Gornji Milanovac іs а town аnd municipality located іn central Serbia. Іts name means "Upper Milanovac" (there іs а Lower Milanovac, аs well) while Milanovac stems frоm name "Milan" (brother оf the Principle Miloš Obrenović) іn the Serbian language. The population оf the town іs 24,216, while the population оf the municipality іs 44,406. The city wаs founded іn 1853. Before 1859 the original name оf the city wаs Despotovac, аfter the Despotovica river passing by the city. Іn 1859 the name wаs changed tо Gornji Milanovac аt the request оf the Prince оf Serbia Miloš Obrenović. Gornji Milanovac is located in the central part of Serbia, in the Moravicki district, and comprises the area between the mountains Rudnik, in the north, and Vujan, in the south. It is just near the Ibarska highway, and it is about 45 kilometres far away from “Vajati”. According the register from 2002, there are 23. 982 inhabitants in the town. Gornji Milanovac is a relatively young town. It was founded by the duke Alexander Karadjordjevic, in 1853.
It had been named Despotovica for six years (it is the name of the river running through the town), and the duke Milos Obrenovic, after he had returned to the throne in 1859, named it after his brother Milan who died in Romania around 1810. It the very centre of the town you can see the building of the former regional main office, which is almost as old as the settlement itself. It has been renewed recently, and it is inevitable to be seen on each postcard of the town. Gornji Milanovac is adorned by the statues of the town founder, the duke Alexander Karadjordjevic, the duke Mlan Obrenovic, the governor Milan Obrenovic, the bust of Zivojin Misic, who commanded the Suvoborska-Kolubarska battle in 1914, as well as the two plates – charts about the founding of the town and the above mentioned changing of its name.
Every year tourist from all the sides of the world visit this municipality, as they say, because clean air, small and quiet places, inner and family vacations. In Gornji Milanovac every year is the host International Biennial of Miniature Art. In village Takovo is the host of World Music Festival, every July. Known trip places are: Takovo, Grabovica (peak of Ždreban), Savinac and Rudnik. These places are popular during celebration of the May 1st or world known International Workers' Day as collegial picnic in union organization. Other significant cultural and tourism events on its territory are: World Testicle Cooking Championship, "Milanovac bowl tournament" (Fish soup cooking) and Goulash tournament ("Gulašijada").This unique household of friendly Ivanovic Family is located in beautiful natural setting on the road connecting Gornji Milanovac and Kragujevac, 6 km far from Gornji Milanovac center, in small village Grabovica, at the altitude of 650 meters. The two-floor traditionally arranged house for rent, which is named Vila Melodija due to its history is completely convenient for true leisure and relaxed vacations full of joy, surrounded by broad green garden with home-made vegetables, fruits and flowers with the traditional wooden log-house in center of it.
Lots of things about the past, both historical and cultural, can be seen in the Museum of the Rudnik and Takovo area. In Gornji Milanovac there is also a Church of the Holly Trinity, which is the endowment of Milos Obrenovic, dating from 1860. One part of the town is the Hill of Peace with the monuments dating from the later historical period, as well as the Norwigian House (a combination of a Viking ship and an old Serbian house), which is a monument reminding of the relations of the Serbian prisoners in war camps and the Norwegians. It is a monument showing friendship of the Serbian and the Norwegian people. In the house there is also a museum-like exhibition with photos, documents and objects from the time of suffering in the Norwegian camps. The town is over-inhibited, and on its old place, two to three kilometres towards the south, there is still, so called, an Old town. There is a church dating from 1836, and, recently, the bones of the governor Milan Obrenovic were brought in here from Romania. Although it is not the oldest sight, Takovo is a seat of many interesting sights, even more numerous than those within the municipality of Gornji Milanovac.
The Second Serbian Uprising started there, under the leadership of the lord Milos Obrenovic. At that time, for 185 years since then, in Takovo there have existed the following sights: a dried bush – which is a successor of the authentic oak-tree, under which Milos shouted: “Here am I, and there you are…”; the monument dedicated to the Uprising from 1887, and the central detail from the painting of Paja Jovanovic, called: “Uprising in Takovo” cast into bronze, the church – a log house from the end of the 18th century in which the priest Melentije Pavlovic gave Communion to the participants in the Uprising; the museum of the Second Serbian Uprising, located in the school premises, which was gifted to Takovo by the king Alexander Obrenovic, a successor from the dynasty.
Gornji Milanovac is well known for its festivals, friendly people, nightlife, cafes, and cheese. Gornji Milanovac is also popular for its dining, restaurants, food, walkability, and spas. Gornji Milanovac in touristic sense has to offer to the lovers of bright staring nights(at December–January and May–June) and beautiful surises, various monuments, clean air, healing water resources and much more. It has a reputation for offering a vibrant nightlife which is also developed and safer then in the rest of Se. Other large cities in central and southern Serbia are also well known by its vivid and exciting nigh life. People are very cheerful and almost always ready to party. Clubs in Cacak or nightlife in Nis or Kragujevac are pages with places to hang out that we are recommended. Turbo folk or mixture of folk and house music is typical for majority of clubs, but of course there are the mainstream house, r’n’b’ or techno nightclubs and discotheques as well.
