Topčider park

The first organized steps towards building parks and other green areas in Belgrade were made in the vicinity of Prince Miloš ‘ s residences, in Topčider and in the new Serbian part of Belgrade, outside the Rampart.

When the residence of prince Miloš was built in Topčider, the land in its vicinity was swampy and overgrown with reed and sedge. Although there are not enough data related to the building of the park around the residence, it can be assumed that the draining of the area of today’ s park started immediately after the construction of the residence ( 1831 – 1834 ) .

For a long time the residence was the seat of the first court of the independent Serbian Principality and for a short while here were held the sessions of the Principality’ s National Parliament. Topčider was the seat of all important events that took place in the Serbia of that time.

The park ocupies 12.8 hectares in the valley of the Topčider river and it is only five kilometers far from the city center. It was built in the ” natural ” English style, which included winding paths, domestic species of trees and plants and arranged water – covered areas. It contains an impressive London Plane Tree ( Platanus acerifolia ) , mentioned by the famous travel writer Feliks Kanic in the second half of the 19th century.

This plane tree is protected as a significant natural landmark and nowadays it is supporteded by 17 metal poles, which hold its huge crown, whose projection equals 1, 885 sq. meters.

The park also contains the monument to the great friend of our people, Mr. Archibald Reiss, erected in 1931.