If you are visiting Belgrade and you have an extra day to spare, I strongly suggest that you visit Novi Sad, the second largest city in the country. I was here last year and I spent 2 days and 1 night in the city. I have to say that Novi Sad was one of my highlights in this Serbian city trip.
I arrived in Serbia via Belgrade, flying with KLM from Amsterdam. At the Belgrade Airport, I rented a car which I booked of course ahead of time. I wanted some comfort and privacy going to Novi Sad, so a rental car was the best solution.
Novi Sad is actually not too far from Belgrade, however, there is no railway connection between both cities and if I go with public transport, I will have to do this with the public bus or I take a taxi. The last thing I would want to happen is to become a harassed chick frantically lugging my suitcase on the streets of Belgrade, looking for the bus to Novi Sad (the bus names and destinations are only in Cyrillic alphabet) and hoping someone will speak English with me. My problems are not over yet though because when I get to Novi Sad, I will have to find my way from the city centre to the fortress where my hotel is located. Logistics and language wise it’s just a big hassle. I do not have any patience for this.
In addition, I’m not a starter in life anymore who is saving her pennies so I do not mind paying extra money for some comfort and peace of mind. A car will also help me maximise time since I am only staying a night in Novi Sad.
Here is some practical information on travelling by a rental car in Serbia: Road Trip Route, Rental Car, GPS Issues, Parking Tips and more
So from the Belgrade Airport, I drove straight to Novi Sad on A1 (E-75 highway). I thought I will do Belgrade after since I am leaving via Belgrade Airport anyway. The city of Novi Sad is approximately 1 hour from the capital and the drive on the highway was very uneventful and reminds me of the highways in Croatia and Hungary – There were almost no cars!
In Novi Sad, I stayed at the crown jewel of the city, the ancient Petrovaradin Fortress which has its own lovely resident hotel. When I first saw this hotel on Booking, I just can’t believe my eyes that I could get a beautiful room for such a very affordable price? I mean just look at the picture below.
Check out my review here: Hotel Leopold I at the Petrovaradin Fortress
The first thing I did after checking into my hotel room was to eat. This lunch was very late that I skipped dinner later that night and went straight to dessert instead. Luckily there is a row of restaurants on the rampart of the fortress with nice panoramic views to the city. You see, the Petrovaradin Fortress lay on the Danube River bank across the city. The stronghold basically looks toward Novi Sad and it is the perfect little quick getaway place where you can dine or have a drink with a view. Well of course when the weather is nice. I was here end of March and the cold freezing part of winter is already a thing of the past.
Novi Sad, the capital of the autonomous province Vojvodina, has a very long and tumultuous history going back to the 4th century B.C. The city played a major role in the Habsburg Dynasty (Austro-Hungarian Empire) and later into the now-defunct, Yugoslavia. I will spare you with all the details because they are available online (Hint: Wikipedia).
The city is small and can easily be covered in 2 days. 3 days would be pushing it. A day trip from Belgrade is also perfectly fine. I highly recommend a visit of the city if you are staying in Belgrade for more than 2 days.
Below you can find my detailed blog posts with lots of pictures on my travel experiences in Novi Sad. Where I ate, what I did, which market I visited, the architecture I saw and what I have observed. It is like a mini-guide, well, hopefully, if you share the same tastes in travelling with me. At the least, it will give you an idea somehow in planning your day visit or stay.
EATS, DRINKS & MARKET SCENE
- A Duck Composition Lunch at Terasa Restaurant with Novi Sad Panoramic Views – Visiting the Petrovaradin Fortress is really a must but sitting at one of the restaurants (for lunch, drinks or dinner) on the ramparts is a must too in my book.
- Cake Cafes: Serbians have a thing for cakes! – The sweet-toothed people will definitely have a great time Serbia =)
- The Outdoor Fish Market (Рибља пијаца) in Novi Sad – This is for the foodies who love to cook, just like me of course. I managed to buy some paprika and chilli spices here.
- The Café Terrace Scene at Zmaj Jovina and Hairdos – One cannot leave Novi Sad without sitting here for coffee and watching the locals.
- Lunch at Astal Saren in Novi Sad: Typical Serbian Cuisine – This restaurant is very cosy and I had a regional dish of Baked Beans (Prebranac) with local Sausage.
CULTURE, ART & ARCHITECTURE
- My first evening in Novi Sad – A slow walk around town is a great way to start my discovery of the city.
- Liberty Square (Trg Slobode) – This is perhaps the most beautiful and charming part of Novi Sad, and rightly so since this is the city main square.
- The Rundown Village of Petrovaradin – This is the village where the Petrovaradin Fortress sits. It is like a ghost town and has its own old world communism days charm.
- Petrovaradin Fortress – Must visit! The fortress is just a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre. There are many taxis who can take you as well for just RSD 10-15 (Serbian Dinar).
- Novi Sad’s Special Clock Tower – The clock is not what you think it is!
PIN FOR LATER
PICTURE GALLERY
Below you will find some more pictures of Stari Grad (old city centre) by day in Novi Sad that I was not able to publish in my older posts. Hope you like them!
Travel Period: March 2016
Destination: Novi Sad (Vojvodina), Republic of Serbia
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Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.