Belgrade and the Busby Babes: Sir Bobby Charlton was among the Manchester United players entertained at the Serbian Hotel Majestic the night before the Munich air disaster…

As you enter the lobby of Hotel Majestic in the center of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, you find yourself in a shrine to the victims of the 1958 Munich air disaster.

This is where the late Sir Bobby Charlton and the rest of Manchester United’s youthful ‘Busby Babes’, along with their manager Sir Matt Busby, were entertained the evening before the tragic accident that occurred during a fuel stop en route to Britain. A total of 23 lives, including eight players, were lost.

At the reception there is a moving black and white photo of players being addressed by Sir Matt in the hotel restaurant. Sir Bobby, 20 years old, sits in the foreground, neatly dressed in jacket and tie, with one arm resting casually on a chair.

Surrounding him are his teammates Geoff Bent, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones and Tommy Taylor – all of whom died.

Nearby is a copy of that evening’s menu signed by the players. There is also a framed ticket for the match against Red Star Belgrade, which was drawn 3-3, enough to see Manchester United through to the semi-finals of the European Cup. Sir Bobby scored two goals.

At reception there is a poignant black and white photo of players being addressed by manager Sir Matt Busby in the hotel restaurant

A plaque presented by the Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation to mark the 60th anniversary of the crash commemorates the deceased players, including team captain Roger Byrne, David Pegg and Billy Whelan.

“A lot of Manchester United supporters come by, especially on the February anniversary,” says Nenad, the receptionist. “It’s an important part of sports history, even if it’s a sad one.”

The hotel offers everyone who visits a free souvenir map of Belgrade with information about Manchester United’s visit in 1958, including a reproduction of the match day map and the photo of the players in the restaurant.

Built in 1936 in Art Deco style, Hotel Majestic has long been one of the best places to stay in Belgrade.

Over the years, the elegant rooms with parquet floors, antique furniture and tall windows have attracted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, as well as French actor Alain Delon and the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.

“Hotel Majestic, built in 1936 in Art Deco style, has long been one of the best places to stay in Belgrade,” writes Tom

Elizabeth Taylor and French actor Alain Delon have been attracted to Hotel Majestic in the past

Hotel Majestic offers everyone who passes a free souvenir map of Belgrade with information about Manchester United’s visit in 1958. Upstairs is the city’s harbor

Sir Bobby, pictured above in the 1950s, once said of the crash: ‘It still affects me every day’

It’s a short walk from Knez Mihailova, the main shopping street, and to Belgrade Fortress, a medieval stronghold at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The National Museum (home to local works and paintings by Picasso and Van Gogh) is nearby, as are Saint Sava Temple, a huge Orthodox church, and the Nikola Tesla Museum, dedicated to the pioneering engineer whose name is behind the electric cars of Elon Musk stands .

Hotel Majestic’s restaurant can’t have changed much since the Busby Babes’ visit, retaining its sleek art deco curves, marble columns and art collection

Our waiter recalls his pleasure at meeting the late Harry Gregg, the 1958 Manchester United goalkeeper, who was revisiting the hotel and who had helped Sir Bobby from the burning wreckage of the Munich plane. “A great honor,” he says.

Sir Bobby once said of the crash: ‘It still affects me every day.’ And it must have meant a lot to him that Hotel Majestic continues to honor him and his teammates.