The climate in Belgrade is a moderate continental one, with an average daytime
temperature of 11.7oC.
Belgrade is in the Central European Time (CET) zone (GMT+1 hour).
Summer time (GMT+2 hours) lasts from the end of March until the
end of October.
The official currency is the dinar (RSD), but Euros can be exchanged
freely.
The Belgrade area code for domestic calls is 011 and for international
calls ++381-11.
Belgrade (Beograd) is the capital of Serbia, and has a population of around 1.6
million. It is situated in South-Eastern Europe, on the Balkan
Peninsula, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. It
is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has since ancient times
been an important focal point for traffic, an intersection of the
roads of Eastern and Western Europe.
Belgrade is the capital of Serbian culture, education, science
and economy. As a result of its tumultuous history, Belgrade
has for centuries been home to many nationalities, with
Serbs of the
Orthodox Christian religion making up the majority of the
population (90%). The official language is Serbian, while
visitors from abroad
can use English to communicate.
Religion
Belgrade has precious monuments of spiritual culture, churches, monasteries and
places of worship of different confessions.
According to 2002 census, there are 90,68% Belgrade citizens
of Orthodox persuasion, about 1,29% of Islamic and 1,03%
of Roman
Catholic belief, 0.24% of them are Protestants, 0.03% Jews,
2,02% of unknown belief, while 3% declared as nonbelievers.
The most important Orthodox church of Belgrade - the Cathedral
Church was built in 1840. Some of the oldest are also the
Nikolajevska Church (1745) and the Church of the Holy
Mother of God (1783) in
Zemun. The monumental St. Sava's Temple, the greatest Orthodox
temple, can receive 12,000 believers. By their importance
and look, one can also set apart the churches Ružica
and Sveta Petka, crkva
Svetog Marka, Vaznesenska, (Ascension) church, Topčider church
and the church of Alexander Nevsky. In the wider city area
there are also two old log-cabin churches in the villages
of Vranić and
Orašac.
In the Belgrade area and its wider surroundings, there are
several monasteries built at the end of the XV century
or later, demolished
and rebuilt several times, and mostly wholly or partially,
renewed in the last two decades. The monasteries of Rakovica,
Presentation
of the Most Holy Mother of God, Fenek, Rajinovac and Tresije
are beautiful monuments of Serbian past. The monasteries
in Slanci,
Mislođin and Pavlovac on the slopes of the Kosmaj have
been partly renewed. The ruins of the Kastaljan monastery
are
hardly accessible
because the road that leads to them is bad.
There are also several Roman Catholic churches, one synagogue,
one mosque and several places of worship of other confessions
in
Sights
There are spots in Belgrade you must definitely see and feel. Streets, squares,
monuments, parks, drinking fountains, archeological sites... and
other sights that deserve recommendation. Many of them have been
given the status of cultural assets.
