NOVI SAD - In Your Pocket

Essentials
Downtown - pedestrian zone C-2. The heart of the old
town features almost all must-see attractions in Novi Sad.
The pedestrian zone consists of Zmaj Jovina, Pašićeva,
Svetozara Miletića, Laze Telečkog, part of Dunavska streets,
Katolička porta and Trg slobode squares. The Freedom
Square (Trg slobode) has been the stage for most significant
events, whether cultural or political. It is also the usual
rendezvous point and the man place for feeding fat pigeons.
The square is dominated by two buildings facing one
another: City Hall built in 1895 (an exact copy of the
City Hall in Graz) and the Name of Mary Roman Catholic
Church known as the Cathedral, built in 1895 in the neogothic
style. The square is encircled by the ‘lead soldier’
building from 1909 (dubbed so after the sculpture of an
armoured soldier carrying a halberd, perched on the top of
the building), Bank of Vojvodina building (erstwhile Grand
Hotel Mayer) and the long two-floor building of Vojvodina
Hotel from 1746 (the oldest hotel in town). A monument
to Svetozar Miletić, Novi Sad mayor and a champion of
political rights of the Serbs in the 19th century occupies
the centre of the square.
From there, the pedestrian zone further stretches to Zmaj
Jovina Street, the main promenade and the commercial
centre of the town. The street is lined with numerous openterrace
cafés and pastry shops, favourite with those who
love to sit back and idly watch the world go by. A monument
to Jovan Jovanović Zmaj (Zmaj - Dragon), Serbian doctor
and poet, loved for his nursery rhymes, is at the far end
of the street. He is also known as the author of the first
postcard in the world (sent from Vienna in 1870, featuring
a dragon, what else).
The street ends with the building of the Bishop’s Palace,
which is the see of the Bačka Episcopacy of the Serbian
Orthodox Church (built in 1901), with the Cathedral Church
(Saborna) right behind.
The corner of Zmaj Jovina and Dunavska streets is
the location of the oldest preserved house in Novi Sad
(1720) known as ‘At the White Lion’s’, which nowadays
houses the Irish Pub. Dunavska street, also packed
with shops and cafés, leads towards the Danube Park
and the Danube river. At the beginning of the street, you
What to see
can see one of the pockmarks on the town face - the
cannon ball which remained buried in the building exterior
walls (where it landed during the 1849 shelling of the
town). A characteristic feature of these old streets are
numerous passageways and courtyards concealing many
restaurants, cafés and boutiques, so plunge in and enjoy.
The latest town attraction is the small street of Laze
Telečkog, full of cafés, bars and restaurants.
The green symbol of the town C-2 The living, green
symbol of Novi Sad is the Hackberry (Celtis Australis) tree
located in the promenade zone in Modene street. This 18 m
tall giant has a treetop 22 m in diameter and the perimeter
of the trunk is around 3,5 m. It was protected as a Natural
monument in 1978 due to its biological and outstanding
ambient value.
Štrand C-3, on the Danube bank at the far end of
Bulevar Oslobođenja. Štrand, a lido on the Danube is
the focal point of entertainment for all ages during the hot
summer days. As many as 15,000 people come daily to
the lido: old men playing chess, families enjoying a picnic,
men and women indulging in a bit of dalliance, beach babes
and posers who come to see and be seen, and anyone
looking for good fun in the sun. Set against the background
of a large park with deep shade, this 700m long lido
has regular beach facilities, including toilets, showers,
700 changing booths rented out for the entire season,
security and lifeguard services, emergency paramedics,
several cafés and restaurants. In summer, Štrand hosts
numerous events and sports competitions. You need to
be careful when you swim in the Danube because of its
strong currents that may quickly overtake you if you are
not a good swimmer. The water purity is checked and while
it is safe for swimming, it is not safe to drink, so keep your
mouth closed as you swim. 4Open 08:00 - 24:00, Sat,
Sun 08:00 - 02:00. Admission 40 dinars, free after 22:00.
Petrovaradin Fortress D-2. One of the largest
fortresses in Europe. It was built and rebuilt between 1692
and 1780, its design based on the system of fortification
developed by French Marquis de Vauban. The fortress
covers an area of 112 hectares, and has 13 gates and
16km of underground passages spread over 4 levels.
Owing to its size, thick walls and 400 cannons, it was
considered unconquerable and earned the name of the
‘Gibraltar on the Danube’. The erstwhile barracks and
underground passages are nowadays converted into the
novi_sad.inyourpocket.com January - June 2012
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