This park originated around a very interesting idea which was for every famous person who resides in Belgrade to plant a tree there as a symbol of their friendship with the city. Over the years many of the visiting officials and celebrities have planted trees in this park including Richard Nixon, Queen Elizabeth II, Indira Ghandi, Kim Il Sung (interestingly enough), Fidel Castro, Tito himself and many, many others, most recently the Rolling Stones band members who planted a tree here after their concert in Belgrade in 2008.
As a park this area is a peaceful place with some interesting sculptures and monuments to see. The ‘Eternal fire’ monument stands in the middle of the park today as a memorial to the victims of bombing in 1999. The front side of the monument is adorned by a verse from the poem “Yugoslavia”: “Everything which hasn’t got a fire inside will burn out. That which burns out becomes the night. What does not burn out becomes the day.” The back of the monument in turn contains a verse from the poem “Homeland”: “Even if they kill me, I love you.”
This is also a popular place for hosting large events such as concerts and festivals. Traditionally Beer Fest is held here every year.
