We usually visit Serbia because of the tasty food and good music, and not so much because of natural or historical landmarks. After all, Serbia and Slovenia were part of Yugoslavia until 1991, so both nations have a shared past, and the comprehension of the Serbian language only adds to the mutual goodwill. Belgrade is undoubtedly the most frequently chosen destination, but we also like to stop in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. The country’s south remains an unknown frontier that is seldom visited by tourists. It was largely an undiscovered area for me as well until August 2019 when I went on a road trip across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and ended up in southern Serbia as part of my journey.
Even though it’s possible to travel to Niš, Serbia’s third largest city with an approximate population of 200,000, by plane, I hit the road in a car. My route took me through Croatia and past Belgrade where, after an about ten-hour drive, I found myself in Niš, the capital of the Serbian south and one of the country’s economic centres. The greatest cultural and natural landmark of the city by the Nišava River, after which it was named, is the Niš Fortress whose current appearance originates in the 18th century when the Ottomans built a fort on top of the old ruins. The Romans created the first settlement in this place in as early as the 2nd century. The importance of Niš in the ancient times is evidenced by the fact that the city was the birthplace of many Roman emperors, among which was also Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor who recognised Christianity as an official religion of the Roman Empire. Two kilometres long, eight metres high and three metres wide, the fortress walls serve as a background for the famous Nišville, an international jazz festival that takes place in August. The walls offer a beautiful view of the nearby main square and a large part of the city. There are numerous cafés lined along the streets, the most famous of which is Kopitareva street, also known as Kazandžijsko sokače, since it was once the street of kazandžije or artisans. It’s now the only early 18th-century remnant of the old Niš, along with the fortress.
A must stop for tourists is Ćele kula or Skull Tower. After the unsuccessful first Serbian uprising in 1809, the Ottomans built a tower using the skulls of the rebels who tried to free Niš as a warning. The Serbian south was under the Ottoman rule for about 400 years and only became part of the Kingdom of Serbia in 1878. The tower reaches up 4.5 metres and was initially comprised of 952 skulls lined in 14 rows on all four sides. Today, most skulls have been lost and only 58 remain. In 1892, a chapel was built over the tower and it’s now regarded as a symbol of the fight for liberation from the Ottoman occupation. Holders of the PRESS card can visit this morbid landmark for free, although the entrance fee really isn’t expensive.
Ten kilometres east from Niš, by the road that connects the city to Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, one can find a famous spa resort called Niška Banja. It’s one of the spa-tourism centres in Serbia, though it has seen better days. The large park with a canal of warm thermal water is well maintained and is bordered by the Radon Hotel and other spa buildings which, however, are in need of renovation. The third most famous spa resort in Serbia is well known for its warm and radioactive water that contains radon and aids in treating cardiovascular and rheumatic diseases.
We’re now familiar with Niš and the surroundings, and in the second part we’ll explore other places in southern Serbia. Come and join us when we continue in the next issue of Globetrotter.
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