Thought-provokingandfun –besurprisedinnovisad
Serbia’s second city is the European Capital of Culture for 2022. Now’s the time to go, says
Pinned to the wall of Studio M gallery, a collection of human hearts pulses with metronomic precision. Disturbingly realistic, the artificial aortas belong to an exhibition exploring Time and Universe, where bees dance around darkened rooms, analogue phones ring with messages from beyond, and mirrors reflect a world that exists in our sleep.
“Dreaming is the only time no clock can measure,” whispers one of the gallery curators, cryptically. “We can spend our entire lives dreaming.”
The show, which runs until September, is part of a creative programme of events organised in honour of Novi Sad’s Capital of Culture status for 2022 (delayed from last year due to the pandemic). But the notion of nurturing hope for a better tomorrow is as old as the 17th century foundations of Serbia’s second city.
Located at a geographical crossroads of mainland Europe, Novi Sad has frequently found itself on the frontline between east and west. It was even conceived as a defensive city; built on top of a former monastery, the Petrovaradin Fortress protected the Austro-hungarian empire from Ottoman attack.
It was flattened in the world wars and bombed during the 1999 NATO campaign at the height of the Balkan crisis and fragmentation of Yugoslavia, but each time, Novi Sad has risen like a phoenix from the ashes.
Walking through the tiny city, which can easily be explored in a weekend, I stumble into upbeat bars and lively cafes tucked into shadowy passageways. Decaying spaces have been reinvigorated with new life: a former silk factory has been converted into a cultural centre, while artist workshops occupy the grounds of the demilitarised fortress.
Although Serbia’s government has taken a controversially silent stance on the war in Ukraine, in Novi Sad, the younger generation is focussed on building bridges – both physically and metaphorically. Immortalised by a gallery of posters along the banks of the Danube River, structures past and present have always been cherished as links to an outside world.
Every July, electronic music festival Exit is held in the Petrovaradin Fortress, uniting cultures regardless of political borders. Early one morning, when I climb to the ramparts – one of the only hills in the pancake-flat city – everyone is still sleeping. From my viewpoint, I scan a skyline shared by oniondomed orthodox churches, cathedral spires and a synagogue – testimony to the tolerance shared by Novi Sad’s citizens.
As a proud city of migrants, Novi Sad’s cuisine is a blend of multiple cultures. Typical dishes from Vojvodina (the local region) include poppy seeds on pasta or dumplings, and red pepper tapenade ajvar. Try the latter as an ice cream at innovative restaurant Project 72 (Kosovska 15). A two-course meal with excellent wines from nearby Fruska Gora costs around £25.
A tumultuous past has taught Novi Sad-ers to live for the moment, making this one of the most fun places to party in Europe. Bars are small, hidden and always packed – and smoking is still legal indoors, so be prepared for an even more cloudy, clandestine experience.
Wizz Air (wizzair.com) Luton London airport to Belgrade £37 one way. The Ibis London Luton Airport (all. accor.com) has rooms from £43 per night. Taxi from Belgrade to Novi Sad around £50 each way; a 90-minute bus costs £7 each way. For details of the Capital of Culture events, visit novisad2022.rs/en/what-is-ecoc