Experience the best of Niš

Niš lies on the Nišava river in a wide basin, and it has been a settlement since antiquity. The Ottoman fortress on the riverbank still has its walls and gates, and the Skull Tower, a monument built in 1809 from the skulls of Serbian rebels as a warning, stands in a small chapel on the edge of the city. The airport is named for Constantine the Great.

Mediana, a Roman imperial residence on the edge of the city, has the remains of palaces and baths. The Sićevo Gorge, cut by the Nišava, lies close by, and Suva Planina, a long mountain range, rises beyond it.

Serbian food in Niš is grilled: ćevapi and roštilj, with kajmak, a creamy dairy spread, and pljeskavica, a large grilled patty. Šljivovica, the plum brandy, is the drink of choice. The Nišville jazz festival in summer draws crowds. Winters are cold and summers hot, so the mild shoulder months suit a visit best.