City centre
First-timersAround King Milan Square and the fortress: restaurants, bars and most of the beds.
Niš city guide
Things To Do In Niš
Southern Serbia's city: the birthplace of Constantine the Great, an Ottoman fortress in the centre, a tower built of rebels' skulls, and a jazz festival every August.
2
Hostels in the city
9.2
Average, from 1,007 reviews
c.272
Constantine the Great born here, in Roman Naissus
1809
When the Skull Tower was built
August
Nišville jazz festival at the fortress
A Roman city in the south, with a hard history and a good table
Niš is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans. As the Roman town of Naissus it was the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the emperor who legalised Christianity, and the remains of his imperial villa at Mediana lie on the edge of the city.
The Ottomans held it for centuries and built the fortress that still stands in the centre, now a park.
The city's most confronting monument is Ćele Kula, the Skull Tower. After a Serbian rebel force was defeated nearby in 1809, the Ottoman commander had a tower built from the skulls of the dead as a warning. Some of the skulls remain embedded in it, under a protective chapel.
The Second World War left the Crveni Krst concentration camp, preserved as a memorial.
Niš is also known for its food — southern Serbia's grill culture is taken seriously — and for Nišville, a jazz festival held in the fortress each August.
It is a working city rather than a tourist one, and cheap. Two days.
Where to stay
A compact centre on the Nišava river, with the fortress beside it.
Kazandžijsko sokače
Food and atmosphereThe old coppersmiths' lane near the centre, now lined with restaurants and cafés.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 2 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Niš
The fortress in the centre is free and is a park now — Ottoman walls and gates, a Roman archaeological layer beneath, and the Nišville stage in August.
Ćele Kula, the Skull Tower, is a few hundred dinars and a short bus ride from the centre. Built in 1809 from the skulls of Serbian rebels killed at the Battle of Čegar, it now stands inside a small chapel with a number of skulls still embedded in the walls. It is sobering, small and important to understanding the region.
Mediana, on the edge of the city, preserves the remains of an imperial villa connected with Constantine, including mosaics, for a small fee.
The Crveni Krst concentration camp, used during the Second World War, is preserved as a memorial and museum.
Then eat. Southern Serbian grill culture is at its strongest in and around Niš.
Free things
Free things to do in Niš
The fortress and its park are free and are the heart of the city.
The Nišava riverbank and King Milan Square cost nothing.
Kazandžijsko sokače, the old coppersmiths' lane, is free to walk and is the most characterful street in the centre.
The Bubanj memorial park, marking the site of wartime executions, is free.
The market is free to browse and is a good look at southern Serbian produce.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Niš
Niš is the capital of southern Serbian grilling, and the food is the best reason to be here. A main is 700 to 1,300 RSD (€6–11).
Pljeskavica and ćevapi are done properly here, and the nearby town of Leskovac holds a large annual grill festival.
Burek from a bakery is 200 to 300 RSD (€2–2.50) and is breakfast.
Kajmak and ajvar, the roasted pepper relish, are on every table.
A beer is 200 to 350 RSD (€2–3), and rakija, often homemade, appears at the end of most meals.
Indoor smoking is common.
Nightlife
Going out in Niš
Relaxed and cheap. The bars and cafés are around the centre and Kazandžijsko sokače.
A beer is 200 to 350 RSD (€2–3) and cocktails 500 to 900 RSD (€4–8).
The university brings a student crowd in term.
Nišville, held in the fortress each August, is the highlight — a long-running jazz festival that draws international acts and fills the city.
Indoor smoking is common in bars.
Getting around
Getting around Niš
The centre is walkable, and buses cover the rest of the city, including Ćele Kula and Mediana.
Buses from Belgrade take about three hours, and trains are slower.
Niš Constantine the Great airport has budget routes from several European cities, which makes it a practical entry point to southern Serbia and the wider region.
Sofia in Bulgaria is about three hours by bus, and Skopje about four.
Use a ride app or a venue-called taxi.
Costs
What Niš costs
Among the cheapest cities in Serbia. Dorms are 1,000 to 2,000 RSD (€8–17), a main 700 to 1,300 RSD (€6–11), and a beer 200 to 350 RSD (€2–3).
A day is €22 to €40.
You pay in dinars. Carry cash — card acceptance is less reliable than in Belgrade.
The fortress is free and the other sites cost a few hundred dinars each.
Nišville week in August raises bed prices.
Safety
Staying safe in Niš
Niš is a safe city and crime against visitors is low.
Petty theft happens around the bus station at ordinary levels.
Ćele Kula and the Crveni Krst camp are memorials to large numbers of dead. Behave accordingly, and do not photograph yourself posing with the skulls.
Demonstrations have taken place across Serbia since late 2024. They are usually announced — check local news.
If Kosovo is part of your route, see the routing advice in our Belgrade guide — entering Kosovo from a third country can lead to being refused entry to Serbia afterwards.
Emergency numbers are 192 for police and 194 for ambulance, with 112 also working.
What's on
What is on while you are there
A jazz festival in the fortress, and a grill festival down the road.
August
Nišville
Niš fortress
A long-running international jazz festival held in the fortress, drawing large crowds.
Late summer
Leskovac grill festival
Leskovac, 45 minutes away
A large festival of southern Serbian barbecue, including attempts at record-breaking pljeskavica.
June
Constantine Days
Citywide
Events marking the emperor's connection to the city.
7 January
Orthodox Christmas
Citywide
Serbian Christmas, following the Orthodox calendar.
October to June
Term time
Citywide
When the university brings a student crowd.
Hostels
Where to stay in Niš
A small scene in the centre, at very low prices. Live from Hostelworld.
When to go
April to June and September to October. August brings Nišville.
Jan
Cold and grey. Quiet
Feb
Cold and very quiet
Mar
Improving
Apr
Excellent. Warm and green
May
Very good
Jun
Warm and long evenings
Jul
Hot
Aug
Hot. Nišville in the fortress
Sep
Superb. Heat breaking. Leskovac grill festival
Oct
Excellent value
Nov
Grey and cooling
Dec
Cold, with Orthodox Christmas on 7 January
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Niš is in the south and runs hotter than Belgrade in summer.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros — you will pay in dinars, at roughly 117 to the euro.
Shown in euros for comparison; you pay in dinars and should carry cash.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Niš travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
What is the Skull Tower?
Ćele Kula, built in 1809 by the Ottoman commander after a Serbian rebel force was defeated nearby. It was made from the skulls of the dead as a warning, and some of the skulls remain embedded in it today under a protective chapel. It is small, sobering and costs a few hundred dinars. Treat it as a memorial.
What is the Constantine connection?
Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who legalised Christianity, was born here around 272, when the city was Naissus. The remains of an imperial villa at Mediana, on the edge of the city, are connected with him.
Is Niš worth visiting?
For two days, yes — for the history, the food and the low prices. It is a working city rather than a tourist one, which is part of its appeal. Niš airport also has budget routes, making it a practical way into southern Serbia.
What should I eat?
Southern Serbian grilled meat — pljeskavica and ćevapi — which is at its best in and around Niš. The nearby town of Leskovac holds a large annual grill festival.
When is Nišville?
August, in the fortress. It is a long-running international jazz festival and the biggest event in the city's year.
How cheap is it?
Among the cheapest cities in Serbia. Dorms 1,000 to 2,000 RSD (€8–17), a main 700 to 1,300 RSD (€6–11), and a day around €22 to €40. Carry cash.
Can I go to Kosovo from here?
Yes, but plan the routing carefully — see our Belgrade guide. Entering Kosovo from a third country and then trying to enter Serbia can lead to refusal. The usual approach is to go to Kosovo from Serbia and return the same way.
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