Mileva Koncept
MilevaLandmarks

Šumadija around you. Hills, rivers and centuries of story.

Grivac and its surroundings hold the quiet nature of Šumadija and a rich cultural heritage. Knić and Gruža keep the volcanic ridge of Borački krš, the 'Šumadija sea' of Gruža Lake, a monastery from the days of Despot Stefan and a church first recorded in the 14th century. Everything is within reach, and Mileva is the ideal starting point.

A singular natural phenomenon - a volcanic ridge above the village of Borač, its rock carved by ancient lava into fantastical shapes. The foundations of the medieval town of Borač crown its peaks.

Borački krš

Natural monument
The 'Šumadija sea' - a 900-hectare lake with forty kilometres of shoreline, formed by damming the Gruža river. A haven for anglers, rowers and birdwatchers.

Gruža Lake

Lake
Six centuries a guardian of tradition, in the village of Čestin below the Gledić mountains. An endowment of Despot Stefan Lazarević, home to the 'Footprint of Saint Sava'.

Kamenac Monastery

Monastery
What to visit

Six reasons to stay a day longer.

The best of Knić and Gruža. Nature, history and spiritual heritage, all within half an hour's drive.

Borački krš
Natural monument

Borački krš

Borač

A volcanic ridge some twenty kilometres from Kragujevac, its rock carved by ancient lava into fantastical shapes above steep cliffs. On the levelled summits lie the foundations and Romanesque ramparts of the medieval town of Borač, a Roman fortification, later an important Nemanjić and despotic town that under Stefan Lazarević (1405) guarded Serbia from the north and watched over the trade road to Dubrovnik. A 2019 decree of the Government of Serbia protected it as a first-category natural monument for its geological, geomorphological and ecological significance.

Gruža Lake
Lake

Gruža Lake

Knić

Created in 1979 by damming the Gruža river. It covers 900 hectares, runs about 10 kilometres long, and its shoreline measures close to 40. Eighty-seven bird species have been recorded here, twenty-five of them nesting on the lake itself, which is why it has long been a favourite with birdwatchers and anglers. The lake supplies water to Kragujevac and its surroundings, and rowing, kayaking and sailing clubs from all over Serbia train and compete on it.

Kamenac Monastery
Monastery

Kamenac Monastery

Čestin

In the village of Čestin, below the Gledić mountains and not far from Gruža, it was raised in the early 15th century as an endowment of Despot Stefan Lazarević. It was restored in 1547 and 1700, and its frescoes and iconostasis were completed in 1870. Legend holds that it was built at the same time as Kalenić, from stone a despot's man quietly diverted from the works at Borački krš, hence the name Kamenac, 'little stone'. It has been a convent since 1966 and under state protection since 1969. It keeps the 'Footprint of Saint Sava', believed to cure headaches and restore sight.

Church at Borač
Cultural monument

Church at Borač

Borač

Below Borački krš stands a church first recorded in writing in 1346 and 1350. Byzantine-Serbian in style, with remnants of 16th-century frescoes. Through the centuries it was destroyed and raised again, always by the hands of locals for whom it was a spiritual centre. Around it lies a medieval graveyard of 'kapačare', ornate stone monuments in vivid colours and masterly craft; this is the largest concentration of their kind in the Balkans, the oldest dating to the 16th century. Under state protection since 1971, it has held the status of a cultural monument of great importance since 1983.

Gledić Mountains
Mountain

Gledić Mountains

Gledić

They run northwest to southeast for 35 kilometres and rank among the highest and longest ranges in Šumadija; the highest peak is Samar, at 922 metres. They are rich in forest, springs of drinking water, mushrooms, medicinal herbs and wild fruit, and their slopes hold authentic old Serbian villages with houses more than a hundred years old. Sheltered among them are monasteries from the 15th and 16th centuries: Kamenac, Kalenić and Ljubostinja. Every year mountaineering clubs organise the 'Gledić traverse'.

Kotlenik
Mountain

Kotlenik

Kotlenik

A triangular mountain between the Western Morava, the Gruža and the Bresnica rivers, roughly 21 kilometres long. Volcanic rock has shaped the pits, sinkholes and basins that gave it its name; the highest peaks are Veliki vrh and Livada, at 748 metres. Forest managed by 'Srbijašume' covers the centre of the range, while villages string along its slopes. On Gradina, at 599 metres, lie the ruins of an old fortification, oval in plan and roughly 100 × 50 metres, still unexcavated. The Kotlenjača stream has a waterfall, and a marked 26.5-kilometre trail leads from Leskovac over Kotlenik to Knić.

Photographs: Tourist Organisation of the Knić Municipality

More nearby

  • Šumarice, Kragujevac

    A memorial park in the first capital of modern Serbia, dedicated to the civilians who perished in October 1941, home to the famed 'Interrupted Flight' monument.

    ~30 km
  • Morava Airport

    A regional airport near Kraljevo (Lađevci), the nearest gateway by air for guests arriving from afar.

    ~34 km
  • Mount Rudnik

    The highest peak of Šumadija (Cvijić Peak, 1,132 m). Mountain air, forests and trails, with a spa resort at its foot.

    ~35 km
  • Kalenić Monastery

    A gem of the Morava school on the slopes of the Gledić mountains, from the early 15th century.

    ~45 km
  • Žiča Monastery

    A red 13th-century endowment near Kraljevo, the coronation church of Serbian kings and seat of the first Serbian archbishopric.

    ~48 km
  • Oplenac, Topola

    Karađorđe's endowment - the five-domed Church of St. George with its mosaics and the mausoleum of the Karađorđević dynasty on the hill above Topola.

    ~50 km
Wine route

The wineries of Šumadija, close at hand.

This is wine country. Within half an hour's drive of Mileva the wineries follow one another, from small family cellars to some of the best known in Serbia.

~9 km

Rujevica Winery

Drača

A tasting room, home cooking and rooms to stay. Call ahead before visiting.

~10 km

Katanić Winery

Kamenica

Runs tastings; booking in advance is required.

~15 km

Art Wine

Grošnica

A small family winery working its own vineyards.

~17 km

ILLE–VIVI Winery

Glumac

~19 km

Winery 27

Ovsište

~25 km

Aleksandrović Winery

Vinča near Topola

One of the best known wineries in this part of Serbia, and the most set up for visitors.

~26 km

Kraljeva Winery

Topola