Arandjelovac

Aranđelovac and Bukovička Banja, settlements specific by white marble, mineral water and clay, these unseparable phenomena of human being since pre-history up to date, grew up from the immemorial union of three classical elements: water, earth and stone, between Bukulja and Venčac, in the region of central Šumadija.
Hundreds of years old beech forests, gentle hills and meadows, plum orchards and vineyards makes the frame for the picture of a modern town with characteristics of contemporary urban living.

Its people will welcome you warmly, open hearted and you will wish to come back again. You will be enchanted by surrounding untouched nature which gives the town a new face and unique beauty for each season as in a literary work of a famous Serbian realist Svetolik Ranković: “Again I see you, dear autumn… I will go blind for your glow, your charms will enchant me… I turn my face away from you, vineyard harvesting, I must not look at you any more, neither at you, magic country autumn…”

Aranđelovac, surrounded by ranges of Bukulja and Venčac, is settled in the central part of Šumadija, 270m high above sea level. Material proofs of old cultures confirm that people have lived in this region continuously since older Stone age. All villages in our municipality were founded at the end of 17th century, after the Great migration of Serbs when the inhabitants of north Montenegro and Herzegovina settled here. Settlement Vrbica, from which Arađelovac developed some time later, was first mentioned in 1735 as “Trench Vrbica”, a settlement with 50 houses and 300 inhabitants. Based on a decree of Prince Miloš on joining surrounding villages into one settlement, a small town beneath the hill of Risovača was founded in 1839. It kept developing along the left bank of river Kubršnica towards Mladenovac and later towards springs of mineral water in Bukovik. This is a reason why our town was formed as a typical road settlement consisting of a part of village Vrbica and a part of village Bukovik.

While travelling through this small town during his second reign, Prince Miloš promised to build a church of St Aranđel what he confirmed by the Decree of August 1st, 1859 where the last sentence said “…a small town Vrbica may, from now on, be called Aranđelovac. “
Along with the town, a spa, today in its centre, had been developing, and it got its name after the area where it was settled. When healing features of water from springs of Bukovik were confirmed, the first patients arrived to the spa in 1836. Buildings for accommodation of guests were built around the springs, ground for a park was bought up, paths were marked, trees planted, new springs were discovered and arranged and the first baths built over the springs of Đular and Talpar. The Old Palace, the oldest preserved architectural monument in the park of Bukovička banja, not ment to be the National Assembly and the summer house of Dinasty Obrenović, was built in period from 1865 to 1872 at the request of Prince Milailo Obrenović. Kosta Šreplović, an architect of the Old Palace, prepared the plan for the park in front of this magnificent building. At the end of 19th century a steam bath and the New Palace (1887) were built. A Pavilion where water was bottled and prepared for export and transport throughout Serbia was built in 1907. Under management of Savings bank of Danube ban, the spa experienced a new ascent, a spring of hot water was sealed, a modern steam bath built as well as a hotel Šumadija, the Old Palace redecorated as well as the park according to plan of A. Krsitć. The spa looked as any modern spa from western Europe and it became a favourite vacation area of noble Serbian people of that time.

Development of the spa and the town ran simultaneously and Aranđelovac became a centre of the district and craft and trade centre of this part of Šumadija. The first mines were opened at the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century and the first agricultural nursery in 1903. Male and female primary schools had been previously opened in 1850 and 1868. The town got a reading room in 1869 and a post office and a telegraph office in 1872. In 1904 it was connected by a narrow gage railroad with other parts of Serbia.

Aranđelovac extends on 376km today, with 50 000 citizens in 18 settlements. From the entrance to the town, which once was a village Vrbica and today town area, a long main sreet leads to the centre where Bukovička banja is settled inside 24 ha of a magnificent park. The craft and trade district is today protected as an old downtown where different shops, cafes, pastry shops and restaurants are settled as in past.

The main street bears the name of the town founder, Prince Miloš, and it connects two protected cultural and historical parts: a cave Risovača and a spa park. Orašac, the third protected area, is settled a few kilometres away from the entrance to the town.
In the spa part of the town, full of peaceful greenery and flower malls, spa buildings, hotels, springs of mineral water, open air pool and private houses with rooms to let are settled. The park today represents the biggest European open air museum of marble sculptures created from 1966 at the workshop “Beli Venčac “. Concerts, theatrical performances, concerts of folklore ensembles are being held during summer at the open stage.

The spa park has grown to its background, mountain Bukulja, from where breeze brings useful freshness in summer evenings. The National Museum, built on the slope of Bukulja, makes the entirety with the summer house Karadžić and the church of St Archangel Gavrilo. A marked hiking path and a quality asphalt road lead to the top of the mountain from the spa park towards the Museum and further.

Hundreds of years old beech forests and pleasant clearings of Bukulja (696m), hiking paths and the observation deck on the top, from which view of waving Šumadija is laid in front of you, will provoke strong impression that you will remember for a long time. On the other side of Bukulja, a reservoir Garaši is settled, a real paradise for passionate fishermen. During summer pools, open air restaurant, football and beach volley playgrounds are opened beneath the dam. Many sport clubs gladly come to the town and the spa as a suitable destination for their preparation since the area has ideal climate; sport playgrounds, a football court and the hall have been built.

The citizens of Aranđelovac try to preserve the spirit of old times in the central town area and for this reason they develop only industry of clear technologies, even which they try to move to the border of the town. The famous mineral water “Knjaz Miloš“ is being bottled and wide palette of non-alcoholic drinks are being produced here; white marble from Venčac , granite from Bukovik and clay from a several different regions are being exploited; fruit and vegetables from fertile gardens, orchards and vineyards, for which surrounding villages are famous, come every day to the market. This way the town now, as in past, lives from wealth given by nature: water, marble and clay.

Untouched nature and natural rarities, a park of unique beauty ennobled by harmony of art and greenery, cultural and historical legacy as well as the vicinity of big cities (Belgrade - 75km, Kragujevac - 56km) make Aranđelovac a town attractive for a large number of tourists who willingly come again for a visit.

For a vacation and new experiences as well , Aranđelovac offers you various possibilities. Grab the opportunity and welcome!