Pirot is a city in the south-east of Serbia, in a valley of the Nišava river close to the Bulgarian border, and it has long been a crossroads between the Balkans and the east. The Nišava runs on through the Sicevo gorge toward Niš, and the railway and the old Constantinople road both follow it, so Pirot has seen armies, traders and travellers for centuries. The town is surrounded by hills, with the long range of Stara Planina, the Old Mountain, rising to the north and east, and on clear days the high ridgeline looks almost alpine.
Pirot has two famous products, and both are worth knowing. One is the Pirot kilim, a woven rug with bold geometric patterns that has been made here for a few centuries and is recognised as part of Serbian cultural heritage. The other is pirotska peglana, a flattened, ironed sausage of cold-cured meat, and the sheep's cheese called kashkaval is another local pride. On the edge of town stand the ruins of a medieval fortress, Momčilov Grad, and Kaleto, a stone fortress above the river, that watched the road for ages. In 1885, Pirot was also the scene of a battle in the Serbo-Bulgarian war.
Riding here depends on where you head. East along the Nišava toward the Bulgarian border the road is easy and fairly straight, while north into Stara Planina the road climbs through forest and over high pastures with long bends and big views. Surfaces vary, with new asphalt in some places and potholed patches in others. Mountain weather changes quickly, and summer thunderstorms are common in the afternoon. Autumn is clear, with a rich colour in the beech forests, and winter closes the high roads with snow.
Pirot is a city of over forty thousand people, so you will find multiple fuel stations, shops, and plenty of places to eat. It is the right place to fill up before heading into the mountain roads. Try the local sausage and cheese with a strong coffee, and give yourself a moment to look at the old rugs, which are brightly coloured and beautifully made.