Description:
In the distant past Mount Rudnik was a site of live mining activity. Before the arrival of the Romans, the area was inhabited by the Illyrians, followed by the Celts. The first Serbian dinar with Cyrillic inscription – the dinar of King Dragutin – was minted at Rudnik. In the 14th century, the people of Dubrovnik and the Saxons had colonies there. Rudnik gained special significance after the year 1441, when the Ottoman Turks conquered Novo Brdo (New Hill). The revered Serbian Despot Djuradj Brankovic had a mint and summer villa there. The mountain’s mineral resources (silver, lead, copper) were not the only source of Serbian rulers’ wealth. Rudnik was a settlement with developed handicrafts and a buoyant trading post which became a a cosmopolitan city with a strong cultural influence that spread to all of Serbia.Mount Rudnik still dominates the Sumadija region today, but its cultural, political and other influences have incomparably diminished. What has not changed though is the beauty of the landscape.Rudnik’s highest peak is Veliki Sturac (1132 m), also known as Cvijic’s peak. In addition to this peak, the beauty and height of Medium and Small Sturac, Molitve, Paljevine and Marijanac – all above 1,000m/ asl – stand out. Covered with deciduous mainly beech, forests, clean air and a favourable climate, Rudnik is suitable for summer and winter health programmes in addition to educational and sports tourism. A network of health paths complement the area’s climatic conditions: a high number of sunny days throughout the year, clean air currents with high ionization and unpolluted nature. Rudnik was recognised as an ‘air spa’ back in the early 20th century. In addition to all of these advantages, an active break on Rudnik today includes hiking along its ridges.
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