On the itinerary of our trip to Belgrade, my daughter and I set aside one day for a visit to Novi Sad. It couldn’t be easier travelling by high speed Coko train! 

High speed Coko (Koko) train

This high speed connection between Belgrade and Novi Sad only became operational in spring 2022. It’s the first stage of the Belgrade-Budapest high speed railway, expected to be completed in 2025.

These comfortable double-decker Coko trains cover the 80 km journey in only 36 minutes. The day return ticket cost us each 1015 RSD (not even £7.50!) 

Novi Sad

I read that although Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia, most of the sights could be covered on foot. So we gave it a try. It took us nearly 45 minutes to walk from the Novi Sad station to the Old Town, though we had to stop every so often to check out bearings 

As soon as we got to the edge of the Old Town, excitement mounted. The sight of the spire of the iconic Name of Mary Church peeking through lower buildings gave my flagging legs renewed energy!

Trg Slobode (Liberty Square)

All signs of tiredness dissipated as the splendour of Trg Slobode unfolded in front of my eyes! 

The huge square is enveloped by magnificent buildings, dominated by the towering Church of the Name of Mary on one end and the neo-Renaissance City Hall on the the other.

These 2 imposing buildings are the premises of Otpbanka which I believe means National Savings Bank

Zmaj Jovina Street

Turning the corner from the square, we came to Zmaj Jovina Street, lined with eateries in front of well maintained period buildings. We relaxed in one of these for our mid morning refreshment

Bishop’s Palace

This aesthetically pleasing architectural masterpiece built in 1901 is situated at the bottom of Zmaj Jovina Street at the the corner of Dunavska street

St George’s Cathedral

This cathedral was rebuilt in 1905 on the ruins of a church built in 1734 and destroyed in 1849. It stands just behind Bishop’s Palace

Dunavska street

Dunavska street is flanked by colourful 19th-century buildings, housing a variety of crafts shops, galleries, cafes, and Serbian restaurants

One of the elegant buildings on Dunavska street is the City Library. The statue in front is that of Novi Sad’s famous citizen Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj, Serbia’s famous poet

Dunavski Park (Danube Park)

On the way to Varadin Bridge heading for Petrovaradin Fortress, we made a brief stop at this park – a restful place for the locals to relax. We would loved to have stayed longer but we couldn’t wait to get to Petrovaradin Fortress

Petrovaradin Fortress

This was the inviting view of Petrovaradin Fortress as we crossed the Varadin Bridge. It didn’t seem that far away ….

When we got to the other end of the bridge to Petrovaradin we thought the fortress was just around the corner at the end of a row of rather splendid buildings!

But it was another 40 minutes of uphill climb before we reached the gate!

The fortress is like a hilltop village with the museum, Leopold Hotel, gift shops, restaurant and café.

There’s really not much to do there except to have a drink in the shade to rest our weary legs and to admire the beautiful views

The “reversed clock”

One of the landmarks of Petrovaradin fortress is this clock tower. The minute and hour hands on the clock face are reversed so that fishermen on the Danube river are supposed to see the time from a long distance. So this photo was taken at 12.56!

For me, gazing at stunning views of the Danube river and the city of Novi Sad from various vantage points was worth the long walk!

Somehow the thought of trudging downhill to get back to the train station did not appeal at all after we had our refreshment. So we asked a staff member of the Restaurant to get us a taxi. It cost 700 RSD – (just over £5) and took less than 15 minutes!

Now here’s some food for thought before I sign off:

High speed train from Belgrade to Novi Sad – 80 km (50 miles) – return fare 1015 RSD (£7.50) – took 36 minutes

Heathrow Express to Paddington station – 15 miles – single fare £25 – took 30 minutes

On that note, here are my mementos of a splendid day in Novi Sad