Pronounced ‘knee-sh’. Emperor Constantine the Great was born in Niš…though the exact location isn’t really known, though there is a villa outside town he had built.
The city is checkered with bits of Roman, Ottoman, Austrian, Nazi, and communist history. Then there were the civil wars that came after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Regardless of its tumultuous past, the city is a college town with a mix of history and modern infrastructure.
Nav:
The largest attraction is Niš Fortress. The grounds are free to explore. With buildings like a mosque, art museum, powder magazine, and gardens (some of which have limited hours and admission charges).
Niš Fortress. Built by Romans…modified by occupying forces since. This is the Ottoman version. A Turkish hammam / bathhouse turned jazz museum. A monument to Constantine the Great. First Roman Emperor to make Christianity acceptable within the empire.Monument to the Liberators of NišUniversity of NišJKP Tržnica Market. Fruit, veg, cigarettes, clothes. It’s all here. The Red Cross Nazi Concentration Camp. It was setup next door to the Red Cross office, who provided what aid they could to prisoners.Cells, including solitary confinement with barbed wire on the floor. A monument to several Jewish and Serbian resistance fighters who were executed on-site. Most were sent to the Mount Bubjan site for execution alongside open graves. Nazis burned the records when fleeing the site so the true number of the dead may never be known.
Nosh:
Crazy Horse Irish Pub. Not much Irish about it but the food and service were spot on. Went twice in three days. Free WiFi and a good online menu with photos of each dish.
Tender pork ribs at Crazy Horse. Tasty and enough food for two. Black Burger…beef, pancetta, caramelized onion.
Nip:
Pivo is beer in the part of the world. Now you know what to look for. You’re welcome.
