The Gjilan City Park is the main green space in the city centre — a welcome stretch of shade and quiet a short walk from the main square and the bazaar. Walking paths wind through the park, benches line the routes, and a small café serves coffee and soft drinks to people who have stopped to sit for a while.
In the evening the park fills with families and young people taking part in the xhiro — the traditional Balkan practice of strolling the main street and park in the early evening hours. It is a deeply social ritual, unhurried and unstructured, and the park on a summer evening gives you a clear picture of how the city actually spends its time. Children run, teenagers sit on benches in groups, and older residents walk steady circuits and greet each other. It costs nothing and tells you more about Gjilan than most sights.