Jeux sans frontières (Games Without Borders) was a very popular television game show in Europe during the 20th-century. Every year, a different city hosted the games and in 1990, Vrnjačka Banja played host to the show.

The mascot for these games was the Vrabac Gočko (Gočko The Sparrow) and this statue was erected to decorate the Vrnjačka Banja promenade. It eventually became the most well-known symbol of the spa-town and for much of Serbia.

The statue is a popular tourist destination for capturing a souvenir photo. Gočko is named after the Goč mountain which is located near Vrnjačka Banja. The statue also sports a traditional šajkača and opanci. Vrabac Gočko is the most popular souvenir in Vrnjačka Banja. The mascot can be found in stores and gift shops as, figurines, refrigerator magnets, t-shirts, cups, postcards, and much more.