Exit News
Novi Sad & Food and Drink
Wednesday 9th September 2009
You’d be forgiven for not having heard of Novi Sad before. Indeed, it’s the fact that few tourists know about it that makes it so special. It feels almost like divulging one of Serbia’s best kept secrets in just exposing its charm.
For a start, for a city so sprawling, the town centre is easily navigated, compact and looks like one giant cake it’s so pretty. But spare the tour guide stuff. The reason behind the harmonious feeling that buzzes around the city is in its foundations. Novi Sad has been built up by sixteen different nationalities, and so prides itself on its rich and eclectic heritage, culture and architecture. The photo exhibition that currently stands outside of the cathedral represents such integration and marks Novi Sad out as a city that bucks Serbia’s turbulent past.
As a result, the peaceful air extends to the locals, who are all completely charming. Those who have a good grasp of English – even if they had, like shop assistant Velko, learnt it off the Discovery Channel – are more than happy to chat proudly about their city, and with good reason.
Having spent four lazy afternoons and evenings wandering around the place, we discovered a number of highlights and really fell in love with the place. Novi Sad is heralded as Serbia’s Athens, and has been the country’s cultural capital since its 17th century foundation. This made sense when we stumbled upon the best bookshop-cum-café of our entire lives. Nublu is a house, complete with homely sofas, bathtub, kitchen sink and cat brim to full with a crazy selection of second-hand books and curios, complete with free coffee upon purchase in the back garden was a holiday highlight.
The town’s pedestrian-dominated centre is responsible for the city’s café and drinking lifestyle. Down the main street you’d be hard pushed to find a restaurant that doesn’t specialise in pizza and pasta for about a fiver. However, although brilliant hangover-fodder, the traditional Serbian restaurants in the side streets have to be seen to be believed. We found one that hadn’t changed since the 50s, décor or staff at Restaurant Lipa. (Mite Ružica 4) For the equivalent of Ł3.50 we were treated to a three course meal of grand Serbian proportions – to the extent that when Kirsty ordered a hamburger she got told off by the septuagenarian waitress. When it arrived, however, she did say it was the best she’d ever eaten.
Serbian cuisine is pretty much anti-vegetarian. Not only is everything meat-based, but it’s practically vegetable free. We were craving fruit salad and broccoli by the time we’d headed into central Europe! However, get over the onion salads and the food is incredible. Most traditional dishes are slow cooked to perfection, which rich flavours which stave off hunger for hours. Most vegetables and salads are pickled, boiled or stuffed, but despite this the cuisine is actually pretty nutritional as its all prepared fresh.
Drink wise, we had an initiation to the Serbian national drink, šljivovica, plum brandy, at our favourite Novi Sad secret, Bunker Hill. Although the bars down the tiny side streets are great for authentic Serbian drinking, Bunker Hill’s friendly host, Marko, and his brilliant taste in dubstep and drum n’ bass made it our favourite. We had the Apricot Brandy, local produce of course, and while I thought it was the tastiest shot to date, Kirsty couldn’t quite handle it. The difference between Serbian spirits and your usual mixer-fodder is the lack of chemicals, šljivovica, smells completely pure, and you can imagine what kind of intoxication it can create. Despite this, Marko said he’d managed a litre of it the previous day and he looked alright…
Novi Sad’s city beach is also a great way to spend the day after an EXIT night. Don’t be put off by the small trek through the concrete wasteland to get there – the walk provides a glimpse at amazing grafitti, for a start – the beach is well and truly on the city limits, as the signage on the motorway above indicates. Weirdly, the large bridge and the landscape of the island opposite merges to create a totally unique bathing experience. Yes, there’s even sand amongst the europop, beach cafes and very British-looking changing cubicles. They’ve even created Miami Beach style lifeguard pillars. Entry will set you back a mighty forty pence, and it’s totally worth it for topping up your tan amongst Novi Saders young and old. After waking up from a shady nap to the sight of teens playing basketball in speedos, it’s also a great place for people watching.
If the morning after’s too grim to face quite such an exertive walk, we also cured our hangovers in the city park. Set around the city centre and along the main road to the fortress, it’s perfectly placed and full of like-minded people – especially the case on Sunday afternoon, as it seemed everyone else was recovering too! Grab an ice cream or a beer at the brightly decorated café, play a spot of Frisbee – the locals seem to accept being hit by sports equipment quite happily – or merely have a doze by the pond and fountains.
Petrovaradin itself is also beautiful, and, despite the festival, tourist free once you get off the main drag. Try pre-drinking in some of the taverns and bars that litter its backstreets – the old, slightly ramshackle buildings are charming. During the day the place seems to be stuck in a time warp, with people pushing wagons of produce about and old bangers full to brim with kids, grannies, pets and shopping. It’s well worth a wander.
Tempting as it is to stay in Novi Sad just for the festival, take advantage of being in one of the most underrated cities in Eastern Europe and spare a few days to really get to know it – cheap beer never tasted so good.
Alice Vincent
http://nublunovisad.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bunker_hill_cafe