Novi Sad (Serbian:Нови Сад,pronounced[nôʋiːsâːd]ⓘ;see below for other names) is thesecond largest city inSerbia and the administrative center of the autonomous province ofVojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of thePannonian Plain on the border of theBačka andSyrmia geographical regions, lying on the banks of theDanube river, and facing the northern slopes ofFruška Gora. According to the 2022 census[update], the population of Novi Sad city proper stands at 260,438, its contiguous urban area has 325,511 inhabitants, and the population of its administrative area totals 372,136 people.[1]: 18 It is the fifth largestcity on the Danube river and the largest that is not a national capital.
Novi Sad was founded in 1694, whenSerb merchants formed a colony across the Danube from thePetrovaradin Fortress, a strategicHabsburg military post. In subsequent centuries, it became an important trading, manufacturing and cultural centre, and has historically been dubbedthe Serbian Athens.[3][4] The city was heavily devastated in the1848 Revolution, but was subsequently rebuilt and restored. Today, along with the Serbian capital city of Belgrade, Novi Sad is an industrial and financial center important to theSerbian economy.
The nameNovi Sad means "new plantation" inSerbian. Its Latin name, stemming from the establishment of Habsburg city rights, isNeoplanta. The official names of Novi Sad in local administration are:[8][9]
In bothCroatian andRomanian, which are official in provincial administration, the city is calledNovi Sad. Historically, the city was calledNeusatz andNeusatz an der Donau (translated as 'Novi Sad on the Danube') inGerman.
In itswider meaning, the namenew plantation refers to the "City of Novi Sad", one of the city-leveladministrative units ofSerbia, which includes Novi Sad proper on the left bank of the Danube, the towns of Sremska Kamenica and Petrovaradin on the right bank and the extensive suburbs of the left bank.Novi Sad can also referstrictly to only the urban areas of the city (Novi Sad proper and the towns of Sremska Kamenica and Petrovaradin), or only to the historical core on the left bank, i.e. Novi Sad proper excluding Sremska Kamenica and Petrovaradin.
Human habitation in the territory of present-day Novi Sad has been traced as far back as theStone Age. Several settlements andnecropolises dating to 5000 BC were unearthed during the construction of a new boulevard inAvijatičarsko Naselje.[13] A settlement was also identified on the right bank of the riverDanube in present-dayPetrovaradin.
In antiquity, the region was inhabited byCeltic tribes, most notably theScordisci. Celts had been present in the area since the 4th century BC and founded the first fortress on the right bank of the Danube. Later, in the 1st century BC, the region was conquered by theRomans. During Roman rule, a larger fortress was built in the 1st century, namedCusum, and included in theRoman province ofPannonia.
In the Middle Ages, the area was controlled by theOstrogoths,Gepids,Avars,Franks,West Slavic groups, again by the Byzantines, and finally by theHungarians. It was a part of the medievalKingdom of Hungary from its foundation in 1000 until the Ottoman invasion in the 16th century. Hungarians began to settle in the area, which before that time had been mostly populated by Slavs. The earliest known mention was as the Hungarian variantPeturwarad orPétervárad (Serbian:Petrovaradin/Петроварадин), derived from the Byzantine variant, found in documents from 1237. That year, several other settlements were mentioned as existing in the territory of modern-day urban Novi Sad.[citation needed]
From the 13th century to the 16th century, the following settlements existed in the urban territory of the modern-day Novi Sad:[15][16]
on the right bank of the Danube:Pétervárad (Serbian:Petrovaradin) andKamanc (Serbian:Kamenica).
on the left bank of the Danube:Baksa orBaksafalva (Serbian:Bakša, Bakšić),Kűszentmárton (Serbian:Sent Marton),Bivalyos orBivalo (Serbian:Bivaljoš, Bivalo),Vásárosvárad orVárad (Serbian:Vašaroš Varad, Varadinci),Zajol I (Serbian:Sajlovo I, Gornje Sajlovo, Gornje Isailovo),Zajol II (Serbian:Sajlovo II, Donje Sajlovo, Donje Isailovo),Bistritz (Serbian:Bistrica). Some other settlements existed in the suburbs of Novi Sad:Mortályos (Serbian:Mrtvaljoš),Csenei (Serbian:Čenej),Keménd (Serbian:Kamendin),Rév (Serbian:Rivica).[citation needed]
An etymology of settlement names reveals that some designations are ofSlavic origin, which indicates that the areas were initially inhabited by Slavs, particularly theWest Slavs. For example, Bivalo (Bivaljoš) had a large Slavic settlement dating from the 5th–6th centuries.[15] Other names are ofHungarian origin (for example Bélakút, Kűszentmárton, Vásárosvárad, Rév), indicating that the settlements were inhabited by Hungarians before theOttoman invasion in the 16th century.[16] Some settlement names are of uncertain origin.
Tax records from 1522 show a mix of Hungarian and Slavic names among the inhabitants of these villages, including Slavic names like Bozso (Božo), Radovan, Radonya (Radonja), Ivo, etc. Following the Ottoman invasion in the 16th–17th centuries, some of these settlements were destroyed. Most of the surviving Hungarian inhabitants retreated from the area. Some of the settlements persisted under Ottoman rule and were populated by ethnic Serbs.[citation needed]
Between 1526 and 1687, the region was underOttoman rule. In 1590, the population of all villages in the territory of present-day Novi Sad numbered 105 houses, inhabited exclusively by Serbs. Ottoman records mention only those who paid taxes, so the number of Serbs who lived in the area (for example, those that served in theOttoman army) was likely larger than was recorded.[17]
Habsburgs prohibited Orthodox Christians to settle inPetrovaradin. That policy pushed Serbs to form theSerb city which later became Novi Sad. The city was proclaimed to be a free royal city byMaria Theresa by 1748.
Habsburg rule was aligned with the Roman Catholic doctrine and, as it took over this area near the end of the 17th century, the government prohibited people ofOrthodox faith from residing inPetrovaradin. Unable to build homes there, the Serbs of the area founded a new settlement in 1694 on the left bank of the Danube. They initially called it the 'Serb city' (Serbian:Srpski Grad,German:Ratzen Stadt). Another name used for the settlement was Petrovaradinski Šanac. In 1718, the inhabitants of the village ofAlmaš were resettled to Petrovaradinski Šanac, where they foundedAlmaški Kraj ('the Almaš quarter').
According to 1720 data, the population of Ratzen Stadt was composed of 112 Serbian, 14 German, and 5 Hungarian houses. The settlement officially gained the present namesNovi Sad andÚjvidék (Neoplanta in Latin) in 1748 when it became a 'free royal city', in German language it was called Neusatz.
The edict that made Novi Sad a 'free royal city' was proclaimed on 1 February 1748. The edict reads:
' We,Maria Theresa, by the grace of GodHoly Roman Empress, Queen ofHungary,Bohemia,Moravia,Dalmatia,Croatia,Slavonia,Rama,Serbia,Galicia,Lodomeria,Carinthia, [...] cast this proclamation to anyone, whom it might concern... so that the renowned Petrovaradinski Šanac, which lies on the other side of the Danube in theBačka province on theSajlovo land, by the might of our divine royal power and prestige...make this town aFree Royal City and to fortify, accept and acknowledge it as one of the free royal cities of ourKingdom of Hungary and other territories, by abolishing its previous name of Petrovaradinski Šanac, renaming it Neoplanta (Latin), Új-Vidégh (Hungarian), Neusatz (German) and Novi Sad (Serbian) '
In the 18th century, the Habsburg monarchy recruited Germans from the southern principalities of the Holy Roman Empire to relocate to the Danube valley. They wanted both to increase the population and to redevelop the river valley for agriculture, which had declined markedly under the Ottomans. To encourage such settlement, the government ensured that the German communities could practice their religion (mostly Catholicism) and use their original German dialect.
For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Novi Sad remained the largest city inhabited by Serbs. The reformer of the Serbian language,Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, wrote in 1817 that Novi Sad was the 'largest Serb municipality in the world'. It was a cultural and political centre for Serbs (see alsoSerbian Revival), who did not have their ownnational state at the time. Due to its cultural and political influence, the city became known as the 'SerbianAthens' (Srpska Atina in Serbian). According to 1843 data, Novi Sad had 17,332 inhabitants, of whom 9,675 wereOrthodox Christians, 5,724Catholics, 1,032Protestants, 727 Jews, and 30 adherents of theArmenian church. The largestethnic group in the city were Serbs, and the second largest wereGermans.
Novi Sad panoramic view, 1920s
During theRevolution of 1848–49, Novi Sad was part ofSerbian Vojvodina, a Serbianautonomous region within the Austrian Empire. In 1849, the Hungarian garrison, located at the Petrovaradin Fortress, bombarded and devastated the city, which lost much of its population. According to the 1850 census, there were only 7,182 citizens left in the city, compared to 17,332 in 1843.Marija Trandafil and her husband paid for some of the rebuilding including two churches.[18] Between 1849 and 1860, Novi Sad was part of a separate Austrian crownland known as theVoivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar. After the abolishment of this province, the city was included into theBatsch-Bodrog County. The post office was opened in 1853.
Following thecompromise of 1867, Novi Sad was located within theKingdom of Hungary, theTransleithania, which comprised half of the newAustro-Hungarian Empire. During this time, theMagyarization policy of the Hungarian government drastically altered the demographic structure of the city as the formerly predominantly Serbian population became one with a more mixed character. In 1880, 41.2% of the city's inhabitants used theSerbian language most frequently and 25.9% employed Hungarian. In the following decades, the percentage of Serbian-speakers decreased, while the number of Hungarian-speakers increased. According to the 1910 census, the city had 33,590 residents, of whom 13,343 (39.72%) spoke Hungarian, 11,594 (34.52%) Serbian, 5,918 (17.62%) German and 1,453 (4.33%) Slovak. It is not certain whether Hungarians or Serbs were the larger ethnic group in the city in 1910, since the various ethnic groups (Bunjevci,Romani, Jews, otherSouth Slavic people, etc.) were classified in census results only according to the language they spoke.[19]
Similar demographic changes can be seen in the religious structure: in 1870, the population of Novi Sad included 8,134 Orthodox Christians, 6,684 Catholics, 1,725 Calvinists, 1,343 Lutherans, and others.[20] In 1910, the population included 13,383Roman Catholics and 11,553 Orthodox Christians, while 3,089 declared themselves asLutheran, 2,751 asCalvinist, and 2,326 as Jewish.[21]
On 25 November 1918, theAssembly of Serbs, Bunjevci and other Slavs of Vojvodina in Novi Sad proclaimed the union of the region of Vojvodina with theKingdom of Serbia. From 1 December 1918, Novi Sad was part of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes; and in 1929, it became the capital of theDanube Banovina, a province of the newly named Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1921, the population of Novi Sad numbered 39,122 inhabitants, 16,293 of whom spoke the Serbian language, 12,991 Hungarian, 6,373 German, 1,117 Slovak, etc.[22]
In 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded and partitioned by theAxis powers, and its northern parts, including Novi Sad, were annexed byHungary. DuringWorld War II, about 5,000 citizens were murdered and many others were resettled. During the three days of theNovi Sad raid (21–23 January 1942) alone, Hungarian police killed 1,246 citizens, among them more than 800 Jews, and threw their corpses into the icy waters of the Danube.
The total death toll of the raid was around 2,500.[23][24] Citizens of all nationalities—Serbs, Hungarians, Slovaks, and others—fought together against the Axis authorities.[24] In 1975 the whole city was awarded the titlePeople's Hero of Yugoslavia.
Novi Sad became part of the newSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Since 1945, Novi Sad has been the capital ofVojvodina, a province of theRepublic of Serbia. The city went through rapid industrialization and its population more than doubled in the period between World War II and the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
During 2025, one million square meters of residential space were under construction simultaneously in Novi Sad, making the city the largest construction site in Serbia.[27]
The city lies on themeander of the river Danube, which is only 350 meters wide beneath the marking stones of Petrovaradin.[28] A section of theDanube-Tisza-Danube Canal marks the northern edge of the wider city centre. The main part of the city lies on the left bank of the Danube in the region ofBačka, while the smaller settlements ofPetrovaradin andSremska Kamenica lie on the right bank, in the region ofSrem (Syrmia). The section situated on the left bank of the river lies on one of the southernmost and lowest parts of thePannonian Plain, whileFruška Gora on the right bank is ahorst mountain.Alluvial plains along the Danube are well-formed, especially on the left bank, and in some parts 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the river.A large part of Novi Sad lies on afluvial terrace with an elevation of between 80 and 83 metres (262 and 272 feet). The northern part of Fruška Gora is composed of massivelandslide zones, although they are largely inactive with the exception of theRibnjak neighbourhood betweenSremska Kamenica andPetrovaradin Fortress.[29]
The total land area of the city is 699 square kilometres (270 sq mi), while its urban area spans 129.7 km2 (50 sq mi).[28]
Novi Sad has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification:Cfa)[30] closely bordering onhumid continental climate (Dfa) with a January mean of 0.7 °C (33.3 °F). The city experiences four distinct seasons. Autumn is drier than spring, with long sunny and warm periods. Winter is not so severe, with an average of 22 days of complete sub-zero temperature, and averages 22 days of snowfall. January is the coldest month, with an average low of −2.5 °C (27.5 °F). Spring is usually short and rainy, while summer arrives abruptly. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Novi Sad was −30.7 °C (−23.3 °F) on 24 January 1963, and the hottest temperature ever recorded was 41.6 °C (106.9 °F) on 24 July 2007.
The east-southeasterly wind, known asKošava, blows from theCarpathians and brings clear and dry weather. It mostly blows in autumn and winter, in 2 to 3-day intervals. Theaverage speed of Košava is 25 to 43 km/h (16 to 27 mph), but gusts can sometimes reach up to 130 km/h (81 mph). In wintertime, accompanied bysnow storms, the winds can cause large snow-drifts.
Climate data forRimski Šančevi, Novi Sad (1991–2020, extremes 1948–present)
Novi Sad is a typical Central European town in terms of its architecture. The Town Hall and the Court House were built by Emmerich Kitzweger (1868–1917).[34] During the1848/1849 revolution, the town was heavily bombed. One third of all houses were destroyed and the city's population was reduced to half.[35] Architecture from the 19th century dominates thecity centre.[34] Small, older houses used to surround the centre of town, but they are now being replaced by modern, multi-story buildings.[36]
During the socialist period, new city blocks with wide streets and multi-story buildings were constructed around the city core. However, not manycommunist-style high-rise buildings were erected.[36] The total number ofapartment buildings, with ten or more floors, remained at about 50, the rest having mostly three to six floors. From 1962 to 1964, a newboulevard, today calledBulevar oslobođenja, was cut through the older neighbourhoods, establishing major communication lines.[37] Several more boulevards were subsequently built in a similar manner, creating anorthogonal network which replaced the primarily radial structure of the old town. These interventions paved the way for a relatively unhampered growth of the city, which has almost tripled in population since the 1950s.[38] Despite a huge increase in car ownership,traffic congestion is still relatively mild, apart from a few major arteries.
Some of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city areStari Grad (Old Town),Rotkvarija,Podbara, andSalajka. The areas ofSremska Kamenica andPetrovaradin, located on the right bank of the Danube, were separate towns in the past, but today belong to the urban area of Novi Sad.Liman, as well asBistrica, are neighbourhoods built during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with contemporary style buildings and wide boulevards (Liman was divided into four sections, numbered I–IV).[38]
New neighbourhoods, likeLiman,Detelinara, andBistrica, emerged from the fields and forests surrounding the city. Following World War II, tall residential buildings were constructed to house the huge influx of people leaving the country side. Many old houses in the city centre, from the Rotkvarija andBulevar neighbourhoods, were torn down in the 1950s and 1960s, to be replaced by multi-story buildings.[38] Since the city has experienced a major construction boom in the last 10 years, some neighbourhoods have completely been transformed.[38]
Neighbourhoods with single-family homes are mostly located away from the city centre.Telep, situated in the southwest, andKlisa, in the north, are the oldest such neighborhoods.Adice andVeternik, both located west of the downtown area, have significantly expanded during the last 15 years, partly due to the influx of Serbian refugees fleeing theYugoslav wars.
Some 43,000 inhabitants or 11.7% of the administrative city's total population resides in the 11 rural settlements, outside its urban area.[39]Ledinci,Stari Ledinci, andBukovac are all located onFruška Gora slopes, with Stari Ledinci being the most isolated and least populated village. Towns and villages in the adjacent municipalities ofSremski Karlovci,Temerin, andBeočin share the same public transportation system and are economically tied to Novi Sad.
Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia, afterBelgrade, and the largest city inVojvodina. Its contiguous urban area (which include Novi Sad proper and adjacent settlements ofPetrovaradin,Sremska Kamenica,Veternik, andFutog) has population of 325,551 inhabitants. Population of the administrative area of the city of Novi Sad stands at 368,967 inhabitants.
Since its founding, the population of the city has been constantly increasing, and in the last three decades in particular, it experienced rapid population growth. According to the 2022 census, 50.8% of the population of Novi Sad was not native to the city: 30.3% migrated to Novi Sad from rest of Serbia, 17.1% came from countries of former Yugoslavia (predominately Serbs fromBosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia, andMontenegro), while some 3.4% came from other countries.
Urban area of Novi Sad and all settlements in the city administrative area have an overwhelming ethnic Serb majority, with the exception ofKisač, which has an ethnic Slovak majority. The ethnic structure of population of Novi Sad administrative area (according to the 2022 census):[41]
In the 19th and early 20th century, Novi Sad was the capital ofSerbian culture, earning it the nicknameSerbian Athens.[43] During that time, many Serbian novelists, poets, jurists, and publishers had lived or worked in Novi Sad at some point in their career, includingVuk Stefanović Karadžić,Mika Antić,Đura Jakšić andJovan Jovanović Zmaj, among others.Matica srpska, the oldest cultural-scientific institution in Serbia, was moved fromBudapest to Novi Sad in 1864, and now contains the second-largest library in the country, the Library of Matica srpska, with over 3.5 million volumes. TheSerbian National Theatre, one of the oldest professional theatre among theSouth Slavs, was founded in Novi Sad in 1861.[44]
Today, Novi Sad is the second largest cultural centre inSerbia, afterBelgrade. Municipal officials have made the city more attractive with numerous cultural events and music concerts. Since 2000, Novi Sad is home to theEXIT festival, one of the biggest music summer festivals in Europe. Other important cultural events include theSterijino pozorje theatre festival,Zmaj Children Games,International Novi Sad Literature Festival,Novi Sad Jazz Festival, and many others.[45] Novi Sad also hosts a fashion show twice a year, attracting local and international designers. CalledSerbia Fashion Week, the event also features the works of applied artists, musicians, interior decorators, multimedia experts and architects.[46]In addition to theSerbian National Theatre, other prominent playhouses consist of theNovi Sad Theatre,Novi Sad Youth Theatre, and the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad. TheNovi Sad Synagogue also houses many cultural events. Othercultural institutions include the Detachment of the Serbian Academy of Science and Art, Library of Matica Srpska, Novi Sad City Library andAzbukum. The city is also home to theArchives of Vojvodina.[47] dating back to 1565.
Novi Sad has several folk song societies, which are known askulturno-umetničko društvo or KUD. The best known societies in the city are: KUD Svetozar Marković, AKUD Sonja Marinković, SKUD Željezničar, FA Vila and the oldest SZPDNeven, established in 1892.
Ethnic minorities express their own traditions, folklore and songs through various societies such as the Hungarian MKUD Petőfi Sándor, Slovak SKUD Pavel Jozef Šafárik, and Pannonian Rusyn RKC Novi Sad.
Novi Sad was chosen to be theEuropean Capital of Culture for 2021,[48] however its mandate was moved to 2022 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[49] From this mandate, the industrial zone in Liman neighborhood was repurposed as an artist quarter known asDistrikt. Due the continued efforts of local artists, the city became aUNESCOCreative City ofMedia Arts in 2023.[6][7]
Since the early 2000s, the number of tourists visiting Novi Sad has been steadily rising each year. During the annualEXIT music festival, the city is full of young people from all over Europe. In 2017, over 200,000 visitors from 60 countries came to the festival, attending about 35 concerts.[54][55]
Other events include shows and congresses organized byNovi Sad Fair, a local management company, bringing in many businesspersons and entrepreneurs to the city. Novi Sad is home to the largestagricultural show in the region, having attracted 600,000 attendees in 2005.[56] The tourist port, nearVaradin Bridge in the city centre, welcomes cruise boats from across Europe that travel the Danube.
The most recognized structure in Novi Sad is thePetrovaradin Fortress, which dominates the skyline and also offers scenic views of the city. The nearby historic neighbourhood ofStari Grad has many monuments, museums, cafes, restaurants and shops. Also in the vicinity, is theFruška Gora National Park, approximately 20 km (12 mi) from the city centre.
A total of 234,708 tourist arrivals with 567,926 overnight stays were recorded in 2023.
TypicalSerbian food can be found in Novi Sad, including traditional dishes likećevapi,burek,kajmak,kiseli kupus,kiflice andpasulj, as well as fish dishes, local cheeses and charcuterie.[57] Restaurants and farmsteads offer fresh produce from local farmers and alsoregional vintages fromFruska Gora's wineries.[57][58] Modern alternatives are available at some of the city's top restaurants, which prepare traditional fare with an updated twist.[59][60] Pastry shops serve local specialties such as layered cakes made from ground nuts and cream, referred to as 'torta' in Serbian. Desserts also often include raspberries, one of the region's largest exports, and historic Dunavska Street is home to many ice cream parlors.[61][62]
Index sandwich, named after university student index books, is a popular local street food since the 1980s.[63] It is made out of a bread roll stuffed with melted cheese, ham, mushrooms and lashings of sauce.[64][65][66]
Retail activity in Novi Sad is concentrated in several modern shopping malls, the pedestrianised historic city centre, and traditional open-air green markets. Major shopping centres include Promenada Novi Sad, BIG Shopping Center Novi Sad, and Merkator, which primarily host international fast-fashion, sportswear, and electronics retailers.
The historic city centre contains pedestrian streets and smaller commercial passages that traditionally accommodated independent shops and artisan businesses, though their retail role has declined in recent decades. Souvenir shops mainly feature standardised products associated with local and regional motifs.
Traditional markets, including Futoška Market, Riblja Market, and Liman Market, remain important for the distribution of fresh produce and everyday goods, despite ongoing challenges related to infrastructure and modernisation.
SPENS center as large indoor complex featuring a variety of shops, bookstores, and gastronomy options. It hosts numerous retail outlets offering clothing, footwear, electronics, and everyday goods. The complex also includes cafés, restaurants, and small eateries, making it a destination for shopping and casual dining. With its wide range of services and stores, SPENS remains one of the most frequented commercial locations in the city.
The parks and green areas of Novi Sad form an important part of the city’s urban and natural landscape, encompassing landscaped city parks, promenades, and protected natural areas. Among the most notable urban parks areDanube Park, Futoški Park, the Liman parks, and Kamenički Park, which play a significant recreational, ecological, and cultural role within the city.[67]
A distinct group of green spaces is located in the Petrovaradin area, including the parks and landscaped zones surrounding thePetrovaradin Fortress. These areas function as promenades and viewpoints overlooking the Danube and the city. Adjacent to the fortress is Molinarijev Park, a smaller green space closely connected to the historical setting of the fortification.
The wider area of Novi Sad also includes several valuable natural sites outside the urban core. TheFruška Gora National Park, located south of the city, represents a major natural and recreational area known for its forest ecosystems, vineyards, protected plant and animal species, and cultural and historical heritage. To the north and east of the city lies theKoviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit Special Nature Reserve, a wetland area along theDanube that is of exceptional importance for biodiversity conservation, characterized by rich flora and fauna, particularly wetland bird species, fish, and floodplain habitats. Together, the city parks, Petrovaradin green areas,Fruška Gora, and the Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit form the distinctivegreen belt of Novi Sad.
The inhabitants of Novi Sad engage in a wide range of recreational and leisure activities. With regards toteam sports,football andbasketball have the highest numbers of participants. Cycling is also popular due to the city's flat terrain and the extensive off-road network, found in nearby mountainousFruška Gora. Hundreds of commuters cycle the roads,bike lanes and bike paths daily.
Proximity to theFruška Gora National Park attracts many city dwellers on the weekends. They enjoy the numerous hiking trails, restaurants and monasteries located in and around the mountain area. Occurring on the first weekend of every May, theFruška Gora Marathon lets hikers, runners and cyclists take advantage of the many hiking trails.[68] During the summer months, citizens from Novi Sad visitLake Ledinci in Fruška Gora, as well as the numerous beaches situated along theDanube, the largest beingŠtrand in theLiman neighbourhood. There are also several recreational marinas bordering the river.
Novi Sad is the economic centre ofVojvodina, the most fertile agricultural region inSerbia. The city also represents one of the largest economic and cultural hubs in Serbia.
Novi Sad had always been a developed city within the formerYugoslavia. In 1981, its GDP per capita was 172% of the Yugoslav average.[69] During the 1990s, the city, like the rest of Serbia, was severely affected by an internationally imposedtrade embargo and hyperinflation of theYugoslav dinar. The embargo, along with economic mismanagement, led to a decay or demise of once important industrial combines, such asNovkabel (electric cable industry),Pobeda (metal industry),Jugoalat (tools),Albus andHINS (chemical industry). Practically the only viable large facilities remaining today are the oil refinery, located northeast of the city, and thethermal power plant.
The economy of Novi Sad has mostly recovered from that period and grown strongly since 2001, shifting from an industry-driven economy to thetertiary sector. The processes involved inprivatizing state and society-owned enterprises, as well as strong private incentives, have increased the share of privately owned companies to over 95% in the district, with small and medium-size enterprises dominating the city'seconomic development.[70]
The significance of Novi Sad as a financial centre is already proven, by being home to the national headquarters of numerous banks, such asErste Bank,Vojvođanska banka, andCrédit Agricole;[71] as well as the third largest insurance company in Serbia,DDOR Novi Sad. Furthermore, the city is home to major energy companies likeNaftna Industrija Srbije oil company andSrbijagas gas company. It is also the seat of many farms for wheat production andtrade.
Novi Sad is also a growing information technology centre within Serbia, second only toBelgrade. As many as 900 IT companies operate in Novi Sad out of a total of 2,500 registered in the territory of the Republic of Serbia with over 11,500 employees. As of September 2017, Novi Sad has one of 14free economic zones established in Serbia.[72]
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022):[73]
Activity
Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
1,633
Mining and quarrying
749
Manufacturing
25,675
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
1,474
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
1,769
Construction
10,624
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
28,527
Transportation and storage
8,904
Accommodation and food services
7,229
Information and communication
13,086
Financial and insurance activities
4,717
Real estate activities
845
Professional, scientific and technical activities
13,115
Administrative and support service activities
6,902
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security
The city's administrative bodies include the cityassembly as the representative body, as well as the mayor andcity government defining the executive bodies. The mayor and city assembly members are chosen through direct elections. The city assembly has 78 seats,[74] while the city government consists of 11 members. The mayor and members of the city's assembly are elected to four-year terms. The city government is elected by the city assembly at the proposal of the mayor.
The city commemorates the year 1694, when it was established.[77]
Coat of arms
The design consists of three white towers placed in the centre, set against a blue sky. A white dove holding an olive branch flies above the larger middle tower. All three structures have rooftops with crenellations, as well as opened windows and closed gates. Below the towers lies a green background, with a wavy white line depicting the riverDanube.
Student Cultural Center of the University of Novi Sad
Novi Sad is one of the most important centres of higher education and research in Serbia, with four universities overall and numerous professional, technical, and private colleges andresearch institutes, including a law school with its own publication.[78] The largest educational institution in the city is theUniversity of Novi Sad, a public school established in 1960. As of 2012[update], it has 14 faculties, 9 of which are located on the mainuniversity campus.[79] It is attended by more than 50,000 students and has a total staff of nearly 5,000.[79]
As of 2022[update], there are 37 elementary schools (33 public and 4 private) with about 26,000 students.[82] Thesecondary school system consists of 25 vocational schools (12 public and 13 private) and 4gymnasiums with almost 18,000 students.[82]
Novi Sad has one major daily newspaper,Dnevnik, and among the periodicals, the monthly magazineVojvođanski magazin stands out. The city is also home to the regional public broadcaster,Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV), and municipal public broadcaster,Novosadska televizija,[83] as well as a few commercial TV stations such asKanal 9,[84]Panonija[85] andRTV Most.[86] Major local commercial radio stations includeRadio AS FM andRadio 021.[87]
Novi Sad is also known as a publishing centre. The most important publishing houses areMatica srpska,Stilos, andPrometej. Well-known journals, in literature and art, includeLetopis Matice srpske, the oldest Serbian journal,Polja,[88] which is issued by theCultural Center of Novi Sad, andZlatna greda, published by the Association of Writers of Vojvodina.[89]
The city hosts an annual literature conference,Book Talk.[90]
Founded in 1790, the'City Marksmen Association' became the first sporting organization in Novi Sad. Founded on 28 March 1885,VK Danubius 1885 is the oldest rowing club in former Yugoslavia.[91] A more widespread interest in competitive sports developed after theMunicipal Association of Physical Culture was created in 1959 and when theSPENS Sports Center was built in 1981. Nowadays, about 220 sports organizations are active in Novi Sad.
Professional sports in Novi Sad mostly revolve around theVojvodina multi-sport club. Having won two championships in 1966 and 1989, theFK Vojvodina football club represents the 3rd all-time best team in Serbia, right behind its two Belgrade rivals,Red Star andPartizan. With 13 championship titles,OK Vojvodina is the top volleyball team in the country. As for handball,RK Vojvodina has won the national championship on multiple occasions.[92]
Athletes from Novi Sad had the honour of participating in the firstOlympic Games in Athens. The largest number of Novi Sad competitors, to participate in the Olympics, was at theAtlanta Games. Eleven athletes won 6 medals there. Three also competed at the 1980Moscow Games, while two participated in the 1976Montreal Games and the 1956Melbourne Games.
Many national and international competitions are held in the city. Novi Sad played host to the European and World Championships intable tennis in 1981[93] and the29th Chess Olympiad in 1990. It also welcomed the European and World Championships insambo, the Balkan and European Championships injudo, the 1987 final match of theSaporta Cup in European basketball,[93][94] and the final tournament of the European volleyball cup.[93] Furthermore, Novi Sad co-hosted the2005 European Basketball Championship, as well as hosting the 2017Volleyball World League matches.[93][95] The year 2018 saw the city welcome the Senior European Fencing Championships and the European Senior Karate Championships.[93][95][96][97]
The city also holds traditional sporting events such as the Novi Sad marathon, international swimming competitions and many other events. The very first 'MTB Petrovaradin Fortress Cup' took place in 2018, allowing national and regional cyclists to compete. It is also the first mountain bike competition to be held in Serbia.[98]
Novi Sad currently does not have its own civil airport. The city is roughly a one-hour drive fromBelgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, which connects it with capitals across Europe. The smallČenej Airfield to the north of the city is used for sporting and agricultural purposes. There are plans to upgrade it to serve for cargo and small-scale public transport,[99] but the future of this initiative is uncertain.
Urban transport
City bus
The main public transportation system in Novi Sad consists of bus lines, operated by the public companyJGSP Novi Sad. There are twenty-one urban lines and thirty-five suburban lines, with the main bus terminal being at the northern end of theLiberation Boulevard (Bulevar oslobođenja) next to theNovi Sad railway station, in addition to a smaller terminal in the town center. There are numerous taxi companies serving the city.
It runs parallel to theBudapest–Belgrade railroad, which connects it to major European cities. On 19 March 2022 the "Soko" (meaning "falcon") high-speed line between Novi Sad and Belgrade opened and runs with 18 departures daily. Its maximum speed is 200 km/h and the 75 kilometres between Belgrade and Novi Sad are covered in 35 minutes. Between Belgrade and Novi Sad there are a total of 60 departures per day. There are three types of trains in total. "Intercity" (SOKO), "Regio-ekspres" and "Regio". On 8 October 2025 the "Soko" high-speed line between Belgrade (via Novi Sad) and Subotica opened and runs with 9 departures daily. Its maximum speed is 200 km/h and the 108 kilometres between Novi Sad and Subotica are covered in 45 minutes.
Novi Sad is connected withZrenjanin andTimișoara on the northeast andRuma on south with a regional highway; there are plans to upgrade it to a motorway or an expressway, with a tunnel under theFruška Gora shortcutting theIriški Venac mountain pass.[102][103]
Three bridges cross the Danube in Novi Sad (as of 2020):Liberty Bridge (Most Slobode) connectsSremska Kamenica with the city proper.Varadin Bridge (Varadinski most) andŽeželj Bridge (Žeželjev most), connects Petrovaradin with city centre, and used for railway and heavy truck traffic. Many bridges also span the Danube-Tisa-Danube canal, running north of the city centre. Currently, two bridges over the Danube are being built, along with two new railway bridges over the Danube-Tisa-Danube canal.
Water transport
ThePort of Novi Sad is located on the outskirts of the city onDanube river. Since May 2019 it has been owned by DP WORLD from the UAE. With over a million tonnes of load turnover, it is the largest cargo port in Serbia.[104]
Novi Sad has relationships with severaltwin towns andtwin cities. One of the main streets in itscity centre is named afterModena in Italy; and likewise Modena has named a park in its town centre Parco di Piazza d'Armi Novi Sad. A city square near theVaradin Bridge is named afterDortmund in Germany; and likewise Dortmund has named a city square Platz von Novi Sad.[105] TheNovi Sad Friendship Bridge inNorwich, United Kingdom, byBuro Happold, was also named in honour of Novi Sad. As of October 2023, there plans to establish twin city cooperation withKlagenfurt andBusan.[106]
Most frequent cooperation is done withBudva,Dortmund,Taverny,Timișoara,Tivat andUlm in the fields of culture, tourism and sports.[106] Besides twin cities, Novi Sad has many signed agreements on joint cooperation with other cities, some of which could potential lead to twin city agreements. (see also:Politics of Novi Sad).
Novi Sad has signed agreements on joint cooperation with cities:[107]
^abN/A, N/A (25 December 2025).ОПШТИНЕ И РЕГИОНИ У РЕПУБЛИЦИ СРБИЈИ 2025: Подаци по општинама и градовима [Municipalities and regions of the Republic of Serbia 2025](PDF).ОПШТИНЕ И РЕГИОНИ У РЕПУБЛИЦИ СРБИЈИ 2025 [Municipalities and regions of the Republic of Serbia 2025] (Report). Belgrade: Републички завод за статистику [Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia]. Retrieved28 January 2026.
^"Статут Града Новог Сада" [Novi Sad City Statute](PDF) (in Serbian). City of Novi Sad. Retrieved10 February 2025.
^"6"(PDF),Statut Grada Novog Sada (in Serbian), Official Gazette of City of Novi Sad, 22 October 2008, archived fromthe original(PDF) on 31 December 2013,[...]In the City are also in official use Hungarian, Slovak and Rusyn languages and their alphabets
^Popović-Živančević, Mila (2007).Condition of the Cultural and Natural Heritage in the Balkan Region: Proceedings of the Regional Conference Held in Kladovo, Serbia from 23th to 27th October 2006, Volume 1. National Museum Belgrade. p. 242.ISBN9788672690903.
^Natural Resources and Beauties of the Socialist Republic of Serbia. Eksport-Press. 1973. p. 104...the museum [of Novi Sad] organizes exhibitions in the hall of Topovnjača in Petrovaradin Fortress where the Museum itself is located..
^"Градови партнери" [City of Banja Luka – Partner cities].Administrative Office of the City of Banja Luka (in Serbian). Archived fromthe original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved9 August 2013.
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