8 Forts @ Danube in Serbia - Petrovaradin Fortress
Petrovaradin fortress is one of the first associations when speaking of Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina, a province of the Republic of Serbia. It stands imposingly on the right bank of the Danube and is now the picture of defense fortifications erected by the Austrians in the seventeenth century. This Gibraltar on the Danube River, as it is called, was built as a strong defense of invasion from the Turks on the place where, according to historical evidence, a medieval fortress and settlement had been located even before the new era. As a medieval fortress, it had the famous walls that defended the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the war with the Ottomans. In the second half of the seventeenth century, after the Turks had left, the Austro-Hungarians came and began to strengthen the fortress which had collapsed and built new fortifications by the modern standards.
After the Karlovac peace, construction began on the fortress as it stands today, but soon there was a new Turkish-Austrian war and the fortress was again the location of one of the most conflicted areas. The battle was uncertain and exhausted Turks at the end. Petrovaradin Fortress had demonstrated the strength of its walls, and the Austrian generals showed their skills, as the new fortress resisted attacks. The Turks were defeated and Austria had gained a favorable position for further negotiations, after which it acquired North Serbia. It is interesting that you can still see traces of that battle in the surrounding cities of Alibegovac, Tatar hill and Vezirac. The walls of the fortress is of course, a witness of momentous events during the Serbian Revolution and the First World War. During the Great War, after the Sarajevo assassination, the Austrians used the fortress as a prison for prisoners of war. Historical data indicates that in the castle was even closed the Austrian squad leader, Josip Broz Tito.
After the First World War, the fortress became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Despite the numerous conflicts, the Petrovaradin fortress continues to be a magnificent and great form, which will go on to decorate the Danube for centuries. Known Drunk Clock Tower, the guns, the most beautiful view of Novi Sad are the most common sights you can see in the photographs of those who visit this old lady. The stories are hidden in each and every piece, the most interesting are of course hidden in the catacombs that are still not fully explored, with only one part lit and open for tourists. The fortress today, many know by the most famous festival EXIT, in its endurance shows receiving tens of thousands of visitors from around the world.
Within the Petrovaradin Fortress's walls, there is a worthwhile museum exhibitions on the citadel's history, military equipment and Novi Sad civic life between the 18th and 20th centuries. There is a big central well deep 60 metars and capable of supplying more than 10000 soldiers with fresh water. The museum can also arrange tours in English of Petrovaradin's 16km of creepy, but cool, unlit underground tunnels, known locally as katakombe, though you can see a portion of it with regular museum admission. While their official use was for military purposes, rumours abound of mysterious treasure troves, tunnel-dwelling reptiles and still-roaming ghosts.
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Music used: Virtutes Vocis by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
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Music used: Odin by Evan King
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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