A Local-like Journey in Novi Sad

Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia 🏘️
It was also named one of Lonely Planet's Best Travel Destinations in 2019
Located about 70 km from the capital Belgrade 🚗
Just an hour's drive away 🉑
Compared to Belgrade,
Novi Sad is quieter,
with a closer-knit community vibe.
Colorful houses, murals, and graffiti are everywhere on the streets,
adding to the city's artistic and romantic charm 💕

I spent three very leisurely and enjoyable days here on a Local journey.
The city doesn’t have many attractions, but they’re quite concentrated,
so one day is enough to check them all off 📸

⛪️ Attractions:
✨ St. George's Cathedral: A small church next to Liberty Square ⛪️ Free to enter, quite beautiful inside, and photogenic outside.

✨ Liberty Square: The main square in downtown Novi Sad, surrounded by lovely architecture, perfect for street photography.

✨ Zmaj Jovina Street: Also near the square, it’s the busiest commercial street in the city center 🛍️ Full of restaurants, cafés, and souvenir shops…

✨ Mary’s Cathedral: The largest Catholic church in Novi Sad and a must-visit landmark, though the interior isn’t open to tourists—you can only peek through the iron gates 👀

✨ Danube Park: A downtown park ⛲️ near the Danube River with great greenery. Locals relax on benches, walk their kids, or feed pigeons… Very local and laid-back 😌 Worth a quick visit.

✨ Petrovaradin Fortress: Overlooking the Danube, it’s one of Novi Sad’s iconic landmarks. The clock tower at the highest point offers panoramic views of the city and the river. Best visited at sunset 🌄 The fortress also has museums, restaurants, and bars…

That’s pretty much it for attractions—one day is enough to cover them all ✔️ If you’re interested in wine towns, you can swing by one too.

🍽️ Restaurants:
Piknik: A scenic restaurant near the Danube with almost no tourists. Great ambiance, indoor and outdoor seating. The food is tasty and portions are generous, though it can get heavy. A bit far from downtown, so driving is easier 🚗

Kombinat: A downtown restaurant 🍴 Also serves brunch with a wide menu, including many Asian-inspired dishes. Pretty good flavors 🉑

Loft Rooftop: A brunch spot in a mall with a terrace. Nice ambiance 👌 Lots of food and drink options. The salmon power bowl wasn’t great, but the rest was decent.

Terasa: A restaurant atop Petrovaradin Fortress facing the Danube. Great views and decor. Outdoor seating overlooks the clock tower—ideal for afternoon tea or dinner. Personally, the mains are better than the tea snacks 😋 Their desserts are too sweet, but the steak is good 🥩
Novi Sad · South Bačka District