Novi Sad, capital of the northern province of Vojvodina and Serbia’s second largest city lies in the southern Pannonian valley on the left bank of the Danube. The city owes its name to an ancient custom obliging bride and bridegroom to plant a grapevine before their marriage, Novi – new, Sad – plant. A haven of tranquillity and tolerance, Novi Sad is a multi-ethnic city with five official languages. Its cultural variety is evidenced in its architecture and its church towers. Though small, it offers a perfect combination of historical charm and Balkan sophistication and its people are intensely proud of their city.

The quaint old town sprawls along the banks of the Danube and numerous passageways and courtyards conceal restaurants, cafs and boutiques. Part of the popular pedestrian zone, Dunavska (Danube) Street is one of the oldest and best preserved streets and leads to Freedom Square (Trg slobode), known for its cultural and historic monuments and surrounded by some of the oldest buildings.

Perched on volcanic rock high above the city on the right bank of the Danube, Novi Sad’s most famous symbol, the Petrovaradin Fortress was originally occupied by the Romans. This ancient fortress site offered a strategic stronghold against invaders and was later re-built by the Austro Hungarians as part of their defences against the Turks. Nicknamed the “Gibraltar on the Danube”, these fortifications and their labyrinthine construction offers alleys, bulwarks, trenches, underground passages and tunnels to explore as well as magnificent views of the city.