Čačak (Serbian Cyrillic:Чачак,pronounced[tʃǎːtʃak]) is acity and the administrative center of theMoravica District in central Serbia. It is located in theWest Morava Valley. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 69,598 while the city administrative area has 105,612 inhabitants.[3]
The city lies about 144 km south of the Serbian capital, Belgrade. It is also located near theOvčar-Kablar Gorge ("SerbianMount Athos"), with over 30 monasteries built in the gorge since the 14th century.[5]
Located for the most part in westernMorava Valley, the city of Čačak forms a link between the undulating hills ofŠumadija in the north and the hilly and mountainous areas of the innerDinaric Alps in the south. The central part of the city is the Čačak basin, located between the mountains ofJelica in the south,Ovčar andKablar in the west andVujan in the north, while in the east it is open to the Kraljevo basin. These mountains gently and undulatingly descend towards the Čačak basin, the town of Čačak and theWest Morava river.
The city administrative area covers 636 square kilometres (246 sq mi) and contains:
the Čačak valley, with an altitude between 204 and 300 m (669 and 984 ft)
hills between 300 and 500 m (980 and 1,640 ft) high
Čačak has ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classification:Dfb). The average temperature of the city and its vicinity is 10.47 °C (50.85 °F) with 74.1% humidity, and it is characterized by warm summers and cold winters.Winds blow from the north and northeast and rarely from the west because of the mountains that block them. The average temperature in August is 20.6 °C (69.1 °F), while in January it is 0.5 °C (32.9 °F). There are on average 38 days with snow during the year. The average wind speed is 2.3 metres per second (5.1 mph). The usual number of foggy days is 54. The average yearly precipitation is 802 mm (31.6 in).[6]
There are a few recorded instances of sandstorms originating in theSahara arriving to the town.
The original name of the town was Gradac (meaning "little town"), which developed around the Moravski Gradac monastery, built in the late 12th century. First mention of the name Čačak was in a document issued by theRepublic of Ragusa. Dated on 3 January 1409, it refers to the events from 18 December 1408, and this date is today the official Čačak Town Day.[8][9][10]
The origin of the name is obscured today. However, several dictionaries from the 19th and even from the 20th century, including works of major linguistsVuk Stefanović Karadžić andĐuro Daničić, mention wordsčačak and the corresponding adjectivečačkovit, meaning (lumps of) frozen or dried mud, or lumps of stone protruding from the ground. The widening along the West Morava where Čačak is located, was indeed regularly flooded until the 20th century. Daničić suggested that the origin of the word is the rootskak (skakati means jumping in Serbian). The word and its variants completely disappeared from Serbian language today, but some other toponymy of the same origin were preserved, like in the name of theČakor [sr] mountain.[8]
In time, erroneous but widespread theory developed, claiming that the name indeed means "mud", but that it is of Turkish origin. At the time of the name's first mention this region wasn't occupied by theOttoman Empire yet, mud is called differently in Turkish language, nor there is a Turkish word corresponding vocally točačak.[8]
The region has several archaeological sites, dating from prehistory to the present, the oldest from the 15th century BC.[11]
Princely tombs of an Illyrian type (Glasinac culture) were found in two mounds ofAtenica withIonian glass, glass-paste, an amber bead depicting a swan, and anAttic plaque of a wild boar, all dating to the late 6th century BC.[12] Moreornithomorphicfibulae of bronze swans were found inMojsinje.[13][14]
Prehistorictumuli have been unearthed inMrčajevci.[15] The Triballi andScordisci tribes lived in this area by the time of Roman conquest.
The town was inhabited in Roman times, with traces of the Roman settlement still visible today, like RomanThermae built in the 2nd to 4th century period. These still stand behind a secondary school in the center of Čačak.
Nearby, in the village of Gradina at the foot of the Jelica mountain, a Roman compound (fort) with amartyrium andnecropolis has been excavated, with three churches, one of which produced apentanummion for the late Roman EmperorJustinian in the 526–537 period. Justinian is also believed to have founded the fort in the 530s. The presence of burnt layers on the sight could be evidence that the settlement was destroyed in the conflict that characterized the region following thebarbarian invasions of the late Roman Empire. In the same region, in the 6th century, four other forts were built.[16]
In 1459, the Turks completed their conquest of the area, incorporating it into theSanjak of Smederevo and converting Stracimir's church into a mosque. The town's name was changed from Gradac to the current Čačak.
Evliya Çelebi, an Ottoman explorer of the 16th and 17th centuries, described Čačak as the main place in the localkadiluk. In 1717, Čačak became a part of theHabsburg Empire after theAustrians defeatedOttomans, signing theTreaty of Passarowitz. Austrian rule was short-lived, and 21 years later Čačak would again become a part of theOttoman Empire. Most of Čačak's Serb residents at the time of reconquest had deserted the town, migrating north safety in the Habsburg Empire. In their stead were settlers fromMontenegro,Bosnia and Hercegovina andVlachs from the countryside nearby.
Čačak at the beginning of 20th century
Čačak has two years on its coat of arms. The first is 1408, in whichRagusan archives first name the town. The second is 1815, the year theSecond Serbian Uprising began and the year theBattle of Ljubić was fought in the hills near Čačak. This battle is famous for one of the greatest Serbian rebel victories. Then a small group, the rebels defeated a much stronger Ottoman army numbering 5,000–12,000 men.[citation needed] Soon after, thePrincipality of Serbia, one of the first nations liberated from Ottoman rule, secured its independence.
In 1837, one of the first Serbian grammar schools was completed. In the 1837–1941 period Čačak gradually modernized, with its town center modeled in aVienna Secession style popular at the time and standing to this day. DuringWorld War II, Čačak was part of the short-livedRepublic of Užice, which, while the first liberated territory in Europe, was cut off by German forces shortly after it was founded. On 4 December 1944 Čačak was finally liberated by theYugoslav Partisans. It has since evolved into a large town and a regional center, later being given the official status of a city within today'sRepublic of Serbia.
As of 2011 census, the city's administrative area or municipality has 115,337 inhabitants, with 73,331 living in Čačak proper. As of 2022 census, the city proper has a population of 69,598, while the administrative area has 106,453.[3]
The city of Čačak has 38,590 households with 2.99 members on average. The number of homes is 51,482.[18]
The composition of population by gender and average age:[19]
Male – 55,995 (41.42 years) and
Female – 59,342 (43.95 years).
A total of 53,543 citizens older than 15 have asecondary education (54.01%), while 14,823 citizens have some sort oftertiary education (14.95%). Of those with a tertiary education, 9,386 (9.47%) have university education.[20]
The city is mostly inhabited by Serbs (95.3%), followed by minorities ofRoma,Montenegrins and other ethnic groups.
Being located on a crossroads between theOttoman Empire andAustria-Hungary during the 19th century, Čačak was home even to people of ethnicities that were not common in Čačak's region. One such example was a small Armenian community which began to settle from 1885, fleeing the forcible draft into the Ottoman army and the general oppression against the Armenians in the empire.[21] Most members of this community worked in the coffee business. By the 1950s most of them had emigrated as the new Communist authorities, in the massive process of nationalization after World War II, confiscated Armenian businesses.[21]
The ethnic composition of the city is given in the following table (as of 2011 census):[22]
This city traversed a long and thorny road from an anonymous settlement to a modern city in the 21st century. The very face of the city, as seen in the facades, monuments, and cultural establishments, is the reflection of the artistic spirit of its inhabitants.[citation needed]
During the theatrical season there are numerous theatrical ensembles on tour from all of Serbia at cultural centreDom kulture Čačak. Centre is home to "Drama Studio" and schools of ballet, fine art and sculpture. The exhibitions and performances, cultural and literary evenings are held at numerous places such as: "City Library Čačak", "Nadežda Petrović" and "Risim" galleries, "National Museum" in Čačak, "Salon of Photography" and "Intermunicipal Historical Archive of Čačak" among many others. The current artwork production in the city can be followed through the auspices of groups and associations, private galleries, colonies and numerous enthusiasts.[23]
Fine art and sculpture colonies are most often held at theOvčar Banja spa resort. There are numerous cultural, musical, entertainment and tourist manifestations within the city and close surroundings, which attract multitudes of followers of ethno-culture, original folk music, like the "Dis spring",[24] Memorial toNadežda Petrović and the "Flute festival" in the nearby village ofPrislonica.[25] Also, newly established festivals "DUK Festival" and rock festival "Priča" attract younger population from the city and its region.[26][27][28] Čačak is also home to events such as "Pitijada", "Kupusijada", "Fijakerijada" and other festivals that celebrate old traditions belonging toSerbs.[29]
The "Mladost Sports Center" which is located on the coast ofWest Morava River, next to theČačak Stadium, two faculties and numerous other important buildings, offers many sports venues for locals.[31] The whole area where the Sports Center is located is the town's most important entertainment area.[31]
Čačak is nationally famous for its clubs in various team sports; the most popular ones arebasketball,football andhandball. The basketball clubBorac Čačak and football clubBorac Čačak have been participating in the top-tier leagues of Serbia for many consecutive years with much success. Women's handball is also very successful and popular. Football clubsSloboda andRemont have competed in Serbia's third tier.
In the vicinity of Čačak there are more than 20 churches and monasteries, the largest number found on such a small area in Serbia. They represent cultural and historic monuments of great significance. The most important ones are the Church of the Ascension of Jesus, a church on Ljubić hill dedicated to SaintTsar Lazar, as well as the Vujan Monastery located on a nearby mountain of the same name. Special value is attributed to the monasteries of theOvčar-Kablar Gorge, which as a cultural and historic whole date back to the Middle Ages and represent the particularity of the region's cultural and artistic heritage created over the centuries. There are 12 monasteries and churches in the gorge:
Uspenje
Vavedenje
Jovanje
Nikolje
Blagoveštenje
Vaznesenje
Preobraženje
Sretenje
Sveta Trojica
Ilinje
Savinje
Kadjenica
Thermal and mineral springs with medicinal properties provide the basis for the development of recreational tourism. There are three spa resorts within the territory of the city of Čačak:Gornja Trepča,Ovčar Banja and Slatinska Banja. There are also picnic sites: Gradina and the "Battle and victory" park (also called "Spomen" (remembrance) park) on the Jelica mountain, the Memorial complex on Ljubić hill, Grujine fields, rafts on West Morava river inBeljina,Parmenac,Međuvršje and Ovčar Banja, and picnic sites on the tiny rivers called Dičina, Kamenica, Čemernica and Banja.
Čačak is one of those cities with a long, continuous history of habitation. Various cultures have developed on this land, leaving lasting influences on the city’s urban structure and enriching it with archaeological artifacts.[32] Among these, the Roman baths are the earliest material evidence of the city’s history, dating back to the4th century AD, when this area was part of theRoman province of Dalmatia. These baths highlight the cultural development of the region in the centuries prior to the arrival of the Serbs.[33]
Old Čačak - The Church
The earliest written mention of a building in today’s Čačak appears in theStudenica typikon (1207-1215), which references the Church of Our Lady of Gradac, built byStracimir and dedicated to theAscension of Christ (the site of the current church in Čačak).[33]
Čačak’s urban structure reveals an unplanned, organically developed layout, shaped by both natural conditions and human influences over time. Findings frommedieval andancient periods do not define the city’s structure, but they suggest the approximate extent of its early expansions.[32]
The Triangular Block - by the mid-19th century, the West Morava River flowed much closer to the city center, passing just east of the church.
The current urban structure of Čačak took shape during the19th century in two main phases. The first phase occurred under the rule ofPrince Miloš Obrenović, when the city core developed around the church, with a square on the southeastern corner of a triangular block. During the second phase, in the latter half of the century, Čačak expanded further as its economy strengthened. The first industrial buildings emerged, and older public structures built in traditional styles were replaced with more durable,eclectic architecture. Representative examples from these phases include theGospodar Jovan’s Konak from the first phase, and the District Head Office building, aclassicist structure, from the second. However, most 19th-century buildings were constructed with weaker materials, limiting their longevity. By the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of these early buildings were replaced by sturdier structures, though the established urban pattern was largely respected. This period saw a rise in shops and artisan workshops in the center, with residential buildings surrounded bycourtyards and gardens on the outskirts.[32]
Čačak’s first comprehensive Town Regulation Plan was created in1860 by engineer Dragoljub Urgičić, though it has not been preserved.[34] The second regulatory plan, completed in1893 by engineers Svetozar Jovanović and Stanislav Kučevski, marked the city’s first complete urban arrangement plan. This plan is a valuable resource for understanding the evolution of both Čačak and Serbian urbanism from the late 19th century. It exemplifies a conservative approach tourban development, aiming to respect the existing layout while facilitating the city’s orderly growth.[35]
Early 20th-century postcards depict Čačak as an open, sprawling silhouette within a scenic basin, harmonizing its irregular forms with road directions and strips of varied greenery.[36]
In conclusion, the streets of Čačak in the first half of the 20th century possessed a valuable ambiance, with potential for future transformations that would continue to shape the Serbian urban landscape.[36]
The structure of the economy of the city of Čačak is composed of services andtrade,industry andagriculture. The mainprocessing industries are paper production, electric home appliances, blade tools for the processing of metal, non-metals, chemical industry products, thermal technical appliances, metal and combined carpentry, parts and kits for the pharmaceutical industry and products for medical needs. Also, well developed are wood, lumber industry and agriculture.
Many companies with more than 250 employees have deteriorated due to thesanctions in the 1990s. Since 2000, more than 40 government-owned companies have gone through the privatization process.[37]
Private enterprise, which has its tradition from back in the 19th century, is the primary characteristic of the economy of the city. As of January 2017, 98.65% of all business enterprises are small and micro companies.[38] A large number of private companies grew into middle-size companies with 80 to 270 employees offering a wide variety of products.[39] Today, on the territory of the city of Čačak, among the largest employers areSloboda, Technical Overhaul Military Institute (Remont), Hospital Čačak,Fabrika reznog alata andP.S. Fashion. Čačak also has the prestigious and country's uniqueFruit Research Institute located in city center zone.
For the 2017 calendar year, business enterprises in Čačak imported the goods in value of 269 million euros, and exported goods in value of 171 million euros.[40] The coverage of imports by exports was 64%.[40]
Economic preview
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022):[41]
Activity
Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
167
Mining and quarrying
55
Manufacturing
11,489
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
333
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
408
Construction
1,527
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
6,859
Transportation and storage
3,233
Accommodation and food services
1,506
Information and communication
798
Financial and insurance activities
601
Real estate activities
102
Professional, scientific and technical activities
1,133
Administrative and support service activities
1,042
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security
Due to its geographical position, Čačak is the main road transportation center in Western Serbia. As of August 2019,Miloš the Great motorway, which is projected to run from Belgrade to border withMontenegro, is in service fromBelgrade bypass to Čačak with several other sections currently under construction.[42] Also, theA5 motorway is planned and it will run from Čačak toPojate, thus connecting two main motorways in Serbia. Čačak also lies onState Road 22 andState Road 23, two main highways in Western Serbia.
A railway fromKraljevo toPožega passes through Čačak, thus connecting the city withBelgrade–Bar railway (one of country's main railways). TheMorava Airport, one of country's three international airports, was opened in 2019 for civil airplanes and is located between Čačak and Kraljevo.
^"Насеља општине Чачак"(PDF).stat.gov.rs (in Serbian). Statistical Office of Serbia. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 25 September 2020. Retrieved12 October 2019.
^Gvozden Otašević (2 March 2008)."Šest vekova Čačka" [Six centuries of Čačak].Politika (in Serbian).
^Srboljub Đ. Stamenković, Dragica Gatarić (2002). Srboljub Đ. Stamenković (ed.).Географска енциклопедија насеља Србије, IV том, С-Ш, стр. 285 [Geographical encyclopedia of the settlements of Serbia, Vol. IV, S-Š, page 286]. University of Belgrade Faculty of Geography, Belgrade.
^"直の日記".To-Cacak.com. Archived fromthe original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved22 April 2017.
^Trebenishte: the fortunes of an unusual excavation – M. Stibbe, Rastko Vasić
^Милош Радовановић:Измене и допуне регулационог плана Чачка и покушај израде новог плана у периоду између два светска рата [Amendments of the urban regulation plan of Čačak and efforts for the realization of a new plan between two world wars; Les changements et compléments du plan régulateur de Cacak et la tentative d'élaboration d'un nouveau plan dans la période d'entre-deux-guerres].Народни музеј Чачак. 2015.
^Милош Радовановић:Чачак на реулационом плану из 1893. године [La ville de Tchatchak selon le projet urbanistique de 1893]. Народни музеј Чачак. 1992-1993.
^abЗденка Радовановић:Читање и тумачење амбијенталних приказа Чачка са старих фотографија и разгледница [Reading and Interpretation of Old Photographs and Picture Postcards of Cacak; Lecture et explication des quartiers de Tchatchak d'après des photos et des cartes illustrées d'autrefois]. 2003. Народни музеј Чачак.
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