Subotica sits in the very north of Serbia and is a gorgeous city with loads of art nouveau architecture. Strolling the streets of the center of the city is a delight because it feels like no matter where you look, you have a good view and some interesting architecture. This helped to make it my favorite city in Serbia.
So given that, I highly recommend including Subotica on your Serbian itinerary. To further help you plan your trip, here’s my top recommendations for what to see in Subotica, Serbia.
The Best Things to Do in Subotica, Serbia
While this is not an exhaustive list of things to do in Subotica, Serbia, it does cover the highlights of the city. However, I think it’s important to note that the general highlight for Subotica is walking around the city to explore the art nouveau architecture. So while there’s plenty of things to see on this list, many are just photo opportunities.
Still, Subotica is a beautiful city and is my favorite city that I’ve visited in Serbia, and I think it’s absolutely worth a stop on your Serbia itinerary even if you spend one day just walking around the historic center.
Visit the Orthodox Church of the Ascension of Our Lord
Like so many cities in Serbia, you’ll find a beautiful Serbian Orthodox Church. Was Subotica’s Orthodox Church my favorite in all of Serbia? No. That title still goes to St. Sava Church in Belgrade, but I still think it can be worthwhile to poke your head in and take a peak inside. The exterior is nice, but the iconography decorating the interior of the church is what really makes this place special.
Entrance to the church is free, but it is an Orthodox Church so it’s generally a good idea to dress a bit more modestly when you visit the interior.
Visit the Jewish Synagogue
Subotica is home to the second largest synagogue in Europe (the largest synagogue in Europe is in Budapest, Hungary) and it fits seamlessly into the art nouveau style of the city. The designers of this synagogue originally designed it for nearby Szeged, Hungary but the city rejected it.
As a tour guide explained to me, the citizens of Subotica saw the design for the synagogue, loved it, and begged their government to bring it to Subotica. Since Subotica and Szeged were both part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time, that made it a bit easier to accomplish.
The citizens of Subotica got their wish and now the synagogue stands proud in the center of the city. The outside is unique and would likely feel out of place in any city other than Subotica, but here, it just works.
Visit the Cathedral of St. Teresa of Avila
Before you even go inside Subotica’s Cathedral, pay attention to the outside. If you look closely at the exterior of Subotica’s Cathedral, you’ll notice a pretty large crack.
Why is there a crack? Because the cathedral was literally pulling itself apart. It wasn’t due to a lightning strike, bomb, or earthquake as the rumors may have you believe. Rather, the cathedral was built on a sand foundation and as it shifted, the cathedral started to fall apart. They are actively working to stop this process, bring the church back together, and prevent future issues. So far it’s working, but like all construction projects, it’s a slow process.
I was told by a tour guide that you could enter the cathedral via the side entrances, but both side entrances were closed when I visited. Granted, this was later in the evening, so you may have better luck if you try to visit the interior earlier in the day. Based off of the photos I’ve seen online, it looks like a beautiful interior.
Visit Subotica’s City Hall
You have two options for your visit to City Hall. The first is to just visit the outside of the building. Stroll by the Blue Fountain and just enjoy the view. That’s a fine way to visit, I suppose, but I highly recommend going inside to tour the building.
Now, it’s important to note that you can only visit the interior of City Hall on a guided tour. The tour costs 200 RSD (plus an additional 200 RSD to climb the tower) and is offered daily at 12:00 pm. You don’t need to book anything in advance. Just show up a few minutes before the start of the tour, pay your fee, and wait for the tour to start. And yes, there is an English option for the tour.
On your tour of City Hall, you’ll get to see that the interior is just as intricately decorated as so many of the exteriors of the buildings within Subotica. Because the entrance fee is so low, I can’t think of a good reason not to take the tour. Additionally, I had a fantastic guide on the day I went who not only talked about the building, but gave context and was happy to answer any questions people had about Subotica in general.
If you’re already on the tour, I think that it’s worth paying the extra 200 RSD to climb the tower of City Hall. From here, you can get a great view of the city from all directions. Look down on the Blue Fountain and National Theater, look over to the forests, and over to the surroundings of Subotica. Just note that there is no elevator and you’ll need to climb about thirteen stories via stairs (including some tight spiral staircases).
If you only do one thing in Subotica, make it a City Hall tour. It was the highlight of my visit.
Visit Raichle Palace
Raichle Palace is one of the most beautiful exteriors in Subotica and you have to stop by when you’re in town. Though it’s pretty hard to miss if you’re taking the train to or from Subotica. You walk past this building as you go between the train station and the center of Subotica.
The building was initially designed in 1903 as a family residence for architect Ferenc Raichle and his family, though it also included space for apartments and office spaces. Now days, it’s an art gallery and you can pay a fee to go inside and see its collection.
Visit the National Theater
I have one more building on this list and that’s the National Theater. This building sits right in the cross roads of pedestrian streets and has been designated a historic monument in Serbia.
It’s another beautiful building, but in my opinion, the best place to look at it is from the tower at City Hall.
Visit Lake Palic
If you’re sick of looking at architecture, take a visit to the nearby Lake Palic to relax and just enjoy the views. As happy as I was to just explore the architecture of Subotica, I know that others sometimes want a little something different, so visit the lake.
If you’re going to visit the lake, I recommend taking the bus. There are numerous buses throughout Subotica and you should be able to get very close to the lake on the bus. What I do not recommend is letting Google Maps navigate you on foot. It looks close, but this route does not exist and there is a fence blocking you from crossing the train tracks. Ask me how I know.
So, if you want to visit the lake, stick to the main roads and don’t try to take what looks like a shortcut.
How Long Do You Need in Subotica, Serbia
While I loved Subotica, you don’t need a lot of time to explore the city. I think one day in Subotica will allow you to cover most of the highlights.
Since most of the highlights involve taking in the various architecture, I don’t think you need to spend multiple days in the city. As much as I enjoyed Subotica, there is more to see in Serbia beyond this one city.
How to Get to Subotica, Serbia
Subotica is well connected to other cities, but depending on where you are headed, you may need to make a connection. Trains to Belgrade depart every hour or so and a fair few of those trains will stop in Novi Sad (Petrovaradin). From Subotica to Novi Sad, it’s about 50 minutes on the train and to Belgrade, it’s about two hours.
You can also take the train from Subotica to Szeged, Hungary (or the reverse). This is what I did and it was fast and easy, despite crossing a border into the European Union and having to go through the whole EES system.
Trains between Subotica and Szeged depart every three hours and you can buy your ticket at the station (from the actual ticket desk, not the self serve kiosk in Subotica). The journey takes about an hour and a half, which includes a much longer stop at Röszke, Hungary where Serbian and Hungarian border officials will board the train to take care of all of the immigration processes.
Final Thoughts
As stated earlier, Subotica gets my vote for the prettiest city in Serbia. The art nouveau architecture is great and I loved just walking through the streets and seeing what I found. The only thing I wish is that it wasn’t so hot on my visit, but regardless of the temperature, get out and see some of this beautiful city.
