Kalemegdan is one of the most important cultural and historical complexes in Belgrade and consists of a park that forms an inseparable whole with the Belgrade Fortress.
Its name comes from the Turkish words “kale” meaning town or fortress and “megdan”, which means field. This part of Belgrade was in the past completely neglected, until 1869, when the field in front of the fortress began to be arranged and turned into a park. The construction of walking paths and planting of trees on Veliki Kalemegdan took place until 1905, when all the work began on Mali Kalemegdan as well.
Kalemegdan is the largest and most important park in Belgrade, not only attractive to tourists because of its location at the confluence of the Sava and Danube, but also due to the fact that it is located in the center of the city. The park itself includes the Belgrade Zoo, the Military Museum, as well as many cultural and historical monuments reminiscent of the rich history of the city.
Many legends and stories are associated with the park, some of them were created as folk tales to arouse people’s curiosity. One thing is for sure, Kalemegdan has resisted the ravages of time since ancient times, all the way to the Romans and the Ottomans, and does not reveal its secrets easily. The park has been here for a long time, so if the friendship continues, it will tell us another story.