While we did manage to visit the capitals of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, we already knew during our initial route planning that Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, wasn't exactly on our way. Yet, we still wanted to visit at least one of the major cities of Serbia, and while Niš, being positioned in the south-east of Serbia, wasn’t exactly on our route to Kosovo, it seemed like the most suitable option for a stopover.

Niš is the third largest city in Serbia and full of history. Several Roman emperors were born in Niš, or Naissus, as it was called during the ancient Roman times. Constantin the Great, the first Roman emperor and founder of Constantinople, modern day Istanbul, being the most prominent one. Today, Niš is the home of around 180.000 people and the administrative center of the southern district of Serbia, an important economic center and also the Command of the army of Serbia, which is prominently displayed on various buildings throughout the city. Niš is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans, with evidence of human settlement going back to prehistoric times, and already in the first century BC, the Romans established it as an important military outpost and trade center. Given the role that Constantin the Great played in the christianization of the Roman Empire, it remains an important city for Christian history.

Already on our way to Niš we saw the temperatures climbing up to 35 degrees and the following days were supposed to be even hotter with temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees. Once we arrived in our apartment in the center of the town and unpacked our car, we took a walk through the bustling city with a lovely Friday evening vibe. We had a quick look at the old fortress, but decided the area was too vast to be explored right away as our stomachs were growling. After a quick look at the shore of the Nišava, the river that runs through Niš, we walked along the main pedestrian area and eventually reached a great beer garden, that would serve us some great pints and a lovely dinner https://www.instagram.com/pivnica_berta/?hl=en). On our way back to the apartment, we walked past a small supermarket that was about to close and tried to grab a few things for breakfast, but even without speaking a word of Serbian, I clearly understood that the lady told us that she had just mobbed the entire place, and wasn’t interested in our purchase. Well, I think it was the kids' look that made her  at least allow us to grab some bread and milk without ruining her wet floor.

The second day in Niš was as hot as the forecast promised. We decided to split the day in two and stay indoors during the 38 degree peak. During the first part of the day, we discovered the Ćele Kula, the Skull Tower, that presented yet another evidence of the countries’ violent past. It was constructed by the Ottomans, following the Battle of Čegar in 1809. The Serbian rebels were surrounded by the Ottomans and knowing that they’d be killed (impalement was a fashionable method at the time…) the commander Stevan Sindelic detonated a powder magazine, killing his troops and himself. The governor of the Ottomans ordered a tower to be made from the skulls and bones of the fallen Serbian rebels, and even though the tower today consists of only 58 skulls, it is still a fairly gruesome reminder of the conflict between the Ottomans and the Serbs.

Once we cooled down from the heatwave and grabbed a quick snack from a local bakery, we went out again in the afternoon to take a look at the Niš Fortress, an ancient site that rises on the right bank of the Nisava River. Built between 1719 and 1723, it is one of the best preserved fortifications in the entire Balkan region, and while the Ottomans erected the fortress as it stands today, the Romans had already built smaller fortifications and buildings on the same plot of land. The entire fortress stretches over 22 ha of land and while temperatures still sat around 36 degrees, we wandered around for several hours and explored the site. After dinner we walked back home to our apartment, but not without making a longer stop at the fountain on the main square, which was used by many local children to play in the water. Our kids of course got completely soaked and visibly enjoyed the playtime in the fountain, reminding us that it’s these smaller happenings that will probably be remembered for a lifetime!

Tomorrow, we will hit the road again towards country #8: Kosovo! Thank you Niš, for a great couple of days…