Museums, galleries and the Synagogue: Novi Sad’s cultural side
Novi Sad has long been called the Serbian Athens. A morning in its galleries and museums shows you why.
· 5 min read
Why Novi Sad is called the Serbian Athens
In the 19th century Novi Sad became the centre of Serbian culture, education and publishing in the Habsburg lands, which earned it the nickname “Serbian Athens”. A big part of that story is Matica srpska, the oldest Serbian literary, cultural and scientific society. It was founded in Pest in 1826 and moved to Novi Sad in 1864, where it is still based today.
That heritage is easy to see in the city’s museums, most of which are within walking distance of each other in the centre.
Gallery of Matica srpska
If you visit only one museum, make it this one. The Gallery of Matica srpska holds one of the most important collections of Serbian art, from icons and baroque church painting to 19th-century portraits and landscapes and into the 20th century. The rooms are calm and well laid out, and you can see the highlights in an hour or two.
The gallery stands on Gallery Square (Trg galerija), which it shares with two other art collections, so it is easy to combine visits.
Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection
Right next door is the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection, based on the private collection of the diplomat Pavle Beljanski, who donated it to the public. It focuses on Serbian painting and sculpture of the first half of the 20th century. It is smaller and more intimate than the Matica srpska gallery and makes a good second stop.
Museum of Vojvodina
For history and archaeology, head to the Museum of Vojvodina. It covers the region from prehistory through the Roman period and the Middle Ages up to modern times. Its best-known treasures are the gilded Late Roman helmets found at Berkasovo in Srem, which are some of the most striking objects of their kind in Europe.
The Synagogue
On Jevrejska Street stands the Novi Sad Synagogue, completed in 1909 to a design by the Hungarian architect Lipót Baumhorn. It is one of the most impressive buildings in the city, with a great dome and richly decorated facade, and it is a reminder of the large Jewish community that lived in Novi Sad before the Second World War.
Thanks to its excellent acoustics, the building is now used mainly for concerts and cultural events, so check the programme – hearing music under that dome is a memorable way to see it.
