The birthplace of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great is now one of the most important cities in southern Serbia, and still bears all of the landmarks you’d expect of a town with more than two millennia of history at its back. Today, Nis also plays host to one of the largest student populations in this southern section of the Balkans, which means its tight-knit cobblestone streets and ancient squares are now lined with al fresco bars and jazz joints that come into their own during the annual Nisville Festival.

But, before indulging in any bebop tunes, burek pastries and heady Balkan brews down Tinkers Alley, travellers here should be sure to ask their Nis tour guide for the lowdown on sites like the medieval fortress with its lovely marketplace, the eerie Ottoman Skull Tower where rows of Serbian martyrs now peer out spookily from the shadowy alcoves, and the Holy Trinity Church where the real-life Count Vronsky of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is said to lay at rest. The town also offers access to the (rather ironically named) Red Cross Concentration Camp, and has its own striking Holocaust memorial to match.