Novi Sad, Serbia

Novi Sad is a city in Serbia, famous for the summer rock festival "EXIT", held in the Petrovaradin Fortress, when the exciting atmosphere here and the bohemian essence of Novi Sad, remain forever in the memories of those who attended.

Novi Sad is the second largest city in the north of Serbia, located on both banks of the Danube and described as one of the most beautiful Serbian cities. The city retained its identity after the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule over the centuries, which explains the influence of Western architecture in the construction of buildings and cathedrals. Novi Sad has been the capital of the Vojvodina region since 1694, and since Serbia's full independence in 2006, the city has consolidated its status as a patron of Serbian culture and traditions. Novi Sad is a typical European city, with representative squares and wonderful 19th-century buildings constructed after the city's destruction during the 1848 uprising. The quays of the Danube are dotted with cafés and riverside terraces against the backdrop of Novi Sad's most refined neighborhoods. There are also impressive examples of modernist style, such as the Freedom Bridge, rebuilt in 2005, and the city's famous symbol - the huge glass, steel and concrete building of the Serbian Oil Industry, located on Freedom Boulevard.

Novi Sad's Freedom Square is the starting point for a sightseeing tour of this fascinating city. The many cafes, the impressive buildings and the cool shadows under the huge trees make this famous square a pleasant place to stroll, not only for the locals but also for tourists. Some of Novi Sad's most important buildings are located here.

Novi Sad Town Hall is an imposing building with a tall bell tower and 16 allegorical figures on the facade. Right in front of the town hall is the five-meter high monument to the political leader Svetozar Miletić, who was also the mayor of Novi Sad.

The neo-gothic Cathedral of Our Lady in Freedom Square is the largest and most beautiful in the city. Built in 1892 on the site of the existing old church, the cathedral dominates the center of Novi Sad. The Hungarian architect, György Molnar, designed this extraordinary masterpiece for free, putting all his talent and experience into making the cathedral look impressively beautiful to this day. The bell tower with a golden cross on top was later completed. The church has an organ and four altars, and the 20 stained glass windows depict saints.

The Bishop's Palace is an amazing building, built in Byzantine architectural style by Vladimir Nikolic at the beginning of the 20th century with the coats of arms of the Diocese of Baca on the facade.

Petrovaradin Fortress is one of the most important symbols of Novi Sad. Situated on the left bank of the Danube on an area of 112 hectares with a magnificent view of the city, it was built in the early 17th century and represents an old town with forests and meadows around it-an oasis against the hectic rhythm of city life. The tunnels of the Petrovaradin Fortress are 16 km long and the Clock Tower, built later, is an addition to the majestic fortress. One of the bridges over the Danube is the connection between Novi Sad and Petrovaradin Fortress. In the museums of Petrovaradin Fortress there are exhibits telling the history of the settlement since the Paleolithic era and its fortification with walls around 3 millennium BC.

The huge 19th century Matica Srpska library building is the oldest and most important cultural institution in the city and all of Serbia. The Matica Srpska Gallery includes collections of paintings from all periods of art history, furniture, religious art and much more. Interestingly, the Bulgarian Renaissance man Lyuben Karavelov, married to a Serbian woman, lived in Novi Sad and published his novella "Je li kriva sudbina" (Kriva li je destiny) in Serbian in the magazine Matica.

The Museum of Vojvodina was built in 1847 in an eclectic style with a magnificent portal and richly decorated windows and houses a permanent collection of exhibits related to Serbian culture and life in Vojvodina. In the collection of 400 thousand exhibits can be seen paintings by Paris Bordone ("Madonna and Child") ; Paul Rubens ("Vulcan's Mint"); Alessandro Magnasco ("Soldiers at Rest"). Of the objects of interest are a late Roman helmet of the 4th century AD. The collection of chairs and many others.

The Danube Park is a city park-one of the most beautiful and attractive places for a walk. Established in 1895, it is protected as a natural monument and is one of the symbols of the city. On the islet in the lake there is a weeping willow, planted in memory of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, after her assassination in 1898. In the following years the park was taken care of by the Novi Sad government. Many rare trees were planted, such as the silver lime, the European nettle tree, as well as ornamental plants - white poplar, lake cypress and many others. In addition, the colorful paths and interesting sculptures make the walk through the park extremely pleasant.And the newlyweds must take pictures in front of the wonderful white gazebo.

The Dino Park is an amusement park in Novi Sad, interesting not only for children, but also for adults, because here you can see different dinosaur sculptures in life size, but moving and making different sounds.

10 km from the center of Novi Sad is the small mountain Fruska Gora, which is crossed by the Belgrade-Novi Sad motorway. Declared a National Park, there are 15 monasteries on its territory, called Frushko monasteries. The most famous among them is in Novo Hopovo from 1480, where the frescoes are the work of hieromonk Mitrofan, and in the monastery in Krusjedol from the 17th century is buried the first king of the Kingdom of Serbia, Milan Obrenović.

A boat trip on the Danube from the quay by Varadin Bridge is not to be missed- it's a wonderful experience. Dinner or coffee is optional for the travelling tourist.

Novi Sad's cuisine offers, besides Serbian specialties, many typical Hungarian dishes accompanied by the obligatory bread and water from the restaurant.