Balkan Tour (18) Belgrade, the Capital of Serbia.

Traveling Together Season 8 - Balkan Tour (18) One of the Oldest Cities in Europe - Belgrade Belgrade, Serbia July 6, 2019, Sunny, 20-32°C, Time Difference: -6 hours. Serbia is a landlocked country in the central Balkans, with one-fifth of the Danube, the second largest river in Europe, flowing through its territory. In the 9th century, the Slavs formed a state in the Balkans and established the Kingdom of Serbia. In 1945, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was established. In 1991, Yugoslavia disintegrated. Serbia's economy has grown rapidly in recent years, earning it the nickname "Tiger of the Balkans." Today, we are visiting Belgrade. Belgrade is the capital of Serbia, located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, and is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The Church of Saint Sava (Photo 1) is the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans, and its large dome can be seen from all directions in Belgrade. It is second in size only to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The church is still under construction, and we visited a newly renovated part of it, with exquisite frescoes and a magnificent interior (Photo 2). The Tomb of Marshal Tito (Photo 3). There is a museum here that houses many gifts given to Tito and the people of Yugoslavia in the past, including the ivory "Ball in Ball" given by China in 1955 (Photo 4). Since Tito loved flowers during his lifetime, his body was buried in a greenhouse after his death. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the site was closed for a time, but later reopened for public viewing, reflecting the respect and protection of the Serbian people for Tito. In the afternoon, we visited the site of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia. A major event that shocked the world took place here 20 years ago, and every Chinese citizen who comes to Belgrade will stop here to pay their respects. The reason is self-explanatory, and that history should not be forgotten. The site is now being developed into a Chinese Cultural Center (Photo 5). Kalemegdan Fortress is located in the center of Belgrade, overlooking the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers (Photo 6). Kalemegdan means "battlefield fortress" and has been the site of many wars throughout history. The history of Kalemegdan Fortress is also the history of Belgrade. The fortress consists of four parts: the Lower Town, the Upper Town, the Small Park, and the Large Park, including the Victor Monument (Photo 7), the Military Museum, and the pedestrian promenade. It is a beautiful place to stroll (Photo 8). In the evening, we strolled along Knez Mihailova Street, a famous and fashionable shopping street in the city, which is adjacent to Kalemegdan Fortress (Photo 9). We have had Chinese food for all three meals since we arrived in Belgrade, which is a nice change from the traditional flavors. After dinner, we returned to the hotel. Tomorrow we will go to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we plan to take a long drive, so we will go to bed early.