Slavija – the heart of Belgrade

Belgrade has several locations that are one of the key points of the city itself, which many tourists orient themselves to. When we ask you what your association with Belgrade is, when we talk about its parts, some say, Kalemegdan, Knez Mihailova, Terazije, Trg Republike, the Temple of Saint Sava, Vuk’s monument and Slavija. Poems have been written about many parts of the city, and our topic today is Slavija, which many of our poets wrote about when they spoke about Belgrade.

Slavija Square

Slavija Square is one of the most famous and one of the central squares in Belgrade. The territory where Trg Slavija is located mostly belongs to the municipality of Vracar, and to a lesser extent to the municipality of Savski Venac. Few could have imagined that in the area of ​​today’s square until 1880, there was a large pond where people hunted wild ducks. In 1947, the square changed its name from Slavija to Dimitrija Tucović Square, and at the beginning of the 2000s, the name Slavija was officially returned to the square. Hotel Slavija was opened in 1962, and later (1989) it was modernized and expanded.

The first McDonald’s

One of the interesting facts is that the first McDonald’s restaurant in Eastern Europe was opened in Slavija on March 24, 1989, and this fast food restaurant is still located in the same location and works 24 hours a day. It is known that Slavija is one of the busiest locations in Belgrade, so tourists often like to spend the night in the hotel of the same name or because of the lower price, apartments prevail. Slavija is also a famous roundabout and a synonym for the nervousness of many drivers, especially those who are not from Belgrade. It is one of the few places in the city where all three types of public transport operate, ie trams, trolleybuses and city buses. Traffic jams at this place are frequent, and the roundabout branches into eight streets that continue towards different parts of Belgrade.

Slavija Theater

The “Slavija” theater, which was founded on December 26, 1995, is located on Slavija. years. In the first years, he worked occasionally, and he started with his regular daily repertoire at the beginning of 1999. The theater season here lasts from the beginning of September to July next year. In the immediate vicinity there is a small park intended mainly for the youngest. There is also a parking lot located right next to the roundabout. The Temple of Saint Sava is only a five minute walk away.

A new fountain in the middle of the roundabout

One of the best fountains in Serbia was built in the middle of the roundabout. The so-called musical fountain is located in the center of the roundabout. The fountain is musical, it has wind sensors, which means that in the case of a stronger wind, the height of the water jet decreases. Opinions about this square can be divided, some say that it is one of the ugliest, some that it is one of the most beautiful squares, what is certain is that Slavija is extremely liked by foreigners – in all seasons, during important events, Slavija is flooded tourists.