Nis
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Belgrade wasn’t love at first sight (at last sight, so to say) – but Niš most definitely was. I don’t know if it was the comfortable snugness of a compact city centre, the hustle and bustle of adjoining cafes creating a vibrant bar and restaurant scene both day and night, or the fascinating people living life intensely along (and over) all edges of the spectrum. Niš and I just clicked.
Maybe it was the darkness both in its landmarks and history sharply contrasting with this uplifting nature of daily grind that caught my attention and triggered my affection so fiercely.
Maybe it was the darkness both in its landmarks and history sharply contrasting with this uplifting nature of daily grind that caught my attention and triggered my affection so fiercely.
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Niš breathes history, dotting modern daily life with monuments of obscurity.
Surely, the years under Ottoman domination might have brought the burek, a by now such internalized (mouth-watering!) dish it’s more central to the Serbian kitchen than it ever was or will be in Turkey… but at the same time there is the Ćele Kula, a tower erected out of the bones and skulls of Serbs once brutally murdered during the Battle of Čegar by Ottoman troops. One can stroll through the lush parks and gardens within the walls of the Niš Fort, leisure in urban green quietly overlooking the Nišava River, gazing thoughtlessly upon the ruins of periods of foregone prosperity as well as oppression.
Surely, the years under Ottoman domination might have brought the burek, a by now such internalized (mouth-watering!) dish it’s more central to the Serbian kitchen than it ever was or will be in Turkey… but at the same time there is the Ćele Kula, a tower erected out of the bones and skulls of Serbs once brutally murdered during the Battle of Čegar by Ottoman troops. One can stroll through the lush parks and gardens within the walls of the Niš Fort, leisure in urban green quietly overlooking the Nišava River, gazing thoughtlessly upon the ruins of periods of foregone prosperity as well as oppression.
Just outside of town one can also visit the Medijana excavations, an archaeological site from the late Roman area. If it’s open, that is… or if you’re willing to climb a fence at broad daylight, like I did.
I could breathe in the energy of diversity brought by an increasing international blend of locals and foreign visitors alike, delivered by low-cost airlines spreading their tentacles down to southern Serbia… but an hour later also witness the pain of external infiltration of the past: Crveni Krst*, the Red Cross Concentration Camp, serves as an inescapable reminder of Nazi evil that also stained Serbia. This same both fortunate and devastating international integration that once created a powerful unified Yugoslavia, but made it crumble down exactly because of this diversity and the human sentiments floating out of such realizations. And if you allow me to shift from macro to micro: The warm welcome I received as a visitor from every single Serb that crossed my path - shattering media-induced stereotypes with a reality of hospitality and inclusiveness which could be a purpose of travelling on its own - contrasting with the swiftly faded smile when you refer to Kosovo as a separate entity. It all makes sense, even if it shouldn’t.
I could breathe in the energy of diversity brought by an increasing international blend of locals and foreign visitors alike, delivered by low-cost airlines spreading their tentacles down to southern Serbia… but an hour later also witness the pain of external infiltration of the past: Crveni Krst*, the Red Cross Concentration Camp, serves as an inescapable reminder of Nazi evil that also stained Serbia. This same both fortunate and devastating international integration that once created a powerful unified Yugoslavia, but made it crumble down exactly because of this diversity and the human sentiments floating out of such realizations. And if you allow me to shift from macro to micro: The warm welcome I received as a visitor from every single Serb that crossed my path - shattering media-induced stereotypes with a reality of hospitality and inclusiveness which could be a purpose of travelling on its own - contrasting with the swiftly faded smile when you refer to Kosovo as a separate entity. It all makes sense, even if it shouldn’t.
* Another WWII Memorial can be found in the Bubanj Park, situated at one of the largest mass execution sites of this entire war.
It is this black-and-white contradiction blended back as one that works on me like a magnet. I don’t like fenced and categorized observations or ultimate 1-sided answers, because that’s not how life works… on any level.
I want to walk in environments of ambiguity triggering constant questioning, and meet people who throw rusty stereotypes right back in my face.
Niš gave me all of that, and more. So much more. Hell, I even marched along in an anti-government protest. Talking about ambiguous environments! I met people life would have never led me to if I followed its flow set out by my background, people that opened my eyes. I stayed, overstayed and returned. Maybe it was that fortunate location on the way to Sofia and former Constantinopel that attracted the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans… but maybe it’s just Niš. I believe the latter.
It is this black-and-white contradiction blended back as one that works on me like a magnet. I don’t like fenced and categorized observations or ultimate 1-sided answers, because that’s not how life works… on any level.
I want to walk in environments of ambiguity triggering constant questioning, and meet people who throw rusty stereotypes right back in my face.
Niš gave me all of that, and more. So much more. Hell, I even marched along in an anti-government protest. Talking about ambiguous environments! I met people life would have never led me to if I followed its flow set out by my background, people that opened my eyes. I stayed, overstayed and returned. Maybe it was that fortunate location on the way to Sofia and former Constantinopel that attracted the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans… but maybe it’s just Niš. I believe the latter.
* Side-note: Transport
They say all roads lead to Niš. That might be true, definitely within the context of Serbia, but some roads are a bit more efficient than others. Bus travel goes more than twice as fast as taking a train, mainly related to the outdated rail-network (the trains are actually quite modern). Yet, it was a conscious choice to not take advantage of the rather steady bus network but instead spend my time in a train, as I had only a limited amount of time to spend in this wonderful country and I wanted to cut straight through the beauty, go where natural landscapes dominate civilization. Unlike the rather depressing highways, train routes are jaw-dropping scenic, especially in Serbia. And cheap. About 800-900 dinar for a 5,5 hour Serbia-countryside-tour, a bargain! That said, if it wasn't for the scenic route, I recommend hitchhiking over taking a bus a 100%.
For more info on transport: Check out the Free Budget Fact Sheet! ↑
They say all roads lead to Niš. That might be true, definitely within the context of Serbia, but some roads are a bit more efficient than others. Bus travel goes more than twice as fast as taking a train, mainly related to the outdated rail-network (the trains are actually quite modern). Yet, it was a conscious choice to not take advantage of the rather steady bus network but instead spend my time in a train, as I had only a limited amount of time to spend in this wonderful country and I wanted to cut straight through the beauty, go where natural landscapes dominate civilization. Unlike the rather depressing highways, train routes are jaw-dropping scenic, especially in Serbia. And cheap. About 800-900 dinar for a 5,5 hour Serbia-countryside-tour, a bargain! That said, if it wasn't for the scenic route, I recommend hitchhiking over taking a bus a 100%.
For more info on transport: Check out the Free Budget Fact Sheet! ↑
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** Side-note: Food
Niš is the city of burek. These delicious, freshly baked, crispy, fatty-fingers rolls might feel rather heavy on the stomach, which is why it’s surprising this is actually a breakfast dish. Other local dishes include meat-loaded cevapi (grilled minced meat), pljeskavica (Serbian-style hamburgers), pecenje (roasted meat), and cvarci (pork rinds). If you wonder if there’s anything available that doesn’t cause instant organ failure, I have good news for you: Vegetarian and vegan winds freshly blow over the globe and surely didn’t exclude Serbia. Delicious food-stops such as Juice Point provided me with my daily shot of vitamins, without me even trying.
For more info on local food specialties: Check out the Free Budget Fact Sheet! ↑
Niš is the city of burek. These delicious, freshly baked, crispy, fatty-fingers rolls might feel rather heavy on the stomach, which is why it’s surprising this is actually a breakfast dish. Other local dishes include meat-loaded cevapi (grilled minced meat), pljeskavica (Serbian-style hamburgers), pecenje (roasted meat), and cvarci (pork rinds). If you wonder if there’s anything available that doesn’t cause instant organ failure, I have good news for you: Vegetarian and vegan winds freshly blow over the globe and surely didn’t exclude Serbia. Delicious food-stops such as Juice Point provided me with my daily shot of vitamins, without me even trying.
For more info on local food specialties: Check out the Free Budget Fact Sheet! ↑
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- Cross the border to Romania for more eastern European discoveries
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- Visit the historical crown of Scotland: blissful Edinburgh
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