Novi Sad sits on the banks of the Danube River (which is not at all blue as in the Johann Strauss Waltz!) It is the administrative Center of the northern agricultural region of Serbia.
Novi Sad is known for being the liberal city of music and art and was named the European Capital of Culture for 2022 (even though it was not in the EU then!). It is very ethnically diverse and known for street art.
It’s a charming and historic city, full of quaint cafés and lovely parks, all watched over by the impressive Petrovaradin Fortress. Broad pedestrian streets and open squares invite shopping, & strolling, —capturing the spirit found across Europe during the beloved evening promenade. (Of course, the night we took these photos, it was raining—so the usual street life was a bit quieter than usual!)
This grand staircase and the muraled ceiling were once the home of a wealthy person….before Tito took over with the communist regime after WW2.
Because communism is an ideology rooted in economic equality through the elimination of private property, the building was taken from its original owner—though they were allowed to keep one apartment. The rest was opened up to allow poorer families to move in. Today, it has been converted into a state-owned shopping mall. Seeing this helped to better understand why people have such divided views of Tito. If I had been the owner, I would likely have felt resentment. But if I had been one of the families given a home, I might have viewed him as a hero.
We visited the City Museum and found this replica of one of the three Roman helmets found while digging in an area garden! This is an amazing find…..there are only 11 (of the real thing!) in all of Europe, and 3 are here in Novi Sad.
Novi Sad was the crossroads of many trade routes and cultures throughout history, so it remains the home of many languages today. This sign on the city hall is in the five main languages of residents.
Serbian Orthodox is the main religion of the country and we visited quite a few of the churches. It was a whole new education for us….worshippers stand in the nave during the entire service; the altar is hidden behind a screen that has doors; there are folded seats along the walls for seniors and handicapped; and priests can be married and have families. The walls are generally covered from floor to ceiling with icons or wall paintings of saints, their lives, and stories from the Bible
The Petrovaradin Fortress.….sometimes called the “Gibraltar on the Danube” , because it is built on solid rock….is a towering site built by the Austrians in 1692. It is famous for former prisoners in its dungeon, like a young Tito.
Today it houses a museum, artwork and hosts an annual music festival attended by 200,000 people from around the globe.
This was one of the most impressive fortresses we have seen in our travels….it saw only one day of fighting (4 hrs. we were told!) so it is amazingly well preserved. Lots of investment for one day!
There are –10 miles– of underground tunnels….we probably walked less than a mile to see the complexity of their thinking and planning for an invasion from any angle or level!
This city has 11 bridges……but 8 of them are underwater after being bombed! This one, pictured in the background, is new since NATO bombed Serbia in 1998 over the Kosovo dispute.
We loved our excellent Serbian guide, Sasha. Even when we were scheduled to be on our “own time”, she suggested getting together. This night, we just sat around the hotel lobby with homemade wine and cookies which she brought, along with a big bag of peanut-flavored Cheeto-type treats. She tried hard to answer all of our questions and we most appreciated her honesty about the government. She comes from a very educated family and follows in their footsteps!
September, 2021, Traveling with Overseas Adventure Travel