Ice, carried by the river still struggling and flowing not completely frozen, follows the river matrix, overtakes it and crashesuponitself, overlaps and clings onto itself, piling up threateningly on the bends below the Petrovaradin Fortress. Once, the ice used to carry away bridges and boats in Novi Sad, and now it takes the breath away to all who venture out into the cold air, colder even by the Danube, to see this sight, with the Fortress standing above peacefully and steadily. Since the foundations were laid in 1962 for the Fortress we know today, at least three hundred snows have covered its rooftops, walls bastions.
While exploring the white expanses of the Fortress, you can hardly come across any other person, who could bring the postcard images to life, break the silence and the sound of snow crunching under the feet. Magical moments come into being while we are alone with our thoughts and the Fortress. We write blueprints on white paths, think of the times gone by and dream of those to come. We explore the past to better imagine the future. We listen to the silence as we are amazed by the snowy reflections on the Fortress winter face. The unknown faces of the fortresses built into the one erected in XVIII century, were equally covered by winter snows and solitude. And still, the snow has never conquered it, and it met and fell over many armies, wars and empires, which left clues of their cultures and civilizations, traces of life. After it covers and washes the Fortress, the snow melts and seeks the Danube, the only one who crosses all pages of history and the exciting Petrovaradin fortress underground.
Our desire is to keep listening to Fortress stories, to interpret and share them with others; to uncover all the beauties and potentials of this remarkable piece of fortification architecture, this living and breathing history textbook and the town’s symbol on the opposite shore, an equally special place for art creation and the visitors’ enjoyment and relaxation. Each new snow marks another year for the Fortress standing abovethe river and watching over the town, patiently waiting to be explored, cared for accordingly and visited more often, at the very least.
Secretary
