Ada Ciganlija
Encyclopedia
Ada Ciganlija colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island
that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River
's course through central Belgrade
, the capital of Serbia
. The name can also refer to the adjoining artificial Sava Lake and its beach. To take advantage of its central location, over the past few decades, it was turned from an inaccessible marsh notorious as a place where official executions were held, into an immensely popular recreational zone, most notable for its beaches and sports facilities, which, during summer seasons, can have over 100,000 visitors daily and up to 300,000 visitors over the weekend. Due to this popularity, Ada Ciganlija has been commonly nicknamed "More Beograda" ("Belgrade's Sea"), which was officially accepted as an advertising slogan in 2008, stylised as More BeogrADA.
. Its eastern tip roughly borders the urban neighborhood of Senjak
on the west (across an inlet called Čukarica Bay), and the body of the peninsula borders the neighborhoods of Čukarica and Makiš
(both across Sava Lake). Across the river, Ada Ciganlija borders Novi Beograd
(specifically residential bloks
and the urban neighborhoods of Savski Nasip
) and another artificial peninsula called Mala Ciganlija
("Little Ciganlija"). Between Ada Ciganlija and Novi Beograd lies Ada Međica, a wholly insulated river island.
Thanks to the combination of factors, Ada Ciganlija is privileged with a microclimate
. Situated between a river, an artificial flowing lake, various islands, and a heavily wooded area, air humidity is heightened compared to the rest of the city, helping to nullify Belgrade's high temperatures during summer.
, creating an oasis in the urban area. Most of the peninsula is forested. The original, thick deciduous
forest mainly cosists of oaks
, elms, birches and willows. In the mid 20th century, further planned forestation of Ada Ciganlija included the planting of American poplars and green ash
. This characteristic of Ada gives its visitors an illusion of being in complete wilderness, aided by the fact that city ambient noise is completely muted by the thick forest. Most of the forest on the island is protected, including the entire central, northern and western sections. These parts of the peninsula are entirely wild with uncultivated vegetation and very little or no human presence, making it unique compared to other European city islands and peninsulas.
In terms of fauna, besides having numerous amphibians and insects, Ada Ciganlija contains several mammal
species, considered special due to the setting of the peninsula in an urban area. Foxes, hares, Roe Deer
and inhabit the peninsula. However, with environmentalists warning that the island's biocoenosis
has been overly affected, a new population of 60 hares and 100 pheasant
s was introduced into the ecosystem in 2006.
Bird species include more common lapwing
s, mallard
s, quail
s and pheasant
s, but also some threatened migratory birds, most notably the pygmy cormorant
which winters in Belgrade in large numbers (over 3,000, as ongoing research by the League for Ornithological Action shows). That represents 5% of the European wintering population of that species.
rowing club. City authorities plan to relocate the settlement alongside its 1,000 inhabitants, who generally oppose the move. During the 2006 European floods
, city authorities urged them to move to the mainland from the settlement, which was located almost 8 m below the dam, as the Sava reached a record height of 723 cm. The wall of the dam, on the brink of collapse, was hastily strengthened and elevated in an effort to prevent catastrophe, but even in these conditions, the populace refused to relocate, claiming the city to just be using the situation to relocate them.
Sava Lake (Serbian Cyrillic: Савско језеро, Serbian Latin: Savsko Jezero), often also referred to as Ada, was created from the right arm of the Sava with the building of two dams near the northern and southern tips of the island in 1967. The lake is 4.2 km long, has an average width of 200 m and is 4 to 6 m deep. It covers and area of 0.8 km2 and is 78 m above sea level, one of the lowest areas of Belgrade. 7 km of its shores on both sides have been transformed into a gravel beach. The water regularly reaches 24°C during summer.
Both dams allow water to flow through tubes and pumps. This way, the main body of the lake is connected to the smaller body of water on the southwest, which is itself separated from the river by the third dam. This mini "buffer" lake called Taložnik ("depository") is used as a purifier for the waters of both Sava Lake and city waterworks, which also use this water. Filtered water is constantly being pumped into the lake while on the northeast, the water is pumped out by electrically powered pumps through another dam into Čukarica Bay. In this way, an artificial flow of water through the lake is created. Because the water is also used for drinking, sanitation and environmental protection of the lake are imperative and the lake is under rigorous environmental protection. Weeds are groomed on the lake's bottom to purify the water by bonding phosphorus
, nitrogen
and dirt. Use of motorboat
s is strictly prohibited in the lake and dogs are also not allowed on the beach.
Wildlife in the lake mostly consists of introduced fish species. The most common fish in the lake are silver carp
and grass carp
but large catfish
can also be found, causing concern and an issued statement that they are harmless. The freshwater jellyfish
Craspedacusta sowerbyi
was discovered in 2008, garnering much attention for the lake. These tiny, transparent and gentle anthomedusae
begin their life as polyp
s and develop into jellyfish only if conditions, such as purity and water temperature over 25°C, are right. However, authorities claim that these harmless and almost invisible jellyfish have been present in the lake for over 20 years.
. It was the last remaining marshy area during the transformation of the peninsula, infested by undergrowth
and reeds
, until its conversion into a lake in 1994, with an area of 60 km2. Rare species of fish were introduced in order to create a fishing resort, which now consists of 300 numbered fishing seats around the lake with an obligatory special permit for fishing in Ada Safari. Fish species include common carp
, grass carp, crucian carp
and tench
, which is rare in Serbia. A small zoo
has been built next to the lake, chiefly containing swamp birds like duck
s and swan
s, as well as more exotic animals such as peacocks and pygmy goat
s.
The first part of Ada Ciganlija's name, ada, means "river island" in Serbian. The word is Turkish
in origin, where it simply means "island", but in landlocked Serbia it specifically denotes river islands (Ada Međica, Ada Kaleh
), beside already existing Serbian word for island, ostrvo. A river island can also be referred to as ostrvo (e.g. Veliko Ratno Ostrvo) but never vice-versa. Ciganlija, on the other hand, is believed to be derived from either the eponymous variety of small, red apple or Cigani, the Serbian name for Gypsies, who inhabited the island in the past. The latter is more likely, as both Austria
n and Italian
maps from the mid and late 18th century name the island Zigeuner Insel and Isola degli Zingari, respectivelly, both meaning "Gypsy Island" in their respective languages. Recently, demands have been made to change the island's name, claiming, for example, that the island was called "Serbian Ada" before 1946 (which was easily proven to be untrue), or that its name is originally derived from Celtic
words singa meaning "island" and lia meaning "submerged ground". It is accepted by some as a possibility rather uncritically, as Celtic word for island is inis, surviving as such in modern Irish
or in varieties of innis in Scottish and ynys in Welsh
.
The importance of Ada Ciganlija can be traced back to 1821, when it was declared a protected public domain by then Prince of Serbia, Miloš Obrenović. Until 1941, a prison was located on Ada Ciganlija.
At that time, Ada wasn't a popular recreational area and the major beach area was across its northern tip, in the Gospodarska Mehana section of the Senjak neighborhood. Still, even then, one of major Serbian writers Branislav Nušić
, nicknamed it Vodeni cvet (watery flower) because of its beauty. On the night of July 17, 1946, new Communist authorities executed a number of former politicians on Ada Ciganlija, while military officers were tried as collaborators with the Nazis during World War II
, including Chetniks
leaders Draža Mihailović
and Kosta Mušicki
, and ministers of the government of Milan Nedić
: Tanasije-Tasa Dinić, Đura Dokić and Velibor Jonić
.
For decades, Ada Ciganlija was popular among and fishermen, including the famous actor Pavle Vujisić
. After his death in 1988, it was proposed that the access road to Ada should be named after him, but another street in the new neighborhood of Altina
in Zemun
was later named after him. The situation began to change in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Ada was connected to the mainland and the first sporting championships, such as the kayaking championships in 1971 were organised, prompting the construction of special facilities. The popularity of Ada was further increased in the 1980s with the music and entertainment show Leto na Adi ("Summer on Ada"), televised live
by the Radio Television of Serbia
.
Ada Ciganlija is today managed by the municipal government via the Public Enterprise "Ada Ciganlija" (JP "Ada Ciganlija"), which maintains the grounds of the recreational areas and, especially, the beach and the Sava Lake. It is responsible for cleanliness, maintenance such as trimming of the underwater algae, public safety (lifeguards), and so on. Even though the island is a public asset, the island itself is not exclusively managed and owned by the city. There are numerous private entities that administer businesses and recreation facilities, such as the golf course. Notably, many famous Serbian sports personalities have invested in the area.
s on multiple levels which is its most prominent structure as well and one of very few permanent solid structures. One of those structures is the "Jezero" hotel at the entrance.
The northern edge of the island
is lined with attached floating barges, or houses on the water owned by many inhabitants of Belgrade as a weekend refuge given the peninsula's exceptionally quiet and green environment. In addition, many city dwellers come to enjoy fishing excursions, pic-nics and barbecues.
From the beach, stunning views of central Belgrade can be seen, and sunsets are particularly beautiful when viewed from here.
Ada Ciganlija has in the past been a host to a number of local and international water sporting events such as competitions in rowing and kayaking. The very first golf course
in Serbia has been built on this island in recent years along with a golf club house, a golfing store, golfing school and a practice range. This golf course is also the seat of the first and so far only Serbian golfing association.
The island is home to the "Rowing Sport Club" and several rowing societies like VK Partizan, VK Crvena Zvezda, and VK Grafičar. A sailing
school and club, in addition to all accompanying sailing facilities, can be found on Ada Ciganlija.
The island has over 70 restaurants, bars and cafés as well as a café-cinema.
On of the island's most noted landmarks is the fountain, based on the famous Jet d'Eau
(water-jet), situated in Lake Geneva
. Belgrade one is also 140-metre-high and it was installed in 1996. The fountain is operating during the day all year round, except in case of frost and particularly strong wind. It also operates in the evening between spring and autumn and is lit by a set of lights. During the summer months in the later hours, the island stages a spacial laser
light spectacle for those still present at the beach.
This Island also has an artistic sculpture
workshop located at the eastern end in the direction of the city. Ada Ciganlija also has a children's theatre featuring scheduled performances, as well as a Robinson Crusoe
-themed entertainment feature that stages themed performances.
lines 12 and 13 also pass relatively nearby. Due to the ever larger number of visitors,GSP Beograd introduced special seasonal bus lines, specifically designated for transport to Ada Ciganlija from distant parts of Belgrade. They have been expanding in recent years: Ada1 (Central Belgrade and Vidikovac
), Ada2 (Zemun, Blokovi
), Ada3 (Konjarnik
), Ada4 (Mirijevo
), Ada5 (Bežanijska Kosa, Novi Beograd).
There are regular ferry services to take people from Belgrade's river banks onto the island. In 2008, experimental introduction of public transport by boat began, one of whose routes is from Blok 44 (Novi Beograd)-Ada Ciganlija. There is also a small electric road vehicle that tours the island called the "tourist train". There is also an impromptu recreational marina on the island's downstream end. There are plans to expand this marina and make it permanent. Boating in the lake, as well as car traffic on land, is strictly forbidden. There is a large parking lot on the Makiš side of the river.
is currently being built across the Sava, over the eastern tip of the Ada Ciganlija. The bridge is set to be a future landmark due to its height and grandeur. The central abutment
is to be 200 meters tall, carrying hundreds of cables suspending the bridge. It will provide a direct land link to the island via the elevators as well as a planned light rail
station that will stop mid-bridge to service passengers to and from the island.
River Island
River Island is one of Britain's best known high street fashion brands and can be found in most cities across the UK. The brand also has stores in Singapore, Turkey, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.-History:...
that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
's course through central Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, the capital of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. The name can also refer to the adjoining artificial Sava Lake and its beach. To take advantage of its central location, over the past few decades, it was turned from an inaccessible marsh notorious as a place where official executions were held, into an immensely popular recreational zone, most notable for its beaches and sports facilities, which, during summer seasons, can have over 100,000 visitors daily and up to 300,000 visitors over the weekend. Due to this popularity, Ada Ciganlija has been commonly nicknamed "More Beograda" ("Belgrade's Sea"), which was officially accepted as an advertising slogan in 2008, stylised as More BeogrADA.
Location
Ada Ciganlija is located on the southern bank of the Sava River, 4 km away from its mouth, and entirely belongs to Belgrade's municipality of ČukaricaCukarica
Čukarica is an urban neighborhood and one of the 17 municipalities than constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.- Neighbourhoods :...
. Its eastern tip roughly borders the urban neighborhood of Senjak
Senjak
Senjak is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. Located in Savski Venac, one of the three municipalities that constitute the very center of the city, it is an affluent and distinguished neighborhood lavished with embassies, diplomatic residences, and mansions...
on the west (across an inlet called Čukarica Bay), and the body of the peninsula borders the neighborhoods of Čukarica and Makiš
Makiš
Makiš is a forest and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Čukarica....
(both across Sava Lake). Across the river, Ada Ciganlija borders Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd or New Belgrade is the most populous municipality that constitutes the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a planned city, built in 1947 on the left bank of the Sava river which was previously an uninhabited area, opposite of the old Belgrade...
(specifically residential bloks
Blokovi
Blokovi is the semi-formal plural name for a group of urban neighborhoods in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....
and the urban neighborhoods of Savski Nasip
Savski Nasip
Savski Nasip is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....
) and another artificial peninsula called Mala Ciganlija
Mala Ciganlija
Mala Ciganlija is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....
("Little Ciganlija"). Between Ada Ciganlija and Novi Beograd lies Ada Međica, a wholly insulated river island.
Geography
Formerly an island, Ada Ciganlija is now an elongated peninsula, stretching for 6 km from west to east and 700 m from north to south at its widest, and covering an area of 2.7 km2. The entire Ada Ciganlija ecological complex, which stretches into the municipality of Novi Beograd, covers an area of 8 km2, including the islands of Ada Ciganlija and Ada Međica, waterways between the two Adas and Sava Lake, and some of Makiš itself. Sava Lake, formerly a branch of the Sava, was turned into a lake with two dams, while the remaining section on the northeast was turned into Čukarica Bay. There is another small lake on Ada Ciganlija itself, known as Ada Safari.Thanks to the combination of factors, Ada Ciganlija is privileged with a microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
. Situated between a river, an artificial flowing lake, various islands, and a heavily wooded area, air humidity is heightened compared to the rest of the city, helping to nullify Belgrade's high temperatures during summer.
Wildlife
Ada Ciganlija has a unique ecosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
, creating an oasis in the urban area. Most of the peninsula is forested. The original, thick deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest mainly cosists of oaks
Oaks
-Horse races:"Oaks" is generally used to describe a Thoroughbred horse race restricted to 3-year-old fillies. Among the best-known races using the term are:*Epsom Oaks, The Oaks Stakes, at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England; the original "Oaks" race...
, elms, birches and willows. In the mid 20th century, further planned forestation of Ada Ciganlija included the planting of American poplars and green ash
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica is a species of ash native to eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia west to southeastern Alberta and eastern Colorado, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern Texas....
. This characteristic of Ada gives its visitors an illusion of being in complete wilderness, aided by the fact that city ambient noise is completely muted by the thick forest. Most of the forest on the island is protected, including the entire central, northern and western sections. These parts of the peninsula are entirely wild with uncultivated vegetation and very little or no human presence, making it unique compared to other European city islands and peninsulas.
In terms of fauna, besides having numerous amphibians and insects, Ada Ciganlija contains several mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
species, considered special due to the setting of the peninsula in an urban area. Foxes, hares, Roe Deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
and inhabit the peninsula. However, with environmentalists warning that the island's biocoenosis
Biocoenosis
A biocoenosis , coined by Karl Möbius in 1877, describes the interacting organisms living together in a habitat . This term is rarely used in English, as this concept has not been popularized in Anglophone countries...
has been overly affected, a new population of 60 hares and 100 pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s was introduced into the ecosystem in 2006.
Bird species include more common lapwing
Lapwing
Vanellinae are any of various crested plovers, family Charadriidae, noted for its slow, irregular wingbeat in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. Its length is 10-16 inches. They are a subfamily of medium-sized wading birds which also includes the plovers and dotterels. The Vanellinae are...
s, mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s, quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
s and pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s, but also some threatened migratory birds, most notably the pygmy cormorant
Pygmy Cormorant
The Pygmy Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. It is partially migratory, with northern populations wintering further south, mostly within in its breeding range...
which winters in Belgrade in large numbers (over 3,000, as ongoing research by the League for Ornithological Action shows). That represents 5% of the European wintering population of that species.
Settlements
The only settlement on Ada Ciganlija is located in its northern section, located behind another dam. It is called Partizan, because of the nearby PartizanPartizan Belgrade
Jugoslovensko Sportsko Društvo Partizan, commonly abbreviated as JSD Partizan is a sports association from Belgrade, Serbia. Founded on 4th October 1945, it's an umbrella organization featuring 26 clubs in 26 sports.-Sports/Clubs:-History:...
rowing club. City authorities plan to relocate the settlement alongside its 1,000 inhabitants, who generally oppose the move. During the 2006 European floods
2006 European floods
From February to April 2006 many rivers across Europe, especially the Elbe and Danube, swelled due to heavy rain and melting snow and rose to record levels...
, city authorities urged them to move to the mainland from the settlement, which was located almost 8 m below the dam, as the Sava reached a record height of 723 cm. The wall of the dam, on the brink of collapse, was hastily strengthened and elevated in an effort to prevent catastrophe, but even in these conditions, the populace refused to relocate, claiming the city to just be using the situation to relocate them.
Sava Lake
Both dams allow water to flow through tubes and pumps. This way, the main body of the lake is connected to the smaller body of water on the southwest, which is itself separated from the river by the third dam. This mini "buffer" lake called Taložnik ("depository") is used as a purifier for the waters of both Sava Lake and city waterworks, which also use this water. Filtered water is constantly being pumped into the lake while on the northeast, the water is pumped out by electrically powered pumps through another dam into Čukarica Bay. In this way, an artificial flow of water through the lake is created. Because the water is also used for drinking, sanitation and environmental protection of the lake are imperative and the lake is under rigorous environmental protection. Weeds are groomed on the lake's bottom to purify the water by bonding phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
, nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
and dirt. Use of motorboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
s is strictly prohibited in the lake and dogs are also not allowed on the beach.
Wildlife in the lake mostly consists of introduced fish species. The most common fish in the lake are silver carp
Silver carp
The silver carp is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to north and northeast Asia. It is cultivated in China....
and grass carp
Grass carp
The grass carp is a herbivorous, freshwater fish species of family Cyprinidae, and the only species of the genus Ctenopharyngodon. It is cultivated in China for food, but was introduced in Europe and the United States for aquatic weed control...
but large catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
can also be found, causing concern and an issued statement that they are harmless. The freshwater jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
Craspedacusta sowerbyi
Craspedacusta sowerbyi
Craspedacusta sowerbyi is a freshwater jellyfish in the phylum Cnidaria. Since it is classified as a hydrozoan, it is one of many jellyfish that are also known as hydromedusae...
was discovered in 2008, garnering much attention for the lake. These tiny, transparent and gentle anthomedusae
Anthomedusae
Anthomedusae or Anthomedusa, the athecate hydroids, are an order of the Hydrozoa, a class of marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria...
begin their life as polyp
Polyp
A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are approximately cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the body...
s and develop into jellyfish only if conditions, such as purity and water temperature over 25°C, are right. However, authorities claim that these harmless and almost invisible jellyfish have been present in the lake for over 20 years.
Ada Safari
Ada Safari is a small, irregularly shaped lake on the northern tip of Ada Ciganlija, primarily used for fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. It was the last remaining marshy area during the transformation of the peninsula, infested by undergrowth
Undergrowth
Undergrowth usually refers to the vegetation in a forest, which can obstruct passage through the forest. The height of undergrowth is usually considered to be 0.3 – 3 m . Undergrowth can also refer all vegetation in a forest, which isn't in the canopy....
and reeds
Reed (plant)
Reed is a generic polyphyletic botanical term used to describe numerous tall, grass-like plants of wet places, which are the namesake vegetation of reed beds...
, until its conversion into a lake in 1994, with an area of 60 km2. Rare species of fish were introduced in order to create a fishing resort, which now consists of 300 numbered fishing seats around the lake with an obligatory special permit for fishing in Ada Safari. Fish species include common carp
Common carp
The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
, grass carp, crucian carp
Crucian carp
The crucian carp is a member of the family Cyprinidae, which includes many other fish, such as the common carp, or the smaller minnows. They inhabit lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers throughout Europe and Asia. The crucian is a medium-sized cyprinid, which rarely exceeds a weight of over 3.3...
and tench
Tench
The tench or doctor fish is a freshwater and brackish water fish of the cyprinid family found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also found in Lake Baikal...
, which is rare in Serbia. A small zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
has been built next to the lake, chiefly containing swamp birds like duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s and swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s, as well as more exotic animals such as peacocks and pygmy goat
Pygmy goat
A pygmy goat is a small breed of domestic goat. Although they produce a very large amount of milk for their size, and can be eaten, pygmy goats are not typically used for milk or meat, unlike larger dairy and meat goat breeds. Pygmy goats tend to be more robust and breed more continually throughout...
s.
Nomenclature
Some chroniclers the name of the island found in the compound of Celtic words singa (Island) and Lia (Underwater Land), so there was a word singalija of which will occur at a later transcription in the word ciganlija.The first part of Ada Ciganlija's name, ada, means "river island" in Serbian. The word is Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
in origin, where it simply means "island", but in landlocked Serbia it specifically denotes river islands (Ada Međica, Ada Kaleh
Ada Kaleh
Ada Kaleh was a small island on the Danube populated mostly by Turks that was submerged during the construction of the Iron Gates hydroelectric plant in 1970. The island was about 3 km downstream from Orşova and measured 1.75 by 0.4–0.5 km....
), beside already existing Serbian word for island, ostrvo. A river island can also be referred to as ostrvo (e.g. Veliko Ratno Ostrvo) but never vice-versa. Ciganlija, on the other hand, is believed to be derived from either the eponymous variety of small, red apple or Cigani, the Serbian name for Gypsies, who inhabited the island in the past. The latter is more likely, as both Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
maps from the mid and late 18th century name the island Zigeuner Insel and Isola degli Zingari, respectivelly, both meaning "Gypsy Island" in their respective languages. Recently, demands have been made to change the island's name, claiming, for example, that the island was called "Serbian Ada" before 1946 (which was easily proven to be untrue), or that its name is originally derived from Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
words singa meaning "island" and lia meaning "submerged ground". It is accepted by some as a possibility rather uncritically, as Celtic word for island is inis, surviving as such in modern Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
or in varieties of innis in Scottish and ynys in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
.
Human history
At that time, Ada wasn't a popular recreational area and the major beach area was across its northern tip, in the Gospodarska Mehana section of the Senjak neighborhood. Still, even then, one of major Serbian writers Branislav Nušić
Branislav Nušic
Branislav Nušić was a Serbian novelist of Aromanian descent, playwright, satirist, essayist and founder of modern rhetoric in Serbia. He also worked as a journalist and a civil servant.- Biography :...
, nicknamed it Vodeni cvet (watery flower) because of its beauty. On the night of July 17, 1946, new Communist authorities executed a number of former politicians on Ada Ciganlija, while military officers were tried as collaborators with the Nazis during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
leaders Draža Mihailović
Draža Mihailovic
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović was a Yugoslav Serbian general during World War II...
and Kosta Mušicki
Kosta Mušicki
Kosta Mušicki was a general of the Serbian Volunteer Corps during World War II.Mušicki finished gymnasium in Zagreb and served Austria-Hungary in the First World War...
, and ministers of the government of Milan Nedić
Milan Nedic
Milan Nedić was a Serbian general and politician, he was the chief of the general staff of the Yugoslav Army, minister of war in the Royal Yugoslav Government and the prime minister of a Nazi-backed Serbian puppet government during World War II.After the war, Yugoslav communist authorities...
: Tanasije-Tasa Dinić, Đura Dokić and Velibor Jonić
Velibor Jonic
Velibor Jonić was a Serbian fascist politician and government minister in World War II Serbia.Jonić was by profession a professor and worked at the University of Belgrade...
.
For decades, Ada Ciganlija was popular among and fishermen, including the famous actor Pavle Vujisić
Pavle Vujisic
Pavle Vuisić Pavle Vuisić Pavle Vuisić (Serbian Cyrillic: Павле Вуисић, also known by his nickname Paja; (10 July 1926 - 1 October 1988) was a Serbian actor, known as one of the most recognisable faces of former Yugoslav cinema....
. After his death in 1988, it was proposed that the access road to Ada should be named after him, but another street in the new neighborhood of Altina
Altina
Altina is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Located in the Belgrade's municipality of Zemun, it is one of the newest and fastest growing parts of the city.- Location :...
in Zemun
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
was later named after him. The situation began to change in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Ada was connected to the mainland and the first sporting championships, such as the kayaking championships in 1971 were organised, prompting the construction of special facilities. The popularity of Ada was further increased in the 1980s with the music and entertainment show Leto na Adi ("Summer on Ada"), televised live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
by the Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia or Serbian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster in Serbia. It broadcasts and produces a variety of news, drama, and sports programming through radio, television and the Internet. RTS is, since July 2001, a member of the European Broadcasting Union. RTS is...
.
Ada Ciganlija is today managed by the municipal government via the Public Enterprise "Ada Ciganlija" (JP "Ada Ciganlija"), which maintains the grounds of the recreational areas and, especially, the beach and the Sava Lake. It is responsible for cleanliness, maintenance such as trimming of the underwater algae, public safety (lifeguards), and so on. Even though the island is a public asset, the island itself is not exclusively managed and owned by the city. There are numerous private entities that administer businesses and recreation facilities, such as the golf course. Notably, many famous Serbian sports personalities have invested in the area.
Facilities, activities and tourism
Apart from the sport facilities, a 7 kilometer-long beach of the Sava Lake has a closely supervised, fenced-off children's swimming area. Ada Ciganlija features a tall sports observation tower and bleacherBleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
s on multiple levels which is its most prominent structure as well and one of very few permanent solid structures. One of those structures is the "Jezero" hotel at the entrance.
The northern edge of the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
is lined with attached floating barges, or houses on the water owned by many inhabitants of Belgrade as a weekend refuge given the peninsula's exceptionally quiet and green environment. In addition, many city dwellers come to enjoy fishing excursions, pic-nics and barbecues.
From the beach, stunning views of central Belgrade can be seen, and sunsets are particularly beautiful when viewed from here.
Sport
The island has been conceptualised as Belgrade's focal point for mass sporting activity and recreation. As such, it features a great number of facilities, which get more numerous every year. They include:
|
Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... fields Bocce Bocce is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire... facilities Rugby football Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:... Kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle... facilities Rock climbing Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling... wall Chess Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player... facilities Water slide A water slide is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size... s Rowing (sport) Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water... facilities Diving Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... range |
Alpine skiing Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four... slope Snowboarding Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A... slope Bungee jumping Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that... platform Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping.... facilities Cable skiing .Cable skiing is a way to water ski , where the skier's rope and handle are pulled by an electrically driven cable, whereas traditionally a waterskier is pulled by a motorboat. The mechanism consists of two cables running parallel to one another with carriers between them every 80 metres. The... facilities Canoeing Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'.... facilities Water polo Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a... courts Pedalo A paddle boat or "pedalo" is a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals.... s Golf course A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes... |
Ada Ciganlija has in the past been a host to a number of local and international water sporting events such as competitions in rowing and kayaking. The very first golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in Serbia has been built on this island in recent years along with a golf club house, a golfing store, golfing school and a practice range. This golf course is also the seat of the first and so far only Serbian golfing association.
The island is home to the "Rowing Sport Club" and several rowing societies like VK Partizan, VK Crvena Zvezda, and VK Grafičar. A sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
school and club, in addition to all accompanying sailing facilities, can be found on Ada Ciganlija.
Restaurants and nightlife
Belgrade has a reputation for offering a vibrant nightlife, and many clubs that are open until dawn can be found throughout the city. The most recognizable nightlife features of Belgrade are the barges (сплавови, splavovi) spread along the banks of the Sava and Danube Rivers.The island has over 70 restaurants, bars and cafés as well as a café-cinema.
Landmarks
Jet d'Eau
The Jet d'Eau is a large fountain in Geneva, Switzerland, and is one of the city's most famous landmarks, being featured on the city's official tourism web site and on the official logo for Geneva's hosting of the 2008 UEFA Championships. It is also one of the largest fountains in the world...
(water-jet), situated in Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
. Belgrade one is also 140-metre-high and it was installed in 1996. The fountain is operating during the day all year round, except in case of frost and particularly strong wind. It also operates in the evening between spring and autumn and is lit by a set of lights. During the summer months in the later hours, the island stages a spacial laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
light spectacle for those still present at the beach.
This Island also has an artistic sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
workshop located at the eastern end in the direction of the city. Ada Ciganlija also has a children's theatre featuring scheduled performances, as well as a Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
-themed entertainment feature that stages themed performances.
Transportation
Although there are land routes leading to the island across the artificial dams, they are seldom used due to poor accessibility to the city's main roads and public transport system. Numerous routes of the city's public transport(GSP Beograd) pass close to the eastern entrance: bus routes 23, 37, 51, 52, 53, 56, 56L, 57, 58, 88, 89, 91, 92, 511, 551 and 552, while tramTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
lines 12 and 13 also pass relatively nearby. Due to the ever larger number of visitors,GSP Beograd introduced special seasonal bus lines, specifically designated for transport to Ada Ciganlija from distant parts of Belgrade. They have been expanding in recent years: Ada1 (Central Belgrade and Vidikovac
Vidikovac
Vidikovac is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Rakovica.- Location :...
), Ada2 (Zemun, Blokovi
Blokovi
Blokovi is the semi-formal plural name for a group of urban neighborhoods in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....
), Ada3 (Konjarnik
Konjarnik
Konjarnik is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between Belgrade's municipalities of Voždovac and Zvezdara...
), Ada4 (Mirijevo
Mirijevo
Mirijevo is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara...
), Ada5 (Bežanijska Kosa, Novi Beograd).
There are regular ferry services to take people from Belgrade's river banks onto the island. In 2008, experimental introduction of public transport by boat began, one of whose routes is from Blok 44 (Novi Beograd)-Ada Ciganlija. There is also a small electric road vehicle that tours the island called the "tourist train". There is also an impromptu recreational marina on the island's downstream end. There are plans to expand this marina and make it permanent. Boating in the lake, as well as car traffic on land, is strictly forbidden. There is a large parking lot on the Makiš side of the river.
Ada Bridge
A new cable-stayed bridgeCable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
is currently being built across the Sava, over the eastern tip of the Ada Ciganlija. The bridge is set to be a future landmark due to its height and grandeur. The central abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
is to be 200 meters tall, carrying hundreds of cables suspending the bridge. It will provide a direct land link to the island via the elevators as well as a planned light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
station that will stop mid-bridge to service passengers to and from the island.
Social aspect
Ever since Ada Ciganlija began gaining popularity, there have been varying views of its importance. During the economic hardship of 1980s and subsequent wars of the 1990s, it was often regarded as an "necessary evil", as the only resort available to masses of economically disadvantaged people. Use of this recreation area has always been free of charge, leading to it often being overcrowded and regarded as having poor hygiene, because, for decades, Ada had no proper facilities or institutionalised care. That has changed however, and the zone is today properly maintained, and has suitable infrastructure and appropriate commercial and recreational content. It is now possible to play sports that were not even invented when transformation of Ada began and it has become a highly popular gathering place, especially among youth, and a must-see destination for foreign tourists visiting Belgrade.External links
- The island's official website (Serbian only)
- City of Belgrade's Ada Ciganlija Page (Serbian, English, German and French)
- Picture gallery of Ada Ciganlija (Serbian only)
- Belgrade Golf Club, school and association (Serbian and English)
- Images of the new planned bridge over Ada — Belgrade's Land Development Agency
- An interactive map of Ada — detailed (Serbian only)
- Ada 360° Virtual tour (Serbian only)
