NOVI BEČEJ – THE CITY ANCHORED ON THE BANK OF THE TISA RIVER

The municipality of Novi Bečej is located in the very centre of Vojvodina, along the left bank of the Tisa River, 66 km from its mouth, the confluence with the Danube. Novi Bečej belongs to the Central Banat region and is the only city on the Tisa whose center is just on the river bank. In addition to Novi Bečej, this municipality consists of Novo Miloševo, Kumane and Bočar.
It is assumed that the name of this place originates from the name of the wealthy Becei family who owned land in this area. Another theory is that the name of the city comes from the term Beč meaning “land in property”. The name of Novi Bečej came about when the population of Bečej escaped from the Turkish invasion in Bačka, establishing a settlement of the same name on the west bank of the Tisa. When the Banat was freed, the descendants of refugees from the Banat returned and restored Bečej with colonists, giving it the name Novi Bečej (New Bečej).
The territory of Novi Bečej municipality includes a part of the Stara Tisa Nature Park near the Biserno Ostrvo (Pearl Island). It is the longest meander of the Tisa in Vojvodina – 24.5 km. The Stara Tisa Nature Park is located in the territory of municipalities: Bečej, Žabalj and Novi Bečej, and it has been placed under protection in order to preserve the largest fluvial lake in our country, with numerous protected species of birds and plants.
The Slano Kopovo is one of the last representative examples of the Pannonian salt marshes and deserts that are of great importance for the preservation of the wealth of the plant and animal world of Vojvodina. It was formed by the operation of the Tisa River, which in the past changed its course and spilled its banks flooding the surrounding hills. In July 2004, the Slano Kopovo was proclaimed a water habitat of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. This is one of the most important and most beautiful bird habitats in Serbia and Europe.
In addition to natural beauties, Novi Bečej has many cultural and historical monuments.
The Old Town – the remains of the Fortress, a kilometre upstream from the centre of Novi Bečej is a silent witness of the little known history of these parts.
Then, the Sokolac Castle, a place of many legends. It was built by Lazar Dunđerski in the late 19th century. Lazar Dunđerski was an avid gambler, and one day lost the castle and even the property playing cards. Lazar Dunđerski’s opponent offered to return the property if Lazar managed to hit an apple on the head of his wife with a single shot. Despite the risk, Lazar accepted the offer and hit an apple on the head of his wife and thus regained possession. The castle was given as dowry to Emilija Ivanović, the daughter of Lazar Dunđerski.
In this city there is also the only museum of old tractors and steam engines in the Balkans, owned by Čedomir Žeravica from Novi Miloševo.
In Novi Milosevo there is the Kotarka Museum, the homeland museum of Novo Milosevo, and of the whole Banat. Not to be missed is the visit to the Glavaš’s House Museum, where Vladimir Glavaš, a great national benefactor, was born.