Europe Serbia Belgrade - Capital of Serbia and City on the Danube and Sava Rivers By Linda Garrison Linda Garrison Linda Paull Garrison is a travel writer who has taken over 150 cruises and spent over 1,100 days at sea. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/06/19 philippe giraud / Contributor / Getty Images Belgrade is the capital of Serbia and once was the capital of Yugoslavia. The city sits at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. Cruise ships dock at the foot of the hill where the Belgrade Fortress sits, and the Kalemegdam park and fortress are wonderful places to view the city and the rivers. With settlement documented back over 7000 years ago, Belgrade is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its history the last 2000 years is filled with tumult and war. The city has been destroyed or severely damaged numerous times, and the remnants of the 1999 war can still be seen. However, Belgrade has a fascinating downtown pedestrian area, many churches, and beautiful buildings. St. Sava's Temple is one of the newest and largest churches. It was begun in 1894, and the exterior was completed in 1984. The interior is still a work-in-progress. The Viking Neptune only spent a half-day in Belgrade on our Danube River cruise, which was just enough to make many of us want to return. 01 of 12 Belgrade - Confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison Belgrade was first settled over 7000 years ago, and its location at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers has made it an important city. The view from the Belgrade Fortress or Kalemegdan looks down on the Danube and Sava Rivers. Continue to 2 of 12 below. 02 of 12 Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison Continue to 3 of 12 below. 03 of 12 Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison Continue to 4 of 12 below. 04 of 12 Saint Sava Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison Construction of Saint Sava was begun in the 1894 and the exterior was completed in 1984. The Orthodox church is topped with a golden dome. Continue to 5 of 12 below. 05 of 12 Saint Sava Cathedral in Belgrade Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison The exterior of the temple of Saint Sava was completed in 1984, but the interior is still under construction. Continue to 6 of 12 below. 06 of 12 Saint Sava Cathedral in Belgrade Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison This double-headed eagle, which is the symbol of Russia, shows the Russian influence on the construction of this Orthodox church in Belgrade. Continue to 7 of 12 below. 07 of 12 Saint Sava Cathedral - Dome Interior Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison Continue to 8 of 12 below. 08 of 12 National Museum in Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison The National Museum of Serbia sits on Republic Square in the downtown pedesrian district. Continue to 9 of 12 below. 09 of 12 War-damaged Building in Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison Although it has been over 10 years since the NATO bombings of Belgrade, many buildings have yet to be rebuilt. Continue to 10 of 12 below. 10 of 12 Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison Riding around the city of Belgrade, one can see many interesting buildings such as this one. Continue to 11 of 12 below. 11 of 12 Belgrade Parliament in Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison The Belgrade Parliament building was the site of many rallies and public meetings during the tumultuous times of the late 20th century. Continue to 12 of 12 below. 12 of 12 Stork in Downtown Belgrade Belgrade (c) Linda Garrison I loved strolling Belgrade's downtown pedestrian district and was amused to see that silly advertising promotions are a world-wide phenomena. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Share Pin Email