Guide through Novi Sad - What to visit and see in Novi Sad and its surroundings

Novi Sad, also known as "Serbian Athens", is one of the largest cities in Serbia (actually the second, behind Belgrade), in terms of population, numerous tourist attractions, historical heritage, cultural and other events, and much more.

Although you may have been to Novi Sad several times, and you think you have already seen, heard and tried everything, believe us, there is always something new that you can discover or something that you could visit again.

In order not to wander and think about what to visit and see in Novi Sad, but also its surroundings, we have prepared a short guide with specially selected locations in the city that you need to visit, get acquainted with the history and find out why Novi Sad is such a special city.

1. Petrovaradin Fortress

If Belgrade is known for Kalemegdan and Pobednik, then Petrovaradin and Clock Tower are synonymous for Novi Sad.

The fortress itself hides a lot of stories, mysteries and undiscovered underground passages, and it was built for an incredible 88 years, from the end of the 17th to the end of the 18th century.

A special part of the fortress is the Clock Tower, which is located on a plateau with a fantastic view of the beautiful blue Danube and Novi Sad.

If you are wondering when is the right time to visit the Petrovaradin Fortress, the answer is always. However, a special moment of the year is the EXIT festival which is held right on the fortress, and which brings a great blend of history and modern sound.

2. City center

The center of Novi Sad is one inseparable whole. We cannot single out just one landmark, and not to mention the others.

Therefore, an excellent starting point for touring the city itself is the center, more precisely the pedestrian zone which includes Freedom Square. On the square itself, you can see two certainly the most famous buildings in the city itself, namely the City Hall and the Cathedral.

The City Hall may seem familiar to you, especially if you have been to Graz because it is exactly the same as the City Hall of this Swiss city.

Across from the City Hall, there is a symbol of the city, the Name of Mary Catholic Church, also known as the Cathedral.

Between these two buildings, there is a monument dedicated to Svetozar Miletić, a great Serb and politician from the 19th century.

After visiting these sights, it makes sense to continue walking through the pedestrian zone that stretches Zmaj Jovina Street, Svetozara Miletića Street, Katoličke porte Street, Laza Telečki Street, Nikola Pašić Street and Trg Slobode and Dunavska Street.

So, a lot of places for an easy walk and sightseeing in the center of Novi Sad.

3. Danube Park

After exploring the city center, and visiting all the sights of this area of Novi Sad, you can relax in the nearby Danube Park.

You can reach the Danube Park by the Danube Street, which continues from Zmaj Jovina Street and which is part of the previously mentioned pedestrian zone.

On the way to the park, you can see another landmark of Novi Sad, and that is the City Library, which was founded back in 1885.

When it comes to the Danube Park itself, this is the oldest and probably the most popular among Novi Sad residents, and the interesting thing is that it has a small lake and walking trails so you can continue walking here or rest to continue your tour of Novi Sad.

4. Museum of Vojvodina

If you would like to visit a museum in Novi Sad, but you do not know which one, then our recommendation would be the Museum of Vojvodina.

In two buildings, in Dunavska Street, there are huge historical, ethnographic and archeological collections, archival material, valuable exhibits and a lot of interesting things.

In building 35, there is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of this part of Serbia from the Old Stone Age, i.e. the Paleolithic, until the end of the 19th century.

In the second part, in building 37, the exhibition is dedicated to somewhat more recent events, more precisely to the events in Vojvodina in the First and Second World Wars.

Another part of the Museum of Vojvodina that is especially interesting and worth visiting is the Museum of Accession in 1918. Everything you can see in this part of the museum is dedicated to the annexation of Vojvodina to the Kingdom of Serbia in 1918 after the end of the Great War.

5. Štrand

The most famous beach in Novi Sad is undoubtedly Štrand. And, if you ask anyone in Novi Sad, they will tell you that this city actually has a sea.

It's the Danube!

The history of the beach on the Štrand begins more than 100 years ago, back in 1911. Since then, this beach is an unavoidable place for hot summer days, good company and fun for all who live in Novi Sad or who come as tourists.

6. Fruška gora

Let's go outside of Novi Sad now. We are going to Fruška Gora.

There are some interesting things about Fruška Gora. First of all, this area is known for winemaking, and the proof of that is the Sremski Karlovci, which is located not that far from Novi Sad and Fruška Gora (24 km and about 13 km).

In addition, Fruška Gora is also called the Serbian Holy Mountain (it is not the only one in Serbia) because there is a large number of monasteries on this mountain, as many as 17.

In addition, Fruška Gora is a national park, has a total of 16 lakes and 40 waterfalls, and was once an island in the Pannonian Sea.

All this is more than enough reason to visit Fruška Gora and visit as many locations as possible.

7. Dunavska Street

Walking through Novi Sad, you will notice that a lot of sights and interesting things are located in Dunavska Street.

We talked about the Museum of Vojvodina a little earlied, and next to it, there is the City Library, then the oldest house in Novi Sad - "Kod belog lava", which was built in the early 18th century and in whose yard is the oldest well in the city!

Apart from being a part of the rich tourist offer, Dunavska Street also carries a large part of the history of Novi Sad.

Numerous artists and politicians also lived in this street, and one that stands out is Svetozar Miletić, former mayor of Novi Sad.

Therefore, if you want to take a walk on one of the oldest streets in the city, get to know the history of the city and see the mentioned sights, Dunavska Street is the right place to go.

8. Bridges of Novi Sad

So far, you could easily conclude that you can see a lot in Novi Sad by easy walk. Here, as in other parts of Vojvodina, there is no rush anywhere and it is simply that way.

Many of the locations we mentioned are quite close to each other, so you can visit everything without any hurry.

However, if you are interested in a little longer walk, and you want to see other parts of Novi Sad, then our suggestion is to walk some of the most famous bridges in Novi Sad.

First of all, Žeželj's bridge, named after its designer, Branko Žeželj, connects Novi Sad and Petrovaradin and is characterized by large arches.

Another big bridge, also great for walking, is the Freedom Bridge and it connects the Srem and Bačka parts of the city.

Finally, the Varadin Bridge is also known as the Rainbow Bridge because the lighting on the bridge changes color, so a walk on this bridge would be best at night.

The history of this bridge is very interesting, it was built in the 1920s, and during its existence, it was demolished and rebuilt three times!

By the way, another interesting (or not so interesting) fact is that Novi Sad was left without all three big bridges during the NATO aggression in 1999. But it is also interesting that they have all been rebuilt.

9. Museum of Novi Sad

Novi Sad is a relatively young city, especially if we compare it with other Serbian or European cities. For example, it received the status of a city in 1748.

However, it does not mean that Novi Sad does not have a history and tradition. On the contrary, to get to know the very interesting and rich history of Novi Sad, you must visit the Museum of Novi Sad.

This museum is just one in a series of numerous museums and galleries that you should visit when you are in "Serbian Athens", but if you want to find out only details related to the development and history of the city, then this museum is a must stop.

10. Restaurants in Novi Sad

For the end of the Novi Sad adventure, we suggest a visit to one of the city's restaurants. The adventure without local food is not complete, so you must try some of the best local specialties.

The cuisine of this part of Serbia, like all others, brings different tastes and different specialties. Therefore, to go home with the full experience of visiting Novi Sad, you must try local flavors.