Novi Sad is Serbia’s 2nd biggest city and it is very close to Belgrade. It is the largest city in the province of Vojvodina which was historically part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and that means that it looks rather different. Novi Sad has its own style of architecture and feels distinctive from Serbia’s capital.
A Bit of a Grim Bus Journey
For some reason, none of the railways seem to be working in Serbia these days and I had to make-do with taking a bus. I have to say this was one of the bus journeys I had enjoyed less, the bus station seemed like such an uncomfortable place and something that I find to be absolutely stupid is that you must buy a ticket for the platform. I had to rush to get 200 dinars in cash so I could get to the platform and I also had to wait a bit before getting onto the bus.
The bus itself was quite uncomfortable, it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in 20 years, thankfully the bus journey was just a little over an hour and I had arrived in Novi Sad.
Staying in City Hostel
This is probably the best place to stay if you’re a backpacker on a budget in Novi Sad and it was good enough for me. I think because it was off-season, it was not busy as the only other person staying there was from Russia.
Seeing Karađorđe Stadium
Novi Sad is home to a football team known as FK Vojvodina and their stadium is easy to find while walking through the city. It’s located right next to a big modern shopping centre and honestly speaking, it’s a bit of an eyesore.
Walking Up to Petrovaradin Fortress
This place is nicknamed: “The Gibraltar of The Danube” as it is a massive fortress right on the banks of The Danube river. The location was first a fortress in 1692 and has a lot of history when Novi Sad was a city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and had wars with the Ottomans.
To get to the Petrovaradin Fortress, it’s easy as Novi Sad is very walkable, you need to walk across the bridge on The Danube and you’ll more or less know where to go. The walk up to the fortress is rather steep and once you get there, you’ll appreciate how much of a nice-looking building it is.
An interesting thing about this place is that it’s the venue for EXIT festival which is the biggest festival in Serbia. It’s definitely looks like a festival that could rival TRNSMT as it genuinely has some good lineups.
Final Thoughts on Novi Sad
Unfortunately, this was all the time I could have had in Novi Sad and because it was in the middle of January just after Serbian New Year, the place did not feel super lively. I think I’d like to return in the summer as I had thoroughly enjoyed my time in Serbia.