Sremski Karlovci /srɛ̂ːmskiː kâːrlɔːv̞t͡si/ is a small town in the Srem District of Serbia, located 12 km south from Novi Sad. It is also the seat of the smallest Serbian municipality, with only one populated area. This is one of the most beautiful towns in Serbia's Vojvodina region, with its numerous and richly decorated baroque and neo-classicist buildings well preserved, it will make you feel like you are walking around some small neighbourhood of Prague or Budapest. It is also one of the most prominent spots of Serbia's Wine Route.

Understand [ edit ]

In ancient times, a small Roman fortress existed at this location. The town itself was first mentioned in 1308, under the name of Karom. Its Serbian name, Karlovci was first recorded in 1532/3. The town was first a possession of Hungarian noble families, but it was conquered by Ottomans in 1521. The fall of the Serbian Despotate to the Turks in 1459 forced many Serbs to move up north, and from this period a larger Serbian presence can be felt in Sremski Karlovci as well. In 1543, the town had three Orthodox churches, a monastery, and was predominantly Serbian.

Catholic chapel of Our Lady of Peace, erected on the location of the signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz.

During the Great Turkish War of the Holy League (Austria, Russia, Hungary, Venice...) against the Ottoman Empire, Sremski Karlovci were conquered by the League in 1688, and it was the location of the congress that ended the hostilities, with the signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz (Karlowitz being the German pronunciation of Karlovci) in 1699. The war had ended with a decisive victory of the Holy League, but for one part: the anti-Ottoman coalition penetrated deeply into the former Serbian territories, causing Serbs to join their ranks and fight for freedom. However, the League later retreated north of the Danube river, leaving Serbs to the mercy of ever-vengeful Turks, causing the First Great Serb Migration of 1689-92, when an even larger number of Serbs settled in these regions, led by Patriarch Arsenius III.

From the time of the Great Migration, Sremski Karlovci had become one of the main Serbian political, cultural and spiritual centres in Austria-Hungary, and the seat of the Orthodox Metropolitan of Karlovci since 1713. First Serbian school in Austria-Hungary opened in Karlovci in 1726, first modern Serbian drama was written and performed here in 1733, as well as the first modern Serbian Theological Seminary in 1794 (second only to the Kievan Seminary), just to mention a few milestones. During the Hungarian bourgeois revolution of 1848, Serbs also stood up for their own rights against Hungarian repression, proclaiming the short-lived Serbian Vojvodina (Vojvodina meaning Duchy, from Serbian vojvoda, duke) as a partially autonomous state under Austria-Hungary.

After WWI, Karlovci became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia after 1929). It was also the centre of White Russian emmigration for a certain period of time, and the first home of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia. During WWII, the town was occupied by Axis powers and given to the Nazi puppet state known as Independent State of Croatia, led by the collaborationist and ultra-nationalistic Croatian part known as Ustasha. Sremski Karlovci were liberated in 1944.

Due to its glorious past, Karlovci even today remain an important spiritual and cultural centre of the Serbian people. It is also one of the most famous centres of viticulture in Vojvodina.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ]

The closest airport is Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (IATA: BEG), located some 50 km south of Sremski Karlovci. There is a bus line from the airport to Novi Sad, but it doesn't pass through the town, so you have two options, to go directly to Novi Sad, and then take a local bus, or to take a bus from Belgrade bus station.

By train [ edit ]

Sremski Karlovci are positioned on the Belgrade-Novi Sad railway line, and there are frequent trains going in both directions. You can check the timetable on the website of Serbian Railways. There is also a special train line called "Romance", where you can ride a genuine 1930's steam train, going from Belgrade to Karlovci every Saturday in August, departing from Belgrade Railway Station at 09:00, and returning from Karlovci to Belgrade at 18:05 the same day. Return ticket is 1260 RSD (as of 2014), and it also covers the fees for the tour guide and entrance to the museums in Karlovci. There are also a few departures in September, during the grape-picking season. You can check the detailed itinerary and dates here.

By bus [ edit ]

Sremski Karlovci are located on the old Belgrade-Novi Sad road, which is not as busy now as it was before the completion of that section of the E75. However, there are still many buses taking this road, and there are daily over 20 departures from Belgrade main bus station (timetable). Coming from Novi Sad, you can either take the bus to Belgrade, or take a local bus, suburban lines 60, 61 or 62, for about 130 RSD (as of 2014). Local buses to Sremski Karlovci depart from the main bus station in Novi Sad (timetable).

There is no bus station building in Sremski Karlovci, so you will always buy tickets on the bus, and you will have to check for schedules on-line, or with the locals. Novi Sad suburban buses stop in the town centre, near the main square. Buses from Belgrade to Novi Sad stop on the main road, some 3 min away from the centre. Be sure to remind the driver you need to get off at Karlovci.

Get around [ edit ]

Sremski Karlovci is a small town, so everything is accesible on foot, although the local bus lines from Novi Sad have a couple of stops in the town. Even if you don't feel like walking, once you enter this cosy baroque ambience, you will change your mind.

Cultural Heritage [ edit ]

Municipal Assembly of Sremski Karlovci.













Churches [ edit ]

Sremski Karlovci Cathedral Church.











Natural Attractions [ edit ]

Panorama of Sremski Karlovci.





Museums and Galleries [ edit ]

Patriarch's Court in Sremski Karlovci, housing the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church.









Wine Cellars [ edit ]















Four Lions Fountain in the main square of Sremski Karlovci.



































Eat & Drink [ edit ]















































Police Department : 192

: 192 Fire Department : 193

: 193 Ambulance : 194

: 194 Sremski Karlovci Tourist Organization: +381-21-882-127

Get out [ edit ]

If you decide to stay in Sremski Karlovci, you can always take a day trip to Novi Sad, or go to Belgrade and experience the sharp contrast between the life in a small baroque town in the countryside and the bustling XXI century. You can also visit some of the monasteries located on Fruška Gora.



