Nis

Nis is located in Nis’s valley of the river Nisave, at the confluence with the South Morava River. Nis is located at the crossroads of the most important Balkan and European routes linking Europe with the Middle East, and has always been the gate of the East and West.


Wider area of Nis was inhabited in the Neolithic, in the early Bronze Age, for which there are evidence on the prehistoric sites located on Bubanj and Humska Cuka. In the area of Naisa, in pre-Roman period lived Dardans, Celts (Gauls), and Illyrians. Name Naissus-(‘Fairy City’), was given by the Celts. In 274th one of the greatest rulers of the Roman Empire, Flavius Valerius Constantine, known as the Emperor Constantine, was botn in Nis.

The city was reconstructed according to modern European planning principles (Vinter’s plan from 1878), the first high school opened (1878.), the first banking institution (1881), theater Sindjelic (1887), the National Library ( 1869). In 1905 art colony Sicevo was founed by painter Nadezda Petrovic, and in 1908 the hydropower plant was built on the the Nisava River in Sicevo.

In 1914 Nis became the center of the Serbian government, and National Assembly of Serbia.In 1918, Nis was freed by the Serb-French army under the Duke Peter Bojovic. In World War II Nis suffered numerous destructions, but still grew into a modern city.

The most significant cultural-historical monuments:

  • Mediana – a great property from the Roman period (IV century)
  • Fortress – Turkey’s best preserved medieval fortress on the Balkans (from 1723), under which foundations remains of Roman Naissus lie
  • Cegar, with monument on the place where Stevan Sindjelic’s battle against the Turks took place
  • Monument dedicated to the liberators of Nis – built in 1937 in memory of the struggle to free Nis
  • Camp ‘Red Cross’ – a Nazi camp
  • Memorial Park Bubanj – one of the largest scaffolds in our country from the Second World War
  • Nis’s Cathedral dedicated to Descent of the Holy Spirit – Trinity
  • Small cathedral church – Church of Sr. Arhangel dedicated to Sv. Archangels
  • Pantelej – Church dedicated to St. Panteleimon
  • Church of St. Nikola, dedicated to St. Nicholas

Picnic spots near Nis

  • Sicevo gorge – protected natural phenomenon 16 km long with relict flora and fauna
  • Jelasnica gorge – a special nature reserve 2 km long, with waterfalls and rare flora and fauna
  • Picninc place Bojanine vode
  • Kamenicki vis – picninc place with facilities for winter sports
  • Cerjanska cave – large halls filled with ornaments
  • Nis Spa

Cultural events

  • Movie festival
  • Jazz festival ‘Nesvil’
  • Musical festival ‘Nisomnija’
  • Nis’s book fair
  • International festival of amateur choris ‘Horske svecanosti’