‘Laid back’ European holiday destination has music festival held in a huge fortress and a sandy city centre beach
A CITY break destination in Europe is the perfect place to visit for cheap wine and sandy beaches – and it even has a huge music festival every summer.
What’s more, it’s much more affordable than the big festivals that take place throughout the UK, making it a great budget option for music-loving Brits looking for a summer break.
Novi Sad in Serbia has been labelled as a great cut-price city by several travel experts, keen to explain why people should head there, particularly during the warmer months.
A big part of its appeal is EXIT Festival, which it hosts every summer, attracting people from all over the world.
Tickets for the four day party can be booked from as little as €120 (£101) while day passes will set back visitors as little as €32 (£27).
Those prices are less than half the price of a trip to Glastonbury and, while it may not attract the same level of headline acts, it still hosts some huge names.
Previous headliners include the likes of Fatboy Slim, The White Stripes, The Pet Shop Boys, Snoop Dogg, Paul Weller, Arctic Monkeys and Guns ‘n’ Roses, among others.
What’s more, the destination is worth visiting alone, with Rough Guide describing it as “a setting that leaves other festivals in the shade”.
EXIT is hosted inside Novi Sad’s Petrovaradin fortress, which “stands majestically above the lively city”.
Stages, food trucks and performance areas are found throughout the fort, which has overlooked the Danube from within the city since the late 1600s.
It’s listed as the number one thing to do in Novi Sad on TripAdvisor, and claimed a TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Award this year.
EXIT Festival is far from the only reason to visit Novi Sad however, with plenty also heading to sample the local wine, which has been described as “underrated”.
The nearby regions of Fruska Gora and Sremski Karlovci are among the top-rated in Serbia, with day tours taking visitors to sample their products.
According to Wine Tourism tours and tasting sessions can be booked from as little as €5 (£4.23).
Travel experts Lonely Planet are also fond of Novi Sad, which claims it has “great wine from the slopes of nearby Fruška Gora mountain, hearty Vojvodinian food, a sandy beach on the Danube”.
The beach they’re talking about is known as The Strand, a half-mile-long stretch of sand by the river.
Festival Essentials
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- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Roll mat or air bed
- Camping chair
- Torch
Cafes are found overlooking the water, while boats and kayaks can also be hired, as can sun loungers along the banks.
In the hot summer months, it’s a great place to cool off in the water, while it’s even possible to cross over from one side to Fisherman’s Island, described as “green haven” jutting out into the river.
Cycle paths run alongside the banks of the Danube too, and bike hire is a very popular way to get around the city.
Getting there is very easy, with connections to the city taking less than an hour’s from Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport
Return flights from the UK can be booked from as little as £35 with budget airlines like Wizz Air.
A night for two in the city can be booked from £13.
Meanwhile, this is the best value city break for people to head to in 2024.
And this underrated city break destination has 120 music festivals every year.
