Sights · Our pick
Petrovaradin Fortress
The reversed clock
A vast Habsburg stronghold on a rock over the Danube, with guided tunnels and a back-to-front clock.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © BojanPavlukovic · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © BojanPavlukovic · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © BojanPavlukovic · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons1 / 3
About Petrovaradin Fortress
Nicknamed the “Gibraltar on the Danube”, Petrovaradin Fortress was raised between 1692 and 1780 on a rock across the river from Novi Sad, and it remains one of Europe’s best-preserved strongholds. Climb to the Upper Town for the Clock Tower, where the big hand marks the hours and the small one the minutes, then see the City Museum’s exhibitions. Its guides lead visits into about a kilometre of underground galleries, part of a four-level network more than 16 km long. Artists’ studios line Maria Theresa’s Bastion, café terraces look over the Danube, and each July EXIT Festival moves in.
Our take
- Ramparts above the river
- Guided tunnel tours
- A back-to-front clock
- Address
- Novi Sad, the Balkans
- Our city guide
- On our Belgrade guide
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Petrovaradin Fortress before you go.
Last checked: October 2026 How we choose
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