"I have found a most beautiful, ancient place, the great city of Belgrade, by chance destroyed and bereft of people, and I rebuilt it and dedicated it to Our Lady, the Most Holy Mother of God”, wrote Serbian ruler Despot Stefan Lazarević, poet and humanist. He erected a beautiful city with a fortified castle, and two river ports.

Today, Belgrade is the administrative and cultural capital of Serbia. It is situated where the Sava River flows into the mighty Danube, and where the cultivated Panonian Plain meets the hilly and mountainous Balkans. Though a metropolis scared with history, it remains unquenchably optimistic. Belgrade is hospitable and lively, since times immemorial praised for the beauty of its people. Its architecture is as varied as its turbulent history. Among the living cities of the world, Belgrade holds the record for the number of times it has been ravaged. Times of peace rarely exceede fifty years on end, and that left its mark upon its appearance: widely diverging building styles combine in most unusual variations. It is a wild, untamable city, to be loved rather than merely appreciated.

Prince Mihailo's Street and the Republic Square make up the immediate city center. The Square, popularly called "By the Horse”, is graced by an equestrian statue of Prince Mihailo Obrenović, the ruler of Serbia who ousted the Turks from the Kalemegdan Fort in 1867. The cultural center of the city, with National Theather, National Museum and Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, is located in the same area. Nearby lies the Students` Square lined with various Belgrade University buildings, as well as with some of the best concert halls, the Kolarac and the Belgrade Philharmonic. One of the greatest sights of Belgrade is Kalemegdan, also called the "Pensive hill”, unique military museum in the open, built in the 1st century. Skadarlija consists of single, cobbled street, and is the bohemian heart of the city. It is lined with cult cafes and restaurants of great tradition. Belgrade also has one of the largest Christian churches in the world, The Temple of St. Sava. St. Sava, the Serbian prince, founder of the autocephalous Serb Christian Orthodox Church and its first archbishop, was considered a saint even during his lifetime.

Belgrade is also one of the greenest cities (4000 hectares of parks). The best time to visit it is in the spring. In May and June, the sweet smell of linden trees pervades many of its streets. A short walk to one of the riverbanks provides an escape from the city bustle, and offers a choice of numerous restaurants built on rafts. On the outskirts of Belgrade is Avala, the low mountain. It is valued for its clear and heady air.

Because all of this, and much more Belgrade is a city to enjoy, and feel surprisingly good in.

Population: 1,600,000.

Time zone: Central European Time, GMT+1.

Climate: Continental climate. The weather in Belgrade in May is warm and pleasant.
Temperatures range 22-24ºC during the day and 12-16ºC during the evening.

Official languague: Serbian, written in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts.

Religions: Although most of the population is Eastern Orthodox Christian, there are sizeable Roman Catholic and Islamic communities. Other denominations are also present.

Monetary unit: Dinar is the currency in Serbia. Currency symbol is RSD.

Credit cards: Most retail outlets, airlines, hotels, and restaurants accept all major credit cards.

Banks and post offices: Open 8 am to 7 pm Mon-Fri, 8 am to 3 pm Sat. Only select banks and post offices are open Sundays. All major post offices offer currency exchange and public telephones. Dialing: From abroad, dial +381 for Serbia, then 11 for Belgrade, then the number you are calling. To place an international call from Serbia, dial 00 followed by the country code, area code and phone number.

Emergency numbers: Dial 92 for police, 93 for firefighters 94 for ambulance, and 987 for roadside assistance.

Air services: Regular flights to and from Belgrade are available from JAT Airways, the national air carrier, and many international airlines. Access from the Belgrade Airport to city centre: Bus: At 60 minutes intervals Belgrade Airport Lines depart to the city centre between 6:00 and 22:00h daily. Cost: approx. EUR 4, duration: approx. 20-30 min

Rail services: Most parts of the country can be reached by train, day or night. International services are also available. Main railways: Belgrade-Nis-Skopje-Thessaloniki-Athens; Belgrade-Sofia-Plovdiv-Istanbul; Belgrade-Bar; Belgrade-Zagreb-Sezana-Trieste-Rome-Milan-Paris-London; Belgrade-Novi Sad-Subotica-Budapest-Vienna-Prague-Hamburg.

Bus services: All destinations are reachable by bus. International services to neighboring countries and most European countries are available.

Main roads: From the north: E-75 Highway (Horgos-Subotica-Novi Sad-Belgrade-Nis-Vranje-Presevo-Skopje). From the west: E-70 Highway (Batrovci-Sremska Mitrovica-Belgrade), connects to the E-75. At Nis the E-80 Highway branches off towards Bulgaria (Nis-Pirot-Dimitrovgrad).

Toll booths: On exit to Novi Sad. On exit to Belgrade. Bubanj Potok. On exit to Nis. On exit to Belgrade.