Novi Sad - Athens of Serbia

No one keeps secrets better than the streets. They are our timeless friends, who faithfully follow and observe us, keeping the breath of the past. In the passage, as we read from the walls when which house was built and which of the greats lived there, an attentive listener will hear the whispers of past events. We see houses torn apart by the ravages of time, and their chambers fervently hide the secrets of former citizenship.

This is the story of the streets and their stories ...

It was established on the left side of the Danube in 1694, since Habsburgs, which dominated this region at the time, prohibited the settlement of the Orthodox people on the land of nearby Petrovare. Novi Sad has been an important political, economic and cultural center in Vojvodina and Serbia from its foundation till now, and it has been confirmed that it has been chosen to share the European cultural capital in 2021, with the Romanian Timisoara and the Greek Elefsin. In 1748, when it was purchased from the state by wealthy people, the town gained the formal name of Novi Sad.

The control of Austria and Hungary left the largest impact on his present image, which can be seen in most cases in the central plaza, which is the obvious start of most tours of the city.

It is home to practically all major outdoor events and the memorial to Svetozar Miletic, one of the leading Serbian politicians of the 19th century and the youngest mayor in Novi Sad's history is in the heart of the city. The monument was built by Ivan Meštrović, a famous Croatian sculptor who also is the author of Pobjednik in Kalemegdan Park, Belgrade. The town hall and the Catholic Church of the Name of Mary, both created by Hungarian architect Georg Molnar, face each other on the other side of the plaza.

NOVI SAD TODAY

Novi Sad is Athens of Serbia, the European Capital of Youth 2019, and the European Capital of Culture 2021. It is a no-brainer for a car to rent, pack your trip necessities and come to Novi Sad with its great architecture, lively art, and music scene, and welcoming residents. This is a must-visit absolute town in Serbia.

PETROVARADIN FORTRESS

Petrovaradin Fortress is one of the most important, preserved, European fortifications. In addition to being a symbol of the City, it is a witness to a multi-confessional tradition that strongly relied on European culture, but also the most attractive tourist zone of Novi Sad. Today, it is a space where there are about a hundred art studios, then restaurants, cafes, museums, galleries… Petrovaradin Fortress is the place where the EXIT festival is held, one of the most important music festivals in Europe. At the foot of the Upper Fortress is Podgrađe - Baroque Gradić, a part of Petrovaradin where the Roman Catholic Church of St. Juraj with the monastery.

EXIT FESTIVAL

EXIT festival is a summer music festival held every year in Novi Sad – on Petrovaradin fortress. It is founded in 2000. by kind of a student’s rebellion for freedom and democracy in Serbia and Balkan. Since then, it is growing and expanding, hosting the most popular artists from rock, techno, electronic dance music, metal, hip hop, reggae, punk, drum, and bass worlds. It has over 1000 performers on more than 40 stages and festival zones.

Thanks to great popularity and growth, with a time EXIT team, started to organize 4 more festivals in the region: Sea Dance Festival in Montenegro (Budva), Sea Star Festival in Croatia (Umag), No Sleep Festival in Serbia (Belgrade), Revolution Festival in Romania (Timisoara).

It was officially proclaimed “Best Major European Festival” at the EU Festival Awards 2013 and 2017, while No Sleep Festival held in Belgrade, the youngest member of the EXIT festival family, took home the “Best New Festival” title at the EU Festival Awards 2019. Also, EXIT’s Montenegrin edition Sea Dance Festival won the “Best Mid-Sized European festival” award in 2015. The EU Festival Award is considered one of the most influential festival awards in the world. EXIT has also won the “Best Overseas Festival” award at the UK Festival Awards in 2007, as well as the “Best Summer Music Festival in Europe” title for 2016 by the travel portal “European Best Destinations” awarded in cooperation with the European Commission. In March 2018 Regional Cooperation Council awarded EXIT Festival as Champion of Regional Cooperation for 2017.

- exitfest.org

EXIT is not only a festival – it is a movement and symbol of changes in today`s society, and it is a great starting point for creative industries.

EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD, IT IS SANDWICH, IN NOVI SAD IT IS INDEX

You have not been to Novi Sad if you did not try Index sandwich! This symbol of the Novi Sad has its roots in the 1980-es, in the student’s town. The meaning of the word `Index` is the actually small notebook for students where professors would write all their marks.

The most interesting fact is that the perfect formula for this sandwich is made by competitors while they were competing! One fast-food made it, another added a new ingredient. The first one followed and modified. Another one followed and gave a name – Index. The first one followed and improved. Few more modifications – and voilà! A perfect sandwich has been made.

Index sandwich started to spread around the Novi Sad and whole Serbia, but many claim that it is still the best in the first two fast foods. The recipe remained the same for all these years, as well as the taste & popularity.

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