Serbia’s Second Largest City Has Serious Old World Europe Charm

I had heard good things about Novi Sad in Serbia - but I mostly heard about its annual music festival (Exit Festival) hosted in a fortress. It’s considered one of the best in Europe - and the best in the Balkans. I didn’t get to go - but I did explore the fortress with someone who has gone to several and it sounds pretty epic.

Novi Sad is very different than the other major Serbian cities because its architectures feels predominately Hungarian - a charming, small city that is full of old world charm. I only went for a day - and that was more than enough to see its main sites. But I could easily see it being a comfortable base to relax for a few days.

Stroll Through Downtown

The main attraction of Novi Sad is its old quarter - starting at Liberty Square, then along Zmaj Jovina, then turning on Dunavska toward Danube Park. It’s a small area - so it won’t take more than 30 minutes to walk through. The most famous buildings on your walk will be Bishop’s Palace and The Name of Mary Church; you’ll definitely notice both of them without even looking out for them. I recommend grabbing an outdoor table, having a drink or a meal, and just enjoying the charming neighborhood.

Head to the Fortress Before Sunset

Petrovaradin Fortress is absolutely enormous - part of what makes it so great to host a music festival. I don’t think anything within it is special compared to other fortresses (beyond its sheer scale) - but it has some stunning views of the Danube, especially around sunset. Its clock tower is also well known for having its hands reversed - with the long hand telling the hour and the short hand telling the minutes. (Of course, you wouldn’t be able to tell if you didn’t know the time.)

There’s also a system of underground catacombs at the fortress, and if you have the time you can schedules a tour of them.

Other Things to Do

Even within a day trip, you’ll probably be able to hit most of the less commonly visited sites in Novi Sad. Here are some of the other common to-dos:

• Spend an Afternoon at the Beach: Along the Danube, Strand Beach offers a place to relax along the water or go for a swim. It was chilly while I was in Novi Sad, so I didn’t go.

• Relax in Danube Park: Between the city center and the river, there’s a small park. It’s pleasant and not noteworthy.

• Admire the Monument to the Victims of the Raid: During WW2, Nazi soldiers sent many citizens out on the frozen lake and then shot at the ice, breaking it and killing everyone they had sent there. As a tribute to those lost, there’s a beautiful statue of a family along the river. It’s one of the most beautiful views in the city, in my mind.

• View the Novi Sad Synagogue: A bit out of the historic center, you’ll find a large synagogue from the Jewish population of Novi Sad before the Holocaust. Now, as the city doesn’t have much of a Jewish population, it instead hosts regular concerts.

I’d also take some time and go a bit out of the historic center a bit, especially around the intersection of Bulevar Oslobodenja and Futoska, because there are some modern, hipster-style restaurants and bars.