2 Must-Visit Attractions in Belgrade, Serbia — Republic Square ane The National Theatre
Belgrade’s Republic Square represents the central Belgrade square and much more than that. The Republic Square is a symbol of Belgrade, a symbol of time, a symbol of the past, a museum of history, and a reminder of the turbulent events of past centuries. If you look around the capital city and look at what Belgrade’s main square looks like today, you will see 19th-century buildings of great architectural value, brand new and modern buildings, many tourists, bars, and buildings built in Yugoslavia. There is probably no more authentic place in Belgrade except Republic Square, Knez Mihailova Street, and Belgrade Fortress, which testify to the development and progress of the capital city.
As the central Belgrade square, it is located in Municipality Stari grad — the central Belgrade municipality. It stretches between Francuska and Vasina Street, Knez Mihailova Street and Čika Ljubina Street, Kolarceva Street, and Makedonska Street.
Throughout the history of Belgrade
The appearance of today’s Belgrade’s Republic Square gets in the aftermath of World War II. Most of the buildings, crafts, and houses in the square were demolished and damaged during the war. They were replaced by the Press House building, the largest building on Republic Square. The Reunion Palace or the 1931 Istria Palace, the tallest building on the square, also catches the eye of visitors. The imposing building or palace belonged to the Adriatic Insurance Company and served as a multipurpose building — for housing, office space, theater, cinema, and a ballroom. If you are not sure what kind of building it is, it is a building that houses the Bosko Buha Children’s Theater today and several popular bars.
Today, there are still 19th-century buildings on Republic Square and space is being shared with new and modern facilities, such as coffee shops, restaurants, shops, and galleries. With Knez Mihailova Street and Obilićev venac, the Republic Square forms a legally protected whole of great historical value
So, what makes Belgrade’s main square special? Belgrade’s main square consists of many buildings, offices, modern brands, several cafes and sweets, exchange offices, and restaurants — all that one capital city needs!
Prince Mihailo Monument
The central figure in Republic Square is a monument to Prince Mihailo Obrenovic. Built in 1882, the authors of the monument are renowned sculptor Enriko Paci and architect Konstantin Jovanovic. It is interesting that the monument to Prince Mihailo is the first equestrian monument in Serbia and is reminiscent of Italian and ancient rulers. The monument is made of an equestrian figure, and few people know that a princely horse named Vranac was used as a horse figure. The bronze figure was cast even in Munich and is a symbol of Serbia’s liberation from Turkish rule.
The National Theatre
The most beautiful building on Republic Square is certainly the National Theater. It was founded in 1868 as the Royal Serbian National Theater in Belgrade and got its building a year later. By establishing the theater, Serbia received its first professional theater, which Prince Mihailo Obrenovic himself insisted on. The construction of the National Theater was so significant that the space in front of the building was called Theater Square and became the main Belgrade’s square.
The appearance of the theater was entrusted to the architect Alexander Bugarski, and the choice of decorative and construction elements of the National Theater in many respects resembles the famous La Scala in Milan. The first performance in the new villa theater is “The Death Glory of Prince Michael (Mihailo)”, the work of Djordje Maletic. The exterior and interior look is modeled after the magnificent Italian theaters, which is why each part of the theater is a work of art for itself. Gilded plaster decorations, draperies sewn in Viennese workshops, painted stage curtains and a large chandelier with a hundred candles were true masterpieces.
The National Theater has remained to this day a representative institution of culture in Belgrade. Today, the ballet, opera, and drama are performed on the Grand stage and the stage called “Raša Plaović”.
We are expecting you!
Belgrade’s Square is a favorite destination for tourists from abroad because everything is at your fingertips — Knez Mihailova Street, Obilićev venac, Terazije, and Belgrade Fortress, clothing stores, shoes, and cosmetics, banks, exchange offices, souvenir shops, the best restaurants, and cafes.
