The best traffic-free bike rides in Serbia

nice church shadow from trees

Locations like this are interesting landmarks but usually restricted areas. Best to take quick photos from outside the fence without lingering too long.

I was there last time in November 2024. Litter was everywhere – on the shoulder of the road, on the trees, in the bushes. There were also a few illegal garbage dumps just next to the road and two packs of aggressive stray dogs. So unfortunately, this beautiful road is no longer beautiful. It’s actually a rather sad and grim place now. Don't know maybe they cleaned it up already, but it was like that in autumn 2024

Good road for bikes only

Excellent way to avoid bussy Novi Sad. Ferry goes every hour. Full hour from Beočin and half hour from Futog. In winter season last ferry is at 16:00h.

From January 21 to 23, 1942, the Hungarian occupying authorities carried out an organized pogrom against the Jewish, Serbian, and Roma populations of Novi Sad. This event is known as the „Novi Sad Raid“ – the darkest event in the history of this city. It was a military police operation aimed at intimidating the Serbian population and other "unreliable elements," accompanied by mass executions and looting. Particularly shocking were the executions carried out on the banks of the Danube, where, at -25 degrees Celsius, citizens were stripped naked, then killed and pushed through holes cut in the ice of the frozen Danube. Over three days, around 1,300 residents of Novi Sad were killed. The Novi Sad Raid was part of a broader military operation carried out in several Serbian settlements in southern Bačka, during which nearly 4,000 men, women, and children were killed. The monument “Family” dedicated to the victims of the Novi Sad Raid, erected in 1971, is the work of prominent Novi Sad sculptor Jovan Soldatović. In 1992, plaques with the names of all known victims were installed in front of the monument. The elongated figures of a mother, father, and two children are typical of the expressive style of artist Jovan Soldatović. Their modesty and simplicity evoke feelings of sorrow and mourning. Although not impressive in its dimensions, the "Family" monument is one of the most well-known memorials dedicated to the suffering of World War II in Serbia, and a commemoration is held at this site every January 23 in memory of those who perished in the Novi Sad Raid. [This site is part of the Liberation Routes cycling tour "The Danube to Victory Route" (58km)] https://www.komoot.com/tour/1933369594?share_token=aRc7kQYJ01cywoOlRPXzWvplRxrDI3K22D17Rs90xCFiVo5TvF&ref=wtd

The Petrovaradin Fortress, also known as the "Gibraltar on the Danube," is one of the largest and most impressive military fortifications in this part of Europe. The Habsburg authorities began constructing the fortress in 1692, after the Ottoman Empire was permanently expelled from these territories during the Great Turkish War (1683-1699). The construction of the fortress lasted nearly a century (1692-1780) and it covers an area of 112 hectares, with a system of underground tunnels extending 16 kilometers beneath it. Archaeological research has shown that the area of today's fortress has been continuously inhabited since the Paleolithic era. During the Roman period, the first military fortification known as "Cusum" was established here. During World War II, the Petrovaradin Fortress was an important military stronghold for the NDH (Independent State of Croatia). It housed several Croatian Home Guard institutions, including the Artillery School and the Air Force Regiment. Throughout the war, several thousand Ustashe and Home Guards were stationed here. In September 1944, just before the liberation of the country, and following Tito’s call to join the National Liberation War, many Home Guards and their officers joined the partisans in Fruška Gora and entered the ranks of the newly formed Vojvodina brigades. From the Petrovaradin Fortress and other military strongholds in Srem, 2,500 Home Guards and 115 officers joined the partisans. During the retreat in October 1944, Ustaše and German units attempted to blow up the railway tunnel under the Petrovaradin Fortress. The destruction was halted by an Italian prisoner of war, Gildo Pesapane, who was working on placing dynamite in the fortress's tunnels. Knowing the occupiers' ultimate intention, he cut the wires and prevented the explosion of 30 tons of explosives, which would have certainly caused enormous damage and destruction. Gildo Pesapane remained in Petrovaradin after the war, where he married and had a daughter. [This site is part of the Liberation Routes cycling tour "The Danube to Victory Route" (58km)] https://www.komoot.com/tour/1933369594?share_token=aRc7kQYJ01cywoOlRPXzWvplRxrDI3K22D17Rs90xCFiVo5TvF&ref=wtd

The synagogue is the most monumental sacred building in the city. Along with the former Jewish school building (on the left) and the Jewish Community building (on the right), the Synagogue was constructed in the first decade of the 20th century according to the designs of the Budapest architect Lipót Baumhorn, known for his numerous buildings done in the Secessionist style. Its impressive presence and rich decoration testify to the former power and grandeur of the Jewish community, which had been present in Novi Sad since its beginnings. The first synagogue was erected as early as 1717, as a witness to the fact that Jews were among the first inhabitants of Novi Sad. Before World War II, Novi Sad had a Jewish population of around 4,300. About 800 were killed during the Novi Sad Raid from January 21 to 23, 1942. After the Third Reich occupied Hungary in March 1944, the Nazis began implementing the "Final Solution to the Jewish question” in these areas as well. In April 1944, a ghetto was established in the Synagogue's courtyard, from which almost all of Novi Sad's Jews were deported to Auschwitz on April 27. After the war, only about 300 Jews remained in Novi Sad. Many Jews joined the anti-fascist movement and the People's Liberation Movement (NOP) from the beginning of the occupation and fought in the ranks of the partisans. In 2023, a monument was erected in the Synagogue's courtyard to commemorate the fallen Jewish fighters against fascism. [This site is part of the Liberation Routes cycling tour "The Danube to Victory Route" (58km)] https://www.komoot.com/tour/1933369594?share_token=aRc7kQYJ01cywoOlRPXzWvplRxrDI3K22D17Rs90xCFiVo5TvF&ref=wtd