Nearby on the Rzav banks there are a few attractive, hidden beaches, “  Bosa noga ” , ” Sonjine čari ” , ” Uski vir ” .

The house of a very unusual architectural style which belongs to the painter Ljubivoje Jovanović can be seen from the restaurant terrace.

The hot spring mineral water Visočka spa

Flowing out from the canyon and having been previously heated in the deeper layers of the ground, the water is cropping out on the surface and being mixed with the fluvial water to be cooled afterwards.
Such type of canyon spring is „ natural thermal rarities museum” , one of a kind in Serbia and ex Yugoslavia.

Particularly rare are ” suspended thermal springs ” , springs in rocks above the river channel.

The source areas are on the 600 meters above the sea level. The water temperature is around 27°C. It belongs to the category of potassium-magnesium – hydrocarbonic – oligomineral hipothermal waters. Since ancient times, the spa is famous for treating illnesses such as rheum, heart problems, mental diseases and it significantly improves, eyesight.

According to tradition, on these thermal springs, having returned from the battle of Kosovo Polje, heroes of Kosovo were healing themselves.

Serdar Mićić’ s inn

The old Duke Mićić was extremely interested in owning properties in attractive locations, as was the case with many Serbian politicians.

He also owned an inn with all the accompanying facilities surrounded by walls in Čajetina which was destroyed in the Second World War. He built the inn in Arilje because he liked spending his winters there.
At that times typical house had stables on the ground floor whereas the upper floors were intended for living. This house, however, didn’ t have stables and was the first city house in Arilje intended only for living.

Built on the plateau south – west of the church in the town’ s center as a two – story house with a second – floor porch, it laid the foundations of the town.
Compared to the wooden houses covered with straw the Duke’ s house with its size and structure resembled a real ” castle ” .

The church was burned several times but the people kept rebuilding it.

In some sources the church is reffered to as ” Haiduk Church ” , the name used for the Klisura Church monastery as well.  There is no doubt that both deserve such a name since they were a safe shelter in the times of liberation battles from the Turkish oppression, and that the monks were both the accomplicies and warriors.

Various beliefs are connected to this church. One story says that a person who come to the Religious Service and is not sinful, can walk around the church safely without falling into the gorge. If a person decides to try such an undertaking, he or she must repeat it three times. And if a sinfull person succeeds in a walking around the church without falling into the george it is befieved that his sins are forgiven.

Curiously enough the church was never fresco – painted and there are no frescoes even today.

It is assumed that it was a memorial of a ruler belonging to the Nemanjić dynasty, but there are no written data about it. It is not known who the founder was and whose relics rest in the church.

At the very entrance to the church yard there are roadside monuments as spiritual leaders of place erected in honor of the warriors who died in the First World War.

The church in Arilje

In terms of its architecture it belongs to the Raška School which marked the thirteenth century with the coherent mixture of Romanic outside dressing and Byzantine space concept.

Facade painting in the Byzantine ceil type style, the technique which included alternating rows of stone and brick, on the walls dressed in Romanic style makes the Church of St Achilles a unique thirteenth century structure in the whole Byzantine world considering the fact that there is no preserved example of any orthodox mace of worship dating from that period with the facade entirely decorated in this way.
Besides its architectural value and historical significance the church also stands out as the gallery of valuable frescoes among which the most interesting are the portraits of the rulers belonging to the Nemanjić dynasty, their relatives and all the archbishops since the foundation of the independent Serbian Church.

The most attractive are the portraits on the south part of internal narthex, the standing figures of king Dragutin the founder holding the model of the church in his hands and the fresco above the holy grave of Dragutin’ s younger son, Urošic. Being the clear document of the king’ s sponsorship and an illustration of the mutual respect ( brothers lived peacefully in the time of fresco – painting the church ) , one of the most beautiful idealized portraits is the portrait of the ruling brothers Milutin and Dragutin Nemanjić accompanied by Dragutin’ s wife, Hungarian princess Katelina.

For the first time in the history of Serbian fresco painting one new iconographic solution appears. By that time it was usual that the Mother of God or the saint protector approaches to the Christ on the throne with the founder holding the model of the temple in his hands and with his head bowed. But here in the medallion there is a reduced painting of the Son of the Lord standing in the middle of the two kings who are frontally turned and blessing them with his raised hands. The representations of these characters occupy a special place in the development of Serbian medieval portraiture.

The fresco of St Archangel Gavrilo called the Blue Angel ( The Angel of Arilje ) , which represents the elegant holy character in brilliant simple vestment is the incarnation of the idea of the Lord’ s representative of surreal beauty and magnificent kindness. The figure of archangel with his clearly expressed character, strong musculature and rich robe of a warrior is of extraordinary artistic value. It is one of the master pieces of the old Serbian painting.

The portraits of Dragutin’ s sons Vladislav and Urošic bear high historical significance and the depictions of Serpian archbishops, members of the Nemanjić dynasty and the portraits of Moravica bishops and metropolitans make one of the most important compositions of wall paintings in which important persons of Serbian history can be recognised.
The names of the authors of the frescoes in Arilje are unknown, but we do know that they come from Thessalohica. In terms of their style and ichnography, the frescoes from Arilje announce the turning point in the development of wall painting and a new style which will mark the art of painting , during the first decades of the fourteenth – century Serbia on the King Milutin’ s court.
In the temple of Arilje king Dragutin’ s younger son, prince Urošic is buried.
This fact points to the importance of the temple for the king himself and a possibility that one of the courts was located near Arilje. The thing that undoubtedly distinguishes this temple from all the other Nemanjić dynasty memorials dating from this period besides its height and lack of bell tower above the external narthex which is the feature of all bishopric centers, is the entrance on south side instead of the usual west.

Unlike other churches built by the Nemanjić in the XII and XIII century which were not cathedral temples for large number of believers, the church in Arilje had exactly that purpose and it was built on a hill top so that it could be easily visible.
During the reign of emperor Dušan and after the Serbian Patriarchate in 1346 was proclaimed, the Moravica bishopric was promoted into a Metropolitan’ s residence. Arilje Metropolitan’ s residence and monastery fraternity shared the same fate with their people and state in the horrible attack of the Turks led by Mehmed II the Conqueror of Constantinople.

The Moravica Metropolitan’ s residence revived again during the forties of the seventeenth century.
Not until 1833 will the church bells be heard again. But this time not from the Metropolitan’ s residence but from the parish church only.
The temple’ s position and its appearance even today cause in the spectator the feeling of awe, thrilling and unique.
The church of  St Achilles is pronounced cultural monument of great significance.

Coloring Easter eggs – The children’ s event organised by Municipal Committetee for the prevention of substance abuse and childrens kindergarten. Held traditionally on the Main street of ten years back. This is art workshop in wich children express their creativity in painting eggs. After organizing the exhibition of painting eggs.
At the same time to organize discussions on the topic of tradition, Christianity and the symbolish painting eggs.

The May Culture Days – The manifestation is organised by the Arilje National Library.
It is being held during the last week of May in the time of the City’ s feast ( May 28 ) in the City Gallery, Sokolski Dom and outdoors, in the center of the town. Art shows, literary and theatrical shows ( both professional and amateur ) , music shows, film projections, paintings and sculpture exhibitions are being organised.

Children’ s Theatre Festival - The manifestation is organised by the Arilje National Library. It is held on May, 21 and 22 in Arilje’ s Sokolski Dom. The representatives from all the schools from the municipality of Arilje, theatrical groups from elementary schools, highschool and Arilje Kindergarden participate in the manifestation. The jury consisting of three members evaluates the performances and individual acting talent.

Brekovo outdoor folk party - The manifestation is organised by the Arilje National Library and amateur singing group The First sunflower seed from Brekovo.
It takes place at the end of September or at the beginning of October.

It includes shows performed by male and female vocal groups, Cultural Artistic Association, brass orchestra, flutists, solists and duets.

Review of the Amateur Creative work of the Zlatibor County – Work of the Zlatibor County – the manifestation is organised by the Arilje National Library. It takes place in October in the City Gallery. It gathers large number of painters and sculptors of the Zlatibor County. The works are being collected from the month of June and are exibited in October, the best are sent to the State Review.

The Arilje Golden Pot - The manifestation is organised by The sports fishing club ” Plovak ” .

Held in the period September October Moon ten years. In the fishing and cookingfish soup competing teams from Ariije and all over Serbia.
In 2009, 14 teams participated and 9 members of the jury judged their soups.

Honey Fair - The event is organized Pčelarsko asociation ” Savo Popović ” from Arilje.

Held at the church feast Cveti, ten years back, in the town square.Organize a sales exhibition of honey and processed honey, equipment and accessories for beekeeping. Pčelarska Organization of Serbia organized the lecture.
Organized cultural program ( original vocalgroups, brass orchestras ) .

The Klisura Monastery in Dobrače is located on the left bank of the Moravica, between the rocks and mountains, 13km from Arilje on the road Arilje – Ivanjica.
The monastery got its name after the geographical location – the Moravica gorge.

The monastery was built upon the ruins of an old church and during its stormy history it was ruined and reconstructed many times. Today it is a women monastery.
The most important segment of the monastery complex is the church dedicated to the archangels Mihailo and Gavrilo. Erected in the thirteenth century and resembling Arilje bishopric church of that time.

It belongs to Raška School with emphasized dome and construction solutions. It is a single – nave basilica with semicircular altar apse to the east and a narthex to the west.

The inside of the temple is covered with frescoes and icons painted by the famous icon painters Simeon Lazović and Dimitrije Pesniković. The church also holds a collection of frescoes of different origin dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
In the process of making the portal, engravers achieved a serious progress.

The Klisura Monastery has a historical, architectural and artistic – monumental value and bears witness to the artistic creation and cultural circumstances in the south – west of Serbia.

Republic Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments Beograd put the Klisura monastery under the state protection.

Being the administrative centre of the municipality, Arilje is well connected with other big economic, cultural and administrative centres such as Užice, Čačak, Kragujevac and Beograd.
This region is rich in pure waters and attractive forest areas, which sets it amongst the cleanest and healthiest regions in Serbia. Clear mountain rivers and streams abound in pure and high – quality water, they flow across the whole teritory and are suitable for water-supply, fish breeding and their water power potential is not inconsiderable. Preserved environment enables excellent conditions for healthy food production.
Indisputable economic boom, developed energetic spirit, constant export increase, foreign trade surplus are all a result of deep-rooted tradition of private entrepreneurship. Prevailing branches are agriculture, manufacture of agricultural products, textile industry, processing of lumber, metal industry.
Arilje is most famous for its raspberry production. It is often referred to as the world’s raspberry capital. Almost everybody is involved in growing raspberries. Over 5000 small manufacturers annually produce approximately 20 million kilos of raspberries. The municipality of Arilje has the highest concentration of raspberry patches in the world and there is also the biggest cold storage plant for freezing fruit in Europe ( ” Zemljoradnička zadruga Arilje ” ) .
Textile products with the quality trade-mark ” Ariljski tekstil “ are well known not only in the region but in the whole country.

THE HISTORY OF ARILJE

The territory of the municipality has been inhabited since ancient tithes the proof of which are archeological finds of cave settlements on  the Veliki Rzav which date from Paleolithic period. The continuity of constant community dwelling continues through the Copper Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
In the first century AC the Romans occupy these regions and join them to the Dalmacija province. The location of Gradina in the village of Brekovo, where there are a fortress and a Roman road from today’ s Ivanjica to Požega through the valley of the Moravica, testifies of the times of the Roman rule. With the fall of the Roman Empire the sources of antique culture and literacy have also been destroyed and so the written data from this period remained in the total darkness.

Not by the second half of the tenth century did the regions arounh today’ s Arilje come to light. It was then that the refugees from Larissa ( Greece )brought the relics of  St Achilles to the place of today’ s church. The Greek bishop,  the great preacher of Christianity, lived in the fourth century. Today’ s Arilje ( earlier Moravice ) got its name after St Achilles and his cult is being celebrated even today as a folk holiday and City’ s  feast – May 28. Sava Nemanjlć ( 1219.) proclaimed the monasery of Arilje the center of the Moravička Bishopric which was situated on the teritory of Arilje, Užice, Valjevo and Čačak. In this place the Serbian Orthodox Bishop and later even Metropolitan held court. After the first cathedral of the bishops of Moravička was destroyed in the thirteenth century. King Stefan Dratfutin started the construction of the new cathedral on the same place.The new church was built between 1283 and 1286. The inside of the Church was fresco-painted in 1296 and the preserved remains of the frescoes originate from that period.
The fortresses Golubinjak in the village of Visoka above the Veliki Rzav and Gradina in Brekovo originate from this period of the medieval Serbia, and in the village of Bjeluša alongside the Rzav there is a plateau called Carevo polje. On one part of this plateau there is a pile of rocks which the locals call emperor’ s pile. It was believed that the army of an emperor was camping there and that it buried their inheritance under this pile of rocks. According to another belief was the army of Miroslav, Stefan Nemanja’ s brother, and they were collecting the rocks for building the monastery of Župljan. And the third belief says that Carevo polje was the gathering place of the emperor Lazar’ s army on their way to Kosovo.

During the seventeenth century, in the times of the Qreat Migration of the Serbs in 1690, because of the christians’ hard position in an enslaved Serbia, Arilje and its surroundings became deserted. During the eighteenthcentury, new settlers from eastern Hercegovina and Montenegro started inhabiting these region .

After the First and the Second Serbian Uprising, people started returning to their peaceful occupations ( farming, sheep raising, crafts and trade ) enjoying the first fruits of the freedom they fought for. As a result of the population growth, settlement around the ruins of St Achilles monastery revived. After the building of the inn of serdar Jovan Mićić the foun dations of the town were set up.
In the gloomy and changeable nineteenth century, the small settlement around the church and in its shadow, being a caravan, shelter and a road inn, developed and urbanized slowly. However, its cultural and economic growth, under the spiritual learning and because of the fact the church existed and lasted, couldn’ t be stopped. Consequently, the downtown life concentrated around the temple at first and then extended from the plateau towards the foothill and down to the rivers.
The Duke Milan Obrenović himself proclaimed Arilje a town on October 23, 1880 which was the next step in the development of Arilje and since that point building settlements and economic development have been accelerated.
After the Second World War Arilje continues its life as the county center till 1955 at which point the number of counties increases and the County of Arilje becomes a part of the newly formed County of Užice. In December 1959, the number of counties and municipalities increases and then a new municipality of Arilje is formed which functions in the same composition even today.
The beginning of the twentieth century was marked by an intensive development of handi crafts and fruit growing. Today Arilje is the city of raspberry, private economy, with tourism potential.

The Church of St Achilles was erected in the thirteenth century as the cathedral temple intended for large numbers of believers. Facade painting in the Byzantine cell type style makes the Church of St Achilles a unique thirteenth century structure in the whole Byzantine world considering the fact that there is no preserved example of any orthodox place of worship dating from that period with the facade entirely decorated in this way.
Besides its architectural value and historical significance the church also stands out as the gallery of valuable frescoes. The fresco of St Archangel Gavrilo called the Blue Angel ( The Angel of Arilje ) is one of the master pieces of the old Serbian painting.

St Nicholas church was erected in the thirteenth century in the village of Brekovo, 20km south-west of Arilje. Preserved frescoes which cover the inside wall surface of the altar space date from the first half of the seventeenth century. Monument of Aleksandar I Karađorđević in the shape of an obelisc stands in the central area of the church yard. It was erected in 1940.
St Nicholas church is under the state protection as tne Highly Important Cultural Monument.

THE OLD SCHOOL – The Old School was built in 1834. and is located in the town’s center near the church of St Achilles. During the last ten years the school has been reconstructed and is now used as the Town Gallery its main field of work being the presentation of art and other objects of museum and archeological value. Through the workshops with the town’s youth it is working on the issue of spreading literacy. The work is sometimes carried out in the collaboration with the Arilje Comission for Drug Abuse Prevention.

WATER CAVE – The entrance to this attractive water cave is on the border between villages of Brekovo and Dobrača, in the canyon of the Panjica. Numerous secrets of this natural phenomenon divers and speleologists are only about to explore.
So far, it is only an assumption that the water mass, which flows out from the cave, is a sinking river generated from several sinking springs. In the gorge of the Panjica, Josif Pančić discovered the endemic species campanula secundiflora.

Active vacation – Nearby Beaches: Urjak, Sonjine čari, Uski vir Green Beach-Vukotići, Žuta stena.

Viseći most, Šljunkara, Bosa noga (beach volleyball field, cafe, big open area for rock concerts, fly fishing).