Bukovicka Banja Spa Arandjelovac
Thanks to its long and rich history and tradition along with the fact that it was the favorite destination of Prince Milos and the Obrenovic royal ruling Dynasty, made the Bukovicka Banja Spa in Arandjelovac with one of the oldest and the best preserved and best maintained spa parks of Serbia the part of the “Royal Spas of Serbia” campaign. The Bukovička Banja Spa used to be a fashionable holiday center built along the pattern of spas in West Europe, while nowadays it is the important resort for rehabilitation and medical services and spa and wellness tourism of Serbia. Besides the four springs of cold curative waters of the temperature 13-14°C, there is the hypo-thermal spring in the Bukovička Banja Spa, with temperature of 25°C. The sources of the mineral waters of the Bukovicka Banja Spa vary in temperature, quantity of carbon acid and composition of mineral ingredients. Mineral waters of the Bukovicka Banja Spa has natrium /sodium/ carbonate and calcium-hydro-carbonate and iron-ferrum and carbonate-acid composition. When in 1935 the hypo-thermal spring was discovered in Bukovicka Banja Spa, the row of illnesses and diseases to be cured here was extended.
The Bukovička banja Spa is balneo – climatic resort in Arandjelovac, in the center of Shumadija, in the foot of Bukulja Mountain and in close vicinity of the Vencac Mountain. The Bukovicka Banja Spa in Arandjelovac is famous spa and health center of Serbia, 80 km south of Belgrade which features direct and indirect influence of rich vegetation, beneficial waters and air that create an unique ambiance highly suitable for vacations, spa arrangements, relaxation with all conditions and forms for recreation and sport preparations. The Bukovička Banja Spa is unique for the fact that it is situated in one of the most beautiful and best preserved urban and spa parks in Serbia.
The pavilion of Prince Miloš is the part of the Bukovička Banja Spa was built in 1907 in the secession architectural style along the design of architect Branko Tanazović on the place of one of the oldest sources of mineral water in Serbia. The Bukovička banja Spa was the favorite destination of Prince Miloš Obrenović. The Pavilion of Prince Miloš includes three parts – the source of mineral water with the filling station – factory for bottling and the pastry shop in the southern part of the facility. The bottling Factory of mineral water in Bukovicka Banja Spa was highly advanced facility where all operations were performed by hand that enabled extraordinary development of the town of Arandjelovac. The park of the Bukovicka Banja Spa was proclaimed the Monument of Nature by the law of Republic of Serbia while structures of Staro zdanje and the Pavilion of Prince Milos (Biveta) became part of the cultural heritage of special importance, and were nominated to get a status of monuments of extraordinary importance. The “KNJAZ MILOŠ” Pavilion in the wonderful park of the Bukovicka Banja Spa in Arandjelovac was nominated the EU cultural heritage by the Evropa Nostra in 2018 in the category of Conservation.
The Staro zdanje structure in Bukovicka Banja Spa, along with the endowment of Misa Anastasijevic in Belgrade, during the 19th century used to be among the most remarkable and the largest structures in Serbia. Its surface of 9000 sq m aimed to be originally the Parliament of Principality of Serbia, however when the seat of the state was moved from Kragujevac to Belgrade, the lavish Staro zdanje became the royal residence of the Obrenovic Family.
The wonderful Park of the Bukovička Banja Spa for more than 50 years hosts the unique museum of the largest contemporary collection of sculptures in the open, made of the white marble from the Vencac Mountain by numerous artists – sculptors from all over the world. This park can be compared to only a few in the world that feature sculptures in open, as those in Netherlands and Texas. The park of the Bukovicka Banja Spa in Arandjelovac is geometrically aliened as parks in France, and was arranged in the 19th century by design of Staro zdanje architect Kosta Sreplovic. Then in the existing lines were planted new 8500 plants of various deciduous and conifer species, when lake and floral lines were completed, as well as the kur-salon and structures for providing medical services, accommodation and food.
Today a lots of attention and funding is directed to maintenance of the park of the Bukovicka Banja Spa, in order to keep and restore the green and floral environment, and arrange walking trails for visitors, that can hike up to the observation points of the Bukulja Mountain, with the main goal to retain the existing natural ambiance.
When the design of reconstruction and revitalization of the park of the Bukovicka Banja Spa as the Monument of Nature was done, designers in charge specially paid attention that park experiences protection of natural features and all of the cultural and historical monument, which makes the complex whole which needs special selection of floral species that best match the habitat and environment. It took the whole century to plant and create alleys of pines and chestnuts, various deciduous and conifer trees, and to arrange lines and form floral compartments, arrange mineral springs and baths, and to construct structures of „Staro zdanje”, Paviljon „Knjaz Miloš”, „Arkade”, „Šumadija”, and in the recent half of century to keep additionally sculptures of national and international sculptors that take of took part in the Beli Venčac – White Venčac artistic Symposium that is traditionally held here.
The current phase of development of tourism in Bukovicka Banja Spa started with reconstruction and extension of the luxury Izvor Hotel in Bukovicka Banja Spa in Arandjelovac Spa Park. Thanks to the exemption of the part of protected zone from the green park environment, the reconstruction of the ‘Staro zdanje”and „Šumadija” Hotels was carried out, as well as construction of a new hotel. Along with completion of the detailed spatial plan design, this campaign will turn the Bukovicka Banja Spa into the highest quality tourist destination of the region, that it rightfully deserves by its structural spa features, well-preserved green environment and the entire ambiance.
