Savamala

Savamala is one of the oldest parts of Belgrade, the first one bulit outside the Belgrade Fortress and the first one to meet when visitors come to Belgrade because it is situated near the main train and bus stations. Savamala used to be the centre of Belgrade.

The name came from the abbreviated Turkish word "mahala" (district, part of the city) with the addition of the prefix Sava which is name of the river. Throughout the history of Belgrade, from the ancient history through the medieval period to the modern age, from the Romans to the Hungarian, Turkish and German conquests, Savamala was developing on the Danube slope. Prince Milos was the first one to change this course of history and the Sava slope has remained more beautiful and built than the Danube slope to the present. Prince Milos built the first Ministry of Finances and the National Assembly of Serbia right here.

After moving pedestrian zone to Knez Mihailova Street, Savamala became an industrial zone. Great Serbian merchant and benefactor, Luka Celovic, had the merit of arising of Savamala. He has transformed unattractive and poor areas on the riverbank into today`s neighbourhood. Almost all of the old buildings are now National heritage sites. His biggest legacy is Karadjordjeva Street.

Belgrade Cooperative Building, built between 1905 and 1907 in neo-baroque style, is an anthological example of contemporary Serbian architecture from the beginning of the 20th century. It is cultural heritage of great significance.

Hotel "Bristol" was built in 1932. Originally, there were insurance guild and Belgrade shareholders` association. During the World Bank Conference, a member of the famous family Rockefeller visited Belgrade and stayed in hotel "Bristol". Thanks to his visit the hotel was renovated.

"King Alexandar`s Bridge" had been put into operation in Decembre 1934, but it was torn down during World War II. After the war, in its place has been built a bridge that Belgraders used to call "Savski most" (Sava`s bridge) or "Most Brankove ulice" (The Bridge of Brankova Street). It is believed that the bridge got its name after the writer Branko Copic who commited suicide by jumping off the bridge, but the street was named after the poet Branko Radicevic.

Thanks to inspiring designers and persistent artists who wanted to revive this part of town, in recent years there have been big changes. Today Savamala is the center of urban culture, a part of the city whose contents and events bring Belgrade back on the world scene and put it on the map of every modern traveler. Right here you can see exhibitions that after Belgrade move to New York. You can sit in a restaurant whose offer and interior gives much more than a portion of food. You can visit the best nightclubs. And only in Savamala you can see the sunset, the greatest splendour of the sky above Belgrade.