Bolec

Boleč exists because the Bolečica river carries healing water—or so its name claims. The village 17 kilometers east of Belgrade takes its name from the stream that flows through it, derived from "bol" (pain) and "ležiti" (to cure): the water that heals. Whether the folk etymology reflects actual mineral properties or simply the relief of finding water in agricultural land, the name stuck. A Roman bust of Emperor Macrinus (217-218 AD) found here confirms that settlement logic predates the Serbian language.

The late 19th century brought the identity that persists: fruit growing. The microclimate east of Belgrade proved perfect for apples, peaches, apricots, plums, and grapevines. Boleč, Ritopek, Zaklopača, and their neighbors earned the nickname "Serbian California" or "Little California"—a fruit belt stretching toward Smederevo. PKB's fruit plantations and refrigerators remain the only large enterprise; the economy otherwise rests on hundreds of small companies that emerged in the 1980s privatization boom.

Population growth has been continuous for decades. Refugees swelled the settlement in the 1970s; suburban expansion connected Boleč to Ritopek, Vinča, and Leštane in one continuous built-up area reaching Belgrade. By 2026, the question is whether the fruit orchards that made this place "California" can survive the urban pressure that suburban Belgrade exerts—or whether the healing water becomes just another creek in another commuter suburb.