Ada Ciganlija is the most popular resting place for citizens of Belgrade.

It is a lake
near the city center (3km) with excellent sport facilities and very good walk around
the lake (7.8km). There are a lot of trees and picnic places.

We enjoyed our time with friends on the "Belgrad sea". There is something for
everyone. Great place to get in shape by jogging or cycling. You can rent a bike.
There are paddle boats, food choices, inflatable water slide show/obstacle course, you
can even water ski by wire and pulley system. Seriously a fun place you can be there
all day. If you want a spot at the "beach" come early to claim your spot. By 5pm you
won't be able to drop a coin on the ground it is packed. Ok I may exaggerated about
the coin but it does get packed in the summer.

A good place to rest and escape from the summer heat. You can rent a bicycle or
roller-skating, and places to ride there as you want. Cafes, restaurants, rest under the
trees, so what to whom corresponds. There is a beach, you can sunbathe and swim.
Water is not perfectly clean, fast, blur, especially when they are crowded, but not
terrible, because it is a river silt. All in all, good for a one-day rest

Ada actually means a river island, but when people in Belgrade say it they mean the
lake that was made by connecting the island to the sore.This is very nice place to
relax and do some sport activities. There is a bicycle path around the whole lake,
many football, basketball, tennis courts... You can rent a bike or rollers in the summer
period. Or you can enjoy swimming in the lake. There is a water skying track at the
end of the lake. Also, if you prefer, you can just enjoy a coffee or a cool drink by the
like in one of the many bars. In the evening and during the night, these bars turnover
to clubs, so you can enjoy Ada in different ways 24h a day. But during sunset be
aware of mosquitoes. In the winter season it is not so popular so you can have more
relaxed walks in the nice natural environment.
Ada Ciganlija lies not far from the mouth of the Sava river, only 4km from the city center. Covered by
thick deciduous forest, and speckled with clearings and meadows, Ada is now the largest, most
beautiful and preferred outing area, beach and leisure spot of the Belgrader.

Some authors indicate that the name of the island has its origin in the combination of Celtic words singa
(island) and lia (submerged ground), giving one word singalija. Gradually the spelling changed into
tzingalia, hence Ciganlija. Ada Ciganlija was appreciated as an unusual natural resource, even back at
the time of Karaore and prince Milo Obrenovi, and Ada was proclaimed public domain in 1821,
preserving this status to present day. In 1967 dams were built on both tips of the island thus giving
Belgrade a unique 4,2 km long lake with an the average width of 200 m and the depth of 4-6 m. During
the summer, nearly 300.000 come here to swim or engage in other recreational activities. The overall
Ada Ciganlija area, which includes the smaller island of Ada Meica and the surrounding waters is 800
hectares.

Ada Ciganlija is undoubtedly one of the central ecological points because, thanks to the salutary
combination of the effects of the water areas and complexes of woods, Ada has an unusually specific
microclimate, which is marked by increased humidity of air and somewhat lower summer daily
temperatures compared to the other parts of the City. The main vegetations of Ada causing such a
climate are oak and birch woods. In the middle of the last century, it was significantly enriched with new
plants of American poplar and manna ash trees. The wildest parts are covered with uncultivated
vegetation, which obstructs passing through it but, on the other hand, challenges the exploring passions
and adventuristic spirits on this peninsula. Ada Ciganlija abounds in animal world, whereby the most
numerous are the communities of birds, particularly wild ducks and lapwing gulls, but also pheasants
and eddish hens. Ada is also one of the rare "urban" places where you can still see a roe or a hare
amidst the nature.

The beach on the left bank of the lake is fully equipped with all necessary infrastructure objects. Thus it
is one of the largest and most beautiful beaches on artificial lakes in Europe. The lake water is warmer
and cleaner than the river water and thus the lake is highly suitable for mass recreational activities. The
position, the quality of the water, the existing equipment and the length of the lake make it an ideal site
for top rank competitions on calm waters. The lake is suitable for swimming, rowing, kayak, water polo,
water diving, sailing competitions, and several national and international championships were held
here.

On Ada Ciganlija there are also over 50 different open-air sports grounds, among which there are a golf
course and a lift for water-skiing. There are the soccer playing field, tennis, team-handball, volleyball,
and basketball courts, as well as fields for baseball, rugby, and field hockey. There are also playing
grounds for beach volleyball and aqua soccer and, as to the extreme sports: banji jump, artificial rock
wall, and paintball. For anglers, there is also the lake Ada safari.

Ada Ciganlija also serves as a cultural and entertainment center of Belgrade, especially during the
summer. Numerous manifestations are organized involving famous writers, actors, singers, cultural
societies, choirs, bands and amateur from different fields. The Ade Ciganlija offer is completed by
dozens of rustic restaurants, floating restaurants and boat-houses, that preserve the Belgrade
bohemian tradition. On the mainland side of the lake, there's a parking lot for about a thousand vehicles
as well as the marina in the ukarica channel for boats, yacht and smaller ships. Ada Ciganlija also has
shops, picnic spaces, bowling alleys, mini-golf courts, horse-drawn carriages, a tourist train, "pedal
boats and canoes, as well as the environment-friendly electric-powered boat.