Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci Full-Day Tour from Belgrade

Fruška Gora and Krušedol Monastery

Fruška Gora is a long, low mountain rising from the flat plains of Vojvodina, covered in linden and oak forests, orchards and meadows. Declared Serbia's first national park in 1960, it is known as the holy mountain of Serbia because more than a dozen Orthodox monasteries were founded on its slopes between the 15th and 18th centuries, when the lands to the south were under Ottoman rule.

Krušedol Monastery, built in the early 16th century by members of the last Serbian medieval ruling family, is one of the most important. Its church was burned in 1716 and restored soon after, and the walls inside are covered with rich 18th-century frescoes in the baroque style. The monastery is the burial place of several historic Serbian rulers and church leaders. Your entry is included, and the guide explains the paintings and the monastic life that continues here today.

Sremski Karlovci, the baroque jewel on the Danube

Sremski Karlovci is a small town on the right bank of the Danube, but its role in Serbian history is huge. From the early 18th century it was the spiritual and cultural centre of the Serbs living in the Austrian lands, and the main square still shows that confidence: the baroque Orthodox cathedral, the grand Patriarchate palace, the oldest Serbian grammar school, founded in 1791, and the Four Lions fountain.

Just outside the centre stands the round Chapel of Peace, built where the Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in 1699, ending a long war between the Ottoman Empire and a European alliance. Legend says the room had four doors so that every delegation could enter at the same time. The town is famous for its honey, its painted gingerbread hearts and its kuglof cake, perfect for a sweet stop during this Sremski Karlovci tour.

Petrovaradin Fortress

Across the Danube from Novi Sad, Petrovaradin Fortress rises on a rocky outcrop and is often called the Gibraltar of the Danube. Most of what you see was built between 1692 and 1780 by the Austrian army as a defence against Ottoman advances. Beneath its walls run around sixteen kilometres of underground galleries, and its bastions offer the best panoramic view over the river, the bridges and the rooftops of Novi Sad.

The fortress clock tower is its most famous symbol: the hands are reversed, with the long hand showing the hours, so that boatmen on the Danube could read the time from far away. Today the old barracks house artists' studios, a museum and cafés, and in summer the fortress hosts one of the biggest music festivals in Europe. Many travellers say Petrovaradin is the highlight of a Novi Sad day trip from Belgrade.

Novi Sad old town and Liberty Square

Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina and Serbia's second-largest city, grew from the late 17th century opposite the fortress and became a lively trading town where Serbs, Hungarians, Slovaks, Germans and others lived side by side. Its heart is Liberty Square, framed by the neo-Renaissance City Hall and the tall neo-Gothic Catholic church, with pedestrian streets of pastel facades leading off in every direction.

Your guide shows you the old town, the Orthodox cathedral, Dunavska street and the quiet Danube Park, then gives you free time for lunch in one of the many restaurants and cafés. Novi Sad was a European Capital of Culture in 2022, and its relaxed atmosphere makes it a pleasant contrast to Belgrade. The best time to visit Novi Sad is from May to October, when the terraces are open and the parks are green.