Travel resources Danube tourism

DANUBE TOURISM

The Danube has always been very important for Novi Sad, which is why it is sometimes referred to as “the Blue Highway” (plava magistrala). Throughout human history the Danube has also served as a border, between the Romans and the Barbarians and between the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empire; however, its economic importance has never waned. Even when the Danube marked a border, navigation and trade between its left and right banks and between its headwaters and mouth, was always lively and of great importance. This is why the Danube has been very significant for the economic and cultural development of Novi Sad. It has also been a channel for the communication and exchange of cultural and scientific advances, and for contact with the rest of the world. It has been the focus of lively trade, and of fishing too, thanks to its fish-rich waters.
For Novi Sad, the Danube still has the same significance, with one difference – today the Danube has an important role to play in tourism, too. There is great potential for the development of tourism on the Danube in Novi Sad and the surrounding area. Firstly, the gentle, flatland flow of the Danube and its deep waters, are very much conducive to navigation. Then there is the beautiful scenery – the Novi Sad section of the Danube, with its many beaches, river islands, breakwaters, arms and branches, flows past the foot of the Fruška Gora hills. Also there is swimming, possible almost five months of the year thanks to the slow current, large number of beaches and good weather, as well as the pleasant water temperature. Novi Sad and many surrounding villages are orientated towards the river, opening up the possibility for a great many interesting trips.
It is also important to note that much of the natural environment in Novi Sad and the surrounding areas are still untouched by tourism or other industries, meaning there is a wealth of pristine natural environments there to be discovered by visitors. Such locations include the Kovilj-Petrovaradin Marshes special nature reserve, the Rakovac river arm, the Šodroš river arm and numerous others, including of course the Fruška Gora National Park, which is not to be missed. As well as nature, there are many cultural sites still to be fully discovered by tourists, such as the authentic milieu of Vojvodina’s Danube villages and the many monasteries of Fruška Gora. Some of the local villages worth exploring are Futog, Begeč, Rakovac, Sremska Kamenica, Petrovaradin, Subić and Sremski Karlovci.
Once, hydrofoil trips could be taken from Novi Sad to Belgrade and the Đerdap Gorge (the Iron Gate), but unfortunately this is no longer possible - the years of economic crisis and high costs of maintenance having put an end to these trips. Currently the Mol Travel agency, in cooperation with the Transfer Tours agency, organises a half-day trip every Saturday, comprising a boat ride from Novi Sad to Sremski Karlovci, where there is a guided tour of the town, followed by lunch in a riverside fish restaurant. The group then returns to Novi Sad on the Londoner (an authentic London double-decker bus).
By far the most dominant form of tourism on the Novi Sad section of the Danube is river cruises. Large, white cruise boats provide accommodation and catering for travellers, with regular stop-offs for tours around the major towns. In the last few years, Novi Sad has seen some 250 annual visits by cruise boats – more than 35,000 tourists each year – and the number keeps growing. This form of tourism is seasonal in nature, reaching its peak during the three warmest months. River cruises tend to fall into the category of “third age tourism”, that is the majority of travellers are senior citizens. All Danube river cruises are organised by foreign travel agencies, some of the major ones being A&K, Viking River Cruises, TUI, Uniworld, General Tours and CIE Tours – but there are many others too. Novi Sad is one of the stops on central and lower Danube river cruise package tours.

In addition, an increasing number of tourists are coming to Novi Sad, and Serbia in general, on private yachts. The reason for this is the increasing number and improving quality of docks and marinas for small vessels here. Novi Sad in particular has a very large mooring capacity for smaller vessels, and as a result more than 50 yachts docked here in 2009, which represents a significant growth rate. Novi Sad has nine mooring facilities for smaller boats – marinas which are fully equipped to accommodate tourists and to service boats, which includes refuelling, replenishing water supplies, electricity and other services, and they are also well-connected to all parts of town. They are as follows (by name): Kamenjar, Ribarac, Ribarsko Ostrvo, Dunavac, Ribolovac, Liman, Vojvodina, Neoplanta and Danubius. A great advantage of this form of travel is the close proximity of other places to visit by river, not to mention the Danube-Tisa-Danube canal system which is also close and which greatly increases the range that can be navigated and the number of destinations which can be reached by boat.
Visitors to Novi Sad can also take an organised canoe or kayak trip, organised by Dunavski Rafting. Some would say that this is the best possible way to enjoy the natural beauty of any river! The Novi Sad section of the Danube is also well known for its excellent fishing grounds and anglers can take organised trips to one of the many famed fishing spots around Novi Sad. Novi Sad can also boast the best beaches of any town on the Danube, or perhaps any of the world’s rivers. Besides the many sandy islands known as ada, which can only be reached by boat, such as Mačkov Sprud and Majmunsko Ostrvo, there are also some beautiful beaches on the river banks. First and foremost there is the Štrand – the most beautiful, best-kept and popular beach in Novi Sad. During the day the Štrand is all about bathing and active leisure on the spacious yellow-white sandy beach, while in the evening the numerous beach cafés guarantee a good time into the small hours. The Štrand is also the venue for numerous concerts, beach volleyball competitions and – distinctive to the Štrand and Novi Sad – headball (or ‘head tennis’ in Serbian), a kind of volleyball using only the feet and head. Besides the Štrand there are also Bećarac and Oficirac, two unmanaged beaches in beautiful surroundings, with fine sand and long shallows ideal for games like picigen (a kind of volleyball with almost no rules, played for fun standing in a circle in shallow water).

If you are coming to Novi Sad, you must not miss out on experiencing all the charms of the Danube, the river around which and on which Novi Sad developed, and is still developing today.

Travel agents:
Moltravel, Zmaj Jovina 26, +381 21 426 707, www.molprevoz-turist.com

Transfer Tours, Laze Telečkog 19, +381 21 523 560, info@serbianbus.net, www.serbianbus.net

Dunavski Rafting kayak, canoe and rafting club, +381 62 96 10 339, office@dunavskirafting.com, www.dunavskirafting.com

Docks, mooring and marinas:
KAMENJAR DOCK 1,263.5 km (left bank), Market Tours, Kamenjar 83, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 21 468 409, +381 63 526 510, markettours@nscable.net, www.markettours.wsc.rs
- pontoon and shore moorings
- water depth at mooring: 2.5-4 m
- not sheltered from the waterway or winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water, fuel and lubricants (delivered to your boat)
- servicers can be contacted for inboard and outboard motors, metal and fibreglass hulls

RIBARAC MOORING 1,258.7 km (left bank), Ribarac holiday village, Ribarsko Ostrvo 4, 21000 N. Sad, +381 21 466 977, +381 63 664 966, ribarskoostrvo@yahoo.com, www.ribarskoostrvo.rs
- pontoon mooring
- water depth at mooring: 2.5-4 m
- not sheltered from the waterway or winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water, fuel and lubricants (delivered to your boat)

RIBARSKO OSTRVO MOORING 1,258.5 km (left bank), Danubius water skiing club, Ribarsko Ostrvo bb, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 21 526 211, +381 63 507 500, saddam4fun@yahoo.com
- pontoon mooring
- water depth at mooring: 2.5-6 m
- not sheltered from the waterway or winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water, fuel and lubricants (delivered to your boat)
- contact available with servicers for inboard and outboard motors, metal and fibreglass hulls

DUNAVAC MOORING 1,258 km (left bank), Dunavac sports and leisure club, Sunčani kej bb, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 64 16 17 326, +381 63 594 801
- pontoon and shore moorings
- water depth at mooring: 2-5.5 m
- sheltered from waterway and winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water, fuel and lubricants (delivered to your boat)

RIBOLOVAC MOORING 1,257.8 km (left bank), Ribolovac sports and leisure club, Ribarsko Ostrvo bb, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 21 371 509
- pontoon and shore moorings
- water depth at mooring: 2.5-4 m
- sheltered from waterway and winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water
- contact available with servicers for inboard and outboard motors

LIMAN MOORING 1,257.8 km (left bank), NREK Liman, Sunčani Kej bb, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 63 548 334, +381 63 516 929
- pontoon mooring
- water depth at mooring: 3-6 m
- sheltered from waterway and winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water, fuel and lubricants (delivered to your boat)
- contact available with servicers for inboard and outboard motors, metal and fibreglass hulls

VOJVODINA MOORING 1,257.7 km (left bank), Vojvodina sailing club, Sunčani Kej bb, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 21 474 4848, +381 64 292 8 292
- pontoon mooring
- water depth at mooring 2.5-6 m
- sheltered from waterway and winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water, fuel and lubricants (delivered to your boat)
- contact available with servicers for inboard and outboard motors, metal and fibreglass hulls

NEOPLANTA MOORING 1,257.5 km (left bank), Neoplanta nautical club, Sunčani kej 9, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 21 46 77 12, +381 64 130 75 37
- pontoon mooring
- water depth at mooring: 2.5-5.5 m
- sheltered from waterway and winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water
- contact available with servicers for inboard and outboard motors, metal and fibreglass hulls

DANUBIUS MOORING 1,257 km (left bank), Danubius 1885 rowing club, Sunčani kej 13, 21000 Novi Sad, +381 21 450 853, rcdan@eunet.rs
- pontoon and shore moorings
- water depth at mooring: 2.5-6 m
- not sheltered from the waterway or winds
- 24-hr watchman
- electricity (220V), water, fuel and lubricants (delivered to your boat)
- contact available with servicers for inboard and outboard motors, metal and fibreglass hulls