National Museum in Valjevo | Museums in Serbia

National Museum in Valjevo is dedicated to preserving and promoting the material heritage of the Valjevo region. It was founded in 1951 and for over seven decades, it has been safeguarding the historical and cultural values of Valjevo and its surroundings.

Once an elementary school and gymnasium, and later a hospital during World War I, it has now transformed into a modern museum and one of the most significant tourist attractions in Valjevo. The permanent exhibition of the National Museum for the 21st century, titled "The Third Dimension of the Past - A View from the Future," recalls bygone eras and reveals the history of this part of Serbia.

During the time of the "old" Yugoslavia, the National Museum in Valjevo was one of the most important cultural institutions, and its accelerated development continued during the 1970s and 1980s.

The first exhibition was displayed in the Muselim's Konak, which is now part of the National Museum, and it consisted of several sections: Antiquity, National Liberation Struggle, and People's Construction.

The Antiquity department at that time exhibited only 70 artifacts, while 150 items represented the National Liberation Struggle, and 30 objects depicted People's Construction. As the museum developed, the space became insufficient, so the Valjevo cultural institution acquired another building. Today, it houses over 50,000 exhibits.

The basement of Muselim's Konak is now home to a permanent exhibition called "The Beheading of the Princes," while the main museum building showcases a permanent exhibition for the 21st century.

A part of the Valjevo museum's permanent exhibition focuses on World War II. In addition to artifacts, the museum display includes narration and encompasses all participants of World War II. The Valjevo museum stands out from the rest because it is the first in Serbia to provide such a narrative to its visitors. Two seemingly different but interconnected exhibitions present Valjevo during World War II and the city's development after the war. Symbols and emblems of all participants in the war, including Chetniks, Partisans, Germans, Communists, Fascists, and the Exiled Government, are accessible to the public.

The oldest preserved building in Valjevo is indeed Muselim's Konak. In the basement of the konak, Ilija Birčanin and Aleksa Nenadović were imprisoned at the beginning of the 19th century before being taken to the gallows. Today, Muselim's Konak hosts an exhibition dedicated to the First and Second Serbian Uprisings in this part of Serbia.

For military purposes in 1813, Duke Jakov Nenadović built the Nenadović Tower, which is also part of the National Museum in Valjevo. After being conquered by the Turks, it became a prison, and after liberation from the Turks, the tower was restored and is now under state protection. It houses a permanent museum exhibition, and this cultural and historical monument represents an important symbol of the city.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 am to 5:30 pm, and on Sundays from 10 am to 2:30 pm. The ticket price for the National Museum and Muselim's Konak is 190 dinars, while the ticket for Nenadović Tower is 170 dinars.