The Center Apartments are located next to the Bukovička Spa Park which covers an area of over 22 hectares. The land for the park was purchased in 1849, and then the first paths, planted trees, well-preserved spring and bath of Talpara were marked. The raising of the park in today's sense of the word began in 1856, when the trails were made , trees planted along them and the lawns and flowerbeds formed around the wood for the visitors, and arranged warm baths of Đulara.
In the seventies of the 19th century, during the reign of Prince Mihailo Obrenović, Bukovička spa became one of the best arranged balneo tourism settlements, and the best spa in Serbia retains its reputation until the First World War.
Most of the sculptures in the Bukovička spa park today are sculptural achievements created within the International Symposium "Beli Venčac", and in the past, these were mostly busts of the Serbian rulers.
Not only do they improve the place they are in, the sculptures in the Bukovička Spa Park testify at the same time about the tendencies of our and world contemporary sculpture art.
UNESCO has ranked "Beli Venčac" Symposium among the most important world attractions in the field of fine arts.
You will surely enjoy a walk through magical greenery and flower parks of the Aranđelovac park, all located just a few steps from the Center Apartments...
In 1865. Prince Mihailo Obrenović began to build “Staro Zdanje”, the oldest preserved building in the Bukovička spa park, a representative example of the architecture of Serbian romanticism, as the summer residence of the Dynasty and Town Hall .
The spa and the park suffered the most significant change in the 1930s, when the spa was under the administration of the Savings Bank of the Danube Banovina. During 1933/34 Staro Zdanje, Novo Zdanje and the park were reconstructed, and the park was reconstructed thoroughly . Discovery of the thermal spring in 1935 led to the construction of a modern warm bath, an open swimming pool with mineral water, a hotel Šumadija and a recapping of the Đulara and Talpara springs.
Since 1966, the park under Bukulja has become the ambient of the largest collection of sculptures in the free area and can be compared with several famous world sculpture parks, in Spoleto, Otterlo in the Netherlands or Houston and Forvert in Texas.
At the entrance to Arandjelovac, on the right side of the river Kubršnica , the hill Risovača rises with a cave, a significant archaeological and paleontological site . Many years of research in the Risovača cave revealed a large number of fossilized bones and teeth of numerous animal species that during the last ice age lived on the steps around Risovača. Recovered stone and bone tools confirm that the Risovača cave in the middle period of the earlier Stone Age was the habitat of Neanderthal hunters. Because of its natural features and cultural and historical values, the cave has been declared a monument of natural and cultural property of exceptional significance. Today, the Risovača Cave is organized according to all principles of modern presentation and receives thousands of visitors from the country and abroad annually.
Research of the cave Risovača in Arandjelovac, begun in 1953 (the Archeology Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and the Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Branko Gavela) lasted, with longer or shorter interruptions, until 1976. In addition to archaeological research since 1975, there were speleological researches led by Dr. Radenko Lazarević, scientific adviser of the Institute of Forestry and Wood Industry from Belgrade. These studies, with the participation of associates of the Geographical Institute "Jovan Cvijić", from the Faculty of Geography in Belgrade and speleological group from Valjevo, especially intensified in the nineties, have lasted to the present day.
Long lasting archaeological - paleontological and speleological research in Risovača revealed the abundance of fossilized remains of the Pleistocene fauna, as well as the traces of the material culture of Neanderthal hunters - artifacts of stone and bones, which confirm the pal eolithic age of this station.
Considering the archaeological significance, paleontological wealth, the dimensions of the area and significant natural value, the Risovača cave was arranged for tourist visits and opened on September 19th, 1987.
By excavating and purifying the secondary material, a cave system was discovered in the length of 187.5 m, with a surface of 703 m2. Along the main cave canal there are polyester reconstructions of representative exponents of quaternary fauna - cave bear and cave lion, while in the so-called "Risovača man's chamber", which ends the explored part of the cave, there is a figural composition - the family of the Risovača hunter.
The arrangement and presentation of the cave of Risovača is preserved from the oblivion and decay of this ancient white man's existence, as a testimony of the unbroken human roots from the beginnings of civilization to the present day.
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The National Museum in Arandjelovac preserves and exhibits numerous exhibits in the field of paleontology, archeology, ethnology, history and art history, as a testament to the material and spiritual culture that developed on the premises of this part of Šumadija. In addition to the permanent exhibit that testifies to the past of the city and its surroundings from the Stone Age up to the twentieth century, visitors to the Museum can also see an exposition of great contemporary art ceramics.
From March 2, 2011, visitors can see a new permanent exhibition, called "Millenniums". The setting takes you through the millennia in which the area of the municipalities of Arandjelovac and Topola is continually settled. The earliest exposed items speak about the life of a Neanderthal man. It is a tool found in the cave Risovača. On the big plotter you can see the steppe with the species of mammals that lived in the earlier Stone Age in these parts, as well as the pictures depicting the life of a Neanderthal man. The central place of the paleontological part of the setting is taken by the cave of the cave bear. The archaeological part of the setting leads us through the young Stone Age (6th and 5th millennium BC), with objects of Starčevci and Vinča culture.
You can see eight millennia old ceramic pot, anthropomorphic figurine, ceramic pot of the 32nd century and much more. The setting also leads us through the copper, bronze and Iron Age. The objects found in the Celtic necropolises are exhibited, proving the permanent settlement of Celts and the interior of today's Serbia. Ancient culture is displayed through exposed Roman pillars and a stone lion from the ancient period. In the surroundings of Arandjelovac and Topola there are 26 late antique sites and most of them are the remains of Roman villas.
Part of the setting is a lapidarian, in which medieval tombstones and fragments of medieval churches and monasteries are exhibited. Among the exhibited monuments there is also a monument from the 14th / 15th centuries, which points to the existence of the so far unknown Serbian family Zivčić (brothers Mildrug, Dobruj and Plnoša). The greater part of the inscription is read, and it is surprising to show an unknown punishment committed against the perpetrator of the murder of two brothers.
Recent history covers both Serbian uprisings. Among the weapons exhibited is the original rifle of Tanasko Rajić. You can also see the forgotten “prangija”, which the insurrections used to celebrate their victories. Part of the setting that relates to the First and Second World War shows the equipment of the Thessaloniki and Austro-Hungarian soldiers, but also a large number of rifles and machine guns. As the wars were waged, life in the country was flowing through its course.
In the ethnographic part of the setting you can see the reconstruction of the fireplace, the types of construction in Šumadija, the objects used by farmers and cattlemen, as well as the old traditions characteristic of our region. The latest history is related to the development of the town of Arandjelovac and Bukovička Spa, which this year celebrates a great anniversary - two centuries of existence. In addition to the photos of the old Arandjelovac and Bukovička spa, you can also see traffic licenses for a carriage, a spa glass from the 1930s, a camera from 1931, a school desk and famous people of this region.
The exhibition is enriched with very informative and illustrative general legends, which allow visitors to go through the setting themselves, and our guides and curators are at your disposal, if you want expert guidance through the setup.
An additional educational and workshop program is being prepared, which will make the setting and your visit interactive, and, hopefully, even more interesting.
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Retrospective exhibition of contemporary art ceramics
In the gallery of the National Museum in Arandjelovac, you can see the retrospective exhibition of ceramics created at the Symposium "World of Ceramics" since 1974, within the manifestation "Marble and Sounds”
The museum has one of the richest collections of art ceramics in Europe, which has about 600 objects. At this exhibition, 54 artists representing the artists contributed to the founding of contemporary art ceramics and its equal status in relation to other artistic disciplines in Serbian and then Yugoslav art. At the same time, the works of eminent foreign artists who have left their accomplishments to our city were also selected. Among foreign authors are Merili Operman (Brazil), Andre Vilox (Belgium), Federico Bonaldi (Italy), Tadej Bratelj (Slovenia), Gamal Eldin Ahmed Abud (Egypt), Panduranga Daroz (India) and others .
Among domestic authors there are Mirjana Isaković, Mirko Orlandini, Velimir Vukićević, Tijana Dujović, Ana Popov, younger generation artists such as Biljana Lane Rakanović, Larisa Ackova and Ivana Rackov, and many others .

On the Oplenac Hill, the monumental church of Sv. George, the founding of King Peter I Karađorđević dominates and amazes with its purity of lines and harmony .
The pearl of Serbian building construction, a five-dome building with a Venčac white marble facade, leaves every visitor breathless and lost for words : in a ceremonial and sublime silence from its walls, you see the Serbian saints and rulers who made up 40 million glass dices in 15,000 colors. Mosaics are copies of the most beautiful frescoes of Serbian medieval churches and monasteries.
In the crypt of the Oplenac church, turned into a mausoleum and opened to visitors in the middle of the last century, members of the Karađorđević dynasty were buried.
To the west of the church is the house of Peter, originally intended, as a church house, the church's parish. It was built according to Kosta J. Jovanovic's project in 1910.
It was set up as a temporary building with six rooms, in which the builders of the church were supposed to live. Below the building a basement was built for the tools and building materials. However, King Petar moved in, in order to supervise works on the church, and has since been known as Peter's house.

The village of Orašac, near Arandjelovac, is the place where the first Serbian uprising was to begin and Karadjordje Petrović was proclaimed a supreme Duke , on Sretenje, February 15, 1804. In memory of this great event, the church of the Lord of the Assumption, the Memorial School and the memorial fountain in Marićević's gorge, the museum and sculpture of Karadjordje were erected in Orašac and a monument complex was formed. The famous city of Orašac also includes valuable objects of folk architecture as a permanent testimony of material culture in this area in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In commemoration of the great historical event that brought the national liberation to the Serbian people and initiated the creation of Serbia as a modern European state, February 15 is celebrated as the National Day.
Memorial fountain is located in the Marićević's gorge , not far from the church. It was built in 1954. on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first Serbian uprising. The fountain is part of a larger monument in the form of a sub-wall built of stone blocks. On the central part of this memorial there are three arched marble slabs.
On the middle one there is an inscription : THIS IS WHERE ON 15 FEBRUARY 1804 THE FIRST SERBIAN UPRISING TOOK PLACE. On the left and the right , four verses from the famous song "Početak bune na dahije" were carved. A bronze plaque with the image of Karadjordje , framed by the text THE SUPREME DUKE OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE , was modeled by Raja Nikolić, a sculptor from Arandjelovac. On the occasion of two centuries of the Vostania of Serbia, the relief of the "The oath of the rebels" by Z. Miladinović and M. Rašić was set up by the Endowment Society "The First Serbian Uprising".
The church in Orašac
was built in the period from 1868 to 1870. It is not known who designed the church. It represents by its dimensions a smaller, architecturally modest building with harmonious proportions and simple shapes. It has a base in the shape of a rectangle that ends in the east on the outside with a five-sided, and inside with a semicircular altar apse, and in the west entrance hall. Above the western part, there is a bell tower. It is decorated with a semi-spherical vault over which the deck is roofed. The apse is covered with semicircle. Solid walls are painted . The iconostasis of the church, which was painted by Stevo Todorović, one of the most prestigious Serbian artists from the second half of the 19th century, is of an outstanding artistic value.
The iconostasis consists of 24 icons with the performances of saints and scenes from the history of the New Testament. On the northern pilaster, a memorial plaque is embedded in a white wedding marble dedicated to the fall in the Balkan wars.

Memorial School , built in 1932. is a building that, according to the purity of architectural ideas and solidity of construction, is among the most beautiful buildings of this kind in Serbia. The architect of this building is not known, but, of course, belonged to that circle of architects who sought to restore the old Serbian style.
For the construction of the school in 1929. a committee was founded under the title "Committee for the commemoration of the school and the Karadjordje’s uprising in Orašac". Its members, among others, were the president of the municipality of Orašac and a teacher in Orašac. The school consists of ground floor and first floor. It is built of fine-grained granite blocks and this is of exceptional precision. Arched windows, some of them in the form of trifo, with well-processed columns, and a number of other characteristic elements and average details, give the school a look of a harmoniously shaped building, which is characterized by dynamics and stylish unity. Above the front door, on the white marble plaque, a text is read as follows:
NATIONAL SCHOOL - A MEMORY ON THE KARADJORDJE’S UPRISING IN ORAŠAC. THE GRATEFUL ŠUMADIJA BUILDS THIS HOME FOR MEMORIES AND GLORY TO THE GREAT KARADJORDJE AND THE OTHER ANCESTORS WHO IN 1804 IN THIS HOLY PLACE LED AN UPRISING AND STARTED A GREAT WORK ON NATIONAL FREEDOM AND UNITY .
MONUMENT FOR KARADJORDJE
On the occasion of the 200-year anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising, the municipality of Arandjelovac built a monument to Karadjordje in a white Venčac marble, a height of 3.40 meters, the work of sculptor Drinka Radovanović. The memorial complex in Orašac is complementing the tombstone of Teodosije Marićević, located in the backyard of the Anić family house, near the school and the church. This cleric prince and trader is a famous person from the agreement on the outbreak of the uprising in 1804. He was born in Orasac and was one of the candidates for the leader of the uprising.
On the tombstone of stone reddish-colored until 1980. there was no epitaph.
Then the following inscription + TEODOSIJE MARIĆEVIĆ + 1807. was engraved . The tomb was renewed by his descendant Marko in 1980.
Of no less importance is the fact that in the village of Orašac there are certain signs that are contemporary to the first Serbian uprising. There are a few old, and from the point of view of ethnography very valuable houses and other objects, which are protected by law. In particular, it is necessary to emphasize the presence of the rebels’ graves and their descendants at a village cemetery where there is, besides, a wealth of information valuable for the illumination of the past of the famous Orašac.

Mountain Bukulja overlooks the city and the spa. The height of 696 m makes it ideal for altitude preparations of sports teams. There are marked footpaths to the top that start from the spa park. On the top of Bukulja, a 19 m high observation post is opened for visitors, giving a magnificent view of the large part of Šumadija.
Thanks to its long and rich history and the fact that it was the favorite destination of Prince Miloš and the Obrenović dynasty, Bukovička Spa is included in the program of the Royal Spas of Serbia.
In the past, the Monument Center was built on the model of the Western Europe, today it is a significant center for rehabilitation.

"Tarpoš" is the name for an ancient Serbian female hat, from which the grapes was offered to travelers passing by. Former wine traders also said that the wine is so good that it can "be worn in a tarpoš". I was fortunate that under this beautiful and even mystical name, I would soon get a very good wine, which further explored the story of this property in the village of Vrbica near Arandjelovac and this winery in the very heart of the vineyard ...
Tihomir Timotijević

The hills of Oplenac have been used for growing grapevine for many years. The place of origin of Aleksandrović winery and its name dates back to the distant past. In the Roman period of Vince, in the Middle Ages Vinica, and today Vinča - is a direct association to the population’s occupation. At the beginning of the twentieth century, in the vicinity of Vinča, the Venčanska viticultural cooperative started, and then the vineyards and the basement of the kings Petar and Aleksandar Karađorđević were built, which made wines known throughout Europe.
The family Aleksandrović, who has been engaged in viticulture and wine production for over a hundred years, has been closely cooperating with the winegrowers and winemakers of the royal cellars since the beginning, and was also among the founders of the Venetian Viticulture Society.
In the heart of Šumadija, under the rocky hill of Oplenac lies is a small town of Topola, a cradle of Serbian independence, the capital of Serbian kings, the founder of the Šumadija wine-growing ... a town where wine is made worthy of the royal tables of Europe and called the capital of Serbian vine .
In this spiritual and wine capital of Serbia, where natural and cultural resources live in harmony, clean air and the smoothest vines, the PIK Oplenac winery is situated.

The Rogan family wines originated in their own vineyard of the Oplenac vineyard, where superior wines are produced for centuries.
CONSCIOUS THAT GOOD WINE IS MADE IN A GOOD VINEYARD ...
Every vine and every cluster of grapes we nurtured selflessly and with great care and love to achieve perfection. The process of production and maturation of wine was followed by excellent experts in enology, which is why we proudly say that the wines of the Rogan family were created when nature was enhanced by knowledge and watered by our sweat in the vineyard.
