Lion ( sr-cyr, Лион) is an
urban neighborhood of
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, the capital of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of
Zvezdara
Zvezdara ( sr-cyr, Звездара, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. The municipality is geographically hilly and with many forests. According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has a population of 148,014 inhabitants.
The ...
.
Location
Lion is located along the old Belgrade's longest street,
Bulevar kralja Aleksandra
Bulevar kralja Aleksandra ( sr-Cyrl, Булевар краља Александра, "King Alexander Boulevard") is the longest street entirely within the urban limits of Serbian capital Belgrade, with length of 7.5 kilometers. Known for decades a ...
, 3 kilometers south-east of downtown Belgrade (
Terazije
Terazije ( sr-Cyrl, Теразијe) is the central town square and the surrounding neighborhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Stari Grad.
Today, Terazije has primarily function of the main transit square, surrounded ...
). It borders the neighborhoods of
Bulbuder
Bulbulder ( sr-Cyrl, Булбулдер; often erroneously Bulbuder (Булбудер)) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara.
Location
Bulbulder is located in the w ...
on the north-east,
Đeram
Stari Đeram, colloquially Đeram ( sr, Стари Ђерам), is an open greenmarket and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara.
Location
Đeram is located along Buleva ...
on the west,
Lipov Lad
Lipov Lad ( sr, Липов Лад) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara.
Location
Lipov Lad is located between the right side of the Bulevar kralja Aleksandra and t ...
on the south-west,
Denkova Bašta
Konjarnik ( sr-cyr, Коњарник, ) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between Belgrade's municipalities of Voždovac and Zvezdara (roughly Konjarnik I, Konjarnik II and Konjarnik III, respectively). A ...
on the south, and
Cvetkova Pijaca
Cvetkova Pijaca or colloquially Cvetko (Serbian Cyrillic: Цветкова пијаца) is an open green market and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara.
Location
Cvetk ...
on the east.
Characteristics
Before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Lion was a commercial centar on the boulevard, with many tobacco and grocery stores, bookshops and craftsman shops. The neighborhood got its name after the
kafana
Kafana is a distinct type of local bistro (or tavern), common in former Yugoslav countries and Albania, which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee, and often also light snacks (''meze'') and other food. Many kafanas feature live music ...
"Lion", opened during the
Interbellum
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...
at the corner of Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra and Miloša Zečevića, which was named after the
French town of
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
. Kafana was a favorite place for pre-war state employees, clerks, military officers, teachers and writers, and was known for pool, chess and domino tournaments, so as for the Sunday's dances for the youth. After World War II it became a "typical socialist kafana", popular with the families for Sunday lunch, but also visited by the municipal clerks. In the 1990s it was turned into the restaurant, and then brewery, before it was closed by the end of the decade. The venue was later turned into the grocery store.
Though mainly residential area today, Lion still has a developed commercial section along the boulevard so as several schools. Stadium of
FK Hajduk and theater of "Zvezdara Teatar" are also located in the neighborhood. The population of Lion was 5,509 by the 2002 census.
The Sixth Belgrade
Gymnasium is located in the neighborhood, in the Milana Rakića Street. It was founded by the King
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I ( sr-Cyrl, Александар I Карађорђевић, Aleksandar I Karađorđević, ) ( – 9 October 1934), also known as Alexander the Unifier, was the prince regent of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1914 and later the King of Yug ...
royal decree in 1933, and moved few times before settling in the present building in Lion, built from 1939 to 1942. It holds present name since 1958. Next to the gymnasium there is a park of the same name, sometimes also called Slavujev Potok Park. It covers .
References
Neighborhoods of Belgrade
Zvezdara
{{BelgradeRS-geo-stub