Serbia

The Danube flows into Serbia near Bezdan. The first Serbian city the great river reaches is Novi Sad, capital of the autonomous province Vojvodina. The town is dominated by the mighty fortress of Petrovaradin, one of the largest fortifications in Europe. Seventy kilometers downstream from Novi Sad lies Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Here, the imposing Kalemegdan fortress guards the confluence of Sava and Danube. Under the Romans the city was called Alba Graeca, while the Celts knew it as Singidunum. The Serbian name "Beograd" means "white city". Further downstream from Belgrade sturdy castles and fortresses bear witness to the country's eventful past. Examples are Smederevo, which was Serbia's capital in the fifteenth century or the fortress of Golubac, dating from the early fourteenth-century. The Iron Gate is the most spectacular gorge along the Danube's course: some 150 kilometers in length.