{"id":2707,"date":"2026-04-04T20:27:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T18:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/with-a-pounding-heart-and-952-skulls-the-many-faces-of-nis\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T07:53:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T05:53:31","slug":"with-a-pounding-heart-and-952-skulls-the-many-faces-of-nis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/with-a-pounding-heart-and-952-skulls-the-many-faces-of-nis\/","title":{"rendered":"With a pounding heart and 952 skulls: the many faces of Ni\u0161"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Day 12: The Sultans Trail from Belgrade to Sofia <\/h2>\n\n

#throwback September 16, 2026<\/p>\n\n

Forty-five minutes with eyes wide open and a pounding heart<\/h2>\n\n

\u201cAre you never scared?\u201d a follower asks me. A question I get often. Yes, I am scared sometimes, but not often, and it\u2019s just part of the deal. When I\u2019m alone in nature, I\u2019m actually rarely afraid; it\u2019s among people that I occasionally am. People are simply more dangerous than animals. <\/p>\n\n

At 2:00 AM, I wake up with a start. Not far from my tent, I hear talking. It must be at least four or five people. I\u2019m on the edge of the city at a picnic spot<\/a> where you\u2019re allowed to stay overnight, and yes, anyone can come here, but what are they doing here at this time on a weekday? <\/p>\n\n

My heart is pounding in my throat as I try to assess if I\u2019m in danger. But what can I do? They\u2019ve sat down at one of the tables and are talking and laughing. It sounds friendly. I hear them opening cans, but they don\u2019t seem drunk. For forty-five minutes (that\u2019s a long time!), I lie there with a pounding heart and eyes wide open, crossing my fingers that they don\u2019t mean any harm, constantly wondering: Why didn\u2019t I walk to the official campsite? Why was I too lazy to walk that extra hour? Eventually, the group gets up and leaves; they\u2019re good folk… <\/p>\n\n

Searching for a bus station in ruins<\/h2>\n\n

After this broken night, I head for the bus station\u2014at least, that\u2019s the plan. However, it turns out to be half in ruins. I try to find out where I actually need to be. It\u2019s a struggle; nobody speaks English and they don\u2019t really know the answer themselves. Until I see a few people with suitcases standing at a roundabout near a huge, gaudy statue (monument of Knez Lazar<\/a>). It turns out to be the improvised bus stop. There isn\u2019t a sign anywhere; you just have to know. <\/p>\n\n

I take the bus to Ni\u0161, Serbia\u2019s second city<\/a> with a rich history. The journey takes over an hour, and I\u2019m glad to be sitting in the cool air, as it has already become quite hot. Along the way, the bus stops twice, and suddenly there\u2019s a massive scramble to get outside. I don\u2019t get it, because the bus only stops for barely 5 minutes, but the smokers’ need for nicotine seems so great that a few puffs apparently provide relief. In this country, smoking is still very much a thing. <\/p>\n\n

Mediterranean vibes and orgasmic cake<\/h2>\n\n

Arriving in Ni\u0161 is a surprise. The city has a totally different atmosphere. The large bus station, which is in perfect condition, is right next to the indoor market, and it\u2019s so nice to walk through it past the vegetables, spices, and eggs. I head out again quickly, though; it\u2019s hard to maneuver my cart with so many people around. <\/p>\n\n

The city of Ni\u0161 has a rich history and is located on the Ni\u0161ava<\/a> river. An old fortress, fountains, and stately statues are, of course, all there. On a terrace, I treat myself to cake from an award-winning pastry chef and indeed, it\u2019s for good reason\u2014it\u2019s orgasmic. <\/p>\n\n

The Ni\u0161 Cathedral<\/a> is impressive. Everywhere you look, there are paintings; on the walls, on the ceiling, in the window frames, everywhere. The colors are vivid, and they are narrative scenes. Once again, I\u2019m the only tourist here. The church is mainly visited by local believers, and there are many of them, judging by the burning candles. <\/p>\n\n

Despite the heat, I decide to keep walking on the Sultans Trail<\/a> to the next town; it\u2019s \u2018only\u2019 13 km and there are no elevation changes. The start of the route is beautiful, miles along the river. I\u2019d love to take a dip, but the current is strong, which is too dangerous. I do wet my hat every now and then to keep my head cool. Still, I start to regret it a bit; it\u2019s terribly hot, and after the path leads away from the river, the stage becomes ugly, passing through busy and dirty suburbs of Ni\u0161. It takes me much longer than expected, and it\u2019s a real struggle in this heat of well over 30 degrees. There\u2019s hardly any shade. <\/p>\n\n

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A tower of 952 skulls<\/h2>\n\n

On my route is the peculiar Skull Tower,<\/a> a tower designed entirely from human skulls, erected during the First Serbian Uprising in 1809<\/a> as a warning to anyone who would rebel against the Ottomans<\/a>. Today, 59 of the original 952 skulls remain, which were built into 14 rows on all four sides\u2014a bizarre structure. <\/p>\n\n

My booked studio (at \u20ac19\/night) turns out to have four beds, which gives me some choice stress\u2014which bed should I take? I don\u2019t have to choose the shower; there\u2019s only one, and it\u2019s excellent and more than welcome after such a hot day of highs and lows. It\u2019s all part of the experience. Such memorable moments again on this Sultans Trail. <\/p>\n\n

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Day 12: The Sultans Trail from Belgrade to Sofia #throwback September 16, 2026 Forty-five minutes with eyes wide open and a pounding heart \u201cAre you never scared?\u201d a follower asks me. 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Na een loopbaan in de commerci\u00eble wereld, coaching en training, en jarenlange inzet in de vluchtelingenopvang, koos ik op mijn zestigste voor een radicale wending: ik gaf mezelf een sabbatical en trok de wereld in \u2013 te voet. Wat begon als een plan om 10.000 kilometer door Europa te wandelen, groeide uit tot iets veel groters: een nieuwe manier van leven. In negen maanden legde ik meer dan 5.500 kilometer af, met alleen mijn tent, schrijfboek, wandelkar (die ik liefdevol \u2018Wheelie\u2019 noem) en mijn barefoot schoenen. Al lopend ontdekte ik dat dit mijn pad is: een nomadisch bestaan, schrijvend onderweg. Ik geloof in het ritme van de voeten, in eenvoud, traagheid en aanwezigheid. Reizen zonder haast, leven met weinig, en onderweg de verhalen vangen die zich aandienen. Mijn missie? De schoonheid van vertraging, vrijheid en verbondenheid tastbaar maken in woorden. Ik b\u00e9n onderweg. En daar voel ik me thuis.","sameAs":["https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marnix_footsteps_of_freedom\/"],"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/author\/cheersmarnix\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-04-at-14.22.50.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1968,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/from-heaven-to-a-hellish-path\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":0},"title":"From heaven to a hellish path","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"26 June 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"#throwback - June 8, 2024 In paradise, I wake up to a bird concert right in my windowsill. A sweet little bird is singing its heart out. The silence is gone, but the alternative is just as beautiful. I wash my face with water from the lake. 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I\u2019m hungry, so I make the most of having a dry spot with a roof over my head. I fry some eggs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogs ENG"","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-adthiry-32432187-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-adthiry-32432187-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-adthiry-32432187-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-adthiry-32432187-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-adthiry-32432187-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-adthiry-32432187-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":960,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/huskvarna-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":2},"title":"Huskvarna","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"23 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"#throwback - May 23, 2024 Made It on Time! I actually manage to hit the trail on time today! I want to arrive at the hostel early enough to do laundry\u2014that\u2019s the main reason I booked a room. 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It doesn\u2019t feel quite right to be sleeping so close to the village, and there\u2019s a steady trickle of joggers and dog walkers passing by. 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The nights are still quite cold (around 4 degrees C.), but I\u2019m warm in my sleeping bag. Just after sunrise, I step outside\u2014and wow! The lake is perfectly still, a mirror with a touch of mist, and the silence only \u201cbroken\u201d by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogs ENG"","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-12-bootje.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-12-bootje.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-12-bootje.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-12-bootje.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-12-bootje.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-12-bootje.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":934,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/through-farmland\/","url_meta":{"origin":2707,"position":5},"title":"Through farmland","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"22 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"May 22, 2024 In the forest, where I pitched my tent in near darkness last night, I wake up to the sound of loud cracking branches. Is someone walking out there? I peek through my tent, but I don\u2019t see a person\u2014it\u2019s a deer! 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