The ancient city of Kragujevac is situated in the central part of Serbia, 110km south of Belgrade. It has a population of 185 000 and is the economic,educational and cultural centre of the region known as Šumadija.

The first mention of Kragujevac was in Medieval  times. Archaeological sites have shown that the first human settlements date from about 40 000 years ago. Kragujevac began to develop economically from 1818 and during the 19th century it became the political, cultural and educational centre of Serbia. It was in Kragujevac that the first Serbian constitution was proclaimed in 1835. The city became the home of the first Serbian grammar school, the first theatre and the first Serbian newspaper.

Today, Kragujevac is a mixture of both ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’. Its architecture traces the history of this historically diverse country.Traditional architecture from the 19th century, stands alongside the ‘grey’ remains of its communist and industrial past.Its large university population gives the city’s nightlife a more modern feel; with pavement cafes and bars, and restaurants with traditional Serbian food and music.