Nis is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans. It is the second largest city in our country, and the centre of the Administrative District of the Nisava.

Situated at the crossroads, Nis connects the Balkans to Europe, and Europe to the Near East. That is why it has always been considered a gateway between The East and The West.

The cilmate of the Nis area is moderate, continental. The average temperature is 11.2°C. July is the warmest month of the year, with the average of 21.2 0C. The coldest month is January, averaging at 0.2°C. The average of the annual rainfall is 567.25 mm/m2. The average barometer value is 992.74 mb. There are 123 days with rain and 43 days with snow. On the average, the wind force is just below 3 Beaufort.

Nis is very easily accessible, having an airport and being a point of intersection of numerous railroad and highway lines. Nis is a modern university centre, and a city of more than 300 000 inhabitants. It is the centre of the whole south-eastern part of Serbia - the natural, social, economic , educational, medical, cultural and sports centre. The city covers the area of about 597 square kilometres, including the city of Nis itself, the Niska Banja spa and 68 suburbs.

Nis is one of the most important industrial centres in Serbia and Montenegro, well-known for its industry of electronics, its industry of mechanical engineering, the textile industry and the tobbaco industry. Statistics show that the system of education is quite elaborate in our city: there are 50 000 pupils attanding 32 primary and 21 secondary schools. There are 14 000 students at Nis University, which comprises 10 faculties.

Health facilities in Nis are modern and very well developed: there are 30 clinics, medical centres and institutes which are, on the one hand, open to students of the Faculty of Medicine and their obligatory training programs, and, on the other hand, offer the citizens of Nis and the south-eastern Serbia a wide range of modern methods and services for the prevention and treatment of their health problems.

Nis has celebrated the hundredth anniversary of its first Grammar School, of its National Theatre, the Public Library, and the local literary magazine.

The cultural life in Nis is shaped by the numerous institutions - the National Theatre, the Public Library, the National Museum, the Symphony Orchestra, the Puppet Theatre, Zavod za zastitu spomenika (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments), the University Library, the City Archives, the Gallery of Contemporary Art, Dom kulture (Culture Club), Kulturno-prosvetna zajednica (the Centre for Culture and Education), several publishing houses, and many amateur organizations in arts and culture. Several famous cultural manifestations have already become part of Nis's tradition: Filmski susreti, the Festival of Actors' Achievements, Choral Festival, the international festival of amateur choirs, as well as the Art Colony in Sicevo, the oldest of its kind in Serbia and Montenegro.

Nis has a lot to offer to tourists. In Niska Banja Spa there are many tourist objects that can be used for the purposes of recreation or convalescence, as well as for organizing congresses and conferences, or various sports and cultural happenings. Besides, there are several popular picnic sites in the close vicinity of the city. More than 40 local sports clubs include both professional and amateur ones.

The citizens of Nis love sports, whether they go in for sports themselves or just cheer the professionals. Some of Nis sports clubs have achieved remarkable results in Serbia and Montenegro and international competitions.