A southeastern Serbian town known for its traditional carpet weaving and sheep cheese production, set near Stara Planina mountain range. Home to a 14th-century fortress.
In southeastern Serbia, Pirot welcomes visitors with its 14th-century hilltop fortress, bustling carpet workshops, and local cheese-making school. You can hike the 2,169-meter Midzor peak, swim in four nearby lakes, or watch master weavers create intricate double-sided carpets in their small workshops.
Getting to Pirot
Pirot sits along the main road connecting Belgrade with Sofia, Bulgaria. You can reach the city by regular bus services from both Serbian and Bulgarian cities, or drive along the E80 highway that follows the ancient Via Militaris route.
Mountains and Lakes Around Pirot
Four lakes - Zavoj, Berovacko, Krupac, and Sukovo - create swimming and fishing spots around the city. North of Pirot, Stara Planina mountain rises to 2,169 meters at Midzor peak. You can spot golden eagles and bustard owls among the 160 bird species, and find rare edelweiss and gentian flowers along the hiking trails.
Crafts and Local Products
In small workshops across Pirot, women weave the distinctive Pirot carpet (ćilim) on wooden looms. Each double-sided carpet contains specific symbols - from birds to geometric shapes - that tell stories through their patterns. The city's pottery heritage lives on in several active workshops, down from 40 that operated in the mid-19th century.
Local Food Specialties
Two foods define Pirot's cuisine: kačkaval cheese and peglana sausage. At the local Dairy School, you can see how students make the aged mountain cheese using milk from nearby farms. The city's signature peglana sausage gets its unique texture from repeated flattening during preparation, a method dating to Ottoman times.
Museums and Historic Buildings
The stone walls of Pirot Fortress rise above the Nišava River, built during Prince Lazar's 14th-century reign. Inside the former mansion of Hrista Jovanovic, the Museum of Ponisavlje displays local crafts and everyday items from past centuries. Walk through the Tijabare quarter to find craft shops in preserved 19th-century buildings.
Religious Architecture
Several Orthodox monasteries dot the countryside around Pirot. The stone walls of Temska Monastery have stood since the 16th century beside the Temštica River. At Poganovo Monastery, 30 kilometers away, you can see 15th-century frescoes created by Greek masters. The Church of St. Petka preserves 13th-century Serbian architectural elements.
Local Events
Food festivals fill Pirot's calendar throughout the year. Visit the Pirot Flattened Sausage Fair to taste the local specialty prepared by different producers. The Lamb Fair in Krupac showcases various ways to cook local lamb. During the Cheese Festival, you can sample kačkaval and other regional cheeses.
