“Ceremony for Heroes”: Novi Sad holds grand welcome for student cyclists

The group of 80 students began their journey on bicycles on April 3, traveling through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany before reaching France—covering over 1,400 kilometers in total.

Crowds gathered on the Varadin Bridge in Novi Sad on Tuesday evening to greet the cyclists, with many locals from Novi Sad and surrounding towns arriving in an organized show of support.

The students made a symbolic entrance on foot, walking across a red carpet laid out for them by their fellow students beneath the flags of the five countries they passed through during their “Tour de Strasbourg.” On the far side of the bridge, they were greeted with fireworks and crowned with ceremonial wreaths.

From there, the group continued together to the plaza in front of the Serbian National Theatre, where they were welcomed with the song “My Land”.

Two choirs performed in front of the theatre, and Serbia’s national anthem “God of Justice” was also sung. The student cyclists were presented with certificates of appreciation and awards.

“The feeling is phenomenal, this whole welcome is phenomenal. The entire city of Novi Sad came out to support us - I feel amazing,” said Uros, a student from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics, told N1.

Helena, another participant, described the reception as “spectacular.” “We’ve had some rest, but honestly, the impressions still haven’t fully settled,” she told N1.

“I expected a lot, but not this much. It’s unbelievable, the crowd just keeps coming, I’m speechless, to be honest,” said Vladimir Markovic, a student from Novi Sad’s Faculty of Technical Sciences.

The student cyclists sang their anthem in unison. Professors and local residents prepared food and drinks for the students, while a full evening of music was organized to celebrate the event, with performances scheduled to continue until 12:40 am.