Thanks to its location at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube on the southeastern edge of the Pannonian Plain and along the northern border of the Balkan Peninsula Belgrade is linchpin for traffic between Central and Southeastern Europe and the Middle East. Therefore, Belgrade is often called the gateway to the Balkans. Most important landmarks of Belgrade is, towering over the Sava flows into the Danube, the often in history fought fortress of Belgrade.
The Romans Latinized the name Singidun to Singidunum, which probably means round fortress or round town. In the 1st century BC the Romans conquered the territories to the Danube. Besides Sirmium and Viminacium, Singidunum was an important strategic point on the Via Militaris and the Danubian limes. By 86 AD, to reinforce the frontiers at Singidunum, the Roman moved experienced Legio IV. Flavia Felix to the town, which won even more importance by the Emperor Hadrian in the appointment as Municipium and later also in the rank of a Colonia by the settlement of veterans.
After successfully repelling the Turks from Vienna in 1683, the Holy League was able to push the Ottomans back beyond Belgrade in the Great Turkish War. The siege of Belgrade under the command of Max Emanuel ended on September 6, 1688 with the capture of the city. The imperial troops were able to conquer Belgrade three times (1688–1690, 1717–1739, 1789–1791), but were unable to hold it permanently. Because of this constant fighting, the Ottomans gave Belgrade the name Dar Ul Jihad (House of War).
In Ottoman times, Belgrade was an important trading city on the caravan route between Buda and Constantinople, where merchants and traders of different origins (Turks, Armenians, Greeks and Roma) lived. According to Evliya Çelebi, Belgrade had 98,000 inhabitants in 1660, of which 21,000 were of non-Islamic faith.
After the invitation to the camper club meeting on the river banks of the Danube at Smederevo, we left Belgrade on narrow side and country roads, which led us high above the Danube.
After a few days of organizational office work in Germany, we supposed to go via Brunn am Gebirge (further talks on the planning / designing of a camper stop) to Belgrade, where an interim overnight was planned.
Until 1850, the historic old town of Belgrade, today a large part of the Stari Grad district, was almost congruent with the entire city area, i.e. actually a small town.
We were impressed by the size of the fortresses, which from the distance from the opposite banks of the Sava river looked rather inconspicuous. Only with the tour and through the overview from above, the importance and also the mightiness will become clear, so the visitor should also bring enough time for an extensive tour.
From the 6th to the 4th century BC Thracian and Scythian tribes immigrated to the region around modern Belgrade, who built the first fortification in the 3rd century BC.
Often we have already driven through Serbia, sometimes together with Dusan from Camper Stop Belgrade, we have also noticed the remaining damage of the conflicts during the so-called Balkan War in the capital,
For Sultan Mehmed II, after the fall of Constantinople, Belgrade and the completion of the conquest of Serbia were the preconditions for reaching Central Europe.
During the first half of the 4th century, Singidunum had a period of peace: the city gained the status of a Roman colony, which further strengthened its autonomy.
Singidunum was once the name of the ancient Roman city at the mouth of the Sava River into the Danube, which we today call Belgrade. In the Roman Empire, Singidunum was part of the defensive fortifications along the Danube Limes.
And even if the sign in the background suggests something else, we are actually on the road in Belgrade and in Dusan, the operator of the camper stop in the city centre, we have found a Tour guide, who gives us a first overview to Belgrade in his way, within yellow old-timer convertible, a pleasure for sight-seeing.
After our extensive city tour through the center of Belgrade in the impressive Cabriolet of Ducan we had agreed to explore the Castle ourselves and then go back to the Camper Stop Station 38 - Camping Center Belgrade.
In the continuation of our project work we were going to Belgrade after first meeting with discussions on establishing a Camperstopp in Brunn am Gebirge.