VALJEVO
At the time of Lazar
the Prince
and his Milica the Princess,
Women rolling the cloth squatted down
on the banks of the Gradac and Kolubara Rivers.
Women rolling the cloth rolled and rolled,
rolled various woolen items,
rolled cloths, rolled fur caps
and the money was rolling in for that,
and those who rolled the cloth became rich.
And they, at the time of the Despot
along the Kolubara River bank, the left one,
erected the settlement of new
Valjevo.
(Milovan Vitezović)
Valjevo is situated in western Serbia less than 100 kilometers to the southwest from Belgrade. The downtown is situated in a depression through which the Kolubara River flows. Valjevo is among bigger and developed settlements in Serbia.
According to the 2002 census, the downtown has 61,035, and the entire city has 96,761 inhabitants. It is situated at an average height above sea level of 185 meters. In the course of history of the Serbian people, people from Valjevo often played a prominent role in movements for national liberation, but, in addition to army leaders and headmen, there are also quite a number of prominent writers, artists, and scientists originating from Valjevo. At the same time, this city is also classified among the oldest cities of Serbia. The name Valjevo was, for the first time, found in a document preserved in the Historic Archives in Dubrovnik, and it dates from 1393. Since then, the settlement has a history of six hundred years of evident continuous existence. Valjevo has a favorable geographical position, which is featured by the vicinity of a number of important traffic routes, such as Ibarska highway and the railroad line Belgrade - Bar. In addition, Valjevo is situated only 100 km away from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
The
Kolubara River originates in Valjevo, where it is formed by the Jablanica and the Obnica Rivers. Within the territory of Valjevo, the Ljubostinja and the Gradac Rivers also join the Kolubara River.
In Petnica, 5 km away from Valjevo, there are outdoor swimming pools and grounds for small sports, as well as the artificial lake on the Pocibrava River — the meeting-place of swimmers and fishermen.
The Kolubara River originates in Valjevo, where it is formed by the Jablanica and the Obnica Rivers. Within the territory of Valjevo, the Ljubostinja and the Gradac Rivers also join the Kolubara River.
