Serbia
Nis
Constantine the Great's birthplace, with an Ottoman fortress and the Skull Tower.
Nis is Serbia's third city and the hub of the south, a crossroads on the road to Sofia, Skopje and Istanbul since it was Roman Naissus, the birthplace of Constantine the Great. An Ottoman fortress sits on the Nisava opposite a pedestrian centre of cafe terraces, and the Skull Tower, built from the skulls of Serbian rebels in 1809, is the city's most famous sight. It is unpolished, inexpensive and known across Serbia for its grill.
Suggested stay
1–3 days
Language
Serbian
Currency
RSD
Timezone
UTC+2
Why you'll love Nis
Roman roots Constantine the Great was born in Naissus, and the remains of the imperial villa at Mediana lie on the city's edge
The fortress Ottoman walls, gates and shady parkland on the Nisava, one bridge from the main square
The grill southern Serbia's barbecue tradition, served in kafanas with live music late into the night
Gorges and spas the Sicevo Gorge and the thermal town of Niska Banja are a short drive east
Best time to visit
Mar-Oct
14-31° days
43.316° N, 21.921° E
UTC+2 · Europe/Belgrade
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Weather & when to go to Nis
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Mar-Oct
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Nis
December and January are cold and often grey, and the fortress park and riverside terraces are at their quietest. The rest of the year suits a visit, and summer evenings bring outdoor concerts and festivals inside the fortress walls.
Top things to do in Nis
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Nis Fortress - Ottoman walls on the Nisava
history 👍 PopularBuilt by the Ottomans in the early 18th century on Roman and Byzantine foundations, the fortress is entered through the Stambol Gate from the bridge. Inside are parkland, Roman remains, a hammam and a 16th-century mosque used as a gallery, plus a summer stage.
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Skull Tower - the Cele Kula memorial
history ⭐ Highly recommendedAfter the Battle of Cegar in 1809, the Ottoman commander had a tower built from the skulls of fallen Serbian rebels. A chapel was built around it in the 1890s, and a few dozen skulls remain set in the walls.
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Mediana - Constantine's imperial villa
history 👍 PopularOn the eastern edge of the city lie the remains of a 4th-century Roman residential estate linked to Constantine the Great, with foundations, baths and floor mosaics across an open site.
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Kazandzijsko Sokace and Obrenoviceva Street
culture arts food 👍 PopularThe old coppersmiths' lane by King Milan Square is now a short strip of cafes and bars, and Obrenoviceva, the pedestrian main street, runs south from the square with the Liberators of Nis monument at its head.
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Crveni Krst - the WWII concentration camp
historyA preserved Nazi camp near the bus station, with its barracks and watchtowers kept as a museum. It is known for a mass breakout by prisoners in 1942.
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Bubanj Memorial Park - the three fists
history culture artsA wooded hill on the south-western edge of the city, where three giant concrete fists mark a WWII execution site. It is one of the best-known Yugoslav-era monuments in Serbia.
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Southern Serbian grill in the kafanas
food nightlife musicOrder pljeskavica, cevapi and mixed grill with ajvar, kajmak and shopska salad, ideally in a traditional kafana with a live band. Kopitareva Street, near the river, is lined with them.
Best areas to stay in Nis
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
City Centre
First-time visitors $$Pedestrian streets and cafe terraces
Explore hotels in City Centre →
Fortress side
Coach travellers $North bank by the fortress park
Explore hotels in Fortress side →
Niska Banja
Spa and slow travel $$Quiet thermal spa town
Explore hotels in Niska Banja →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Nis
Getting to & around Nis
Getting there
Fly into Nis's own airport just outside the city, or into Belgrade and continue about 3 hr by coach
Flight
Nis Constantine the Great Airport (INI)
The airport sits just north-west of the city, with low-cost flights from across Europe; a taxi or city bus reaches the centre in around 15 min.
Coach
Nis bus station
Frequent coaches from Belgrade take about 3 hr on the motorway, with international routes from Sofia and Skopje; the station is beside the fortress
Train
Nis railway station
Trains run from Belgrade and east towards Sofia but are generally slower than the coach; the station is a short taxi ride from the centre
Drive
The A1 motorway links Nis with Belgrade to the north and splits south towards Skopje and east towards Sofia
Getting around
Walking
The fortress, King Milan Square, Obrenoviceva and the Skull Tower area are all walkable from the centre
Free
City bus
Useful for Mediana, Niska Banja and the railway station
TBC
Taxi
Plentiful and inexpensive; use a marked company taxi or have one called
TBC
Car hire
The easiest way to reach Felix Romuliana, Devil's Town and the gorges
TBC
Day trips from Nis
Sicevo Gorge
Half dayRiver gorge
The Nisava cuts a deep limestone gorge east of the city, with viewpoints and hiking trails above the river and old villages along the road.
Getting there
car
About 30 min by car east
Niska Banja and Jelasnica Gorge
Half daySpa town and gorge
Soak in the thermal spa town east of Nis, then walk into the narrow cliffs of the nearby Jelasnica Gorge nature reserve.
Getting there
bus | car
About 20 min by bus or car
Felix Romuliana
Full dayRoman imperial palace
The UNESCO-listed palace complex Emperor Galerius built near his birthplace at Gamzigrad, with walls, towers, temples and mosaics.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr by car via Zajecar
Devil's Town
Full dayEarth pyramids
Over 200 tall earth pillars capped with stones stand on a hillside in the Radan mountains, beside springs of highly mineralised red water.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr by car via Kursumlija
Caricin Grad
Half dayByzantine ruined city
The ruins of Justiniana Prima, the 6th-century city Emperor Justinian founded near his birthplace, with basilicas, streets and an acropolis on a quiet hill.
Getting there
car
About 1 hr by car via Lebane
A little history of Nis
As Naissus, Nis was a Roman military and road town on the route to Constantinople, and Constantine the Great was born here in the 3rd century; Mediana was a later imperial residence. The Huns sacked the city in 441, and in 1189 the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja received Emperor Frederick Barbarossa here during the Third Crusade.
The Ottomans held Nis for most of five centuries and built the present fortress in the 1720s. In 1809 the Skull Tower was raised after the Battle of Cegar, and in 1878 the city joined the Principality of Serbia. It served as Serbia's wartime capital in 1914-15, and in WWII the occupiers ran the Crveni Krst camp here. Today it is Serbia's third-largest city and a university town.
Constantine the Great is born in Roman Naissus
The Huns sack Naissus
Stefan Nemanja receives Frederick Barbarossa during the Third Crusade
Ottoman forces under Sultan Murad I take Nis
The Ottomans build the present Nis Fortress
Battle of Cegar; the Skull Tower is built
Nis becomes part of the Principality of Serbia
The Serbian government moves to Nis as wartime capital
Prisoners stage a mass breakout from the Crveni Krst camp
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+381
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Nis
▸ When is the best time to visit Nis?
March to October has the best weather for the fortress, the Roman sites and the cafe terraces, and summer evenings bring concerts inside the fortress. December and January are cold and often grey.
▸ How many days do you need in Nis?
One full day covers the fortress, the Skull Tower, Mediana and the centre. Stay two or three to add the Sicevo Gorge, Niska Banja or a longer trip to Felix Romuliana or Devil's Town.
▸ Is Nis worth a stop between Belgrade and Sofia or Skopje?
Yes. It sits right on the motorway and rail corridor where the routes to Bulgaria and North Macedonia split, so a night here breaks a long journey and adds Roman and Ottoman history plus some of Serbia's best grill.
▸ Which airport should I fly into for Nis?
Nis has its own airport just outside the city, served mainly by low-cost airlines. Belgrade has far more routes, and frequent coaches cover the trip south in about 3 hr.
▸ Is Nis expensive?
No. Eating, drinking and staying are noticeably cheaper than in Belgrade, and grill meals in the kafanas are generous.