Serbia

With our tour group heading to another gate to exit the Danube Park and return to the ship, we went our own way.

Our destination was the Petrovaradin Fortress. To get there, we had to cross the Varadin Bridge, the third permanent one to span the Danube at the same spot … the first two were destroyed during military operations in 1941 and 1999.

The walk across the Varadin Bridge, which offers excellent views of the fortress, was a pleasant one … but more than a bit warm in the sun. Once on the opposite side of the Danube, we walked along Beogradska Street, lined with colorful buildings, and found the steps leading up to the Petrovaradin Fortress. The 214 steps up to the citadel were pretty easy to climb. For one thing, most of them were not particularly tall. Also, we made a number of stops along the way for photo-ops.

Described as the “Gibraltar of the Danube,” Petrovaradin dates back to 1692-1780. It is generally considered to be the best preserved fortress in Europe and an “exceptional example of military architecture.”

Archaeological digs into the foundations have revealed settlements here that go back to the Paleolithic Age. Then came the Celts, Romans, Hungarians, Ottomans, and in 1691, the Austrian Empire. It was after the arrival of the Austrians that the current fortifications were built … in order to stop any future Ottoman attacks. Demilitarized in the 20th century, the fortress has been proclaimed a cultural monument.

Petrovaradin consists of an Upper Fortress— atop Petrovaradin Rock — and a Lower Fortress/Water Town with a protruding two-horned Hornwerk bastion. There are also underground military galleries, and a defense communication and mine system of corridors some 9.5 miles long.

We skipped the Lower Fortress/Water Town … except for the short bit we walked along Beogradska Street, focusing instead on the Upper Fortress. Starting out at one of the terraces, we enjoyed the spectacular views of the Danube, Varadin Bridge, and Novi Sad beyond, as well as the views over the red-tiled roofs of the city on our side of the river. Climbing up a steep ramp, we strolled along the bastions, leaving behind the shops and restaurants … and the crowds.

There were photo ops everywhere we went … fortification walls topped with vivid green grass; glimpses of the gates that allow entrance into the Upper Fortress; red-roofed yellow buildings popping against a brilliant blue sky; stone and bronze sculptures here and there.

One of the iconic photo-ops, unfortunately was wrapped in scaffolding — the 18th century Clock Tower on the rampart of the Upper Ludwig’s Bastion. The hands of this clock are the opposite of most clocks — the hour hand is longer; the minute hand is shorter. It was designed this way so that sailors on the Danube river could easily see the time from a distance. Though the original clock mechanism still functions — wound by hand daily — the time apparently fluctuates with the seasons … running a few minutes behind when it is cold; a few minutes ahead when it is hot. Due to this anomaly, the locals refer to the clock as “Pijani Sat” … which translates as Drunk Clock.

By 1:30p, we were hungry and ready for a break. After checking out the ratings for several cafés and restaurants on Google, we settled on Terasa … with a nearly 5 ⭐️ rating. It turned out to be a great decision.

Serbia still allows smoking inside, so we asked for a table on the terrace … snagged one with an unhindered view of the Danube, the Rinda, and the city beyond. The food was delicious; the European café ambiance was perfect.

After lunch — it was 3:00p by then — we slowly made our way down to the city, taking a different path this time. The plan was to cross the bridge and head back to the Rinda for a short rest before going out again. Further discussion made it clear, however, that we might not make it out again if we got too comfortable. Mui wanted to get some persimmons anyway, so we kept going. Since the Rinda was on our way to the market Mui had Googled, we detoured to the cabin to lighten our load first.

Following neighborhood roads that gave us a glimpse into the non-touristy side of the city, we got to the IDEA Supermarket. Shopping quickly completed, another Google check showed that we weren’t far from the pedestrianized Dunavska Street where we had spotted a gelateria this morning. So onward we went. Great gelato; which we enjoyed at a small table on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, it was starting to get quite cold in the shade. We put on the layers we’d shed earlier in the sunshine, but they weren’t cutting it. Time to return to the Rinda … which we did … seeking the sun wherever we could.

We are in Belgrade tomorrow and have two tours to fill our day there. So, even though all aboard tonight is not until 11:30p, we will be remaining on the ship after dinner to rest up.Read more