Gornji Stepos

Gornji Stepoš (Upper Stepoš) sits in the Kruševac municipality within central Serbia's Rasina District. The village pairs with Donji Stepoš (Lower Stepoš, population 345 in 2002), following the ubiquitous Serbian pattern where settlements along valley gradients split into upper and lower sections as population growth exceeded single-village carrying capacity.

Kruševac holds exceptional significance in Serbian history—it served as the capital of medieval Serbia under Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, who died at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Villages throughout the Kruševac municipality, including Gornji Stepoš, occupy land that formed part of the medieval Serbian heartland before Ottoman conquest transformed regional demographics and settlement patterns.

With approximately 832 residents as of the 2002 census, Gornji Stepoš maintains a population density more than double its lower counterpart, suggesting the upper village captured more favorable agricultural conditions or better defensive positioning during historical settlement periods. The Kruševac area has developed a mixed economy combining agriculture with industry, though rural villages like Gornji Stepoš remain primarily agricultural. By 2026, the village will continue its demographic trajectory common to Serbian rural settlements—gradual population decline as younger residents migrate to Kruševac, Belgrade, or abroad—while its proximity to the municipal center offers some buffer against complete depopulation.