Forest

Avala's forest is mostly deciduous, featuring various species including oak, beech, hornbeam, maple, ash, birch, linden, pine, spruce, fir, and a few sequoias on the middle of the path from the flagpole to the Monument to the Unknown Hero, on the so-called "Stairs Road." The forest is preserved as a unique park.

Avala's forests have been preserved, thanks to a strict order issued by Prince Miloš Obrenović after his return to Serbia in 1859, to encircle Avala (i.e., to dig a trench around it), protecting it from further destruction.

Avala's History

From the 12th to the 15th century, it was a Serbian medieval town called Zrnov, which the Turks conquered in 1442, renaming the fortress as Havala, which means "high ground" in Turkish. It was later used as a barrier to protect the lead, zinc, silver, and mercury mines at the base of the mountain. It could also serve to defend or threaten Belgrade when necessary. Two years later, in 1444, the Turks lost Zrnov, only to retake it in 1458 when the entire Serbia, except Belgrade, fell a year later in 1459.

The town-fortress was known as "Porčin-grad" among the locals, after a famous Turkish bandit and extortionist who would attack, plunder, and blackmail the surrounding population while residing there. He also controlled the road to and from Belgrade, robbing caravans and individuals. Upon the request of those he had plundered, this outlaw was killed by the Serbian despot Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk, the son of the blind Grgur and the grandson of Đurđe Branković. After the war, this beautiful custom ceased.

Monument to the Unknown Hero

After World War I, the local population discovered numerous graves of Serbian soldiers who had died in the war, including the grave of an unknown Serbian soldier. In 1922, the people of the surrounding villages erected a modest monument to honor this soldier.

Later, the State Board for the Erection of the Monument to the Unknown Hero decided to build a more representative monument for the soldier on the top of Avala. The project for the monument was prepared by the sculptor Ivan Meštrović, in the form of a mausoleum with caryatids representing women in traditional costumes from all Yugoslav regions. The monument was constructed from Jablanica granite from 1934 to 1938. In 1934, the medieval town of Zrnov was dynamited for the construction of this monument, an action that continues to be strongly condemned by historians to this day.

Serbia is unique among all the countries that participated in World War I in having a Monument to the Unknown Hero, rather than an Unknown Soldier. In the immediate vicinity is also the Monument to Soviet War Veterans, who died in an airplane crash on October 19, 1964.

Tourist Guide

Avala is a low mountain located 16.5 kilometers south of Belgrade. It marks the northern end of the Šumadija mountain range, which runs through lowland Šumadija and serves as the watershed between the Sava and Danube river basins. It rises 511 meters and stands about 200 meters above the surrounding hilly terrain. Avala is known for its minerals, especially avalite, which was named after Avala, where it was first discovered.

At the end of 2007, the Belgrade City Assembly declared Avala a protected natural resource, with a total area of 489 hectares. Prince Miloš made the decision to encircle and protect Avala as early as 1859, and it was proclaimed a national park in 1936. In 1946, the Presidium of the National Assembly decided that it should be declared an area of general importance.

The protected area is home to around 600 plant species, some of which have medicinal properties, while others are natural rarities, like Zanovet, Zlatan, and Zelenika. Avala is well-forested with indigenous trees, and part of it is covered by pine trees. It is a popular destination for the people of Belgrade.

Avala Tower

The Avala TV tower was built on the lower peak of Avala in 1965. The tower was designed by architects Uglješa Bogdanović and Slobodan Janjić and was destroyed during the NATO bombing on April 29, 1999.

The tower was the tallest building in the former Yugoslavia. In 2010, the tower was fully reconstructed and reopened to visitors.

Medieval Town of Žrnov

The medieval town of Žrnov was situated on Avala. Serbs called it Žrnov, while the Turks gave it the name Avala, which means "obstacle" or "barrier" in Turkish. The town's precise location is uncertain; some believe it to have been situated between the Avala Tower and the Monument to the Unknown Hero, while others believe it was located at the top of the hill in the park near the monument.

The town of Žrnov was destroyed by the Ottoman Turks in 1442, during the reign of Prince Đurađ Branković. According to tradition, Zrnov was one of the strongholds that refused to surrender to the Ottoman Turks, but they later lost it and slaughtered its inhabitants.