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Notes on Visit:
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At the time of writing (December 2017), the Avala Tower
is the tallest tower on the Balkan Peninsula. As per
above, this telecommunications tower, a national
treasure of Serbia, was originally completed in 1965.
However, it was destroyed in April 1999, during the NATO
bombing of Yugoslavia. In 2004, Radio Television Serbia
commenced a series of fund-raising events, including a
special tennis match between Serbian grand slam-winning
tennis players Ana Ivanović and Novak Djokovic. The
various events, alongside commercials appealing for
donations helped raise enough money to rebuild the tower
(which now stands 2m taller than the original one).
A
scenic drive leads up the hill to the base of the tower.
On this visit to Serbia, a trip up here was taken
firstly just after dusk, when the tower had shut for the
day, to have a look at it illuminated. It was
subsequently visited during opening hours the following
day. At the time of this visit (November 2017), being
somewhat off-season, there were a small number of people
around, although there were no other visitors taking the
lift up to the tower's 'pod'. The lift first ascends to
an observation deck, allowing for a leisurely stroll
around to admire the stunning 360° views. A short ride
in the lift again, to a lower level, takes the visitor
to another 360° viewing area, this time containing a
café, a place to buy souvenirs and toilets (restrooms).
Despite the lack of visitors on this particular day, the
tower sees approximately 140,000 visitors per year and
is an extremely popular attraction on more seasonal
days. At the base is a tourist complex which includes
various facilities such as a restaurant, an
ethno-gallery, sports fields and an outdoor gym. Access
to a museum adjacent to the tower was unfortunately
closed at the time. By the museum building are hundreds
of cement prints on display of the people who helped
with the tower's reconstruction. Near the main entrance
of the tower, though, on display were the hand prints of
Ana Ivanović and Novak Djokovic, as well as some damaged
relics from the original construction.
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