City of Kragujevac the first in everything...

Kragujevac is situated in the heart of Serbia, in the valley surrounded by the mountains Rudnik, Crni vrh and Gledic’s Mountains,
on the Lepenica River. The former capital of Serbia, the city of vehicles' industry, geographical, political, social, economical, health, cultural and educational, tourist and sport hub of Central Serbia.
Kragujevac covers an area of 835 square kilometres, with almost 200.000 of citizens, which makes it the fourth largest city in the country…
It is situated 75 miles south from the Capital City of Belgrade and 18 miles from the European Corridor 10, with good links to Belgrade by modern highway and railway. The city's main traffic arteries come from five directions, making reliable and fast connection to all parts of Serbia.

Kragujevac is named after Kraguj, the bird that was used in the Middle Ages for hunting and now it has an honourable place on the City's crest.

The City was first mentioned as a square with 32 houses, named "Kragujofča", in Turkish document dated from 1476. Such settlement grew into an important city contributing to the development and the future of the country. There are many cultural and historical monuments that represent testimonies of its prosperity.
In the period between 1818. and 1841., under the rule of Prince Milos Obrenovic, Kragujevac had been the first capital of renewed Serbian State.

The first Serbian Constitution, known as "Sretenjski", was proclaimed here in 1835.
In 1820 Kragujevac was the venue of the First Serbian Court known as "Serbska kancelarija".
The first Serbian pharmacy, museum, library were founded in Kragujevac in that period.
In 1833 the First Grammar School was established and than the "Lycee", the forerunner of the first Serbian University, in 1838.
The beginnings of theatre art are also related to Kragujevac, because the first Serbian Theatre, "Knjaževsko-serbski teatar", was founded here.
Serbian industry began in this city in 1853., when the first cannon was cast in the Cannon Foundry.

Kragujevac is the city where the first bulb in Serbia lit up in 1884, when the First Electrical Power plant was built.
Establishing the first newspaper - "Novine serbske", Kragujevac became the forerunner of Serbian journalism.
Therefore, almost all scopes of social, public and economic life in Serbia have its roots in Kragujevac which make the citizens very proud of their origins.
In the 20th century, the city experienced industrial expansion, which had influence on great migrations of the inhabitants from other parts of Serbia. City became well-known for its car manufacturer - "Zastava" Company, the partner of two widely recognized companies, "FIAT" and "General Motors".

Besides, the tradition of the production of widely known military, hunting and sports arms, initiated in XIX century, has continued in collaboration with the US Company "Remington".

In the second half of XX century, along with industrialization, Kragujevac has been developing as health and educational centre of Serbia, on the bases set more than 100 years ago. It has a modern and well equipped City's Hospital that takes care of about 2 million citizens from Central Serbia. About 12.000 students from Serbia and abroad acquire high education at the internationally reputed University of Kragujevac that consists of 11 faculties. Student hostels offer very good conditions for modern academic life.
In the last few years Kragujevac has been developing as fair city. In the City Fair numerous manifestations are organized during the year covering the fair activities in the region south of the Sava and the Danube Rivers.

Throughout its rich history and preserved cultural and historical heritage, Kragujevac reminds all the time that its past makes the basis of the Serbian future. The most important sights are concentrated in the heart of the city, on both riversides of Lepenica, where Kragujevac was first established. Exactly on that spot, where the modern history of the city and Serbia has commenced, the riversides are spanned with an old bridge. It is just one among almost twenty bridges that cross over the shallow river of Lepenica that can be forded almost anywhere in its course through city. This makes the story about so many bridges especially interesting.

In 1818, the Old (Court) Church, foundation of Prince Milos Obrenovic, was built at the right riverside of the Lepenica River. It is dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles. Its architecture gives some clues about cultural circumstances under the rule of Prince Miloš. As Serbia still had been in vassal position at the time of its construction, the rule about churches' construction had to be obeyed. According to that rule Christian Temple could not be larger than Mosque. However, Prince Milos, being known by his shrewdness, engaged the best construction workers and succeeded to build the church much larger than it was foreseen. The Old Church was the first metropolitan, cathedral and court church in liberated Serbia. There were proclaimed all important decisions for Serbian people, as well as the regulations of the 1878 Congress of Berlin, wherewith Serbia recognized as an indipendent state.

Under the rule of Prince Milos, Parliament Sessions were held in the Porte of the Church. The most important was the Session from 1835, when the first Serbian Constitution, known as "Sretenjski", was enacted. All assembly sessions in Serbia were held in the Porte of the Church until 1859, when the Assembly Building, which still exists, was built.

Besides the mentioned institutions, in the city centre known as Milos's Wreath, there is the Museum "The Old Foundry". It is located within the authentic building of the Foundry, built in eighties of XIX century, which is the rare sample of the preserved industrial architecture from the mentioned period. The Museum reflects the beginning and the development of the industrial production in Serbia. There are two more monuments nearby: the monument "Founderer" at the square in front of the old Office building of "Zastava" Company, and the plaque that marks the place where the Lycee, the first high school institution in Serbia, was located.
At the left riverside of Lepenica is located Amidza's Castle, the only preserved object of the Court Complex from Milos's period. Amidza's Castle was constructed from 1819 to 1824 for purposes of Court stuff. The head of the Court staff was Sima Milosavljevic Pastrmac. Milos called him Amidza, which means uncle in Turkish, and the Castle was named after him.

In the neighborhood is located the central building of the National Museum with the Gallery. Within this cultural institution there are following objects: Art Gallery, House of Ljubica Filipovic, Modern Gallery and memorial houses in the villages Dulene and Grosnica, Amidza's Castle, Prince Mihailo's Castle as well as the House of Miloje Barjaktarovic with permanent exhibition that reflects the city life in the second half of XIX century.
In the courtyard besides the National Museum begins the story about development of education in Kragujevac. The first Grammar School was founded in 1833 as the first school of its kind in Serbia. The present school building was built in 1887 and it's one of the most beautiful buildings in the Kragujevac. The space in front this building - "Pupils' Square", with the dominant monument to the greatest reformer of Serbian language, Vuk Stefanovic - Karadzic, is the meeting place of the youth in the evening.
About fifty steps away from that place there is a testimony of the history of Serbian theatre art, which began in Kragujevac through establishment of the Theatre "Knjaževsko-serbski" in 1835. In front of the theatre building is the monument to the "father of the Serbian theatre art" - Joakim Vujic, the first theatre director.

The Cathedral Church of the Holly Ascent in Kragujevac is the first church built in Byzantine style in liberated Serbia. It takes the special place in the architecture of the second half of XIX century. It was designed by Andreja Andrejevic in 1866. His design marks the return of the sacral architecture to the Byzantine style and the end of the baroque long dominance. For the first time Kragujevac got the church that could utterly respond to the needs and became its pride.

Unfortunately, Kragujevac also had the central place in tragic events of this region. From 19th to 21st of October, 1941, occupying army executed several thousands inhabitants in Kragujevac, among them 300 students and professors of the First Grammar School, and 15 children aged between 8 and 12 years. The crime occurred in Sumarice, the park three kilometres away from the city centre. After the II World War it has been converted into memorial complex dedicated to the victims. The main monument "The broken wings" is dedicated to the executed students and professors. Every year on the 21st of October, commemoration and anti-war manifestation "The Great School Lesson" take place besides this monument, sending the message of peace to the world. Within this Memorial Park there is the impressive building of the Museum "October 21" emphasizing the symbolic of this tragedy. The facades without windows symbolize the hopelessness of the unarmed people in front of the shooting guns. The Museum is composed of 33 towers that symbolize 33 mass graves in the Memorial Park. Transparent domes of plexiglas on the top of the towers, symbolize the victims' last gaze towards the sky.

On the grounds of its historical significance, Kragujevac has built its present. During the year, the city hosts numerous international and local events, taking place in the months of festivities. So, on the 6th of May the St. George's Day is celebrated, while the whole October is dedicated to the victims executed in 1941. However, every year is eventful. Some of the most important annual events are:

* International Festival of Chamber Choirs;
* International Festival of Puppetry "Zlatna iskra";
* International Jazz Festival;
* Chamber Music Festival OKTOH;
* International Saloon of Antiwar Cartoon;
* Theatre Festival "Joakim Fest".

In addition to that other entertaining happenings that make the city attractive are:
* Motorbikes Show;
* Fiat 750 Fest;
* Paragliding Show on Zezelj Mountain;
* City Carnival, and many more.

One more feature is the Aquarium appertaining to the Faculty of Science and Mathematics placed in the Great Park close by the Sumarice Memorial Park. It is the first public aquarium in Serbia containing the collection of over 600 plant and animal species from every water eco-systems from all over the Earth. The species from the Serbian streams, rivers and lakes, as well as exotic and tropical fishes are exhibited in more than 300 aquarium units at the 200 square meters. Moreover, there can be seen reptiles-turtles and snakes, amphibians-frogs and salamanders, along with different species of cringers.

The moments of indulgence can be spent on the Lake in Sumarice, commonly called "the Sea of Kragujevac". Throughout the year, especially in the summer, it offers to the visitors opportunity for refreshment, sport fishing, also relaxation in restaurant facilities, entertaining and sport programs.
The smaller lake called "Bubanj" within the reach of the very city center, has rich flora and fauna which makes it peaceful oasis. Besides the Lakes, the favorite gathering place for the citizens and their guests during the summer is the City's swimming pool which includes Olympic and diving swimming pool.

The City's Stadium, named “Cika Daca”, with the capacity of 18.000 seats hosts important football games and athletic meets. Other big sports events are held in Sport Hall "Jezero" which has the capacity of 3.700 seats.
Moreover, the City of Kragujevac has on its disposal 60 or more venues for sport and recreation, with exceptional facilities for training of professional teams in various sports.

The city offers to the tourists accommodation in luxury hotels, culinary specialties of Serbian and international cuisine, as well as many hotel and restaurant facilities for pleasant moments in chatting with friends.
For the lovers of nature and ethnic style, agreeable stay is guaranteed in the authentic private village houses near by the city, where the real spirit of Serbia can be experienced.
The city of Kragujevac holds out to its visitors new acknowledgements, vacation, recreation, entertainment, and many other things. Kragujevac is the city of reach history, cultural heritage, industry, the city of youth, the tradition and ready for the future. Whoever visits the city once, surely will come back again. However, the Czech Konstantin Jiricek said about Kragujevac in 1874: "Belgrade is Europe, but if you want to see the authentic Serbian city, go and visit Kragujevac..."