A marked hiking trail leads from Leskovac via Kotlenik to Knić; there are also festivals at certain times of the year and protected natural and cultural sites. This gives you three distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: hiking, event dates and places of cultural and historical interest.
Hiking in Knić and on Kotlenik
A marked and signposted hiking trail leads from the village of Leskovac via Kotlenik to Knić. The route is 26.5 kilometres long. The Kotlenik area also has ten marked hiking trails leading from the surrounding villages of Pajsijević, Leskovac, Guberevac, Guncati, Sirča, Trgovište and Miločaj. This gives you a named route to Knić and several trails in the Kotlenik area as distinct points of reference. This gives you a named route to Knić and several trails in the Kotlenik area as distinct points of reference.
Another hiking event is the annual Gledićka transverzala in the Gledićke planine mountains. It adds a recurring hiking event to the marked trails. Check the specific event dates for the year of your trip if you would like to plan around it.
Festivals Throughout the Year
Knićansko leto traditionally takes place on August 2 and 19 in Knić. It features an open-air cultural and artistic programme in front of the cultural centre. The Dani Stevana Knićanina event is also held in Knić every September.
Two more events are on the calendar in May: Gružansko proleće is a traditional festival in Knić dedicated to young people and the development of their talents. Also in May, the two-day Gruža-Borač-Knić Photo Safari Festival is held in the municipality of Knić, as it has been for almost a decade. It invites photography enthusiasts to capture landscapes, cultural and historical monuments, and ethnographic subjects. The art exhibition Knić i Gruža kroz objektiv is then organised under the patronage of, and according to the rules of, the Photo Association of Serbia.
The dates therefore fall in May, August and September. If a particular festival is a deciding factor for your trip, check the specific event days in advance. Photography and the subsequent exhibition are both part of the Photo Safari Festival; the subjects mentioned range from landscapes to cultural and historical monuments.
Natural Monument and Medieval Heritage
Borački Krš is protected as a Category I natural monument for its geological and geomorphological features and characteristic flora and fauna. The remains of the medieval town of Borač lie on its summit, 7.5 kilometres north of Knić. Borač is protected as a cultural asset of great importance. Thus, at this same named location, a protected natural monument and the remains of a protected medieval town are recognised in different contexts.
Near Knić, the Boračka Church is mentioned in written records from 1346 and 1350. Next to the church is a medieval cemetery with characteristic Kapačara monuments; the oldest date from the 16th century. The history of Kamenac Monastery is also subject to explicitly stated uncertainty: according to tradition, it was founded by Despot Stefan Lazarević in the early 15th century, but the monastery's earliest history is unknown.
The sisterhood of Kamenac Monastery makes herbal balms, teas and tinctures using plants from the surrounding area and its own cultivation. In Toponica, the memorial house is protected as an immovable cultural property and cultural monument. In 1941, it served as the headquarters of the Kragujevac Partisan Detachment.
Rural Tourism and Water Activities
Tourism development in Knić began in the 1970s, when the first visitors discovered the appeal of rural life and the hospitality of local hosts. Authentic rural households remain one of the defining foundations of agritourism in the Knić area. Alongside hiking and cultural attractions, this development gives the destination a rural tourism dimension.
The Gružansko Lake, near Knić, has a rowing course. If you would like to include it in your plans, check in advance which uses are currently possible for your intended activity.
Discover more destinations: Dragolj, Mladenovac, Kijevo, Kragujevac, Bare, Aranđelovac, Topola, Stojnik.
Return to the regional travel overview: Šumadija District.
