Novi Sad — Capital of Vojvodina
The second largest city in Serbia and the largest in Vojvodina, Novi Sad is a dynamic business and cultural hub of around 300,000 inhabitants, known for the EXIT Festival, the Petrovaradin Fortress and its title of European Capital of Culture 2022.
The second largest city in Serbia, Novi Sad is the capital of Vojvodina — a dynamic business and cultural hub of around 300,000 inhabitants. It grew in 1694 alongside the bridgehead of Petrovaradin Fortress on the Danube — a fortress built over nearly a century to stand for ages. Here too stands the clock tower with its "reversed" hands, designed to be read by observers on the Novi Sad bank across the river.
By the mid-19th century, Novi Sad had become the national and cultural centre of all Serbs — earning the nickname "Serbian Athens." The well-preserved city core, adorned with Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau buildings, is a delight to explore. It is home to Matica Srpska (founded 1864) and the Serbian National Theatre (1861), the oldest in Serbia.
The city pulses with youthful energy — the University, Štrand (the largest sandy beach on the Danube), cafés and clubs along Zmaj Jovina Street. Once a year, Petrovaradin Fortress transforms into the stage of the EXIT Festival — one of the largest music festivals in Europe.
