Šumadija & Pomoravlje

This region is deservedly called “the heart of Serbia”, the most obvious reason being due to its geographical position in the very centre of the land far from all borders. Heading northwards is a mountain range called the Šumadija ridge that descends gently towards Belgrade. The peaks of these mountains are still covered with dense woods, the relic of once much greater forests that gave Šumadija its name (šuma = wood). To the south and to the east a patchwork quilt of fields covers the rolling plains. Different types of crops such as corn, wheat and various fruits are grown here. By the village of Stalać, the Western and Southern Morava meet and continue to flow together, from here on known as the Great (Velika) Morava, on its winding route northwards into the Danube. The plain of the Morava River is the largest in Serbia on which several important towns are to be found.

In historical terms this region also strongly represents the heartland of Serbia. It first came into focus in the 14th century as the southern regions of the medieval Serbian state fell to the Turks and the centre of the state shifted northwards. Serbia’s 15th century revival took place here marked by the building of prominent monasteries such as Ravanica, Manasija or Kalenić, constructed by the South and Great Morava. The new decorative style in which they were built consequently became known as the Morava style. In 1459 Smederevo fell to the Turks, a date that identifies the end of Serbian mediaeval statehood. Yet this is also where the Serbian state was to emerge once again: both the 1804 and the 1815 Serbian rebellions started here and this is where their leaders had their strongholds. The population of Šumadija and the Morava region, who had, since those times, many occasions on which to go to war, are made up less of a local populace than of those who have moved there from the south, east and west during the 18th century. At this time, the region had autonomous status within the Ottoman Empire making it attractive to the inhabitants of neighbouring areas. This was the case again in the 19th century when it was no longer under Turkish rule and it became a magnet to Christians from the surrounding provinces.

In Šumadija the villages are divided into hamlets which are spread over wide areas. Once they were hidden amongst the thick woods that disappeared during the 19th century. Reminders of these times and of the centuries of slavery under the Turks are the modest wooden churches that can be found here in abundance. In the Morava valley (or Pomoravlje) villages are grouped together which enabled them to make better use of the fertile land. To the north, Smederevo and the surrounding region is famous for its vineyards, while the neighboring Grocka area is renown for its fruit plantations. The local plum variety, Ranka, comes from the village of Darosava that lies in the very centre of Šumadija. The plums are therefore also known as ‘Darosavka’. Not far from here is Topola, Karadordje’s town where lies the Oplenac hill on which Karadjordje’s grandson King Peter continued the tradition of the medieval rulers by building a church in his name. To the south lies Kruševac, the capital city during the time of Prince Lazar. It was from here that in 1389 he left with his troops to fight the celebrated but fated Battle of Kosovo that brought him death and eternal glory. Aleksandrovac is the centre of a closed valley named simply Župa. Here there are perfect conditions for vast vineyards that can be found all the way up to the town of Kruševac. In the southwest corner of this region, in a beautiful setting underneath the Goč mountain, lies Vrnjačka Banja, the most beautiful spa in Serbia with its various thermal springs, parks and old villas. Mineral springs are found in many other places notably Bukovička banja where the widely used “Knjaz Miloš” mineral water is produced.