On the road that connects Europe and Asia, in the basin surrounded by the hillsides of some of the most beautiful Serbian mountains, lies a small town with a long and turbulent history.
This is the town in which you can try the tastiest homemade hard cheese and the “Pirotska peglana” sausage, meet women who still weave famous Pirot kilims and feel the southern spirit of the people that live at the place where ancient Roman settlement once stood – this is Pirot, a town with great cultural tradition.
Ever since the fourth century AD, when Pirot has been mentioned for the first time as the Roman settlement Tures, many different armies stormed through, different cultures and social systems changed, styles and artistic ways blended together. All of them inscribed permanent historical traces, which, connected with the modern age Pirot, make this town the unique place where the old and the new, traditional ways and modern ones, the east and the west intertwine.
Unusual mixtures created by the centuries of cultural and habitual mingling can be recognized on every corner, cobbled street or building façade. The town that has been enslaved by the Turks for more than four hundred years, which survived several natural disasters and wars, bravely overcame the hardships and proudly bears the scars of history that are yet another important segment of the rich history of Pirot.
Due to the joyful southern nature, Pirot has kept the optimistic spirit and charm, against all odds. Light-hearted and kind people will welcome you with smiles on their faces, always eager to show you the cultural and natural wealth, their customs and the food of Pirot.
A stroll on the green quay by Nisava river
The Nisava river splits Pirot into two parts – Pazar and Tijabara, but three bridges connect them – Gazela, Golemi i Ljubavni most (The Bridge of Love). A stroll by the river will give you the chance to see the town in a different way and from a different angle. Heterogeneous building styles, surrounding nature and Nisava river that unintentionally splits the town into the old and the new part will bring the atmosphere and the town’s spirit closer to you.
The center of Pazar, the new part of the town, is The Liberty Square (Trg Slobode). Modern, well-arranged buildings, cafes, stores and restaurants are surrounding the square. On the other side of the river, in the old part of town, Tijabare, you may stumble upon small craft shops, taverns and facades of very old buildings. Only when you have finished with the stroll through those different parts of town, will the impression of compatibility of the opposite sides of Pirot be complete.
The house of „Mali Rista“or Museum of Ponišavlje
If you find yourself in the old part of the town, do not miss the chance to visit the famous house of Hrista Jovanovic, which later became “The Museum of Ponisavlje”.
In this house,which retains the authentic 19th century look and spirit, from both the inside and the outside, you can see very old and valuable Pirot kilims and many other precious antiquities that Hristo Jovanović left to the museum.
Another interesting fact is that two famous movies made by director Zdravko Šotra were shot in this museum due to authenticity and beauty of the house and its yard.
The town surrounded by natural wealth
To the north and northeast of Pirot are the slopes of Stara planina (The Old Mountain) and its mountain top Midžor, which is the state, border between Serbia and Bulgaria. The southern border of the Pirot valley are the hillsides of Vlaške planine in which river Jerma made a picturesque composite vale, while the west border is edged by Suva planina (The Dry Mountain) which emerges near Pirot, after the Belava river. Zavojsko Lake is only a few miles away from Pirot, famous for its clear and transparent water, providing its visitors with picnic and angling pleasures.
The most visited and certainly, the most attractive tourist attraction is Stara Planina, characterized by the vast number of plant and animal species, outstanding canyons and excellent conditions for skiing and mountain climbing. Famous Pirot kilims are made of wool provided by the sheep raised on this mountain, and the hard cheese from Pirot is made out of their milk; therefore, the citizens of Pirot like to joke about that and say that Stara Planina is responsible for creating two eminent Serbian brands.
Hard cheese from Pirot – authentic Serbian speciality
Sheep milk, cow milk or the mixture of both is not that important! What really is important, however, is that the hard cheese from Pirot is still handmade, following the traditional recipe and in the authentic way.
On every day bases, experienced people in Dairy school of Pirot work on its production supported by the hard working pupils of the school who are trying to perfect their knowledge of cheese making. This cheese made Pirot famous all over the world.
Specific taste, quality and the way it is made are some of the features of this specialty, which found its place on the list of intangible cultural heritage of The Republic of Serbia thus becoming the product protected by geographical indication. If you never had the pleasure of tasting this handmade cheese (kackavalj) which is the first thing most people think about when Pirot is mentioned, do it as soon as possible and enjoy the authentic Serbian specialty of exceptional taste that will be hard to forget.
Pirot Kilim – world class from Serbia
Abundance of beautiful motifs and ornaments, the fact that they have two identical sides, various symbols that carry different meanings and diverse purposes of use, as well as the long and complex making process, are the features that made Pirot kilim famous and sought for around the world.
here are kilims made for good health, well being of the owner, happiness and luck in love, business success, against bad spells, negative energy and magic, and it is up to you to check out the power and effectiveness of this famous Pirot product.
Women of Pirot have been making these kilims from the ancient times, and the knowledge of how to make them was transferred from one generation to another over the last few centuries.
Kilims are exclusively made in a traditional way and only those kind of kilims are considered to be authentic products that find its place, along with Pirotski kackavalj (hard cheese from Pirot), on the list of intangible cultural heritage of The Republic of Serbia. By getting on this list Pirot kilim has become the part of intangible cultural heritage of Serbia with protected geographical indication and authenticity.
If you decide to visit this little town with great potential, look at the historical and cultural landmarks and natural wealth, but be sure not to miss some of the old taverns of Pirot. There you will get a chance to try, according to most people, the best barbecue in whole Serbia, as well as some traditional courses and drinks and you will experience the real southern spirit that never rests.
Pirotsko kale or Momcilov grad (Momcilo’s Fortress) is a fort made in 14th century, which is thought to have been built during the reign of Prince Lazar. Ever since the middle ages to the first half of the 20th century this fortress has always been used for military purposes. This little fortified town is in a relatively good condition, and some sequences of the movie “Battle of Kosovo” were shot there.)
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