Svilajnac has always been a famous trade and craft town. Today it is a municipal center in the fertile Resava and Moravian valleys. As an important industrial center of Serbia, it has retained the spirit of the old times and with the development of crafts and trade, numerous catering establishments have sprung up in the city. Even today, catering establishments are arranged and adapted to the clientele. Svilajnac was first mentioned in 1467 "as a village with 30 houses". It is believed that the place got its name because its inhabitants were engaged in breeding silkworms and producing silk.