A short visit to Novi Sad
The city that surprised and amazed us more than we expected.
--
Novi Sad, the second largest city of Serbia, is situated on the Danube River between Belgrade and Budapest. Until recently, its name was only a synonym for the EXIT Festival, one of Europe’s foremost music events. But now, after our brief but memorable visit there, this city’s name will forever associate in our minds with its unique charm.
Without a doubt, the imposing Petrovaradin Fortress steals all the show. Constructed with the use of slave labour between 1692–1780, it is often referred to as “Gibraltar on the Danube” due to its famous prisoners kept here. Its underground hides a few km of secret tunnels and the stronghold’s walls are home to a city history museum.
Just a few hours were enough to see the city’s major attractions because most of them are located in the central main square. Novi Sad was part of Habsburg Empire (and then Austro-Hungarian Empire), so the presence of Neoclassical architecture buildings seemed somehow natural to us.
At one point, we even decided to stop for a cup of coffee in the Old Town during which we admired the beautiful buildings surrounding us. Like Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria, Novi Sad is also a university city renowned for the typical lively atmosphere. The city is crowded with alluring cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants — some of them even have terraces which are just perfect for a sunny day of spring.
Novi Sad is probably even more interesting during summer (actually, from May 15 to September) when the “strand” — which means beach — is open. It is said that here you can find the most beautiful sand beach on Danube River. We didn’t get a chance to see the beach so we can’t guarantee it, but the amazing Novi Sad city is surely worth a visit anytime of the year.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, please consider recommending/sharing it.
We have also written about Prague, Viscri, Košice, the unique cave bath of Miskolctapolca, Kraków, Plitvice Lakes Natural Park, Lake Bled, Veliko Tarnovo, Stari Bar, Bánffy Castle, Hunyadi Castle, Gyula, Kaunas, Gauja National Park, Kuressaare, Ruhnu, Zadar, Mostar, Tartu, Wigry National Park, Krk Island, Budva, Mileştii Mici Winery, Ljubljana, and Rupea Fortress.
Follow Eastern Chronicles on Medium, Facebook, and Instagram.
