Valjevo

Valjevo's older quarter, Tešnjar, runs along the left bank of the Kolubara: a street of single and two-storey merchant houses from the late Ottoman and early independent period, with overhanging upper floors, workshops at ground level and cobbles, restored over recent decades into a quarter of cafes and small museums. Elsewhere in town the Muselim's Konak, an eighteenth-century Ottoman administrative building, houses a museum, and the Nenadović tower stands above the river. The National Museum holds the regional collections, and a modern gallery shows the work of the sculptor Ljuba Popović. The surrounding country has the Gradac river canyon, one of the cleanest rivers in Serbia and a popular walk from the town.

History

In nearby Petnica scientists found the first complete Neolithic settlement in Serbia, about 6,000 years old, and Valjevo itself is first mentioned in 1393, a staging post on the trade route from Bosnia to Belgrade; Matija Nenadović counted 24 mosques in the town in the late 18th century (Wikipedia, Valjevo).

What you'll find

• Tešnjar quarter - the restored street of merchant houses by the river.
• Muselim's Konak - the Ottoman administrative building and museum.
• Nenadović tower - the stone tower above the Kolubara.
• Gradac canyon - the river walk starting near the town.

When to go

April to October, with summer evenings busiest in Tešnjar. The Gradac walk is best from spring to autumn. Museums close on Mondays.

Before you go

Tešnjar is short and can be walked in twenty minutes; the restoration is partial and some buildings remain derelict. The rest of the town is unremarkable. Museums are small with limited English. The Gradac walk is popular and busy at weekends.

Nearby

Divčibare lies south; Belgrade is northeast.

Key facts