Visit Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city, for a much more relaxing experience than the nation’s chaotic capital, Belgrade.

Located on the banks of the Danube river, Novi Sad is very different to the capital city. It never fell to the Ottoman empire so its buildings are influenced by the Austro-Hungarian empire. Each July, Novi Sad hosts Serbia’s largest music Festival in the grounds of the Petrovaradin Fortress.

Arriving In Novi Sad

I arrived in Novi Sad by bus from Belgrade. The bus took around an hour which was nice as the bus to Belgrade took over 8 hours! The bus station (map) is not situated in the city centre, meaning I had a 20 minute walk to reach my hostel. From the bus station, it was a straight walk down the main Bulevar Oslobodenja and then a left turn towards the city centre.

Where To Stay In Novi Sad

These are some of the best budget hostels in Novi Sad, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Hostel Nomad
• Hostel Podbara
• City Hostel
• Laufer

Hostel Nomad

I booked a three night stay at ‘Hostel Nomad’ (map) meaning I would be seeing in the new year in Novi Sad.

It wasn’t the easiest to find as the entrance to the hostel is in a courtyard. I had no data so was relying on Google Maps, which wasn’t entirely helpful. It didn’t take me long to find though and the location proved to be one of the hostel’s selling points.

I was checked-in by the son of the hostel owner who also made herself known. They proved to be very friendly hosts during my stay.

The room was basic but had lockers, night light and power socket. I had the top bunk and the beds were a bit wobbly when climbing up. Sharing my room were 4 girls from Slovenia who had driven over to enjoy the new year celebrations. They were clearly not travellers, judging by how much luggage they had!

The bathrooms were adequate and there was also a small kitchen with some appliances. WiFi worked throughout the hostel.

I enjoyed my stay at Hostel Nomad. It couldn’t be better located and the staff were really helpful and friendly.

**********

I paid £42 for a 3 night stay in a 6 bed dorm with shared bathroom.

Click here to book a stay at Hostel Nomad.

Things To Do In Novi Sad

I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the hostel. By the time the sun had gone down, I was ready to explore. The hostel led out onto the main square so my first view was of the ‘Roman Catholic Church of the Name of Mary’ (map) which looked wonderful all lit up in the night time.

The main square was being prepared for the new year celebrations. The streets of Novi Sad looked very festive.

Novi Sad Nightlife

My plan was to check out some of the best bars in Novi Sad. First up was ‘Mazut Pub’ (map). A nice craft beer place which seemed popular with the locals. The beer was good and reasonably priced.

Moving on about 10 metres, I found ‘Kota 84’ (map); a small but friendly bar that describes itself as a travellers’ bar. It seemed to be occupied by just locals but it was a cool place with good music and service.

My next stop was ‘Gerila Bar’ (map) which was the biggest bar I had visited so far. The Facebook group promised a ‘rock night’ so it was a little disappointing to find it was just a DJ and not live music. The beer wasn’t the greatest so I moved on after just one drink.

I then headed to ‘Dom B612’ (map) which is a cultural centre with various events taking place. Unfortunately, it was closed on my visit. Check their facebook group for events.

I had no specific place to go next so I followed my instincts which led me to the main bar street in Novi Sad: Laze Telečkog. Here, you will find many bars, mainly appealing to the younger drinkers. Most of the bars didn’t appeal to me but I did find ‘Brick Bar’ (map) which looked like it was worth a shot. My instincts were correct as it was a cool bar serving good craft beer. A little more expensive but nothing that would break the bank. After a drink here, I headed back to the hostel. The following evening, New Year’s Eve, would probably be a little busier!

Novi Sad Coffee Shop

To start my first full day in Novi Sad, I looked online to find a decent coffee shop. There appeared to be one just a minute away from the hostel. I headed to ‘Coffee Cups’ (map) and was a little disappointed to find it on the main street. I was hoping this wouldn’t be some Starbucks-type cafe selling dreadful coffee! Thankfully, the interior was very nice, the staff were great and the coffee was good. It was a good start to the day.

Petrovaradin Fort

I had planned to visit the ‘Museum of Contemporary Art’ (map) but found it closed. Instead, I decided to visit the ‘Petrovaradin Fort’ (map). I headed along the busy Dunavska Street (map) and into ‘Danube’s Park’ (map). It was busy as there was a Christmas market and children’s performers. The smell of mulled wine and chimney cakes filled the air as I made my way to the ‘Varadin Bridge’ (map) to cross the Danube.

Drunk Clock

I entered the trail to the fortress next to the large Catholic Church (map). It was a short climb before I reached the ‘Drunk Clock’. The clock gets its name because the hands are on wrong; the small hand is for minutes and the large hand is for hours.

Once at the top of the hill, the fortress offers great views across Novi Sad, even in the fog.

I walked around the fortress, enjoying the views from all directions.

I wasn’t expecting to find nightclubs at the fortress. I certainly were not expecting to find nightclubs that were open and busy during the afternoon! New Year celebrations begin early in Novi Sad!

I headed back down the same trail I had climbed and decided to explore the area on this side of the Danube, starting at the Catholic Church.

This area was eerily quiet but there were a couple of interesting sights. First of all, the Belgrade gate (map).

I then discovered a Greek Orthodox Church (map) near a no-go military zone.

I then headed back over Varadin Bridge to the west side of the Danube, taking one last look at the fort.

I couldn’t work out where the Exit Festival, which holds 60,000 people, is held. The host of the hostel explained later and I think I missed out on much of the fortress.

Monument To The Victims Of The Raid

Leaving the bridge and turning to the left brought me to the ‘Monument to the Victims of the Raid’ (map). This monument was built in 1971 in honor of the almost 4,000 Serb, Romani and Jewish civilians who were massacred by Hungarian troops in 1942.

Novi Sad Synagogue

I headed back towards the hostel, stopping off at the ‘Novi Sad Synagogue’ (map) on the way. There is normally a donation to enter but as I only had a big note, I was allowed in for free. The synagogue is very beautiful and is used for various events.

New Year Celebrations In Novi Sad

After chilling out at the hostel, it was time to go back out into the city to celebrate the new year. I began in my favourite bar from the previous evening: Kota 84. It was very busy, meaning I had to sit outside on my own. I had just the one beer and moved on.

Beer Store

My next stop was a craft beer bar that I had missed the night before as I thought it was just a takeaway. ‘Beer Store’ (map) has 20 beers on tap and many more bottled. I was lucky to get a seat right at the bar so I ended up staying for three beers.

After a beer in the Brick Bar, I headed back towards the main square. All the bars around here were charging for admission. Instead, I headed to the celebrations in the main square itself to get a drink and see in the new year.

Bajagi And Instructors… Happy New Year!

In the main square, there was a performance by ‘Bajagi and Instructors’ who have been big rock stars in Serbia for 35 years!

From the reaction of the audience who sang along to every song, this is a much-loved band in this part of the world. I grabbed a beer from the beer tent and watched the show until the inevitable countdown. Everyone was happy to see in 2020. If only we knew!

Once the new year had begun, I stayed to watch the show a while longer before heading off to find another bar that were not charging admission. I fell lucky with ‘Pub Ugly Duck’ (map), an Irish bar which was very welcoming and friendly and was free to get in!

Pizza In Novi Sad

After a couple more beers in the Ugly Duck, I decided to head back to the hostel. The streets were already almost empty. Thankfully, ‘Carabic Pizza’ (map), was still open. It’s a decent place for a late night snack. It was the last piece of action on a great new year’s celebration.

New Year’s Day

2020 began with the inevitable hangover. I eventually got myself up and ready to find coffee. This was not easy as most places were closed. I remembered spotting a decent looking coffee shop called ‘Akademija Kafeteria & Radionica’ (map) when I arrived so I headed in that direction. Thankfully, it was open and they served great coffee at a reasonable price.

I finished the coffee and headed back to the hostel to rest, passing some nice street art on the way.

Last Night In Novi Sad

I had planned to have a quiet night on my last night in Novi Sad, but as the night drew in, I was fancying a beer. So, I headed out to ‘Beer Store’ to find a completely empty bar. At one point even the bar staff left, leaving me on my own!

Thankfully, it filled up as the night went on. Drinking on New Year’s Day is not an unpopular idea!

I then headed to a bar called ‘Skripa Pub’ (map). I had tried to come here two days previous but they had already closed. It was recommended by a guy from the hostel. It was a nice craft beer to end my time in Novi Sad.

Is Novi Sad Worth Visiting?

I had a great time in Novi Sad and was happy to spend new year here. It has a more relaxed atmosphere than Belgrade and I was, by this point, ready for a more chilled out experience. It is definitely worth adding it to your Balkan itinerary.