Novi Sad

Novi Sad, folded on the Danube and peacefully installed in the planes of Vojvodina has got all trumps to become the new Prague. Its placement and its configuration, the cultural riches of its monuments and of its festivals has been above the whole atmosphere made by the seriousness of a European centre and the entirely Balkan euphoria at the same time, these are the trumps of a great future for tourism.

The “new furrow”, the literal name of Novi Sad could effectively known how to develop a strong character entirely independent of the very nearby Serbian capital and at the same time to clear its own way accumulating various tourist opportunities. The region finally contained the reserves of the good luck: the natural reservations and the monasteries of Fruska Gora, the castles and residences of the dynasty of Dundjerski, the capital of wine and the Hungarian farms – salasi – where one may eat well at the sound of tamburica, Novi Sad has above all been a remarkable site on the Danube. On its left bank an important commercial centre on the river between central Europe and the Balkans had been developed. Here have been disembarked the monger [products to transport the cereals from the region. Novi Sad became so the economic capital of this immense wheat plane of Vojvodina. In the XX century an important industrial activity had been added. The result has been that Novi Sad became the next to the first town in population with its 300,000 inhabitants.

Novi Sad has also been the town of the Serbian culture and was born and had developed under the Austro-Hungarian protection and thanks to the personalities o character. The “Serbian Mother” had collected all great names of literature and the thinkers of the Serbian language. The first Serbian lyceum and the first library had been founded here 1826e. to the present town all Serbian intelligentsia fled from the Ottoman yoke, after their study in Vienna, Budapest an Krakow had come here. You may find this very marked character in the town during your visit to the very central quarter: the cathedral, the “Serbian Mother” and the library.

The capital of Vojvodina has also been peopled by different nationalities such as Serbs, Hungarians. Montenegrins, Slovaks, Ruthens, Croats and Gipsies. The Montenegrins having fled because of the war violence, had been settled here especially 1946. It was forbidden to them to return under a decree by Tito. Closer to us the Croats had continued to move into this town very peacefully in spite of the war context and the battles in Vukovar. This multiethnic character had truly been enhanced because it may explain that Novi Sad never had warlike discussions and had no followed the war path.
An important symbol of multiethnicity has been the observance of the minority languages. If you would be roving close to the municipal counsel hall, you may find to the left of the monumental entrance gate the name of the town and of the Counsel written in four languages and two alphabets: Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak and Ruthen being the official languages. The inheritance from the Titoism this equality of the languages has been visible in media: still today the television journal has been given in four parts respecting the minority languages. In villages where the minorities had been represented by 50% population the minority language became that of the majority at schools. This multiethnic identity has been taken by the uncertain political projects. On the one hand the strong national revenge supported by the parties and the movements turned to the past, and on the other hand the creation of a great autonomist current for Vojvodina led by Nenad Canak with a hymn and a multicoloured flag. Before these identity intentions the inhabitants of Novi Sad and of the region remained attached to the observation of their local traditions, but in the federal Serbo-Montenegrin framework the autonomist list had not exceeded 5% votes for the legislative in December 2003.

On the right bank there is the fortress of Petrovaradin with its painters ateliers and its hotel on the trench wall are offering an unforeseeable view of the town and farther on of the hills of Fruska Gora. The centre of the town placed in front and with the advantage of being of little dimensions has easily flanked along the central korzo and all museums and galleries have been limited here in the evening a lot of cafes, taverns and concert halls are in an explosive gaiety.