I reconsidered my plans to hike in Fruska Gora National Park. After researching Novi Sad car rentals and assessing the parking situation, I decided to pass. Instead, I’m spending time hiking in Petrovaradin Forest. It’s adjacent to Fruska Gora, but walking distance from my apartment. I’m also enjoying daily strolls in Danube Park, watching trees along the riverside, as their leaves turn stunning autumn colors!
Transportation
Other than a few bus lines, Novi Sad has many cars but limited public transportation. After a gazillion bad experiences, I developed “taxi phobia,” so they’re my last resort. The lack of parking is also concerning, and I don’t want to create problems for myself, especially with the language barrier. After reading problematic online reviews, I decided it was wise to skip the car rental.
Renting a bicycle is another possibility. Bicycling around Novi Sad is popular but hectic. Erratic cyclists almost run pedestrians down, while three-year-olds are all over the place learning to navigate their scooters, skateboards, and tricycles, while their parents seem amused. You must be cautious and get out of the way, or be ready to get slammed! Thankfully, parts of the city have dedicated bicycle paths.
Normally, I research transportation before adding destinations to my travel itinerary. Learning to get around in a new location is key to enjoying your visit. I fell short on knowing more about transportation in Novi Sad. This trip has been a rich educational experience, keeping me on my toes!
Successful travelers learn to forget familiar ways of doing things in their home country and bend, blend, and accept the reality of local cultures! Sometimes that’s difficult. I’ve been getting around on foot, walking several miles a day. It’s great exercise. My next stop, Bucharest, has an underground metro system, plus trams, trolleybuses, and light rail above ground – yeah!
Selfie Stick
I’m weary of photography and haven’t been taking many photographs. However, I decided to purchase a selfie stick. It’s not primarily to see images of myself in blog posts, but a few might be nice. I expect some may think my travel adventure accounts are fictional, since I rarely include my face in photos. :o) When traveling solo, asking strangers to take your photo gets tricky.
I’ve walked around Novi Sad looking for a selfie stick that works with my iPhone, and even visited dreaded large shopping malls like Promenade. In Serbia, androids are more popular. I found a usable selfie stick at Gigatron, but it doesn’t support some iPhone camera features. A small shop – Apple&Care – agreed to order one for me! If it works, and I actually get the product – you may see some selfies in future posts. If I can’t find one, I’ll look at an airport electronics store enroute to Romania.
Petrovaradin Fortress
Petrovaradin is a small historic town in the Serbian province of Vojvodina. It became part of Novi Sad. I visited the Petrovaradin Fortress during a day trip from Belgrade in May. It’s located on the right bank of the Danube River, near central Novi Sad.
Petrovaradin’s interesting history traces as far back as the Stone Age. It was founded by Celts, conquered by Byzantines and Romans from the “Scordisci Tribe”, and at one time, part of the Kingdom of Hungary. Romans “built Cusum Fortress, where Petrovaradin Fortress stands” today. It was part of defensive system fortifications along the Danube River.
Novi Sad Grapes
One thing I will sorely miss about Novi Sad is the phenomenal local grapes!! My favorites are the zacinak and prokupac varieties grown in Serbia for centuries.
