Located in central Serbia, this industrial center has deep military roots and an automotive legacy. The city grew from an 1818 agricultural settlement into a major manufacturing hub.
Kragujevac, Serbia's fourth-largest city, was the country's first modern capital in 1818. Walk through Milošev venac to see the yellow-facade Old Church, explore manufacturing history at the Prince's Arsenal complex, or visit the concrete monuments at Šumarice Memorial Park commemorating WWII victims.
Getting to Kragujevac
Buses run from Belgrade to Kragujevac every hour during daytime, taking 2 hours and costing around 1000 RSD one-way. The train connection requires a change at Lapovo and takes 3 hours. The nearest airports are in Belgrade and Niš, both 150 km away.
Exploring the City Center
Milošev venac forms the city's core. The Old Church (1818) has a bright yellow facade and an iconostasis with 45 religious icons painted by Janja Moler. Inside Amidža's Palace, you'll find 19th-century Serbian paintings and furniture from local noble families. The First Kragujevac Gymnasium (1887) represents neoclassical architecture with its eight-column entrance portico and symmetrical wings.
Šumarice Memorial Park
Walk through 352 hectares of oak and maple forests on the city's northern edge. The white concrete Monument to Executed Students rises 8 meters high and stretches 16 meters wide. Inside the windowless brick museum building, natural light filters only through ceiling openings. Seven additional monuments connect through 7 kilometers of walking paths.
Industrial Heritage
The Prince's Arsenal complex contains 150 hectares of 19th-century red-brick buildings. Serbia's first cannon foundry opened here in 1853, later becoming the Zastava weapons factory. Visit the Old Foundry Museum to see manufacturing equipment and technical drawings from the 1850s.
Parks and Green Spaces
Walk under century-old oak and linden trees in the 10-hectare Upper Park. The Lepenica River has paved walking paths on both banks. At Gruža Lake, you can fish for carp and pike, while in summer you might see herons and cormorants during their migration.
Local Food Scene
Along Kralja Aleksandra street, try Šumadija dishes like dimljena svinjetina (smoked pork with sauerkraut) and svadbarski kupus (cabbage slow-cooked with beef, lamb, and pork). Several restaurants between the Old Church and National Museum occupy restored 19th-century buildings with original stone walls and wooden beams.
