National Assembly Building

National Assembly building, in  Serbian Dom Narodne Skupštine is very typical building for Europe. It is not as splendid as in Prague or Vienna, but it sure will find the way to your camera. Most tourists only have the exterior view, but it is possible to have a guided tour and see treasures hidden inside this historical building. I had a chance to see it from the inside, but only one part, and here I will share my photographs with you.

The construction of the building of the National Assembly (originally the House of National Representation, of the Kingdom of Serbia), was based on a design by the architect Jovan Ilkić from 1901. Construction began in 1907, when King Petar I Karađorđević laid the cornerstone. As a consequence of Balkan Wars and the First World War, due to a lack of resources, the construction works had to be stopped and the building was made only up to the first floor.

The second phase of construction began with the establishment of the new state-the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. They drew up new plans which were necessary because the planned parliamentary session halls did not provide sufficient space. The architect was Pavle Ilkić, the son of the deceased Jovan Ilkić. Following the new design, the Assembly Building continued to be constructed until 1926, when the construction works were interrupted once again.

The third and final construction phase started after the death of King Aleksandar in 1934 when the chief architect became Nikola Krasnov, a Russian immigrant close to the court. The building of the National Assembly was finally completed in 1936.

Because of its precious architectural design and historical significance in 1984 the building was listed in the cultural heritage of Belgrade.

The history can be seen from the very moment you enter the building. The entrance hall has statues of significant people from history of all countries of the territory of Yugoslavia. Serbian emperor Dušan, who wrote the first Law, Croatian king Tomislav, Slovenian king, Karađorđe - the leader of riots against Turks, Nikola Pašić...

Unbelievable variety of marble, from white, through gray, to black, with all shades of yellow, pink and green, cleverly mixed in playful, yet elegant combination.

But, enough with talk - enjoy photos!

What to see if you have only one day in Belgrade?

In my opinion, there are 3 must-sees in Belgrade. You simply cannot miss them if you're in Belgrade, even for only one day. Kalemegdan, St. Sava Temple and Skadarlija are the "holy trinity" of the must-see in Belgrade . 

Good thing is that visiting those places would give you a chance to glance at other attractions, like Knez Mihailova (pedestrian zone), on your way to Kalemegdan, or so-called Silicone Valley (Strahinjića bana Street, with numerous cafes, very popular among younger population), where you can have a drink or two, before you go to have a dinner in Bohemic Quarter of Skadarlija. On your way to St. Sava Temple, you might pass by destroyed buildings during NATO bombing - not that I think it's an important tourist attraction, but I've noticed that all tourists are very curious to see them.

Kalemegdan is a fortress, with quite large park, which accommodates one fortress, 2 churches, one gallery, 2 observatories, 2 museums, tennis and basketball terrains, archaeological remains from several different historic periods, small amusement park for children, two restaurants and one zoo (I'm sure I've missed something, but I guess this gives you the idea). Therefore, you should plan at least 2-3 hours for this one, if you want to see everything.

Although completely out of the way, but not too far, is the St. Sava Temple. It is not finished yet, the interior is still far from finished, but it's open to the public, and there are interesting things to see even inside the church. What you should know is that St. Sava Temple (or if you prefer to call it Cathedral of Saint Sava) is THE biggest Orthodox church in the world, by its area and volume (it's not the tallest). It is surrounded by nice park with fountains, next to the National Library. 

Back to the very center of the city, you should plan your dinner in the bohemic quarter - Skadarlija Street. Skadarlija is also known for its excellent restaurants, offering national food, and live acoustic music called "starogradska muzika" (can be translated as "old city music") and the bohemic spirit, remained from numerous writers and artists, back in the 19th century, who made this street famous.

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