The 'Gibraltar' of the Danube—Petrovaradin Fortress

Novi Sad is a city in northern Serbia and the second largest city in Serbia. The landmark of Novi Sad is the Petrovaradin Fortress, which is located on a volcanic rock on the right bank of the Danube River. Due to the extremely important strategic position of the fortress, located at the confluence of the Danube River and the Bacska Canal, it naturally forms a barrier to the gorge that guards the northern gate of the former Yugoslavia, known as the 'Gibraltar on the Danube'. In 1687, the Austrian army captured the Petrovaradin Fortress, which had been controlled by the Ottoman Turks for 150 years, and from 1692 the Austrians began to demolish the old fortress and build new defensive works, which took a long 94 years to complete. The fortress is not only situated on high ground, making it easy to defend but hard to attack, but also has a complex system of winding and interlacing tunnels underground, truly a defensive fortress in every sense. It is said that in 1813, during the resistance against Napoleon's invasion, Emperor Francis I of Austria once hid his crown in this fortress, which is claimed to be the most perfect and impregnable in the world. The clock tower on the fortress is its iconic sight (Picture 6), characterized by the reversal of the lengths of the hour and minute hands, with the hour hand being longer than the minute hand. It is said that this was done so that fishermen could see the time from a distance on the water. Next to the clock tower is an observation deck, from which one can overlook the panoramic view of the Danube and the cityscape of Novi Sad. At a glance, the red bricks and green trees are filled with the romantic European charm. The fortress has been damaged in countless wars, rebuilt, damaged again, and rebuilt again. The mottled bricks and tiles, and the numerous scars record the vicissitudes it has experienced. Under these walls, it is unknown how many lives have been buried. Additionally, the fortress is also the venue for the annual 'EXIT Music Festival', which takes place around July-August each year. In the 1990s, Serbia was in turmoil, and the first Exit Music Festival originated from a student movement in the University Park in 2000, to protest for democracy and freedom in Serbia and the Balkans. The festival initially had an anti-war meaning, as Serbians hoped to find an exit to break through the blockades of war and the shackles of thought, and this exit was music. It is now known as one of the best major music festivals in Europe. 📝tips: Coming down from the castle, you can wait for bus 61 or 62 by the roadside to go to Sremski Karlovci, commonly known as the wine town. If you are staying in the old town area, you can plan to visit these two attractions together in one day, as they are in the same direction.