English 
Srpski
Apart from the Kilim (a unique, hand-made rug) and flateened sausages, the symbol and the hallmark of this town on the coast of the Nišava river is “pirot s kaskaval,” a dairy product passed onto the villagers of the Stara plamnina mountain, area by the Sarakatsani (or Karakatsani), a group of transhumant shepherds that inhabited the Stara planina mountain from the 17th untill the 19th century. These shepherds are assumed to have originated from Greece or the Aromanian (or Cincar) people. Over the time they have moved or assimilated with the local populace.
At first “kaskaval/cheese” was made exclusively from sheep milk. It was only much later that the cheese was made from cow milk, or the mixture of both types (commonly known as “Mešanac,” meaning “Mixed Sort”). The oldest written data refering to the production of the cheese on “Stara planina” date back to the beginning of the 18th century. “Kaskaval” is revered for its specific aroma, which is due to the rich grasslands where the cattle graze.
These grasslands, spreading across 40,000 acres at the height of 1300 to 2000 meters above sea level, supported the population of over 200,000 sheep during the 1950's. However, today there are less than 30,000 sheep in the area.
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