Explore Novi Sad: Best Places to Visit, Top Attractions & Things to Do
With Serbia growing in popularity in recent years, Novi Sad tourism is on a slow but steady rise. This is your ultimate Novi Sad Travel Guide for what to see, do and eat in this beautiful city. Even with a limited time frame, it is possible to visit many Novi Sad top attractions, including the ones outlined here.
Novi Sad is a city in northern Serbia on the banks of the Danube River. Standing atop a riverside bluff, much of Petrovaradin Fortress dates to the 17th and 18th centuries, with an iconic clock tower and a network of tunnels. Across the river is the old quarter, Stari Grad, site of the Gothic Revival Name of Mary Church and the neo-Renaissance City Hall.
On my first trip to Belgrade, time was too tight to take a day trip to Novi Sad, so when I was planning my return, I made a trip to this city a priority.
Some visitors opt to commit several days to Novi Sad, but I found I was able to do quite a lot in one day, and with the high-speed train, the travel time was quite minimal.
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How to Get to Novi Sad from Belgrade
How to get to Novi Sad from Belgrade
There are a few ways to get from Belgrade to Novi Sad:
🚞Train, in my opinion, is the best way to get to Novi Sad from Belgrade. It is the fastest, most cost efficient, and runs frequently enough to offer schedule flexibility. The trains I took were clean and comfortable with ample available seating.
The high-speed train will get you to/from Novi Sad in as little as 36 minutes and at most 57 minutes.
OW tickets cost between $3-6 and can be purchased at the ticket office or machines on-site, as well as through the Srbijavoz website or app.
I will be honest; I had a hard time figuring out how to buy tickets on the site and the app wouldn’t translate for me, so I just hoped for the best when I showed up. It was very easy to buy tickets from the machine and go straight to the train, both coming and going.
🚙Drive: The drive takes about 90 minutes from Belgrade and offers beautiful scenery. Driving allows for stops along the way and flexibility to keep your own schedule.
🚕Taxi: You can take a taxi or hire a driver to take you to Novi Sad, which will cost between $65-$85
🚌Bus: There are numerous bus options from Belgrade to Novi Sad, with buses running every 15-30 minutes and costing between $7 and $11 each way. The bus journey will take approximately 90 minutes.
Top Attractions
This little city actually has quite a bit to offer, but it much be covered in a day by either walking (my approach), utilizing the city buses, or taxis.
There are also numerous tours available through sites like Viator, Get Your Guide, and Airbnb experiences.
City Center/Liberty Square
Here you will find streets lined with cafes, restaurants and shops, including the famous Dunavska Street and its brightly colored buildings. This area will surely be one of the highlights on your trip to Novi Sad.
The focal point of City Centre, Novi Sad’s charming old town, is broad Liberty Square, overlooked by the neo-Renaissance City Hall and the towering Church of the Name of Mary. Colorful 19th-century buildings line Dunavska street, home to the Museum of Vojvodina, with exhibits on the province’s history, and the City Museum. Crafts shops, galleries, cafes, and Serbian restaurants are scattered around the neighborhood
Church of the Holy Name of Mary
🗺️Католичка порта Нови, Сад 21000, Serbia
🕰️Mon-closed, Tue-Wed Fri-Sat 8a-6:30p, Thurs 8a-7p, Sun 7a-12:30p
💶Free
This stunning church is a focal point of Liberty Square and is impossible to miss with it’s impressive structure and colorful roof.
Visitors are permitted inside to a limited point as the majority of the interior is gated. It is still well worth popping in to.
Saint George's Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Great-Martyr George is the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Bačka, located in Novi Sad, northern Serbia. The present-day church was completed in 1905, on the ruins of a church built in 1734 and destroyed in 1849.
-Wikipedia-
🗺️Nikole Pašića 4, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
💶free
I have been in a lot of churches and cathedrals on my travels, and this was one of my favorites. Everything about it was absolutely beautiful and it had so many interesting and ornate details to take in. My visit here was heightened by being the only person there and really being able to take it all in at my own pace.
Petrovaradin Fortress and Clock
Petrovaradin Fortress, nicknamed "Gibraltar on/of the Danube", is a fortress in the town of Petrovaradin, itself part of the City of Novi Sad, Serbia. It is located on the right bank of the Danube river.
🗺️Sat, Tvrđava BB Petrovaradinska tvrđava, Petrovaradin 21131, Serbia
🕰️Daily 8a-4p
💶free
Petrovaradin Fortress and Clock is one of the highlights of a visit to Novi Sad as it offers stunning and sweeping views of the city. Be prepared to climb some steps to get those views, but they are well worth it. There is a cafe and some shops at the top of the stairs, and visitors can walk the full perimeter of the fortress to take in views from every angle.
Petrovaradin Catacombs
🗺️3D Svet, Hornwerk, Petrovaradin, Serbia
🕰️Sun-Fri 1-a-6p
💶Private tours available for approximately $25
Located just past Petrovaradin Fortress underground, are the military galleries—often referred to as the catacombs—create a four-story, roughly 10-mile-long (16 kilometers) network of passageways. This massive site can be seen from atop the Fortress, but few people know they exist.
Unfortunately, I did not know they existed until I was at the Fortress and asked someone what they were. This is definitely an adventure I would have signed up for if I had known in advance, because entering the underground tunnels without an authorized guide is not advised and can be extremely dangerous.
There are experiences and guides available through sites like viator, get your guide, and this recommended company that works to help preserve the space.
Novi Sad Synagogue
The Novi Sad Synagogue is a former Neolog Jewish congregation and synagogue, located on Jevrejska Street, in the city center of Novi Sad, in the province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Completed in 1909, the building was used as a synagogue until c. 1966; and subsequently used as cultural center since 2012
🗺️Jevrejska 11, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
🕰️24 Hours
💶€1
Another stunning structure, both inside and out, the Novi Sad Synagogue is packed with simplistic beauty inside and out. I can only imagine how remarkable attending a performance in this space must be, especially after getting a teaser by a pianist practicing when I visited.
Where to Eat
Other than a quick stop in to a bakery and an ice cream, I only had the pleasure of having one meal in Novi Sad, but I think I nailed it with my pick for that one meal.
Project 72 Creative Local Cusine
🗺️Kosovska 15, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
🕰️Daily 12p-11p
💶€€
This was my first proper meal returning to Serbia and it absolutely did not disappoint. I was thrilled to find veggie options and indulged in some savory cheese roles. The space itself is chic, warm and welcoming and the service was 10/10. As an added bonus, it was very affordable. Project 72 is absolutely worth a visit when in Novi Sad.
Whether you take a day trip, or spend several days in Novi Sad, it is easy to sink into the beauty and history of this North Serbian city. With it’s art, history, sweeping views and delicious eats, Novi Sad has something for everyone.
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