the clock tower of the Petrovaradin Fortress, the castle across the Danube from Novi Sad
Novi Sad is one of those towns that you spent the day in, and you than realise that there is actually nothing really memorable. And yet, you have had a very entertaining day – or at least, we had.
The city, now the second largest in Serbia, began at the end the 17th C as an establishment of those of Orthodox faith, mostly Serbian, who were prohibited by the Habsburg, thus Roman Catholic, authorities to live in the fortress on the other side of the river, the Petrovaradin Fortress. Over the years it grew in importance, and took over as capital of Vojvodina, with the same history of switching nationalities – yet, because of its Serbian roots, it feels a lot less Hungarian here than in Subotica.
inner city of Novi Sad at a random evening, packed with people on the terraces
On our first night in town we walked to the main pedestrian area, to find it packed with people. Out on a stroll, or to walk the dog, or the children. Having a drink on one of the many outdoor terraces. Showing off the elegant dresses – the ladies -, or showing that you really don’t care what you wear – the men (but that is something universal in Serbia, it seems). A really lively atmosphere, brightened up further by lots of buskers, mostly of the more subtle type, playing a violin or singing opera arias. And the thing is, Novi Sad is not a particular tourist destination – we are all the time being addressed in Serbian, the concept of foreign tourists is quite alien here -, so this is all just for the towns people themselves.
the impressive town hall
with its decorated columns and facade
and a sculpture of Svetozar Miletic, prominent 19th C Serbian politician and mayor of Novi Sad, in front. The sculpture was made by Ivan Mestrovic, famous Croatian sculptor
The City
During daylight we return to the centre, to admire the buildings along the main pedestrian street, Zmaj Jovina, to the main square, Trg Slobode, with its elegant City Hall on one side and the steep and tall church called Name of Mary on the other. Art Nouveau? Of course there is Art Nouveau, here called Hungarian Secession. We manage to get inside the Menrath Palace, built in 1909 for businessman Joseph Menrath (and restored in 2007). We also get to the synagogue, possible just as big as the one in Subotica, but not as nice.
admitedly, not every house is in pristine condition
smaller sculptures decorate the facades of individual houses
old tram wagon, turned into a restaurant
the facade of the Menrath Palace, built in Hungarian Secession style in 1909
inside the palace, the impressive stairs
another Hungarian Secession building, the synagogue
one of the inhabitants on her way home
and another, trying to earn some extra by playing a kind of violin
there is room for modern architecture, too, as her in the Serbian National Theatre
the Petrovaradin Fortress across the Dunav – the Danube
one of the old gates to the fortress
the fortifications of the time, with walls and moats
The Fortress
We make our way to the Petrovaradin Fortress on the other side of the Danube, towering over the river on a 40m-high volcanic slab. This fortress is considered Europe’s second-biggest, and indeed it is a sizable thing – but like so many other things in Novi Sad, perhaps not that memorable after a while. Nice views of the river, but the view of Novi Sad is, whichever way you look at it, not the most impressive. Maybe this is also the result of repeated NATO bombardments in 1999, during the Kosovo war, which left Novi Sad without any bridges across the river, amongst other damages. Damage of which little is found back, today, by the way.
roofs of the neighbourhood next to the fortress
view of Novi Sad from the fortress
The real reason for us to come here, were its multiple museums with modern and contemporary art. But with brilliant weather outside, we weren’t too disappointed with the fact that two out of four collections on our list were closed. In the end we did see the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection, which shows works by the most important Serbian artists from the first half of the 20th century, including Milan Konjovic, whose work we have seen before in Sombor. Which is the type of art that interests us most, even though we have never heard of any of those artists before our journey here. Worth an hour, or so, inside. And perhaps the most memorable part of our Novi Sad visit, too, especially as we combined this with a visit to the Gallery of Fine Arts, next door, where we looked at some of the more modern work of Yugoslav artists.
next: nearby Fruska Gora
the bishop’s palace, in the centre of town
