9 August 2019 - Culture Centre Tivat has announced programmes for the next three days of Purgatorije festival, that will be held on two summer scenes.

The second Dance Theatre Festival, as a part of Purgatorije will be continued on Saturday, August 10th. The dance performance "Krik" (Shout) will be performed at 9 pm by the Ballet Company BALLO from Podgorica on the stage of Atrium Buća.

The choreography has been done by Tamara Vuckovic Mandic and Slavka Nelevic.

Festival selector, Jelena Kajgo, points out: “We must have a performance of the domestic dance scene. Interpersonal relationships, frustration, anger, powerlessness, aggression born of powerlessness ... through the play of three dancers. It is also, as the authors said, a cry to change something, to make the dance scene seen."

Play “TRE SORELLE” written by Stevan Koprivica and directed by Zoran Rakocevic will be performed on Sunday, August 11, at 9 p.m. at the same venue. This play is produced by the Cetinje Faculty of Drama Arts and the Culture Centre Tivat. It premiered in 2016 as a graduation performance of the third-year students of the acting programme in the framework of the exams. Starring Marija Djuric, Jelena Djukic, Marija Labudovic, Omar Bajramspahic, Vule Markovic and Pavle Popovic.

The play has been successfully performed both in Montenegro and in the region. Marija Djuric won the Best Actress Award at the Young Actor Festival in Konjic, BiH (Bosnia and hercegovina) this June.

Playwright Stevan Koprivica pointed out: "Tre sorelle" are returning home to check out the legends and demons and love of the latest generations of Montenegrin playwrights. Is there a better event for the writer and the professor of the school where the director and the actors come from?"

On Monday, August 12 at 9 pm pop singer Tijana Bogicevic will perform at the Summer Stage. Her album "Miracle" has won the region in just one year. The audience will have the chance to listen to live hits "Come on Then Nothing"( Hajde onda ništa) “I am Looking for" (Tražim), "Somehow, No Way" (Nekako nikako), "Unconditional" (Bezuslovno), "OK" (U redu), and Tijana announces many other surprises at the concert.

“I am particularly looking forward to this concert! It seems to me that people in Montenegro are particularly fond of songs from my first album. This is also the first time we will perform at seaside, on a beautiful summer stage, in a special atmosphere. The audience is used to having a good time at my concerts, with a strong emotional charge, and always with great guests. It will also be like that this time. Come, I'm waiting for you!" says Tijana.

9 August 2019 - "Elena", a residential building in Porto Montenegro, named after the Montenegrin princess Jelena Petrovic-Elena of Savoy, will be inaugurated on August 15.

Following the opening of the Baia, the third wing of the Regent Porto Montenegro Hotel, a cocktail party will be organized on August 15 to mark the completion of Elena as another residential facility in this nautical resort.

The celebration is expected to be enlarged by the presence of Princess Jelena's granddaughter, according to Porto Montenegro.

Each of the residential buildings in the nautical settlement is named after a famous female person from Montenegrin history or a famous female toponym.

The Elena facility has 50 luxury apartments - studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three bedroom areas, ranging from 44,37m2 to 565,52m2, with prices ranging from 278,000 euros for 47.47m2 to 5,094,875 euros for a 565.52m2 apartment.

About 20 million euros were invested in the project, and, according to the company, more than 20 Montenegrin companies and over 400 employees were involved in the construction.

"The building does not exceed five floors, the same as previously built residential buildings in the nautical resort. With its completion, a total connection of the main boulevard from Pine to the Synchro lift in the settlement was established. The aim was to enable communication from one side to the other,” said PR manager of Adriatic Marinas/Porto Montenegro, Danilo.Kalezic.

Within Elena there are seven business premises, the so-called kiosks, or smaller spaces in glass with attractive contents. Interesting tenants were selected as well as numerous fashion and home improvement brands.

Adriatic Marinas announces the continuation of construction. Currently, the preparation of the terrain in the northern parcel is going on. It is near the so-called Second gate of the former Arsenal, along the Adriatic Highway (Jadranska magistrala).

“It is about greening the plot, and as soon as the Detailed Site Study is adopted, the construction of a new part of the settlement with very interesting amenities and tenants will begin. The idea is to create a facility with office space as in the centre of the village, but with more affordable prices. The facility will be facing the highway so that when the Arsenal wall is removed, the space will be completely open,”Kalezic explained.

Source: Radio Tivat

09 August 2019 - The Central Bank of Montenegro is currently analyzing the optimal model of instant payment in Montenegro and possibilities of contactless payments in outlets using smartphones. The Central Bank is also considering payment initiation using a mobile app.

Instant payments are, by definition, electronic retail payment solutions available 24/7 during all 365 days a year.

“Instant payments result in the immediate clearing of the transaction and crediting of the payee’s account with confirmation to the payer within seconds of payment initiation,” said the representatives of Central Bank of Montenegro, as Cafe del Montenegro reported.

The instant payment system was designed to provide payment services in a faster and more reliable way.

“With national instant payment systems implemented worldwide, and with many others which are currently under development, instant payments are slowly but surely becoming a new standard of payment transactions. Except for the basic functionality used by banks, potential payment services available to end-users are the subject of analysis: non-contact payments using the mobile app or sending requests for payment,” pointed out the representatives of the Central Bank of Montenegro.

Based on previous experience the instant payment system will widen the access to banking service, stimulate economic growth, offer alternatives to card payment schemes, and reduce the use of cash. Representatives of the Central Bank of Montenegro also said that schemes based on instant payment would open markets for new participants and stimulate competition in launching new and innovative products through services based on instant payments.

Read more news about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 August 2019 - The only cave in Montenegro open for organized visits, the Lipa Cave near Cetinje, with 2 km of passages, halls and galleries, is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Montenegro. Even if you are taking a walk through only one of its parts, it is still an unforgettable experience.

The entrance to Lipa Cave is located near the famous Belvedere viewpoint, some 30 km away from Budva and Podgorica, at the entrance of Cetinje and Director of marketing and sales Milena Raičević says that this is favorite location of tourists and explorers, as CdM reports.

“The beauty of Lipa Cave has been well known since ancient times. Great figures of Montenegrin history, Petar II Petrović Njegoš and King Nikola particularly praised its authentic beauty. Lipa Cave was discovered much earlier, before Njegoš. And even back then, people had access to the cave. Famous explorers and scientists from the 19^th century left documents about their researches, cave ornaments and motives,” pointed out Raičević.

A whole kilometer of the main cave hall is available for visitors these days. The illuminated pathway is around 600 meters long and is surrounded by untouched cave parts. There are two types of organized cave tours. Both tours start with a little train ride to the parking at the entrance to Lipa Cave.

“Visitors are accompanied by experienced and well-trained guides. They are specialized in cave tours and know everything about its history. Ticket prices depend on the type of tour. The price includes: train ride, tour guide, insurance and parking, sometimes equipment,” said Raičević.

The Cave is available for visits starting from April, two times a day - at noon and at 2 PM. From May to October tours begin at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 2 PM and 4 PM.

“Visitors can choose between Cave tour and Extreme tour. Visitors are mostly interested in the first one. It lasts for 60 minutes. It's not very demanding and we recommend it to families with children. Lipa Cave Temperature is 8 °C - 12 °C. Visitors should take jackets and appropriate shoes. This basic tour does not require special equipment,” stressed out Raičević.

Ticket for the adults costs 10,90 EUR, for children under the age of 5 it costs 1 EUR and for children under the age of 15 years old it costs 6,90 EUR. Family visit package costs 29,90 EUR.

“Extreme adventure is scheduled in advance. The difference between these two tours is the fact that extreme adventure starts with visitors descending down to the cave using a rope and they tour around 1 kilometer of cave channels and passages. Before they start the adventure, visitors get special equipment,” stated Raičević.

This two-and-a-half-hour tour costs 50 EUR per person. For children aged between 5 and 15, it costs 25 EUR.

“Safety of our visitors comes first. There have not been any accidents ever since the Cave opened. The part of the cave used for tours is arranged in accordance with the highest world standards in the arrangement of speleological structures,” stressed Raičević.

However, Lipa Cave offers even more - there is wine and juice tasting in the cave bar. In addition, visitors can enjoy short classical music concerts organized in one of the largest cave halls – the Hall of Njegoš.

The number of visitors to Lipa Cave is increasing every year. Visitors are mostly foreigners.

“On Trip Advisor page, we are in the first place according to the impression of visitors, the main tourist attraction in Cetinje. That is a great success,” concluded Raičević.

For more information about Lipa Cave please visit their official website.

Read more news about traveling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 August 2019 - Seven years since the opening of Montenegro’s accession negotiations with the European Union, representatives of the authorities are satisfied with the work done, indicating that an initial balance of results has been achieved in the most important Chapters 23 and 24, and that the legislative and the established institutional system produces certain results in practice.

On the other hand, representatives of the civil sector estimate that it is insufficient and point to anomalies that indicate the lack of political will to apply European standards. Chairman of the Board of NGO Institute Alternative Stevo Muk stated that Montenegro has progressed on the European path, but not enough if taking into account the resources invested in this process, primarily the investments of the EU and other international and local actors.

"It has especially made too little of progress in those fields that were disputable from the very beginning and about which we are negotiating from the first day. However, the rule of law, good governance and corruption permeate many other issues of negotiation, such as the environment, where it is noticeable almost on a daily basis. The impression is that enthusiasm was significantly more present in the first years of negotiations, possibly because issues of the institutional and legal framework have been mostly addressed. But, when it came time for concrete results, we entered into a phase of stagnation," said Muk for European Pulse.

Muk assessed that readiness for change, unfortunately, exists only in those issues where the interests and monopolies of big ones are not threatened, while when it comes to sensitive issues, state structures change only as much as they have to. And it seems that they have to change less and less, as stated by Muk, because the internal pressure is weak, and the EU conditionality policy shows its limitations.

Montenegro opened the EU accession negotiations on 29 June 2012 during the mandate of Prime Minister Igor Lukšić. It was the first state that negotiates according to the so-called new approach, upon which the first ones to be open, and the ones to be closed the last are Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security).

Source: Milan Sekulović, European Pulse

Read more about politics in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 August 2019 - Mc2Gallery presents Murano Art Week, featuring some of the best and most important glass artists from Murano, Italy.

Murano Art Week, an exhibition of artwork in Murano glass, will be open from 10 to 17 August at the gallery site at Luštica bay, Mc2 gallery. During the seven days, visitors will be presented with some of the greatest masters in Murano glass history, which is famous and prized for its quality for over 1000 years.

“As Italians, we are proud to exhibit these works of art, whose characteristics are famous all over the world. The most important is the Maestro Pino Signoretto, considered the "Michelangelo of the glass", who died in 2017, who had collaborations and projects with Salvador Dali, Jeff Koons, Marc Quinn, Emilio Vedova, Dale Chihuly and many others”, said the invitation from the gallery’s PR office.

Master Giampaolo Seguso, an important family from Murano, will also be exhibited at the show. Their works are a collection of the Moma in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Many other Masters will also be showcased at the exhibition, such as Romano Dona, Giancarlo Signoretto who collaborated with artists such as DADO, Bradley, Licata, Leismuller and Marc Estel, then the Cuban master Alfredo Sosabravo, Fabio and Andrea Tagliapietra, and also Simone Cenedese.

The sponsors of the exhibition are the companies A.L.P.I. Co. and IDISTUDIO (Italian Design of Interiors).

MC2Gallery opened in 2009 in Milan by an idea of Claudio Composti (Art Director) and Vincenzo Maccarone, Collector and Owner of MC2Gallery. In 2018 the gallery changed the headquarters to Luštica Bay, Montenegro, but it is still present in Milan. The gallery name is from the Einstein theory E=MC2, in other words, the synergy with whom we create and share the Culture.

Read more about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 August 2019 - General Secretariat of the Government - Public Sector for Information on the European Union and the Process of Accession to the European Union, has launched a public call for proposals for the development of the preliminary design and the execution of the selected proposal of murals on the theme: "Me for Europe, Europe for Me" - ME4EU, EU4ME.

At three locations in Montenegro - in Podgorica, Bijelo Polje and Bar, murals will be drawn as a “response” to a mural that celebrates the ties of the Western Balkans and EU "It is only with the heart that one can see well", presented in April in Brussels. Dedicated to the people of the European Union and the Western Balkans, the mural - art piece created by Rikardo Druškić, one of the most acclaimed young artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, conveys messages of peace, tolerance, and reconciliation.

The jury will select the three best solutions, and their authors will have one month to draw the mural, in accordance with the proposed and chosen concept.

An amount of 1.000 EUR is earmarked for the preliminary design and the drawing process of each individual mural. The mural fabrication material will be provided from the EU4ME project.

The competition is conducted in accordance with the Strategy for Public Information on the Accession of Montenegro to the European Union 2019-2022, within the framework of the EU4ME project, funded by the European Union, and implemented by UNDP.

Considering that the European Union's youth policy is one of the most important ones it implements, and that research data shows that young people are the most enthusiastic when it comes to EU membership and that they will benefit the most from membership, the murals and the competition are aimed at bringing Montenegro's EU accession closer to young people and encouraging them to become more actively involved in the European integration process.

The primary goal of the communication strategy is to contribute to a better understanding of the process of European integration among citizens and to provide support to Montenegro's EU accession process.

Find more information on the contest at the website eu.me, or read more about Montenegro's EU accession process at TMN's dedicated page.

09 August 2019 - Prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places in Montenegro will enter into force on Wednesday, August 14^th, after the Law on Restriction of Tobacco Use was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro on August 7th.

The law, which bans the use of tobacco products in public indoor areas, except in casinos, was passed by parliament in a unanimous vote of 42 votes on July 31^st, reports RTCG. It is scheduled to enter into force eight days after its publication in the Official Gazette of Montenegro.

At a session of the parliamentary Committee on Health, Labour and Social Welfare on July 16, Health Minister Kenan Hrapović said that the initiative for this law was due to the fact that the previous acts regulating this area did not produce the expected results.

With the adoption of the new Law on the Restriction of the Use of Tobacco Products, the Law on Fees will cease to apply, and it will no longer be possible to pay fees to allow smoking in some part of the facility.

It is possible to designate a specific part of the space that the owner or user designates solely for this purpose. The law clearly stipulates the conditions of insulation, surface, position and equipment of that part of the space: the room must be insulated in such a way that no tobacco smoke can flow into the rest of the space, and the surface must not be less than 10 square meters, must not occupy more than 20 per cent of the workspace or public space and should not be intended for passage to other spaces.

The new law does not allow smoking in any room or area where food and drink are consumed. The request of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro that organisers of games of chance should be an exception to the law was accepted, and the casinos expressed their willingness to pay fees in addition to specific ventilation apparatus and air purifiers in the amount determined by the Government.

Minister Hrapović said earlier that in our country, about 400 people have lung cancer a year, and that, according to data from 2015, it costs about 70,000 EUR to treat just one patient. According to Hrapović, this is, among other things, an alarm for the health system, which indicates the need for improvement, first of all, preventive action.

Read more about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

08 August 2019 - As an integral part of Portonovi Resort – one of the most prestigious resorts in this part of Europe, D-Marin Portonovi Marina began its operations.

Situated in one of the most beautiful spots in Boka Bay, Portonovi is comprised of 26 hectares of exclusivity with over 1,8 kilometres of beachfront access, delivering 214 residences with a variety of tenure in its first phase. Portonovi will provide the very best in service and understated luxury and world class amenities that include Europe’s first One & Only and Espace Chenot Health Wellness Spa which are to open in 2020 as well as the deep-water D-Marin Portonovi Marina already welcoming its first guests.

D-Marin Portonovi Marina, opening just before the grand premiere of Portonovi this summer, is a deep-water marina which will host yachts up to 120 metres and offer 238 berths, a choice of entry points and a sheltered position at the entrance to the bay. This state-of-the-art marina will offer its clients all the necessary maintenance and safety requirements, along with as a recently opened customs entry, as well as the soon-to-be-open fuel station. The marina promenade will also provide versatile experiences for all guests and visitors.

D-Marin Portonovi marina will offer superyachts and boating enthusiasts the opportunity to explore the network of D-Marin ports in Croatia, Greece and Turkey through its so-called Happy Berth Days, which offers privileged access of 7-day free stay in other D-Marin marinas and additional 40% discount after the free days expire.

The addition of Portonovi to the Mediterranean coast will continue to position Montenegro amongst the most attractive yachting destinations world-wide, guaranteeing a first-class tourist and lifestyle offering.

D-Marin is a Doğuş Group company that was established to set a new benchmark in operations of the marinas. By managing 10 unique marinas in Ionian, Aegean & Adriatic Seas, D-Marin creates one of the largest international chain of marinas in the Eastern Mediterranean that promotes recreational yachting and develops sustainable businesses that encourage local employment and growth within the economy.

Read more informations on how to get to Montenegro and what to visit at TMN's dedicated page.

08 August 2019 - The traditional manifestation Days of Healthy Food from Durmitor 2019, organized by the Centre for Culture of the Municipality of Žabljak with the support of the local tourist organization, was launched in Žabljak on August 7th and will last until August 9th.

After the exhibition of paintings, which was held on the first day of the manifestation, as well as the exhibition of healthy food (second day), where the products of local farmers and dishes from homemakers who live in Durmitor were exhibited, this event ends August 9th with a tasting of kačamak and priganice (local dish similar to donuts) on the Black Lake shore.

Visitors of the first two days of the manifestation were able to enjoy bread baked under the sač, pies, fried dough, various types of cheese, greens from Durmitor fields, blueberries and raspberries, juices, homemade brandies and many other products which were displayed at the Cultural Centre in Žabljak. The area of ​​northern Montenegro is already recognizable for its traditional cuisine, which involves preparing organic food in a traditional way, and this was confirmed yet again at this year’s event.

This event has become a tradition that gathers many exhibitors and attracts a large number of visitors who can taste the highest quality local food from Žabljak. The tradition will surely be preserved and continued according to the organisers, who could not hold back their praise for the housewives who have invested a great deal of effort in preparing the displayed dishes.

The aim of this manifestation, which is being organised for the sixth year, is to promote Žabljak as a tourist destination.

Tomorrow, on August 9, a tasting of kačamak, a traditional Durmitor dish, will be held on the Black Lake shore, starting at 3 pm.

Read more about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.