First time in Novi Sad: a practical 48-hour guide
Baroque squares, a river beach, a giant Habsburg fortress and cheap wine bars — here's exactly how to spend two days.
Novi Sad is one of those cities where you can arrive without a plan and still leave feeling you saw everything. It's small, flat and mostly pedestrian, so you get through the highlights fast — and everything is cheap enough that you can afford a long lunch instead of racing between them.
**Day 1 — Old Town** Start at Freedom Square. Do a loop on foot: the Name of Mary Church, City Hall and the Miletić monument at the centre are all one photo away from each other. Cut through Zmaj Jovina to the Bishop's Palace, then take Dunavska — the oldest street in the city — down to the Danube Park. Lunch on Laze Telečkog is cheap and lively. In the afternoon, cross the Varadin Bridge on foot to Petrovaradin Fortress for sunset over the river.
**Day 2 — Fortress and beach** Give yourself a slow morning: coffee at Zmaj Jovina, a walk through Matica srpska's gallery, or the Museum of Vojvodina if it's raining. In summer, the afternoon belongs to Štrand — Serbia's only official river beach, open since 1911 — and a spritz on the sand. Wrap up with dinner in Podbara or Salajka and drinks back on Laze Telečkog.
**How much you'll spend** A proper kafana lunch runs €8–12, coffee is €2, and a craft beer is €3–4. Two nights at a small central boutique hotel is €120–150. In total: comfortably under €200 per person for a very good 48 hours.
**How to get here** From Belgrade, the Soko train is fastest — 35 minutes and about €4. If you're driving from Budapest, allow 3.5 hours; from the airport in Belgrade, 1h20 by car.