Novi Sad, Serbia: For Tourists

Visit Serbia's Second City

Nestled on the Danube, this capital city of the Serbian province of Vojvodina welcomes tourists as it rebuilds itself in the wake of 1999 Kosovo War bombings by NATO. In Serbian, Novi Sad means “new planting,” ironic nomenclature for a city that lost its bridges and other critical parts of its infrastructure. Fortunately, many of Novi Sad’s oldest buildings – churches, museums, and other cultural institutions – survived the war. As the second largest city in the loose federation of Serbia and Montenegro, Novi Sad is emerging as a small but lovely mix of historical charm and Balkan sophistication. Tourist have flocked to Novi Sad for sports and music events in recent years, including the 2005 Eurobasket games and the annual EXIT music festival (which featured headliners like Garbage, the White Stripes, and Fatboy Slim in 2005). Novi Sad makes a sweet Serbian tourist destination because it is compact and walkable yet rich with restaurants, shopping, art, and nightlife.

Getting to Novi Sad

Novi Sad lacks a commercial airport of its own, so connections from Belgrade (only 80km away) must be made by bus or train if one is flying into Serbia. Because it is on the train path leading to Belgrade, rail is a convenient way to arrive in Novi Sad from Budapest, Vienna, Zagreb, Munich, Ljubljana and other points north/west of the city. The trip is about five hours from Budapest. From points south/east of Novi Sad, trains departing Athens, Bucharest, Skopje, and Sofia will pass through Belgrade on the way. Buses also serve Novi Sad directly from outside of Serbia, usually via Hungary or Croatia. Some Danube cruises also stop in Novi Sad, though typically for only a few hours.

Getting around Novi Sad

Many of the main tourist attractions in Novi Sad are within walking distance of one another. The city centre boasts the bulk of attractions, including cultural spots, restaurants, and nightlife. Public transit is available on buses for a nominal fee, but taxis in Novi Sad are remarkably inexpensive compared to most European cities, with fares usually under $5 for most trips.