterranean attractions. While some of these can be visited independently with additional tickets, the best way is to experience them is with an Underground Secrets Walking Tour (€15) which you can learn more about below.
But first, a bit of history: Located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, the fortress was founded as early as the 3rd century BC by the Celtic tribe of Scordisci.
It would then be controlled by groups like the Romans, Byzantines and Slavs, who were the first to call it Beograd (Belgrade), or the White Fortress.
It was then controlled by the medieval Kingdom of Serbia and its successor, Moravian Serbia. After being held by Hungary for several decades, it was taken by the Ottomans in 1521, who managed to hold onto it all the way up until 1867.
The Austrians, did, however, take it for a few decades in the early 18th century. And as we’ll go over below, many of the fortress’s most prominent landmarks date from this time.
Exploring Belgrade Fortress
Given its massive size, there are numerous ways to explore Belgrade Fortress. And with so many landmarks, the guide below can’t possibly cover them all. But here’s an overview of what you can expect to find by exploring Kalemegdan independently for a few hours.
Further below, you can learn more about the sites included in the Underground Secret Walking Tour.
Approaching from the city center, one of the first landmarks you’ll encounter is the Monument of Gratitude to France. It was erected to thank France for its support in World War I. Appropriately, the park around it was designed in the French style.
The spot had previously been home to a monument for Serbian revolutionary Karađorđe that was added in 1913. But it was destroyed by the Austrians just a couple of years later.
Now in its place is a statue of a woman with a sword, said to represent the French nation.
Moving on, you’ll reach the Karađorđe’s Gate, named after the leader of the first Serbian uprising against the Ottomans which lasted from 1804-1813. While the Ottomans would mostly maintain control over the fortress for centuries, Karađorđe had managed to briefly take it in 1807.
Nowadays, you’ll see that modern exhibitions have been installed in the ditch below the wooden bridge. During my visit, it was entirely filled with dinosaur sculptures!
Past Karađorđe’s Gate is the Great Ravelin Guardhouse. At different points in time, it served as a military watchtower and aid station. And in 1930, the local Freemasons were granted possession of the building, as it was rumored to have been the spot of their original lodge.
After WWII, it was converted to the Museum of Forestry and Hunting and it now seems to function as some sort of high-end restaurant.
While, as mentioned, the Ottomans mostly maintained control over Belgrade Fortress from 1521 to 1867. But the Austrians managed to occupy it from 1718–38. And during that time, they added many new structures, including the main gate.
It’s now known as the Stambol Gate because it faced the main road connecting Belgrade with Istanbul.
Before stepping through it, you’ll notice long rows of historic cannons on display outside. Accordingly, turning left will lead you to the Military Museum, which requires a special ticket for entry.
Just behind the Stambol Gate is the 27.5 m-high Sahat Tower, built in the mid-18th century by the Ottomans in the Baroque style. It’s a rare instance of a clock tower standing inside of a fortress instead of a bazaar.
While I didn’t realize it at the time of my visit, the tower can apparently be entered with an extra ticket.
Moving on, you’ll soon find yourself in what’s known as Kalemegdan’s ‘Upper Town.’
Right in the center of the Upper Town, the türbe, or mausoleum of Damad Ali Pasha was built in honor of the vizier of the Ottoman Empire who ruled from 1713–16. Other local viziers and administrators are also buried within.
The hexagonal türbe is one of the few surviving monuments built in the Ottoman style in all of Belgrade.
Heading northeast, you’ll encounter the Despot’s Gate, also known as the Eastern Gate. It’s the only surviving monument from the reign of prince and despot Stefan Lazarević who ruled from 1404-27.
The prince, also known as Stefan the Tall, was the son of the powerful ruler Lazar Hrebeljanović, who established the state of Moravian Serbia after the disintegration of the Serbian Empire.
During his reign, Lazar greatly expanded Belgrade Fortress and the town around it. But he’d eventually be killed during the Battle of Kosovo.
Despot’s Gate once housed an icon of the Virgin Mary that was believed to act as the protector of Belgrade. And just next to it is the 15th-century Dizdar Tower, where the fortress commander resided in Ottoman times.
Stepping through the gate, you can find some of Belgrade Fortress’s earliest remains. Evidence of the Romans’ four-century occupation can be found here in the form of sandstone blocks that once belonged to a tower.
For a time, Belgrade Fortress marked the border between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. But this tower was ultimately destroyed in the 5th century after incessant invasions by groups like the Huns.
Later on in the 6th century, the fortress would be retaken by Byzantine emperor Justinian.
Also nearby this area is Ružica Church, a Serbian Orthodox Church first constructed in the 15th century. And you can also enjoy a view of the Gate of Charles VI below.
Stepping back inside, you can walk to the other side of the spacious Upper Fortress along the surviving ramparts. You’ll eventually encounter a small monument to the Ottoman Siege of 1456.
It was here that the forces of Moravian Serbia fought against the invading Ottomans, then led by Mehmed II (a.k.a. Mehmed the Conqueror), the same sultan who finally managed to breach the walls of Constantinople just three years prior.
But despite being heavily outnumbered, the Christian side came out victorious this time, which was a huge morale boost for the Balkans and much of the Western world in general.
Nearby, meanwhile, is the Defterdar Gate and Mehmed Sokolović Pasha’s Drinking Fountain. The fountain was built in 1577 and was endowed by the ruling Ottoman vizier at the time. It was only unearthed and restored in 1938.
Moving further along the rampart is what remains of the former court of Despot Stefan Lazarević. Following his death, the Hungarians who took over the castle left this area unchanged.
Later on in the Ottoman era, some of the towers of this inner fortification were used as prisons.
All throughout this area, meanwhile, one can enjoy an excellent view of the Sava and Danube rivers, along with what remains of the medieval Lower Town below.
At the junction of the southwest and southeastern ramparts is one of Belgrade Fortress’s most iconic monuments. This general area was used by the military up until World War I, after which it was transformed into a park.
And in the center of the park stands the Victor Monument, erected in 1928. It was created in commemoration of the breakthrough of the Thessaloniki Front during WWI.
Excluding the underground sections of Kalemegdan that we’ll be covering shortly, there are plenty of other sections of the expansive fortress to seek out if you have time.
Among them are the Museum of Natural History, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, an old gunpowder storage room, the Baroque Gate, Nebojsa Tower, an old hammam, military kitchen and more.
While one doesn’t need to see everything to appreciate Belgrade Fortress, those who wish to seek out each and every landmark would need at least an entire day, if not more.
The Underground Secrets Walking Tour
To experience another side of Belgrade Fortress that ordinary visitors don’t often see, it’s worth attending the Underground Secrets Walking Tour. For those who can’t make it, what follows is a summary of what you can see and learn during the excursion.
Meeting at Belgrade’s Republic Square, we headed over to the fortress, starting at the Roman Well. While the well can be accessed at any time for an extra 200 RSD, you’ll miss out on a lot of interesting stories without the guide.
Despite its name, the well was established in the early 18th century during the brief Austrian occupation of the fortress. It’s still unclear, however, if it was originally built as a well.
In any case, we do know that it was long used to keep numerous political prisoners.
According to our guide, a woman accused of an unsuccessful assassination of an 18th-century king was kept locked up here. But despite the lack of a rope, she was mysteriously discovered hung to death.
Another gruesome tale involves two prisoners who were kept inside the well without food or water. Guards later dropped down knives, and the prisoners proceeded to stab each other, drinking each other’s blood and consuming one another’s flesh.
And just a few decades ago, a local woman’s body was found in the well water. Her tram ticket somehow ended up preserved, which countered her boyfriend’s alibi, thus revealing him as the killer.
Interestingly, none other than Alfred Hitchcock himself once visited this well for inspiration.
Our next visit was to a forgotten underground bunker situated near the former rampart. It was originally commissioned by Tito as Yugoslavia was anticipating an invasion by the Soviet Union.
At the time, Yugoslavia, despite being a socialist state, wanted to distance themselves from the USSR. And Tito feared that the Soviets would retaliate for the slight, though the invasion never occurred.
The bunker contained numerous beds and water tanks made of asbestos, well before the toxic nature of the mineral was widely known.
A spiral staircase leads to an upper level which, upon first glance, looks like a dark and empty room. But the brick wall contained an opening from which soldiers could get a clear view of the rivers.
As the northern Vojvodina region is flat and easily penetrable, Tito believed that Belgrade Fortress would be the first place from which Yugoslavia had a chance at defending itself.
During peacetime, the holes could easily be plastered over again, which is how we see it today.
Amazingly, the bunker remained unknown until as recently as 2010. It was only when some of its exterior began popping out of the grass that locals realized this area contained a long-forgotten secret.
It reminded me of the numerous secret bunkers constructed throughout Yugoslavia’s neighbor, Albania, which have only come to light during the past few decades.
We were next brought to a former weapons storage room, yet another addition by the Austrians. For decades it’s acted as an extension of the Belgrade National Museum, housing all sorts of ancient sarcophagi and tombstones from the Roman era.
But believe it or not, even while hosting so many important relics, it also used to function as a nightclub!
Our guide told us a humorous story of how, fairly recently, a local man stole a Roman altar while the club was closed, which he somehow used to propose to his girlfriend. The two got married and they used the altar as a coffee table in their apartment.
When it was time to move, they didn’t feel like taking the heavy altar with them, so they finally contacted National Museum. The museum had been looking for it all along and they were rightfully shocked!
While charges were not pressed, the altar has been moved to the main National Building, just in case.
As for what happened to the club, it finally ceased operations after officials realized that the bass frequencies were gradually causing structural damage.
One special sarcophagus here shows a secret Christian scene. Despite being carved in the 4th century, Christianity was still illegal in the Belgrade area.
As such, the artist secretly incorporated parts of the Jonah and the Whale legend into the image, along with a shepherd who looks an awful lot like Jesus. Also notice the cross carved discretely above the boat.
Another interesting sarcophagus, which actually comes from Sremska Mitrovica, features an angled interior so as to create a stone ‘pillow.’
We still had one more stop on our itinerary, which was not at Belgrade Fortress, but at a secret wine cellar nearby. The wine was included in the total price, and it was nice having time to ask the guide questions that still lingered in our minds.
Additional Info
Getting to Belgrade is fairly simple. As the largest city in the Balkans, you’ll find direct connections with cities – both big and small – throughout the entire region.
Coming from Sarajevo, on the other hand, is not as straightforward as one would think, given Bosnia’s division between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. While there are numerous buses each day from Sarajevo’s East Bus Station (located in Republika Srpska), that station is quite difficult to reach for the average tourist.
Buses from Sarajevo’s Main Bus Station only depart at 6:00 in the morning or late at night. I opted for the morning bus, and despite a terrible border crossing on both sides, I ended up making it to Belgrade by afternoon in one piece.
Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport is well-connected with cities throughout Europe and the Middle East. Belgrade also happens to be the only city in the Balkans with direct flights to the USA (NYC via Air Serbia).
One can also get to and from Montenegro, Croatia and Hungary by rail. But as construction work on the tracks is ongoing, be sure to check for updates before your trip.
Throughout my long trip across Serbia, I stayed in Belgrade a couple of times. As the largest city in the region, there’s no shortage of places to stay.
Wanting to explore the city in addition to taking numerous day trips to nearby towns, I was looking for something within walking distance of the main bus station. And as a budget traveler who doesn’t like dorm rooms, I was looking for a private room at a reasonable price.
I first stayed at a place called Hostel M. It was walkable from the bus station in just about 5 minutes, while the city center was only about 20 minutes away on foot. But unfortunately, there were major issues with noise and not enough bathrooms for so many guests.
My second stay in Belgrade was much more comfortable. I stayed at ‘Rooms and Apartments S,’ about 15 minutes on foot south of the bus terminal. Again, I had my own room with a shared bathroom. But with much fewer rooms, this guest house was a lot quieter and the bathroom always seemed to be free when I needed it.