Leskovac

Leskovac is known across the region for grilled meat, and the local repertoire is specific: pljeskavica in the Leskovac style, wide and thin with hot pepper, mućkalica, a stew of grilled meat with peppers and tomato, and ćevapi, all served with ajvar made from the roasted peppers grown around the town. The Roštiljijada, held over about a week in late August or early September, closes the central street to traffic and lines it with grills, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors and producing the enormous pljeskavica that gets into the record books most years. Outside the festival the town is an ordinary industrial place with a textile history, a good museum in a nineteenth-century house, and Caričin Grad nearby.

History

Named after the hazel, lěska, Leskovac is first mentioned in the 14th century as a village Emperor Stefan Dušan gave to the Hilandar monastery. Under the Ottomans it became the centre of the Dubočica nahiya and a notable craft and trading town, from 1737 the seat of the Pashalik of Leskovac, and after the late 19th century it grew into a textile town (Wikipedia, Leskovac).

What to look for

• The Roštiljijada - the street filled with grills for a week in early autumn.
• Leskovac pljeskavica - the wide flat grilled patty with hot pepper.
• Ajvar making - roasted peppers processed across the region in autumn.
• The town museum - local history in an old merchant house.

When to go

Late August or early September for the festival, which is the reason most people come; dates shift each year and should be checked. Autumn is also pepper and ajvar season across the region.

Good to know

Outside the festival week Leskovac has little to detain visitors and is a plain industrial town. During the festival accommodation is full and prices rise, so booking well ahead is necessary. The food is heavy, meat-centred and offers little for vegetarians.

Nearby

Caričin Grad lies west; Niš is north.

Key facts