Novi Sad is easy to fall in love with, especially during autumn. From late September the city begins to get slightly different colouring. It still gets a lot of sunshine, slightly milder though, which makes it get a golden hue and soft shadings all around. This changing of the colours is a big reason why the city dwellers enjoy this particular season even more – urban spaces simply get even more fascinating!
Although summer has passed, Novi Sad is still attractive in its own way and the real travel connoisseurs know how to enjoy the so-called shoulder season. With charming architecture, fascinating history, a vibrant café and restaurant culture, coupled with its surroundings, Novi Sad is a pretty little place where anyone can feel welcome and at ease.
So, if you’re planning to pay a visit to Novi Sad, consider heading there during the fall foliage season and see what the European Youth Capital 2019 and the European Capital of Culture 2021 has on offer! Be sure that there is plenty to see, plenty to do, and plenty to eat! So what’s on the menu? Here are some of our suggestions:
- Novi Sad is a pedestrian-friendly city and it is highly recommended that you explore its neighbourhoods on foot, especially the Old Town and the Petrovaradin fortress. There is a myriad of narrow streets that you can peek into, plenty of little hidden alleyways on both sides of the main pedestrian street, many churches and a Synagogue are all within a walking distance, most of which you can see by simply standing in one spot and turning around. If you wish for a somewhat quicker way to explore the city, you can take advantage of the bike or electric scooter rental shops, and spend a good few hours meandering through the inner city or whizzing at its margins. The Danube quay can be particularly interesting as it offers spaces for recreation, nice vistas of the Petrovaradin fortress, the beaches you can walk on or the cafes you can relax in.
- Although the heated festival season and summer craze has passed, there are several interesting local events that you can still visit and enjoy. For example, Novi Sad jazz festival, the floral market or Octoberfest are some of the places you can be at this autumn. There are some sports events too which you can join, such as the city walks or cycling races, whether a participant or a spectator. And if you wish to explore the places nearby, you can always go to the rural areas within a stone’s throw from Novi Sad and get your appetite satisfied. There are the farmhouses festivals, which (beware!) will fill you up with meat products, but the best-lived experience is that of being in a rural ambient and seeing even more laid back side of Novi Sad. Try to find a pumpkin pie (perhaps with cinnamon) on the restaurant menus, or at the food stands, this is one of our favourite autumn treats.
- We are sure that you know how much beneficial being in nature is. If you are in Novi Sad for several days, be sure to disappear in Fruška Gora National Park and enjoy the soothing colours and sounds of the forest. There are more than 400 kilometres of walking paths crisscrossing the mountain (although it is only 539 m high, we still call it a mountain) so you can get your feet ready for a small hiking challenge; you can even conquer the highest peak! Not only Fruška Gora is the oldest national park in Serbia, it also boasts 16 Orthodox monasteries and numerous wine cellars. We can always recommend which ones are most accessible by public transportation, so do come and see us at the info centre, we will happily give you advice on how to get there.
Obviously, there is much more to see and do in Novi Sad, and we are always happy to recommend autumnal activities that best meet your tastes and available time. What is important, however, is that you bear in mind that you might want to stay in town more than you initially planned – this has happened to people before! So when planning your visit, make sure to bring some spare clothes, maybe an umbrella and wellies just in the event of showers, and – just go with the flow!
