Novi Sad

Introduction

Novi Sad is the capital of Serbia's autonomous province of Vojvodina, set in the southern part of the Pannonian Plain where the Bačka and Syrmia regions meet. The city sits on the banks of the Danube, facing the northern slopes of Fruška Gora, and it ranks as one of the largest cities on the river that is not a national capital.

As Vojvodina's administrative centre, it makes a natural base for exploring the surrounding plains and the Fruška Gora hills across the water.

Before you go

Novi Sad sits in the Vojvodina region and feels distinct from larger cities in central and southern Serbia: it grew under the Austro-Hungarian Empire rather than the Ottomans, so the buildings in the centre resemble those of Vienna and Budapest. It's a university town, and the student population gives it plenty of bars and a generally open-minded atmosphere. The city itself is flat, with wide streets and lots of trees, which makes it easy to get around by bike. If you want to stretch your legs further, the mountain of Fruška Gora is less than 15 km away, a national park with old monasteries and hiking. Locals are known for being relaxed and easy-going, sometimes to the point of seeming slow-paced to Serbians from elsewhere.

Pack for four distinct seasons. Winters are cold, with spells below zero and snow that can linger for days; the first snow usually arrives in late November or early December. Springs are short and rainy, summers often arrive abruptly and can be very hot, and autumn settles in around the beginning of October with mild temperatures and a fair share of rain alongside sunny days. The best weather generally falls between April and September. If the heat gets to you, you can swim at Štrand, the public beach on the Danube, or use the outdoor pool at Spens, where going early in the morning helps you avoid the crowds. Note that many visitors come for the Exit Festival, held at Petrovaradin fortress in early July.

Getting there

Novi Sad has no airport of its own, so most travellers arrive through Belgrade, roughly 70 km to the southeast and under an hour away by road. Several taxi companies run regular cars between Belgrade Airport and Novi Sad, which is convenient and inexpensive by foreign standards. Belgrade is usually the easiest gateway not only because it is closest, but because arriving from other airports means crossing a land border, and the busiest crossings, especially those from Hungary, can take hours. Low-cost flights also serve Budapest to the north and Timisoara to the northeast, and taxi companies offer regular cars from those airports as well.

By train, Novi Sad sits on the line between Budapest, Subotica and Belgrade, and the upgraded line to Belgrade means the non-stop "Soko" trains can reach the capital in well under an hour. Note that the city's railway station on Bulevar Jaše Tomića is closed for repair following a roof collapse, and trains stop instead at Petrovaradin just over the river; there is no replacement bus, so you follow the locals down to the main road and take a city bus. Timetables are on the SrbijaVoz website and in the SrbijaVoz app. Buses are the other main option: services run to all the major cities in Serbia, with departures for Belgrade every 15 minutes, and international routes reach Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, while connections from elsewhere in Europe usually mean changing in Budapest. The bus station sits next to the railway station on the same boulevard, with ticket kiosks and a cafe. If you drive, the E-75 between Belgrade and Budapest skirts the city to the north, and the E-70 for Zagreb and Ljubljana lies to the southwest. Cyclists can arrive along the EuroVelo 6 route, which links Novi Sad to Hungary and Belgrade along the Danube.

Getting around

Central Novi Sad is compact, and most of the sights, bars and hotels you'll want are within easy walking distance of one another. Street maps are plentiful around the centre, so finding your way on foot is straightforward.

• On foot: The most practical way to cover the centre; the layout is small and well signed.
• By bus: The network is excellent and runs from early morning until midnight, though most lines operate only during the day. Buy a single ride from the driver in cash; tickets are not sold in advance and transfers are not included. The centre has two main stops, one after the underpass in Mihajla Pupina and one in Uspenska by the theatre. Lines 4, 10, 14 and 15 link the railway and bus station to the centre (10, 14 and 15 stop in Uspenska; 4 stops by the underpass). For Štrand beach take 1 or 8 from either centre stop, and for Petrovaradin fortress take 3 and get off at the first stop after the bridge. Frequencies vary from every 10 minutes or less at midday to every half hour late in the evening. The bus network is not in Google Maps, so ask a local, or use the Yandex, Moovit, Public Transport Novi Sad or NSmart apps for real-time information.
• By taxi: Taxis are not overly expensive by Western standards, and many drivers speak fair to excellent English, but it helps to have your address written out. Stick to cars affiliated with the major firms — Pan, Vojvodjani, SOS, Delta, Novus, Naš and Lav — and be wary of unaffiliated taxis, especially at the train station, where you may be charged far more than the correct fare.
• By bike: The city is flat with dedicated cycle paths along most avenues, making it exceptionally bicycle-friendly for the region; sidewalk cycling is not allowed. A public bike-share scheme has stations around the city, though bike maintenance is inconsistent, and private rental is available if you want better quality or a specialised bicycle.
• By car: Parking is organised into red, blue and white zones, with daily tickets available in all white zones and some blue zones. Payment is by SMS: send your licence plate in capital letters without spaces to the number for the relevant zone.

Where to stay

For budget stays, you have several hostels to choose from. Downtown Hostel sits on Njegoševa in the very centre, close to many bars and restaurants. Hostel Sova on Ilije Ognjanovića is near the main city square and is known for friendly service and clean rooms, with both dorm and double-bed options. Hostel Smile on Bulevar Oslobođenja is handy if you're arriving or leaving by train or bus, as it's in the vicinity of the main train and bus station.

Mid-range options cluster around the centre and the station. CitiHotel Veliki on Nikole Pašića offers comfortable apartments with free Wi-Fi and free breakfast. Fontana, also on Nikole Pašića, has average rooms above a restaurant plus a huge apartment, and very friendly staff though limited English. Hotel Novi Sad on Bulevar Jaše Tomića sits right across from the train station and has free parking. Prenoćište Dvorište offers accommodation in the centre, a five-minute walk from the pedestrian zone, with secured parking and a children's playground. For a splurge, Hotel Prezident on Futoška is a five-star property, part of the Best Western group. Hotel Leopold I sits on the Petrovaradin fortress and has spectacular views over Novi Sad, with twin or double rooms and apartments, satellite TV, internet and a car park. Hotel Mediteraneo on Ilije Ognjanovića is very close to Zenit and is new and modern. Hotel Gymnas on Teodora Pavlovića is a B&B with the largest fitness centre in the city, and all guests get complimentary use of the gym and sauna.

Food & drink

Novi Sad gives you a wide choice of places to eat, from traditional kafanas and Vojvodina farm restaurants (salaši) to modern bistros, pizzerias, Asian restaurants and vegan cafés. Good-quality food is easy to find throughout the city, and prices are generally lower than in most Western European cities. Regional cooking reflects Serbian, Hungarian and Austrian influences: look for rinflajš (boiled beef with vegetables and sauces), nasuvo s krompirom (homemade pasta with potatoes), riblji paprikaš (spicy fish stew), sarma, gulaš and paprikaš. The nearby village of Futog is known for its Futoški kupus (Futog cabbage), traditionally used for sarma, and grilled dishes such as ćevapi and pljeskavica are available almost everywhere. For a quick meal, try the Index sandwich, a Novi Sad specialty created for university students. Burek, pastries and other baked goods are sold in bakeries (pekare) across the city, while pancakes (palačinke), pizza by the slice and grilled meat are popular late-night snacks. If you have a sweet tooth, look for štrudla, gibanica, krofne or kuglof.

For cheap food — pizza, hamburgers, pancakes and the like — head to Bulevar Oslobođenja leading from the station, Braće Popović near Novi Sad Fair, Zmaj Jovina, or Futoški put; further out there's another cluster around Vojvodina stadium. In the city centre you'll find places like Kuća kobasice on Trg republike, Restoran Forum on Vojvode Mišića for authentic Vojvodina cuisine, Dottore per la pizza on Maksima Gorkog, Stevča soul food on Grčkoškolska, Frustuk bar on Petra Drapšina for vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches, Amigos Chicken Wings on Jevrejska, and Dragon at the Karađorđe stadium for domestic-cooked meals and grill. Near the centre, Mali Niš on Fruškogorska serves homemade food. Ribarsko ostrvo (Fisherman's Island) has a slew of riverside restaurants and cafés, and mid-range options include Brkina Marina on Trg mladenaca, Fontana on Nikole Pašića for traditional meat dishes, Staro zdanje on Trg Marije Trandafil, Vremplov on Bulevar Oslobođenja for cakes and coffee in 1920s retro style, and Surabaja on Primorska for Indonesian food. For a splurge, Zeppelin sits on a ship on the Danube with a view of Petrovaradin fortress, and Žal za mladost on Somborska offers an authentic Serbian restaurant with a pre-1930s atmosphere. Figaro on Mite Ružića is a good stop for pastry and espresso.

As a university town, Novi Sad has a lively bar scene, with many bars in the small streets west of Zmaj Jovina, around Njegoševa and Grčkoškolska streets. Martha's Pub on Laze Telečkog is known for honey rakija, Trema sits within the National Theatre on Pozorišni trg, and Sting is next to Vojvodina Stadium. Absolut and Pivnica Gusan are both on Zmaj Jovina, Cafe Porta is on Katolicka porta, and Julianna on Dunavska is a cinema-themed gastrobar in the old town with cocktails named after famous on-screen couples, hookah mixes named after films, Caucasian dishes such as shashlik and khinkali, and vinyl records.

What to see and do

Novi Sad's centre is compact and walkable, with old architecture lining the pedestrian streets of Dunavska and Zmaj Jovina, the latter leading to the main square, Trg slobode. On that square you'll find the Town Hall, the default meeting point for locals, and opposite it the Name of Mary Church, the city's largest Gothic Revival church, known to residents simply as "the cathedral". The Statue of Svetozar Miletić also stands here, its raised arm interpreted by some as facing the church next door. Nearby are the Orthodox Church of the Great Martyr St. George and the old Gimnasium Jovan Jovanović Zmaj, at one end of the pedestrian area by Republic Square and the Fish Market, where you can buy fresh produce, homemade cheese and other goods, best in the morning before vendors head home. The Government of Vojvodina building, designed to resemble a ship, and the Novi Sad Synagogue, now used for concerts thanks to its acoustics, round out the central sights.

Across the river, Petrovaradin Fortress offers the best view over the city, especially at sunset, and its clock tower — with the hands reversed, the large one showing hours — is a symbol of Novi Sad. Within its walls you'll find the Muzej Grada Novog Sada, restaurants with a view, and nightclubs, and it hosts the annual Exit Festival in July. The Danube promenade stretches for around 5 km; near its middle, the square dedicated to the victims of the World War II raid offers a place to sit and look across at the fortress, and draws young people on warm summer evenings. For greenery, head to Dunavski park near the centre, home to a family of swans, Limanski park by the Štrand beach and university campus, the leafy campus itself, or Kamenički park across the river in Sremska Kamenica, once a royal garden with a pentagonal sculpture and a sphinx. Museums include the Vojvodina Museum on Dunavska, covering the region from the Paleolithic onward, and the Foreign Art Collection, also on Dunavska, with Western European works from the 16th to 19th centuries. If the weather is fine, sit at one of the cafés around Spens, stroll the boulevards, or swim at Štrand, the sand beach on the Danube usually open from mid-May to mid-September. Hiking clubs organise regular weekend trips to Fruška Mountain and the surrounding area.

When to go

Novi Sad has a continental climate with four distinct seasons, and the most reliable weather generally falls between April and September. Spring arrives briefly and often wetly; the first warm, sunny day after winter, usually in March, is when the city spills out into the cafes of Zmaj Jovina street and along the Danube promenade.

• Summer: The heat can arrive abruptly, with very high temperatures common from as early as May. When it gets too hot, locals head to Štrand beach on the Danube or the outdoor pool at Spens, where an early morning visit helps you avoid the crowds. Short, heavy rains pass through from time to time and cool the air for a couple of hours, and the warm weather often lasts until the middle of September or later.
• Autumn: Autumn usually sets in by the beginning of October and is not too cold. Rain is not uncommon, but there are plenty of sunny days too, and the changing leaves make the parks and the Danube promenade especially beautiful.
• Winter: Winters are cold, with temperatures dropping below zero for a couple of weeks each year, often with snow that lingers for a few days or more at a time. The first snow typically falls in late November or early December.

Three days in Novi Sad

Day one: Start in Novi Sad itself, the capital of Vojvodina, and get your bearings on the Pannonian Plain where the city sits between the Bačka and Syrmia regions. Walk the centre and take in the layers of its past, from the Ottomans to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the pull it has long felt from Vienna and Budapest. Cross to Petrovaradin and look out over the Danube. Locals and Serbians will tell you the fortress is the city's landmark, and in July it hosts the Exit Festival, so expect crowds then. Pack for the season: winters from November to December are bitterly cold, while springs and autumns from April to September and October are mild and pleasant.

• Spens is the main sports and events hall if you want a fixture or a show.
• Note that the Exit Festival fills Petrovaradin and the city in July.

Day two: Head for Fruška Gora and give the hills a full day. The slopes rise out of the Pannonian Plain, and the walking and the quiet are the point. If you have time, loop back through the villages on the Bačka side and take the long view across the plain towards the Danube.

Day three: Use Novi Sad as your base and look outward. Belgrade is the obvious run south, and Belgrade Airport is the practical arrival point if you are flying in. Hungary lies to the north, with Subotica on the way, and Timisoara is another option across the border. Low-cost connections make all of these easy, so pick one and keep the day simple.