A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad.

A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad, Serbia.

April 2021.

“Well it’s stopped raining at least!” I chirped, as Sladja and I shuffled off the bus. Indeed it had been coming down for most of the drive from Belgrade. This left a fresh almost wholesome feeling in the air as I touched down on Novi Sad soil for the first time.

After seven months living in the Serbian capital I was itching to see more of the country. So here we were in Serbia’s second largest city, an architectural delight set around a pretty stretch of the River Danube. A handsome albeit modest metropolis that some have seen fit to dub “The Athens of Serbia”.

However, it wasn’t purely the prospect of exploring Novi Sad that had butterflies doing cartwheels in my stomach. You see, I was also a man on a mission. Unbeknown to Sladja, I had carefully crafted a cunning plan. A scheme that, I hoped, could be carried out flawlessly. And with a bit of luck have a happy ending to boot.

From the bus station it was a thirty minute walk to Freedom Square (Trg slobode), Novi Sad’s historic 18th century plaza. It is packed with some of the city’s most impressive neoclassical, baroque and renaissance structures. Definitely worth some closer attention, but for now we were just passing through.

A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad.

Just beyond the square we headed a short way down Zmaj Jovina, one of Novi Sad’s many pedestrianised cafe and restaurant streets. Here, between several eateries, stood the entrance door to the building that housed our Airbnb apartment.

The flat was just lovely. Compact and tastefully designed in a mix of classic and modern styles, it was the perfect home from home.

We particularly loved the bedroom’s large windows. In fact, one of them gave us our own private views over Zmaj Jovina Street and the gorgeous 19th century Name of Mary Church.

From the other window we enjoyed a fine angle of Freedom Square. And what a sight it was that evening as dusk gradually fell over Novi Sad. If you ever visit and want an apartment right in the heart of the old town, look no further than Sergej’s Place.

Freedom Square.

Naturally, Freedom Square is where we began our explorations the following morning. We had awoken bright and breezy, thus we caught the square at a peaceful moment before the day’s heavy foot traffic kicked in.

The square’s lone statue of former mayor Svetozar Miletić serves as a popular meeting point. Miletić, who has a place in the 1993 book The 100 Most Prominent Serbs, enjoyed success as a journalist and published author in addition to his achievements in politics.

Behind the statue stands the imposing City Hall, a Neo-renaissance beast complete with mythological Greek statues that Miletić himself played a key role in constructing. Today it is home to the offices of Novi Sad’s current mayor Milan Đurić.

The Miletić statue stands facing the Name of Mary Church. Completed in 1895, it is Novi Sad’s largest church which locals refer to as “the cathedral”.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter that weekend as the church was locked. But I still managed to grab a shot by poking my camera through the iron bars. It was a special moment, the air thick with silence and elegance. Its beauty is a testament to the work of architect György Molnár who designed its Neo-Gothic arches and brought in stained glass windows from his native Hungary.

A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad.

There are terrific buildings peppered all around Freedom Square. Take the attractive Hotel Vojvodina, for example, with its impressive sixty-metre facade. Built in 1854 and named Hotel Elisabeth after Empress Elizabeth of Austria, today it stands as Novi Sad’s oldest hotel.

From the square we took a leisurely stroll down Kralja Aleksandra Street where more architectural wonders awaited. Here, we came across one of the world’s most beautiful H&M stores. Dating back to 1853, the building sprang up as a lavish townhouse called Dunđerski Palace.

It belonged to the well-to-do Dunđerski family who had numerous such palaces built in Novi Sad. As some of Yugoslavia’s richest landowners they spared no expense in the crafting of this home. I’m talking carved stone angels and biblical figures in addition to marble columns and dramatic ceiling frescoes.

Many of these aspects were adapted, redesigned and reconstructed in 2008 when H&M took over the building after it had fallen on hard times.

The Former Dunđerski Palace.

As a result, it is well worth going inside for a look, even if you have no intention of shopping.

Just across the road from H&M we spotted a public installation dedicated to a man called Đorđe Balašević. Born in Novi Sad in 1953, Balašević was one of Serbia’s most celebrated singer songwriters and poets. Moreover, he became a prominent anti-war spokesman and high profile critic of Serbian president Slobodan Milošević.

Sadly Balašević died in Novi Sad just a few months prior to our visit. Aged 67, he’d developed pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. The installation comprised of a row of glass panels, each of which bore a lyrical extract from his much-loved song Portret mog zivota (Portrait of My Life).

Photo courtesy of Romanski.

The ever-reliable Sladja translated a few of the panels for me. Like this one, where he addresses a female lover. It goes: “You added the right colours to the portrait of my life: Waves of blue, shades of lava, eddies of green”.

A little further down Kralja Aleksandra we stopped to admire the unmissable Menrat’s Palace (1908). This art nouveau masterpiece originally belonged to a wealthy merchant by the name of Jožef Menrath, who operated a fancy furniture store out of the building. The legendary Hungarian architect Lipót Baumhorn designed the grand structure. 

A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad.

Today you can sit and take in the building with a coffee at the cutesy Tram Cafe (Trčika). It’s a lovely spot, the cafe having been crafted from the remains of an old 1930s tram that used to take passengers from the city centre to a River Danube beach called Strand.

You can either settle down in the restored interior or take a seat outside on the street to watch the world go by. Overall we enjoyed the experience as our coffees were (almost) hot and the service was cordial. As I have come to learn in Serbia that is a double win.

Heading back towards our apartment we came across the picturesque Katolička Porta Square. I couldn’t believe how sleepy it was despite its central location in the heart of the old town.

As such, it proved to be a great spot for dinner that night. From the cluster of options available we decided on a pizza with red wine at a characterful corner restaurant called Pizzeria La Forza.

From Katolička Porta Square we took a long walk down Zmaj Jovina Street to take in the atmosphere of the many cafes and restaurants. What’s more, this is one of Novi Sad’s main commercial streets. Sladja and I rarely spend time shopping when we travel, but on this occasion we did find ourselves drawn in by a really special store called The Manual Company.

A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad.

Established in 1985, The Manual Company specialises in handmade leather goods, including bags, trouser belts, passport cases, keychains, mouse pads, gloves and wallets.

Regardless of whether or not you intend to buy anything, the store’s stunning interior is well worth a look. Inspired by the trade and craft stores of the 1920s, its design is a fabulous concoction of solid wood, wrought iron, glass and stone furnishings. And hey, how about that incredible custom-painted classical ceiling fresco?

The store also displays dozens of collected artefacts from between the two World Wars. My favourite was definitely this incredible National Cash Register, produced in the United States during the 1890s.

In truth we were thoroughly charmed by the place. All the leather goods on display were clearly of the highest quality, while the sales assistants were friendly, not at all pushy and comfortable speaking in English. Hence Sladja decided to treat me to a leather wallet, a sweet gesture that meant I could finally break my bad habit of keeping small change and credit cards loose in my pockets.

The Manual Company.

Next, just a stone’s throw from The Manual Company, we came face to face with the sculpted facade of The Bishop’s Palace. Finished in 1901 from a design by the master architect Vladimir Nikolić, it was purposefully made to look like an orthodox monastery with its mix of romanticism and secessionism.

Right in front of the palace stands a statue in memory of the Serbian children’s poet Jovan Jovanović Zmaj.

“When all others fail to reach,
Song shall be the thrilling speech;
Love and friends and comfort fled,
Song shall linger by your bed;
And when Doubt shall question, Why?
Song shall lift you to the sky”.

As one might guess, The Bishop’s Palace houses the numerous offices of the city’s orthodox bishops. Furthermore, this is where they hold official meetings.

That day, as we took in the building. a large group of bishops suddenly came pouring out to fill the street. In good spirits, it appeared that they were off for lunch somewhere. Check out the one bishop who knows he’s being photographed.

And so the moment seemed just right for us to pop our heads into the nearby Saint George’s Cathedral. The structure dates back to 1905, having been constructed on the site of a ruinous 18th century church. Local historians reckon the marble cross in the garden was crafted in 1734, making it the city’s oldest surviving monument.

A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad.

The cathedral’s interior meanwhile is a stunning visual feast of religious art. Indeed many of the stupendous paintings and frescoes sprang forth from the hallowed hands of two celebrated Serbian painters: Stevan Aleksić and Paja Jovanović.

I’m not sure which of them created this creepy All-Seeing Eye, located on the ceiling. Either way the message is clear: God is always watching. Mm, time to move on.

And what better way to lighten the mood than with a hearty lunch at a rooftop restaurant. Our location of choice was Atrium, a fantastic eatery that focuses on traditional tastes and flavours from Arabia, Persia and the Middle East.

On the ground floor Atrium operates Novi Sad’s most popular hammam & spa complex. But we took the staircase up to the restaurant and its leafy seating area. It’s a cosy pace that holds fine views of the cathedral, particularly its handsome clock tower.

We certainly couldn’t have any complaints about the food either. We ordered a bunch of dishes that included hummus, couscous with pomegranate and buttered pita bread with garlic.

Atrium Restaurant.

But the pick of the bunch was our main, a traditional Bedouin Jordanian dish called mansaf that features chunks of lamb, pomegranate, almonds and yogurt sat atop a bed of fluffy white rice.

Every city worth its salt needs a fine park in which its people and visitors can kick back and perhaps forget that they are even in a city. Happily this is also the case with Novi Sad’s lovingly landscaped Dunavski Park (Danube Park).

Originally laid out in 1895, the park boasts a vast array of flora and fauna. There are Aztec marigold and African arrowroot flowers alongside cypress, horse chestnut and fir trees. Down by the lake, we found the grand weeping willow planted in remembrance of Empress Elisabeth of Austria‘s assassination in 1898.

While circling the lake, we said hello to some of the park’s many frogs and red-eared slider turtles.

A Weekend Exploring Novi Sad.

Like all good parks there are also numerous sculptures and statues. Of these, one should look out for Girl With a Horn (referred to locally as The Nymph). According to historians this fountain statue was the park’s first artwork, installed in 1912 by the Serbian sculptor Đorđe Jovanović.

Elsewhere, it is mildly amusing/disturbing to look back at the Monument of the Russian People, a proclamation of friendship with Serbia that bears the message “Love and unity will save us”. Indeed I much preferred the statue that celebrates the life of the Serbian romantic poet, writer, painter and dramatist Đura Jakšić.

Another string to Dunavski Park’s considerable bow is that it has one of the city’s best cafes. In fact, a visit wouldn’t be complete without grabbing a coffee and a bite at Izlet. This cute little greenhouse has a rather small interior, but the owners provide chairs, tables and benches that spill out into the park.

They also have blankets and pillows if you wanna chill out somewhere nearby on the grass or under a tree.

And there are plenty more atmospheric cafes, bars and restaurants peppered along nearby Laza Telečki. Strolling down the street to enjoy a sample of its leafy settings, we had to laugh at the name of Gastro Pub Dobri Dim. Which translates as something like “good smoke”. Need I say more.

Laza Telečki is also a good place to sample some of Novi Sad’s street art.

One such mural, pictured below, remembers Lazar Telečki himself, a prominent theatre actor, director and playwright of the 1860s and 70s.

Street Art in Novi Sad.

It was on Laza Telečki that we ducked into one of Novi Sad’s many enclosed courtyard gardens. Settling down at a corner table, we ordered some beers from Red Cow Irish Pub and toasted to a productive day’s exploring.

“So we’re doing the fortress tomorrow right?” mused Sladja, sipping from her Guinness. Suddenly the butterflies were back, flying in formation. Thoughts returned to my mission and the envelope that lay hidden in the front pouch of my backpack. “Yes!” I confirmed, trying to sound casual and breezy. One way or another tomorrow was going to be a big day.

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