Smederevo Fortress

Smederevo fortress was raised between 1428 and 1430 by the despot Đurađ Branković as a new capital after Belgrade passed out of Serbian hands, and it is vast: a triangular enclosure of about eleven hectares where the Jezava meets the Danube, with twenty-five towers and walls up to twenty-five metres high, built quickly and to an ambitious plan. A smaller inner court held the palace, and Byzantine-style brickwork patterns are still visible in places. The fortress was fought over repeatedly, damaged by an ammunition explosion in the twentieth century, and used as a rail yard, so its condition is mixed; restoration has been proceeding in phases. Its size is what registers on arrival, and the riverside walls with the Danube behind them are the view most people take away.

History

Despot Đurađ Branković began his new capital in the autumn of 1428 on a site with no earlier settlement; the inner city with its palace was finished in 1430 and the further walls by 1439. His youngest daughter Katarina married Ulrich II of Celje here on 20 April 1434, and the fortress was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979 (Wikipedia, Smederevo Fortress).

Highlights

• The triangular enclosure - eleven hectares of walls and twenty-five towers.
• The inner court - the despot's palace remains beside the river.
• Brickwork patterning - decorative Byzantine-style courses in the walls.
• The Danube frontage - the river running along the northern wall.

When to go

April to October; the site is open ground with little shade. Summer evenings are pleasant and the fortress hosts concerts and a medieval festival. Winter is bleak and parts may close.

What to expect

Much of the interior is empty ground and some sections are fenced off during restoration. Interpretation is thin. The setting is industrial in places, with the steelworks nearby. Wall walks are limited and safety fencing is basic.

Nearby

Viminacium lies east; Belgrade is northwest.

Key facts