Southern Serbia: Private Day Trip to Niš from Belgrade

We start our tour from your accommodation. After slightly more than two hours of driving (highway only), we will reach Niš. The day is reserved for the born city of the famous Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

Red Cross Nazi Camp

First of all, we are going to visit Red Cross Nazi Concentration Camp, today a museum. The German Gestapo operated the camp and captured around 30,000 Jews, Serbians, and Romas during the Second World War. Red Cross was a transit camp, so few were killed on the premises – they were taken mainly to Bubanj Hill (in Niš) to be executed there or on to Auschwitz, Dachau, or other concentration camps. The fact that differs the camp from other Nazi camps is that on February 12, 1942. the inmates organized the first mass escape of prisoners in occupied Europe – a total of 105 managed to flee from the camp that day.

Bubanj Hill Memorial

To conclude our story about WWII, we’ll visit Bubanj Hill. Located 3km from the city center, it is the place where we’ll find one of Serbia’s most recognizable Yugoslav-era memorials. Three gigantic fists rising from the ground are the work of Croatian sculptor Ivan Sabolić, and they symbolize the resistance and suffering of men, women, and children (or, according to other interpretations, Serbs, Jews, and Roma) during WWII. This hill was the site of mass executions conducted by the Nazis, where they executed close to 10.000 prisoners from the concentration camp.

The Scull Tower

Our next stop will be the infamous Skull Tower – a unique monument erected by the Ottomans as an example to others of the folly of opposition to their rule.
Originally, 952 skulls were built into the tower; today, there are 59 remaining, but they still illustrate the horror of the original tower.
Destroying the tower was never a question. It was imperative to keep it standing as a reminder to future generations of the sacrifices made by their ancestors towards the liberation of Serbia; thus, it still stands as a silent monument to struggle.

Niš Fortress

Following, we will visit the Niš Fortress, lying on the bank of the Nišava River. It assumed its final shape in 1723, when the Turks built it, facing the end of their reign in this area. Its construction required over 40 stonecutters from Constantinople and around 400 bricklayers from Niš to be hired. Though the Turks built its current incarnation, there have been forts on this site since ancient Roman times. Today, the fortress is a cultural property of great importance and a venue for frequent cultural and artistic events.

Stevan Sremac monument

We will continue our sightseeing passing by the main sights in the city, including Banovina Building, Niš Liberators Monument at King Milan Square, and the monument of a well-known Serbian writer Stevan Sremac, considered to be one of the greatest Serbian comedy writers in history.

To conclude our tour, we’ll visit the Archaeological Hall of Nis National Museum, with its numerous exhibits telling a vivid story of Nis history and culture from the Neolithic Age and Roman period to the Middle Ages.

After that, you will have free time for individual activities in Niš and to try some of the traditional delicacies for which Niš is widely famous.

We will hop back into our vehicle at the scheduled time, and after about two hours, you will be back in your hotel.

• The default departure time is 08:30. If you want a different departure time, you should contact us and let us know what time you would like to start the tour.
• Pick-up from any hotel, Airbnb, a pension up to 10 km from Republic Square, or from Belgrade port is free of charge.
• If you want to start your tour at Belgrade airport, you can do that with a 15€ supplement.

08:30 Hotel pick-up
08:30 – 10:30 Tour start & travel through Central Serbia
10:30 – 10:45 Optional coffee break (at own expense)
11:00 – 14:00 Niš city tour
14:00 – 16:00 Free time in Niš
16:00 – 18:30 Driving through Central Serbia, towards Belgrade, with a short stop
18:30 Hotel drop-off (approximate time, depending on the traffic conditions)

• Confirmation will be received at the time of booking.
• Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level.

We apply very simple rules. If you cancel the tour up to 24 hrs before, you’ll get a 100% refund. If you cancel the tour less than 24 hrs before the trip, you will not receive any refund.