Isolation cells at "Red Cross Concentration Camp"

Historic sites, Markets, Transportation and Delicious food in Niš, Serbia

Why I fell in love with Niš, Serbia

Niš, located in the southern region of Serbia is the 3rd largest city and quickly became my favorite. Upon meeting our apartment's host he told us that in Niš we would feel the true hospitality of the Serbian people and I believe he was right! Everyone was so friendly and welcomed us like family. Now I will say that in every city in Serbia the people were friendly, always stepping in to help us with directions and the busses, but Niš just felt like coming home. The smaller city and slower pace of things made me feel like “Yes, I could live here.” If you can, I would definitely recommend putting Niš on your itinerary when you visit Serbia!

A Nazi Concentration Camp, an Ottoman Skull Tower and other interesting sites in Niš, Serbia

Skull Tower: Skull Tower was constructed by the Ottomans after the battle of Cegar during the first Serbian uprising in 1809. Knowing that he and his fighters would be impaled if captured, Stevan Sindjelic detonated a powder magazine within the rebel entrenchment, killing himself, his subordinates and the encroaching Ottoman soldiers. The Ottomans built the tower to instill fear, but instead the tower became a symbol of love and freedom and an eternal memorial honoring the heroes of Cegar. If you are a bone and history lover as I am then this should definitely be on your list, but if human remains are not something you like to see then it might be best to skip this one as the tower still has many real human skulls embedded in it. The tower is small so it makes a great filler stop and tickets cost 300 RDS PP ($2.99USD)

Fortress of Niš: The present day fortress was built in the early 1700s and built atop the ruins of many previous fortresses. You can enter at the impressive Stamboy Gate where you can see the amazing fortification. Entrance into the fortress is free and the inside has been turned into a public park with a few shops.

Church of the Resurrection of Christ Црква Васкрсења Христовог (Хиландарски метох у Нишу): A small Serbian Orthodox Church located just a few kilometers from downtown. The church was established in 2007 and is dedicated to the resurrection of Christ. Inside you will find beautiful mosaics and frescos.

Outdoor Market: Located just a few minutes walking from our apartment this is where we did most of our shopping. I couldn't find the name of the market, but it is located HERE. While smaller in size compared to some of the other markets in Serbia it still has everything you need, from produce to clothes and everything in between. There is even an egg vendor that sells several different egg sizes by quantity. My favorite thing about these markets in Serbia is how laid back they are. Sure, a vendor will try to get you to their stall, but it's subtle and I appreciate that. There is also a free toilet here, though I didn’t use it.

Park Niska Banja: We took bus #1 about 20 from Nis to the small village of Niska Banja so we could do some hiking. The town is cute with many small vendors selling various items including honey, knittings and woodworks. The hiking trail we were on was in excellent shape the whole four miles we took it. The lower portion of the trail was done with pavers, making it more accessible! You could easily spend a few leisurely days here exploring, but if you are tight on time like we were, I definitely recommend coming by for the afternoon.

Nazi Concentration Camp "Red Cross”: This was not an easy place to visit, but one I felt we must. As George Santayana said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". It's easy to forget that places like this existed only 80 years ago. It was used to hold Serbs, Jews, Roma's and anti-fascists. In the 3 years it was opened it imprisoned 30,000-35,000 people and 10,000 were executed. It's hard to grasp such evil existing and being allowed to continue for so long. There is a free bathroom there and the entry cost 150 RDS ($1.49USD)

The isolation cells

A prisoner uniform

The outside of the main building where the prisoners were held

Green Market: A large outdoor market located near the main bus station. This market is larger than the one next to our apartment but has similar items. The prices were slightly cheaper probably due to the competition. Definitely worth a stop to see all the delicious produce and to check out the street stalls nearby.

Delta Planet: A modern two story mall that was the first of its kind in Serbia. Honestly the outside aesthetics of the mall are quite impressive and the mall itself has everything you could need! Even if you're not a mall shopper it's worth the stop to see the beautiful building!

Delicious chicken sandwiches in Niš, Serbia

3M FOOD Bulevar: We stopped here for a late lunch because the food in the window looked good! We both got the stuffed chicken thighs with cheese, it was delicious. There are many toppings to choose from and seating around the side. While we were there we met another person from America! He had moved there 3 years ago after visiting and said we are the first Americans he's ever seen! I can definitely see why he moved here, it's a special place.

Kod Ujche, Лесковачки роштиљ КОД УЈЧЕ БРЕ: We stopped here for lunch after exploring in the morning. I could smell the delicious food from a block away. These grill places became my favorite big, quick lunch in Serbia. This sandwich was chicken thighs stuffed with cheese and ham on a delicious bun and the vendors have different toppings you can choose. We chose onion, spicy clotted cream, clotted cream with cucumbers and pickled chili's. It was so delicious and filling! On days we have this I either skip dinner or just have a salad, it's that filling! This one cost 400 RSD ($4.00 USD).

While in Niš we took advantage of the nice kitchen we had and made most of our own meals. There is a ton more food to try in Niš, Serbia and I hope next time we can, but honestly I still miss these chicken sandwiches.

Where we stayed in Niš, Serbia

Comfy Studio-1 minute walk to Delta Planet: This was one of my favorite apartments. At about 35 m2 (376ft²) it was one of our largest and also well laid out with enough room for us to work out. The kitchen had everything we needed to make delicious meals and the convection oven was definitely a plus. My favorite part about this apartment was the balcony. I had coffee on it every morning and tea in the afternoon. Its location worked well for us being a short walk from the Green Market and other grocery stores and a short bus ride from the heart of downtown. We stayed for 4 nights which cost €93 Euros ($108 USD)

Tips for travling in Niš, Serbia

Public Transportation: The buses in Nis are free and easy to use!

Getting around: We used Google maps for walking directions as well as for the bus and found it was pretty accurate except on the weekends when the schedules changed. Check the info at the bus stops to see what busses are running that day.

Language: Google translate works really well on both writen and spoken Serbian

Is Niš pedestrian friendly? YES! We walked mostly everywhere, there are plenty of sidewalks and crosswalks to get you where you want to go.

Public toilets: Toilets are available at restaurants and parks

Getting to Niš from Belgrade, Serbia

Finally on the right bus. You can see the exhaustion on our faces.

Niš Ekspres: The bus we almost missed! The address on the tickets we purchased online had the old bus station address listed. We arrived at a lot that looked like it was being converted into condos. A quick Google search gave us an address that it said was the correct new station so we hopped on another bus and went there. It was wrong. Thankfully a wonderful woman saw the fear in our eyes and asked where we were headed, fortunately we were not far and could walk! With only 10 minutes to spare we made it to the platform gate! Then we were told we had to go inside and buy a platform ticket!🤯 (this is not included in the bus tickets you buy online) An additional 300 RSD PP. ( $2.98USD). We got to the bus right as they were closing the luggage doors! Thankfully we ended up leaving our rental 40 mins early or we never would have made it. The bus itself was comfortable with lots of leg room, but no bathrooms which is kind of a pain on a 3-4hr bus ride. The actual location of the new bus station is HERE. Arrive early enough to buy a platform ticket as there was a line, but thankfully with the aid of Google translate we were able to ask people if we could skip ahead because our bus was leaving in 5 minutes. Our tickets for the Niš Ekspres cost 1520 RSD ($15.12USD) PP.

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