We spent 4 days in Serbia during our Balkan Road Trip, arriving from Croatia in the north west and continuing to North Macedonia in the south east. Our route took us through Serbia’s three largest cities; Novi Sad, Belgrade and Niš.
We had one day to explore the country’s second biggest city, Novi Sad. Most of our time was spent exploring the huge fortress which sits on a rock overlooking the city; Petrovaradin Fortress.
How to get to Novi Sad
We drove to Novi Sad as part of our road trip across Serbia. The city is well connected by road and rail. If you opt to fly, the closest commercial airport is Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, which is located 45 miles to the south east.
Getting around Novi Sad
Novi Sad’s attractions are close enough together to make walking an option. This offers you an excellent opportunity to admire the fortress and the Danube from a range of angles. It’s around a mile from the fortress into the town centre.
Where to stay in Novi Sad
We stayed at the Garni Boutique Hotel Arta. It had mixed reviews, so either the good reviews are fake or some people are just too picky. We lowered our expectations accordingly, but it was actually quite pleasant. We chose this hotel because it offers free parking, however it is a couple of miles from the centre of town. As well as parking, the room price includes Wi-Fi and an enormous breakfast.
The one down side was the smoking. In Serbia, smoking is widespread and as the country is not a member of the EU, where smoking is banned in restaurants, the hotel restaurant was no exception. It was a bit like being stuck in the 1980s. I half expected Michael J Fox to turn up in a DeLorean half way through breakfast!
Novi Sad in 1 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | Petrovaradin Fortress Petrovaradin Fortress Clock Tower Varadin Bridge Monument to the Victims of the Raid in Novi Sad Danube Park River Danube Accommodation: Garni Boutique Hotel Arta |
Novi Sad Day 1
Today, we have a long drive today; 4 hours and 240 miles across the Serbian border to Novi Sad, Serbia’s second biggest city, which lies on the banks of the River Danube.
Petrovaradin Fortress
First stop is on the outskirts of Novi Sad, on a rock overlooking the Danube; the formidable Petrovaradin Fortress. Once Europe’s second biggest fortress, construction dates back to the 17th Century.
There’s not much fortress left, but a walk round the remains provides great views across the Danube.
The remains of the fortress houses a Museum which tells its history. You can also visit the Catacombs, which criss cross under the fortress.
Petrovaradin Fortress Clock Tower
One of the landmarks of Petrovaradin Fortress is the Clock Tower with its reversed clock. The hands are reversed, so that the small hand shows minutes and the big hand shows hours. It was created like this so that fishermen on the Danube river could see the time better from a distance.
Varadin Bridge
Linking the fortress to the city is Varadin Bridge. The current bridge dates from 2000, built after the previous bridge was destroyed by NATO bombing. It’s not that exciting to look at, however, it offers a great view of the fortress, the river and the city. The bridge is illuminated at night, hence it is sometimes called the Rainbow Bridge.
Monument to the Victims of the Raid in Novi Sad
We continue the drive into town, which offers an equally spectacular view looking back up to the castle. Here, you can find the Monument to the Victims of the Raid in Novi Sad. The 4 metre tall sculpture, entitled “The Family” was erected in 1971 in memory of almost 4,000 people who were massacred by occupying Hungarian troops in 1942 after the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia. It is the work of sculptor Jovan Soldatović, and incorporates 78 bronze plates which which tell the story of this tragic event and list the names of the victims.
Danube Park
Just round the corner from the monument is Danube Park. This city centre oasis features a lake, paths lined with flower beds and numerous statues.
River Danube
We round the day off with a walk along the River Danube (in theory). The mighty Danube is Europe’s second largest river, spanning 1770 miles from Germany to Ukraine. En route, it passes through 10 countries and 4 capital cities. In reality, we get lost and mostly end up sandwiched between a military base and an industrial wasteland inhabited by packs of feral dogs.
Accommodation: Garni Boutique Hotel Arta
Time to check into our hotel; Garni Boutique Hotel Arta. It’s a pleasant hotel on the outskirts of the city. The bedroom and the bathroom are both enormous and the room has a balcony.
In the morning, we were offered the hotel’s Signature Breakfast – the waitress says it’s a bit of everything. She means meat. Lots and lots of meat – sausage, bacon, salami, two types of ham. The enormous breakfast is, in fact, a veritable festival of pig products. Eaten while everyone around us smokes…
- Trip taken: October 2018
- Updated: October 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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