Great War Island

Belgrade

Despite the name, this island at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers is a peaceful retreat from bustling Belgrade. Once a strategic defence point in various battles for the city, it's been left to run gloriously wild, offering a haven to almost 200 bird species (and a handful of locals who've set up vikendice – holiday shacks – in its overgrown interior). Lido Beach at its northern tip is a popular swimming spot.

During summer, a temporary bridge is set up between Zemun and the island, though getting here by kayak is a lot more fun; Belgrade Adventure offers tours.

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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Belgrade Fortress
0.9 MILES
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10.1 MILES
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0.87 MILES
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Marshal Tito's Mausoleum
3.16 MILES
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Royal Compound
4.23 MILES
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Nearby Belgrade attractions

1. Nebojša Tower

0.69 MILES

A former dungeon, the tower (1460) – the largest and best preserved in the fortress – now serves as a museum, with some excellent exhibits on the Ottoman…

2. Big Gunpowder Magazine

0.8 MILES

The huge Gunpowder Magazine (1718) was set up by the Austrians as a safe place to hide artillery; today it houses a collection of stone monuments,…

3. Roman Well

0.85 MILES

The daring can peek down this mysterious 60m-deep hole (actually more a cistern than a well). Of dubious origin and shrouded in horrifying legends, the…

4. Museum of Contemporary Art

0.87 MILES

One of Belgrade's top cultural sights, this recently renovated museum is a treasure trove of 20th-century art from the ex-Yugoslav cultural space. The…

5. Sveta Petka Church

0.88 MILES

This small church was built in 1937 above a spring that's believed to have miraculous powers. Djuro Radulović's striking mosaics cover the church's…

6. Ružica Church

0.89 MILES

The ivy-swathed Ružica Church looks innocuous from the outside; inside, you'll find chandeliers made by WWI Serbian soldiers from spent bullet casings,…

7. Belgrade Fortress

0.9 MILES

Some 115 battles have been fought over imposing, impressive Belgrade Fortress (aka Kalemegdan); the citadel was destroyed more than 40 times throughout…

8. Clock Tower

0.95 MILES

Climb the 18th-century, 27.5m-tall tower’s narrow stairs to check out the inner workings of this landmark clock and snap some panoramic shots of…

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