This website provides links to most of the big happenings in Serbia during summer. The website shows details from 2015, but the links on the website for various events will take you to the pages for the 2016 events. Nišville is an international jazz festival which happens in the Niš Fortress every August . It actually falls on our wedding weekend (August 11 - 14, 2016) and we are absolutely delighted to spend the night before and/or after the wedding at the festival with our guests. We both attended Nišville in 2013 and had so much fun! We are planning on going on Sunday, August 14 (the night after the wedding/reception). There will be tons of great bands on Sunday, including Joss Stone. Let us know if you would be interested in joining us. Here is the link to the festival's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NisvilleJazzFestival . You will be able to purchase tickets at the entrance!

The Nis Fortress is a an Ottoman fortress dating from the early 18th century built on the site of former Byzantine and Roman structures. It is a sprawling compound with a huge gate right on the banks of the Nisava River. The Fortress or tvrđjava still stands, but is now used to house events such as the aforementioned Nisville music festival. It also contains several small cafe/bars were you can have drinks and listen to live music within the walls of a 300 year old structure next to an ancient Ottoman hamam. People often gather here with friends to start or end the night.

The Cele Kula or Skull Tower is a tower from the early 1800's. After a Serbian uprising against the Ottomans, the Ottoman vizier ordered that a tower be made of the skulls of the Serbian rebels. It is 10 feet high and originally contained nearly 1000 skulls, although today it has only a handful. Though it comes from a defeated rebellion, it is seen today as a sign of independence. Definitely worth a visit - guided tours in English are available.

Medijana is an important archaeological site located just outside of Nis proper. It is an excavation of a Roman luxury village from the time of the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine. Interestingly, Constantine the Great was born in Nis (or what was then known as Naissus). The site has several buildings and structures, and would be a great visit for anyone interested in history, culture, or architecture.

Niska Banja is a small town a few miles outside of Nis located near the mountains. It well known for its natural spas and health tourism. The main area has many tree-lined paths and trails along the streams of hot spring water. The waters are said to help with rheumatic disorders, blood pressure, and other blood vessel issues. There are several small cafes in the area, and it occasionally hosts small festivals and live music. This is a nice relaxing place to walk around for an afternoon.

Many of you will wish to turn this trip in to a longer vacation or adventure. There are countless places to explore around Nis and places further afoot that will not be difficult to get to. If you are flying from the United States, you may wish to fly in to Europe before the wedding and roam around for some time. It may be a good idea (you can find this discussion elsewhere on the website) to buy a one way ticket in to a major city you wish to visit and either another one way ticket out of Belgrade, or a one way ticket from another city. If you fly in to Zagreb, Budapest, or Vienna, you can take a bus or train fairly easily to Belgrade and on to Nis. There are also relatively inexpensive flights on smaller European airlines that go to Belgrade from cities such as Vienna, Prague, Dublin, Stockholm, Oslo, Istanbul, Budapest, Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon, Athens, Munich, Paris, and more. Additionally, there are limited flights each week from Malmo, Sweden and from Basel, Switzerland directly to the Nis airport - although these flights are limited and relatively infrequent. If you wish to visit one of these cities, it might be best to fly in to that city, spend some time exploring, and then take a flight, bus, train, or rent a car and drive to Serbia from there. You can, of course, also do this on your way home from the wedding. If you would like some tips or suggestions on how to plan your trip, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Here are some links to check out for ideas to consider when planning your trip:

Nomadic Matt's Europe Travel Guide

Rough Guides 12 Tips for Backpacking Through Europe

Rough Guides Serbia Travel Tips

Independent Traveler Top 25 Ways to Save on Europe Travel

Rick Steves's Thrifty 50 Travel Tips

Top 10 Things to do in Belgrade for Free