Clock tower on Petrovaradin Fortress – Serbia

Overview & Quick Tips

Petrovaradin Fortress was built between 1692 and 1780 on a hill above the Danube, on the right side of the river, across Novi Sad. Today it is best known for the Exit Festival held every summer, but it is also the only viewpoint from which you can see the city of Novi Sad.

Detailed information

Since Petrovaradin Fortress is one of the largest fortresses in Europe, there is a lot to be seen and photographed when you decide to take a walk along its paths and among its walls. Therefore, I will stick with the most popular tourist point of the Fortress – the terrace with the clock tower.

The clock tower was a gift of Austrian empress Maria Theresa, and today it is often found on postcards and souvenirs from Novi Sad, as one of the most recognizable symbols of this city. The clock has two interesting and unique characteristics:  the first is that in cold days it goes slowly and it is a bit late, while in summer days it goes a bit faster. Another interesting feature of this clock is that hour hand shows minutes and the minute hand shows hours, which was made like that for the sailors to see what time it is during night time or on foggy days. The clock is still regulated manually every day, and the hands of the clock still show the time with the reverse hands than on usual clocks.

One of the main reasons to come to this part of the Forest is the possibility to photograph the panorama of Novi Sad, which is separated from Petrovaradin only by the Danube, and connected by a bridge. It is possible to get there from Novi Sad or Petrovaradin, either by car or on foot. A walk from the center of Novi Sad to the Fortress does not take longer than 20-30 minutes. On the right bank of the Danube, there are several other viewpoints from which you can see the city, but none of them is as easily accessible as the one on the Fortress.

The view – as I said, why most of the people come here is photographing the panorama of Novi Sad. If you are a fan of sunset photos, this place will be a treat – the Sun sets behind the city and the sunset photos are truly magical from this place. Also, the city looks wonderful when the night falls and the lights turn on, both in the city and on the bridge that connects Novi Sad and Petrovaradin. Therefore, if you decide to take pictures in the late afternoon and evening, tripod will be your obligatory companion. When it gets dark, try creating long exposure photos with the Danube within the frame, since the flowing river creates a silky, smooth effect in such photos. In the lack of a tripod, there are walls on which you could lean a camera, but below them there is nothing but a slope, so do your best not to damage the camera and to keep it from falling. Wide angle lens or panoramic shots would be a plus here, but interesting photos can also be taken with a zoom lens, depending on your preferences. Since the difference in light is really significant during sunset, this place also offers an opportunity for creating HDR images, in order to get both the cityscape and the sky well lit.

In addition to the sunset and the city panorama, on the right side, behind the clock tower, there is an interesting view as well- you will see many old roofs of the houses in Petrovaradin. These roofs are suitable for taking pictures with a prime or zoom lens, since the tight frames of the rooftops’ textures and patterns look particularly interesting if photographed that way.

The clock tower – the clock tower itself can be interesting to photograph. Personally, I prefer taking photos with the tower within a tighter frame, but it also looks very attractive if photographed with a wide angle lens from the left side of the terrace, where there is a wide walking path. Therefore, a wide angle lens or even a kit lens will be a good choice if you want to take photos of the clock tower. It is the best to photograph in the golden light of the setting Sun, and especially if there are some clouds in the sky as well.

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