Belgrade

From April to November, the Royal Court Complex reopen for tourist sightseeing. The Karađorđević dinasty is two centuries old and it begins with the wealthy Serbian salesman, Đorđe Petrović, better known among people as Karađorđe, who lead the Serbs for a rising against the Ottoman Empire. He pronounced himself for the ruler and his family got the inheritance right. His descendants brought innovations into Serbia's life with different luck.
When the King Aleksandar I Karađorđević married the Romanian Princess Maria, the New Court was used as the Royal family's residence. The King concluded that the building located in the town center (The Presidency of Serbia is there at present), with his bedroom only some fifty meters away from the neighboring building, is not very comfortable for living. Thus, he decided to have a new home constructed for himself and his family in Dedinje. The architects Nikolić, Krasnov and Lukomski were hired and constructed the Court from the white marble from Brač, in the Serbian - Byzantine style, in the period from 1924 to 1929, among people famous as the Old or Dedinje Court, form which there is a magnificent view on Košutnjak, Topčider and Avala. It is surrounded by a park created by Eduard Andrea, a landscaping architect, who had been hired for the park maintenance of Versailles Castle, in Paris.

The Court is full of noblesse of its time. The stone plated Festive Hall is decorated by fresco copies from Dečani and Sopoćani, and the Blue and the Golden Lounge, the large dining room, the library and the King's office are decorated by items from the King's collection, upholsteries - Gobelins made by Busche cardboards, as well as valuable paintings, among which are also the works of Nikola Pusen and Jakob Palm Vecchia. A special place is taken by wedding Florence cases from the 15th century, the famous Coronelli's globe, as well as two urns made of gold plated bronze and porphyry. Four urns same as these had been made for Louis the 15th, two of which are at present in the Jean Paul Goutier Museum, and another two here in the Court. In the basement are the rooms equipped in the style of the Kremlin's Teremny Castle. The walls and ceilings are painted in the motifs from Serbian national poems, the Phoenix fairy tale and the 1001 Night Tales. Thus, the name of the largest lounge is just - Magic. The Old Court is connected by a stone column colonnade with the Court Chapel, dedicated to the Saint Apostle Andrej Prvozvani, who is the protector and the Royal family's Holy Day. The frescoes in the Praying Chapel were painted by Russian masters.