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Contents
1. Introduction
We drove from England to Greece and we stopped for 3 nights in Novi Sad on the way down. We had a bad introduction to Serbia at the border.
There was a long queue and it took an hour to get through passport control. We then had to buy third party car insurance. This took 45 minutes as the insurance agent was uncertain of the procedure. He had to phone for advice several times. He became agitated and it didn't help that he couldn't speak English.
When he finally finished he informed us that the cost was Eur 215! We queried it but the amount in Serbian Dinar was on the car insurance document. There was nothing we could do but pay. The maximum we paid for car insurance in any of the other non EU countries, like Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, was Eur 50.
We were puzzled that no one else was buying 3rd party car insurance at the border. I later discovered that the EU, Norway, Switzerland and even Iceland have an agreement with Serbia. Drivers from those countries don't need to buy car insurance.
We weren't that impressed with Serbia and there doesn't seem to be many interesting sights to see. We had intended to drive from Novi Sad to Subotica for a day trip but we changed our mind. Parking is apparently difficult and apart from a few nice buildings it didn't seem worth the effort.
Unfortunately some travel guides and books rave about places that aren't special. They promote them with a couple of pictures of the only things worth seeing.
In the end we spent our 2 full days in Serbia looking around Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci. One full day would have been more than sufficient.
See my blogs Venice to Serbia - Week 2 and Serbia to North Macedonia - Week 3 for an account of our drive to and from Novi Sad in Serbia.
2. Novi Sad
2.1. The Promenade along the Danube
Novi Sad is Serbia's 2nd largest city. It sits on the west bank of the Danube and has a very pleasant promenade running from the Reljkoviceva bridge in the north to the Strand in the south.
The Strand has beaches and grassy parkland on the bank of the Danube. It is a very popular area in summer but it was deserted at the beginning of May.
2.2. The Petrovaradin Fortress
The main attraction when visiting Novi Sad is Petrovaradin Fortress. As its name suggests it isn't actually in Novi Sad but in Petrovaradin. Petrovaradin is on the opposite bank of the Danube and faces towards Novi Sad.
To reach Petrovaradin Fortress cross the Danube on the Varadin bridge and then walk towards the right, up to the fortress. Entrance is free but there is a charge for the museum. We tried to visit the tunnels below the castle but you have to join a tour. Unfortunately there weren't any tours when we were there.
The main thing to do is to walk around the castle walls and enjoy the views. Once you have reached the castle you need about half an hour to see it. There are toilets for a small fee.
2.3. The City Centre
The historic buildings in the Novi Sad's centre can be seen in a couple of hours. The buildings aren't that old as most of Novi Sad was destroyed in 1848 by Hungarian troops.
Novi Sad is a pleasant city but it really only warrants a 1 night stopover, unless you use Novi Sad as a base to see Belgrade and Subotica. I doubt whether either of those places are really worth visiting.
3. Sremski Karlovci
3.1. How to Get There
Bus numbers 61 and 62 regularly run between Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci. The journey takes about 20 minutes and only costs the equivalent of Eur 1 each way. We took the bus from the main street named Bulevar Mihajla Pupina near the Varadin bridge. It can also be boarded at the bus station.
3.2. What to See
The Bradt Guide says that Sremski Karlovci is a small historic town and one of the most attractive in all of Serbia thanks to its unspoiled character and wealth of handsome Hasburg-period architecture.
The centre of Sremski Karlovci has some attractive buildings but it is a small area and it doesn't take long to see. There are 3 small museums.
My photos show most of the sights. You can see everything, excluding the museums, in about half an hour. Sremski Karlovci is a quiet town with very few restaurants and cafes. It certainly isn't touristy and there were no other visitors.
Most of the historic buildings are around the main square (Trg Branka Radicevica) and date back to the 18th and early 19th century.
4. Accommodation
We booked a very spacious 2 bedroom apartment in Novi Sad through Booking.com for only Euro 45 per night. It was very central and on the bank of the Danube.
It was excellent value but it needed repainting and felt neglected. It was in communist era apartment block which didn't give a good first impression.
A review of this apartment is on my blog "UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1" (number 9).