It’s not easy deciding what to do when there are so many cultural, entertaining, recreational and fun activities that our city has to offer. We are here to help you spend a lovely day in Novi Sad.

Who doesn’t love sitting in a garden of a café, drinking delicious coffee or a freshly squeezed juice, and just enjoying warm days and vitamin D? Still, this nice and joyful activity can become monotonous, especially since we are still in the coronavirus pandemic. What else can you do in Novi Sad when you get bored with simply visiting cafés, day after day? As always, we asked professionals, i.e. locals, to give us some advice. In today’s text, find out how citizens of Novi Sad like to spend their summer days in the city. Follow their advice and get ready to enjoy yourself!

The best way to spend a day in Novi Sad is riding bikes and wandering around parks in the city. To me, one of the most beautiful parks is Limanski Park, the Quay and the Štrand beach are nearby so you can visit those too. I like going to the Loft café at Štrand because they have an interesting coffee offer and tasty food. You can also go to the all-time favourite Ribarac, a very important and attractive place for the people of Novi Sad. Even though rafts at Ribarac, too, are open during the day, I would recommend going to ‘Piknik’ or ‘Discont.’ Piknik offers a real gastronomical and visual experience, while Discont is ideal for coffee next to the Danube. Since I started my story with parks, I would just like to say that Kamenički Park has been looking super modern lately, offering enough space for anyone interested in picnics or outdoor activities.
Angelina, 32

I recommend bookstores – but the more alternative ones, such as Bulevar Books, Zenit and Most. In addition to books, you can find handmade crafts – the locals support each other this way. In Bulevar Books, a bookstore with a live music venue, you can find records, but also literary events, book promotions and gigs. In Zenit, you can drink delicious coffee, while Most is a beautiful underground bookstore. Naturally, in all three places, you can expect great book recommendations by the cheerful and informed people working there.
Aleksandar, 32

I’d take any foreigner to the Atrium hammam. I really love the place, it’s a steam bath with a pool and an exfoliation afterwards. The place is out of this world! You have to schedule an appointment in advance and there can only be 5 or 6 people at a time, so it’s never crowded, which is great considering the current situation with the coronavirus pandemic. In Atrium, you can enjoy a massage as well and then go straight to their lovely rooftop restaurant. I can’t wait to go again!
Marija, 36

My favourite place is the Legacy, i.e., the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection. It’s probably the most intimate museum in Novi Sad and its surroundings, and it exhibits works by local artists, works that would also perfectly fit into the permanent exhibition of the Musée d’Orsay. It’s obvious that it’s not a collection made in order to financially invest in a piece of art, you can clearly see that the collector had a fine taste, thus the collection really seems like a diverse whole. In addition to that, events organised by the Legacy are always interesting to both the experts and the laymen. It’s a chance to see extraordinary works by our prominent artists only five minutes away from the city centre. What I really like about the Legacy is the privacy it offers, even though it’s located in the centre of Novi Sad.
Igor, 31

Whenever I have free time, I cross the Liberty Bridge and go to Kamenički Park. The view of Štrand while passing the bridge is stunning, as is the park next to the river. I also like to go to Oficirac and Ribarac beaches – being next to the river is nice and calming. The next thing I’d recommend is Petrovaradin. Although the fortress itself is widely known and famous since it’s a tourist spot of the city, I like to walk the streets of Gradić (the suburbium of the fortress) and enjoy its beauty and peace even though it’s so close to the centre of Novi Sad. When I’m on the other side of the bridge, I like to wander around Grbavica and bump into cute cafés. The best coffee is made in the ‘Mala radionica kafe’ coffee shop!
Jovana, 28

I recommend The Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina. After I have gained inspiration in the museum, I like to go sit in a park. For instance, I like to go to the unjustly less popular Futoški Park. You can sit there and drink coffee to go, and when there’s coffee there are sweets too (or at least that’s how it should be)! I recommend the most amazing coffee & cake shop ‘Šećernema.’ So, the museum and then a mini-picnic in the park with coffee and sweets!
Jovana, 32

Photo: Jelena Ivanović