This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel.
Novi Sad is little known outside of ex-Yugoslavia save for its Exit music festival. This town, capital of Serbia's autonomous northern Vojvodina province, is a highly developed and eloquently civilized city known for lush greenery along the Danube bend and around the city along its wide boulevards. Travelers coming to Novi Sad hostels by bus or train arrive outside of the city center. Several city bus lines shuttle people to the historic center or other points around town. The city is walkable for anyone prepared to be on their feet for twenty minutes or more at a time.
The heart of the historic city center is a pedestrian zone mostly given over to shopping, eating at restaurants, eating ice cream, and the like. Nearby, though, you'll find museums and cultural institutions. Novi Sad is also home to several government institutions, many in buildings originating from early communist days. The local university is one of the best in the region, and has a well-kept and very green campus just off of the Danube and just outside city center. Across the Danube perched atop a high bluff lies Novi Sad's hallmark, the Petrovaradin Fortress. It's worth climbing up all the stairs, just for the view, but before returning to your Novi Sad hostel, be sure to stop in for a snack in one of the bakeries in the Hapsburg “village” at the base, just after you cross the Danube.
There are many hostels in Novi Sad, considering the moderate size of the city. Most are located right off of the central pedestrian corridor, though there are a few more exotic choices including a modern villa at the edge of town. Character is huge, as your place to stay can be a true in-road to the locals in this city. There are a few newer hostels where you feel like you could be in Anytown, Europe, and some others where architecture, décor, and ambiance reflect one of the city's unique periods. Most Novi Sad hostels have very good service, if perhaps not outwardly friendly. During the huge Exit festival, beds are in short supply, so book your hostel as soon as you get your tickets.
Written by local expertz for Novi Sad
Carl
