Niš

Niš is the capital of southern Serbia—an ancient and historically rich city. It was first founded by Celtic tribes called the Scordisci, who settled in Serbia in the 3rd century BCE and were part of the larger Celtic-Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The Celts were bold warriors and established a kingdom that included local Thracians and Illyrians, spreading across what is now Serbia, Croatia, and parts of Bulgaria. In their campaigns, they reached as far as Greece and hindered the development of the Macedonian state. Belgrade, too, was originally a Celtic fortress. While the center of their political power was in the Sava Valley, it likely extended into the Morava Valley as well.

The city of Niš is named after the Nišava River, on whose banks it was founded. However, remains of a Neolithic settlement in the vicinity date back as early as the 6th millennium BCE, including an archaeological site named Humska Čuka, which is part of the Vinča culture.

The Romans developed Niš due to its strategic location at the crossroads of the Balkans, turning it into a legionary base and administrative center. Constantine the Great was born in Niš, and after rising to power, he expanded and developed the city, making it the capital of the new Mediterranean province of Dacia (previously it had been the capital of the province of Upper Moesia). In 364 CE, the emperors Valentinian and Valens met in the Villa Mediana—still standing today—and decided on the division of the empire. The archaeological site centered around the fully restored villa features beautiful mosaics, water and heating systems, sewage infrastructure, and more.

Niš was later destroyed by the Hunnic invasions and rebuilt by the Byzantines and Bulgarians. In the 12th century, it became part of the Serbian Empire. King Stefan Nemanja welcomed King Frederick Barbarossa and the Third Crusade to Jerusalem there. In the 15th century, Niš was conquered by the Ottomans, who rebuilt its citadel. Today, it is the third-largest city in Serbia, with a population of nearly 200,000. It serves as the cultural, industrial, and administrative center of southern Serbia.

Towards the end of the Ottoman period, Niš played a central role in the Serbian struggle for independence. In 1809, the Serbian rebellion was brutally crushed, and many of Niš’s residents were massacred by the Ottomans. The results of this tragedy can still be seen in the chilling Skull Tower (Ćele Kula), one of the city’s most famous landmarks. It was not until 1878 that Niš was finally liberated from Ottoman rule and rejoined the rest of Serbia.

The heart of Niš is its ancient citadel, whose foundations date back to the Roman and Byzantine periods, though its walls and towers were rebuilt and strengthened by the Ottomans. Today, the citadel serves as a beautiful park for walking and leisure, with an impressive entrance gate, cafés, a visitor center, and numerous cultural activities. Roman antiquities are scattered along the paths, blending the ancient with the contemporary.