Niš (Serbian: Ниш, pronounced: 'neesh') is a city in Serbia. The administrative centre of the Nišava District, it's a must-see historical city for any traveller passing through on their way to Greece or the Middle East.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Niš is an important crossroads between Central Europe and the Middle East, and assumes the central position in the Balkan peninsula, surrounded by a number of mountains, two rivers, two beautiful gorges, and numerous sites of historical importance from various periods in Niš Valley. Some approximate distances: Niš - Belgrade 240 km, Niš - Sofia 150 km, Niš - Skopje 200 km, Niš - Thessaloniki - 400 km. The streets of this university city with 1/4 million residents are buzzing with life. The Niš Tourist Organization has two tourist information centres and a website. In the tourist information centres one can get information related to tourism in Niš.
Downtown area is easily accessible on foot from the bus or train stations, and most hotels and hostels. For a walk across the whole city in any direction, be prepared to spend at least two or three hours. Niš is in a small valley, but is surrounded by hills. It is not as bad as in Belgrade, whose central part virtually lies on a number of hills, but in Niš, too, as soon as you get away from broader downtown area, you may find yourself climbing. Niš has well-established bus lines.
Niš is packed with historical sites worth visiting, dating from various periods. 1 Skull Tower (Cele kula). Skull Tower was built in the 19th century by the Turks from the skulls of the Serbs killed in the battle of Cegar, near Nis, in May 1809. It is rectangular, about 3 m (9.8 ft) high and was built from quicklime, sand and the skinned skulls, upon the order of Khurshid Pasha who had first sent the skulls filled with cotton to the Sultan in Istanbul. Each side of the tower has 14 rows with 17 openings where the skulls were embedded. There were 952 skulls, but today only 58 have remained. The rest were pulled out to be buried or were lost in time.
Football: FK Radnički Niš play soccer in SuperLiga, Serbia's top tier. Their home ground is Čair Stadium (capacity 18,000) 1 km southeast of town centre. Nisville international jazz festival is held every August on the Summer Stage of the Fortress. With numerous international participants, it has been the trademark of the city since the 1990s. Nis Choral Festival is an international festival of choral music, held on the Summer Stage biennially (in July). Nis Acting Festival is an international festival of film-acting, once the biggest film festival in the former Yugoslavia (along with the Pula festival in Croatia), with an international reputation.
Niš is a food paradise. It is said that Niš produces the best burek, a sort of greasy, phyllo dough pastry filled with cheese or ground meat that is popular throughout the Balkan peninsula. It resembles a cheese pie, but contains more fat and has stronger flavour. Also, by general consent, it is much more delicious. Some vendors sell other varieties such as apple, spinach or pizza burek (frequently just a combination between the meat and cheese Burek). Traditionally, you eat burek with yoghurt. The Shopska salad is another phenomenal, yet simple, dish to be found in Niš.
Tap water is drinkable in Niš. Locals like to boast that, in addition to Vienna, Niš has the best water in central and southeast Europe. Although this claim can probably be contested, the water from the central supply system is drunk by most residents. More cautious visitors are advised to buy bottled water in any shop: a variety of brands are available, and Serbian mineral waters are very good, especially Knjaz Miloš, Vlasinska Rosa, Mivela and Heba. You can also try Jamnica and Jana which are imported from Croatia. There is a throng of cafes in downtown Niš, most of which serve various coffee drinks, beers and liquors. Some specialty bars serve a more limited scope of beverages.
Nis is a very safe city. In summer months, even late into the night, you will see people walking through its streets with no fear whatsoever. In winter months, late at night, and in suburban areas, some reasonable caution is warranted. As with any other travel, keep your money, cell phones, travel documents and other valuables in secure places. As a pedestrian, follow regulations, including zebra crossings and green lights, even when you see locals ignoring them, as traffic wardens may jump out of nowhere and fine you. In case of an emergency, call 192 (police), 193 (fire), 194 (ambulance) or the European standard 112. In case of injury or illness, the place to go is the Hitna Pomoc (Emer…
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Nis typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 4 rainy days.
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