We spent 4 days in Serbia during our Balkan Road Trip, arriving from Croatia in the north west and continuing to North Macedonia in the south east. Our route took us through Serbia’s three largest cities; Novi Sad, Belgrade and Niš, which we spent 24 hours exploring.
How to get to Niš
We drove to Niš from Belgrade, some 150 miles away. Niš is well connected by road and rail. It has its own airport, Constantine the Great Airport, with flights to some other European countries including Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The airport is located 3 miles north of the city, reached via buses No 34A/34B. Alternatively, it is around 157 miles from the country’s main airport in Belgrade.
Getting around Niš
Niš is best explored on foot, with most of the main attractions fairly close together. The exception is Bubanj Park, which is around 2 miles south west of town. We drove there the morning after visiting Niš, en route for Skopje. Alternatively, bus No 8 stops opposite the car park.
Where to stay in Niš
We stayed at Hotel Sole; a boutique hotel in the heart of the city. It’s modern, clean and comfortable with free Wi-Fi and a buffet breakfast.
Niš in 1 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | King Milan Square Niš Fortress Bali-Bey Mosque Nišville Jazz Museum Red Cross Concentration Camp Tinkers’ Alley Dinner at Kafana Galija Accommodation: Hotel Sole |
| Bubanj Memorial Park |
Niš Day 1
It’s our last day before dropping the hire car back in Skopje. We are breaking the journey in Niš, which is approximately mid way between Belgrade and Skopje. Niš has 3 very diverse tourist attractions; the 4th century Roman Palace of Constantine the Great, an 18th century Turkish Fortress and a 20th century Nazi Concentration Camp.
King Milan Square
We start our visit to Niš in the heart of the old town; King Milan Square with its striking Monument to the Liberators of Niš taking centre stage.
Niš Fortress
From here, you can cross the river to Niš Fortress. Although the fortress was built by the Turks in the 18th century, there have been forts on this site since Roman times. The grounds now house the City Park; a mixture of the things you’d expect to find in park, but every now and then, the remains of a Roman Bath House or an Ottoman Mosque.
Bali-Bey Mosque
The 6th Century Bali-Bey Mosque can be found inside the Fortress grounds.
Nišville Jazz Museum
On our walk, we stumble upon the Nišville Jazz Museum, which contains quirky mementos of the city’s annual jazz festival.
The museum is open daily except Mondays from 10 am until 8 pm. Entry costs €1. There is also a nice little gift shop if you fancy a Nišville souvenir.
Red Cross Concentration Camp
Just north of the Fortress is the Red Cross Concentration Camp. The Niš Camp was like other Nazi Concentration camps in most ways. Two slight differences; firstly it was the only camp where prisoners attempted a mass breakout.
Secondly, the local partisans fought hard against the Nazis, who implement a quota that for every one German killed, one hundred locals would die (with 50 executed for every German injured). Thus, the Camp served as a holding area for victims to fulfil this quota. These men, women and children were then taken to nearby Bubanj Hill and slaughtered in their thousands.
Tinkers’ Alley
We walk back into town and city’s main pedestrian boulevard, Obrenovićeva. This runs south from the fortress, to an area known as Tinkers’ Alley, which is lined with shops and restaurants with the occasional quirky sculpture.
Dinner at Kafana Galija
We complete our afternoon in Niš with our last Serbian meal – peppers stuffed with cheese, and of course, sausage at Kafana Galija.
Accommodation: Hotel Sole
Tonight’s accommodation is at Hotel Sole. It’s clean, modern and conveniently located, just a 10 minute walk from the main square.
Bubanj Memorial Park
On the way out of Niš, we stop at Bubanj Hill, site of the aforementioned retaliatory slaughter of thousands of Yugoslavs by the Nazis. Here, you can now visit Bubanj Memorial Park, with its three huge defiant fist sculptures sitting on the hillside.
- Trip taken: October 2018
- Updated: October 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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