Niš

Niš has been a crossing point for as long as there have been roads here, on the route between central Europe and Constantinople, and Constantine the Great was born in the city in 272. The fortress on the north bank of the Nišava is Ottoman, built in the early eighteenth century on older foundations, and its walls enclose a park with a hammam, a mosque and an arsenal, entered through a fine stone gate; it functions as the city's public space. Around it are the pedestrian centre and Kazandžijsko Sokače, a lane of kafanas where Niš grilled meat and live music run late. The Mediana site on the edge of town preserves a late-Roman imperial villa with mosaics. Nišville, an established jazz festival, fills the fortress each August.

History

The Romans made Naissus a municipium in 169 AD, and Constantine the Great, born there, turned it from a middle-sized town into a large city with many public buildings; in 364 the emperors Valentinian and Valens divided the empire at the nearby villa of Mediana. Several other emperors, Constantius III and Justin I among them, were born in the city or ruled from it (Wikipedia, Niš).

What's there

• The fortress - Ottoman walls and gate enclosing a public park.
• Kazandžijsko Sokače - the kafana lane with grills and live music.
• The pedestrian centre - the walking streets and squares of the city.
• Nišville - the jazz festival held inside the fortress in August.

When to go

April to October; August for the jazz festival, which books out the city. Summer is hot in the valley. Spring and autumn are pleasant and quieter. The fortress park is open year round.

Before you go

The city is workaday and parts are shabby; it is not a polished tourist destination. Inside the fortress relatively little is restored or interpreted. Summer heat is significant. The kafana lane is loud into the small hours, which matters when choosing accommodation.

Nearby

Mediana is on the city edge; Sićevo gorge lies east.

Key facts