Y'all Come On In The Door's Open: Biking Through Belgrade Serbia "The White City"

Monday, July 7, 2014

Biking Through Belgrade Serbia "The White City"

We launched our morning with breakfast in Belgrade. Stone and I then explored this ancient capital, approximately the size of South Carolina, set at the junction of the Danube and Sava Rivers. Belgrade means, "White City," and from here we saw the distinguished Kalemegdan Fortress looming over the old town with it medieval gates. It has been fought over at least 115 times and raised to the ground 44 times. The Fortress is located in a sprawling alluring park that includes a military museum, churches, galleries and a zoo. As we continued to explore through Belgrade, we stopped in the Square Of The Republic and saw the National Opera House.
The biggest Orthodox Church in the world is right here in Belgrade, which Stone and I visited. Building launched in 1935 but was halted during World War II, during the bombing of Belgrade and Tito's communist Yugoslavia. Construction was only resumed in 1985 and continues today.
Here is a little trivia; Most Serbian last names end with the letters"ic." How about this, the country has been topping the global raspberry export list for several years now. In 2012, almost 95% of the world's raspberries came from Serbia. Did you know the only Serbian word commonly known across the world is "vampire?"
While biking through Belgrade, Stone and I stumbled upon the largest concentration camp in Belgrade named the "Old Fairground." Here approximately forty thousand Jews were killed by the Nazi's over a two year time span. After that it was used as a collection faculty for the Jews in Serbia and transported to Auschwitz Concentration Camp and Gas Chambers. In addition, the Nazi's also eliminated the Serbian people and the Romas.