The National Library in Vrnjačka Banja has a history of almost 100 years and takes us back to the time when the “Šucin paviljon” restaurant had a reading room. The reading room was a gathering place for both the townsmen and the visitors of Vrnjačka Banja, who could read the daily press and discuss current events from the country and the world.
This affection of Vrnjačka Banja towards culture and art has been preserved until today.
The public library has come a long way since then. It is located on the Vrnjačka promenade, just below the Culture Square, you can hardly miss it when coming to Vrnjačka Banja. The building, which was once a villa, has retained its appearance from the period of the first half of the 20th century. The reading rooms are spacious and furnished in the spirit of the entire building. The library has more than 40,000 titles that are available to everyone.
The friendly library staff, which is there for you and because of you, is in charge of the pleasant atmosphere and will help you choose the right reading material. In addition to numerous world and domestic literature titles, there is also daily and periodical press, as well as scientific and cultural journals available.
The library is named after Dr. Dušan Radić (1892-1938), a physician and writer who spent his entire working life in Vrnjačka Banja. The “gentle doctor,” as he was called, treated people both with medications and his friendly approach. They say that he treated the poor for free, and to some he even gave money for medicines.
There are still anecdotes retold about his attitude towards patients. As a writer, he wrote about the poor, the sick, people from Goč, Jastrebac, Kopaonik, about Moravian and Rasina peasants, and used the language and speech of the region in his writing. Five collections count 109 stories from rural life and the life of the Serbian province. In 1937, the Serbian Literary Association published novel The Village. That he was a special man is also shown by the fact that he was an excellent violinist and violist, and that he composed, played and conducted an orchestra. He tried to pass on his love for music to his children and the youth of Vrnjačka Banja.
The library organizes many cultural events such as literary evenings, book promotions, etc. We must emphasize that the library can issue a special membership card for spa guests, so they can enjoy the beauty of the written word without having to take annual membership card. If you are a lover of literature, “Dr Dušan Radić” library allows you to enjoy millions of pages waiting to find their way to curious readers in the beautiful spa ambience.
Times change, but memories stay.
The history of the use of Vrnjačka Banja mineral waters dates back to the ancient past …
