52 Weekends - July
My place by the Danube
During the summer heat, many will replace the city heat with pleasant shade on one of the Danube beaches. Each of us has their own favorite place by the Danube. For many, it is the famous Novi Sad beach – Štrand, which in the summer half of the year resembles a festival of many activities and events, including those related to folklore and gastronomy. For others, these are hidden places along the Bačka and Srem banks, such as informal beaches on Rajsko Ostrvo near Sremski Karlovci, or those on Begečka Pit. There is also the Oficirac (“the Officers’ Beach”), then the Mačkov Sprud (“Tomcat’s Backshore”) and Ostrvo Ljubavi (“Island of Love”), which are only available during low water levels and if you have a boat.
Whatever you choose, what you need to know is that only Štrand has all the necessary infrastructure of a well-maintained beach as well as a lifeguard service.
Activities on the Danube can be interesting, and the Pokret Gorana Vojvodine (Vojvodina Environmental Movement) in Sremski Karlovci organizes numerous ecotourism programs where sailing on the Danube catamaran is especially popular.
More suggestions can be found on this link: https://novisad.travel/novi-sad-na-dunavu/
Text: Gordana Stojaković
Fish Broth on the Left and Right Side of the Danube
Whichever čarda you visit, you won’t be mistaken. They are found in the wider city center, on Ribarsko island and Kamenjar, where they have always been in the center of attention. We should also not forget the čarde of Futog and Begeč. Each of the them has its own loyal audience, even if they only come to Novi Sad every now and then. The good reputation of Novi Sad’s čarde, mostly going by word of mouth, is part of the ornate face of this city.
Čarde are an institution made up of very different entities, from simple to substantial, yet they all serve excellent fish broths made of catfish and carp, or portions of catfish, carp, perch and sturgeon with appropriate wines, mostly from the Fruška Gora area. And they have something else in common, and that is the Danube, a powerful river from which and along which they live.
Recommended čarde can be found at the following link: https://novisad.travel/carde/.
Text: Gordana Stojaković
Fruška Gora – Međeš and Borkovac
Fruška Gora lakes are artificial reservoirs that are occupied in the summer by swimmers on their own initiative, because apart from Borkovac, none of them is designed as a bathing area.
Lake Međeš in the vicinity of Šatrinci is a summer oasis to which the citizens of Novi Sad also flock. The clean water and proximity of this accumulation of 48 hectares and a depth of 4-12 meters traditionally attracts both swimmers and fishermen.
Borkovačko Lake is a favorite excursion site of the inhabitants of Ruma and southern Srem. It is known as an excellent fishing ground, and a swimming area in the summer months. There is some basic infrastructure (showers) on the lake shore. Nearby is also the Borkovac swimming pool, a new sports and entertainment complex consisting of a small and large swimming pool, food, drink and sports facilities. On the shore of the lake, surrounded by pine trees, there is the Borkovac Hotel, a good choice if you’d like to stay and relax in the wellness and spa center, and a starting point for visiting Fruška Gora monasteries, wineries, excursion sites and cultural monuments.
There are no rescue services on the Fruška Gora lakes, so visitors are encouraged to be especially careful.
In the immediate vicinity of Borkovačko Lake is the Komuna winery, which, with a harmonious blend of natural beauty and rich history, preserves one of the oldest water-mills in Srem. The landscape is complemented by the following: a water-mill, a tavern, a beautifully decorated summer kitchen and an old wine cellar, dug into the ground as befits an ancient Srem estate from centuries past. Visitors can enjoy wine tasting here with top-notch local gastronomy. For pre-arranged groups, it is possible to organize lunch, and there is also homemade cider and brandy on offer. In addition to wine and accompanying food, they also organize team building activities.
Text: Gordana Stojaković
Vineyards in the embrace of the Danube, overlooking the Tisza River
The eastern part of Fruškogorje, between Inđija, Stari and Novi Slankamen and Krčedin, is rich in natural rarities, cultural and historical monuments, as evidenced by the loess profiles, Krčedinska Ada, the banks of the Danube and monuments, especially those concentrated in Stari Slankamen. The remains of the fortress, which bore different names in different epochs (and was known as Akuminkum in the Roman period, and Kastrum Zelenkamen in the period of fighting with the Turks), still watch over Stari Slankamen today. The settlement boasts the Church of St. Nicholas from the 16th century, which is related to Vuk the Fiery Dragon, as well as unique loess deposits, and there are also the rare springs of salt water in Vojvodina used by the Romans and Ottoman Turks. Their old baths are the basis for the modern health resort, founded in 1906.
Also, the benefits given to Stari Slankamen by the Danube and Tisza are multiple, especially for viticulture. The area between Stari and Novi Slankamen, Krčedin and Inđija is the part of the gentle Fruška gora that is extremely suitable for viticulture and winemaking, where there is a specialized vineyard settlement – Slankamenački Vinogradi.
The vineyards of eastern Fruška Gora descending towards the Danube create a calming tameness, and those in the area of Ćerlin, above the confluence of the Tisa and the Danube, are simply fascinating. The following grape varieties are grown on the slopes of the eastern part of the Fruška gora, which spread on all sides: Italian Riesling, Slankamenka, Muscat Krokan, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling, Sremska Zelenika, Muscat Ottonel, Tamjanika, Vranac, Prokupac, Shiraz, Muscat Hamburg, Muscat Rose, Marselan, Petit Verdot, Rebo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc.
Every year in June, wine producers and wine lovers gather at the traditional Festival of Fruška Gora Wines in Indjija, proving that the eastern Fruska Gora is a wine region par excellence, and wineries show the same: Acumincum Winery and Macura Produkt Wine Production in Stari Slankamen, Stojanović Winery in Slankamenački Vinogradi, Wine Atelier Šapat and Spasić Manufaktura in Novi Slankamen, Patkov Vineyard in Krčedin and Aven Winery in Inđija.
More details at the following link: https://novisad.travel/vinski-put-2/
Text: Gordana Stojaković