Attractiveness of 
the built heritage

Romanticism of
the bygone era

Peacefulness of
the landscape

 
In the north of Serbia and in the southeast of the vast Pannonian Plain, bordered by the rivers Danube and Sava and by the state borders with Hungary and Romania, lies the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. For centuries, the region of Vojvodina has been the point of great migrations of the Serbs from the south. Two great empires, the Austrian and the Ottoman, clashed here in the 17th and 18th centuries, so did the two cultures: the East and the West also touched it, leaving the traces which are still visible in the buildings from that period. By the end of the 18th century the recovery of the Serbian culture was taking place and the foundations of the modern Serbian society were laid. The Serbian culture was renewed here under European influence, and the spiritual and political center of the Serbs in the Hapsburg Empire was the small town of Karlovci. First grammar schools were founded, then theatres, libraries, newspapers, cultural institutions... here, in the north.

Because of its extraordinary soil and climate, this agricultural and mainly flat region has been not only the breadbasket of the country but also the most developed area of Serbia in general. Even today and despite the wars in former Yugoslavia, this peaceful region has retained its centuries-long and recognizable points: its multinational, multicultural and multi-confessional features.

These are qualities that the people of Vojvodina can be proud of.
 

Highlights

Sremski Karlovci is a town of extraordinary cultural heritage. It was the spiritual and cultural centre of the Serbs in the 18th and 19th centuries and the meeting place of almost all Serbian national-church assemblies. There are several monuments of architectural and artistic interest, such as a Baroque-style fountain from 1790, the Karlovci High School from the end of the 19th century with decorative elements reminiscent of mediaeval Serbian buildings, the Patriarch's Palace - once the most imposing building in the whole region, the Cathedral Church from the mid-18th century, and many others.

Petrovaradin Fortress ('Gibraltar on the Danube') is a fascinating artillery structure located on a small hill on the right bank of the Danube opposite modern Novi Sad. The Ottoman Turks captured it in 1526 and held it for 130 years when it passed into the hands of the Austrians. This marked the beginning of several successive reconstructions and enlargements. The last one was carried out in the mid-18th century, when the fortress got its final appearance. Its massive walls built to resist heavy artillery encompass the lower garrison town and extend to the bank of the river. Subterranean galleries run beneath the walls, and there is a number of buildings within the fortress, which were once used as barracks and now house a museum, the archives and art studios.

Fantast Castle is the best preserved and most renowned castle in this region. A magnificent view from its balconies spreads across the whole complex, a small lake nearby and the Pannonian landscape all around. The architect is unknown, but he was apparently under the influence of European, and particularly French castles. There are traces of various styles, such as Romanticism, the Gothic culture, Renaissance. The castle's original owner, Bogdan Dundjerski was a great horse-lover who managed to establish one of the biggest horse-farms in this part of Europe with almost 1,400 horses. The castle was named after the famous horse called Fantast.

Kovacica is a town internationally known for its self-taught artists of Na�ve Art, such as Zuzana Halupova, Martin Jona�, Jan Sokol, Jan and Ondrej Vanjaski and others. Their art is a genuine, spontaneous and instinctive realism, with a strong influence of directness, honesty, imagination and fiction. The Gallery of Na�ve Painters in Kovacica was founded in 1955 with an idea to present the wide artistic potential of the people from this picturesque town. Apart from the main gallery, there are a few other smaller shops in the same complex selling na�ve paintings.

Please note:

Departures on request only. The tour by car (up to 3 persons) or by minivan (up to 6 persons) is with a professional driver and the guide. Your stay in Belgrade can be arranged. The tour can be combined with our Belgrade tour packages. Entrance to Churches and Monasteries on our tours requires appropriate attire. Please remember to be properly dressed: no shorts, no uncovered shoulders.

 
Other multi-day tours:
'Sargan 8' Tour (2 days)
Monastery Tour (2 days)

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Belgrade Sightseeing