Banovo Brdo

Banovo Brdo seen from the Ada Ciganlija lake

Banovo Brdo, pronounced [bǎːnɔ̝v̞ɔ̝ː brÌ©Ì‚dɔ̝], is a neighbourhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of ÄŒukarica.

Banovo Brdo generally stretches along the Požeška street, the main street connecting the central parts of the Belgrade with the southwestern boroughs and suburbs (most notably, Žarkovo, Labudovo Brdo, Petlovo Brdo, etc.) and itself is the initial part of the Požeška street-Trgovačka street direction which continues into the Ibarska magistrala (Highway of Ibar), one of the major roads in western Serbia.

Banovo Brdo is bounded by the neighborhoods of Čukarica in the west, Ada Ciganlija and Careva Ćuprija in the north, Topčider and Košutnjak in the east and Žarkovo and Julino Brdo in the south. Eastern parts of Banovo Brdo make two sub-neighborhoods, Golf Naselje and Sunčana Padina. Most parts of Banovo brdo are 7km (4.34 miles) away from the downtown of Belgrade.

There are three elementary/middle schools, Josif Pančić, Banović Strahinja and Filip Kljajic-Fića, as well as school for kids with special needs, Milojka Pavlović. There are also two high schools, XIII Belgrade Gymnasium and High School of Chemistry, and two public colleges, Faculty of Forestry, and Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade.

Since the 1980s, the Požeška street became one of the busiest streets in the city, gradually developing into one of the most prosperous trading and commercial parts of Belgrade. The uniqueness of Banovo Brdo lies in the fact that it functions as a city within a city, with its own walking zone, park and commercial area.

In the second half of the 19th century, an author and diplomat, native of Dubrovnik- Matija Ban (1818–1903) bought an estate on the location of the present Banovo Brdo. After his family name, his estate became known as Banovac, which later gave name to the whole neighborhood that developed on the hill around it (Banovo Brdo = Ban's Hill). The population of the local community (mesna zajednica) of Banovo Brdo was 5,887 in 2002, but the population of the neighborhood which comprises several other local communities was 20,976.

Coordinates: 44°46′33″N 20°25′06″E / 44.77583°N 20.41833°E