04 March 2019 - The first International Film Festival “Uhvati Film Montenegro” (English: “Seize the Film” Montenegro) will be held on March 5 and 6 in Kotor. The opening ceremony of the Festival, film screenings and the discussions are planned for Tuesday, March 5 at 4 pm (at Cinema Boka) and March 6 at 12 pm (at the Solidarity Gallery in the Old Town of Kotor).

As the director of the festival Aleksandra Božović explained for TVCG, film festival Seize the Film is part of the regional network Film festival Seize This Day With Me/Seize the film, which has been held for the past 16 years in Novi Sad, Rijeka and Banja Luka, and this year it comes to Montenegro.

According to its organisers, the Film Festival Seize this Day with Me - Seize the Film includes screenings of foreign and domestic films on the topic of the lives, activities and achievements of people with disabilities and the following programs: film workshops, forums/discussions with the filmmakers and actors who appear the films, a seminar for journalists and students of journalism, exhibitions, performances, etc… in which people with disabilities participate.

16 films from 13 countries (among which are Japan, Italy, Argentina, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey, Russia, Germany, Serbia) will be screened at the Festival in Kotor and they are selected from the program of the Novi Sad Festival 2018.

The festival features 16 films about people with different types of disabilities, different age, social, national, gender structures. It is this diversity that gives a broader picture of the situation of persons with disabilities, so it is possible to notice differences in approach and position, but also similarities.

The first International Film Festival Seize the Film Montenegro will be opened with the Japanese short film "Wheelchair dancer".

"The film projections are preceded by a panel discussion on the participation of persons with disabilities in culture, on institutions’ accessibility in regards to people with disabilities, but also on content, as well as how people with disabilities are displayed in movies and in the media," Božovic explained. The panel discussion will be organized in Kotor on March 5, starting at 12 pm in the Solidarity Gallery in the Old Town of Kotor.

"Guests of the festival and panelists will be representatives of the public sector, media houses, artists, representatives of non-governmental associations both from the country and from abroad," said Božovic.

As explained by the festival organisers, the goals of the Festival are: “informing the public about the lives, activities, positions, and accomplishments of people with disabilities, recognizing one’s own identity and potential, facilitating a better understanding and acceptance of differences, and influencing the media to more adequately follow activities and events in which people with disabilities participate”.

The Film Festival has, is in its 16 years of existence, attracted the attention of numerous media outlets, and, as a topic, it has had an everyday presence in both printed and electronic media.

The festival is organized by the non-governmental Art Association 365 in partnership with Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro and supported by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and the Municipality of Kotor. The festival is supported by the Cultural Centre Nikola Đurković Kotor, the Cultural Centre Novi Sad, as well as the partner organizations from the region AS Parnas Novi Sad, Spirit Rijeka Association and HO Partner Banja Luka.

01 March 2019 - Last year’s edition of the Sea Dance Festival, Montenegrin star festival organised by EXIT Team, managed to surpass all expectations straight from the start, attracting almost 50,000 people to one of the most beautiful beaches in Montenegro – Buljarica! This year’s festival, which will take place from August 30 to September 1 at the same location, is bound to be even hotter!

The first wave of the festival’s music stars is led by one of the most successful music producers of the 21st century - David Guetta! Guetta’s assistors in launching a new era for the Sea Dance Festival will include one of the leading German DJs and producers - Robin Schulz, who keeps shaking the main stages of festivals around Europe. The French hit duo Ofenbach, whose hits have topped the charts around the world, will join the German showman in creating the best atmosphere at the festival, leaving no one indifferent!

The current line-up was announced at the press conference at the Ministry of Culture in Budva. According to the president of the Municipality of Budva, Marko Carević, moving the festival from the peak of the season to its near-end extends the tourist season and places Budva as the leader on the new eminent markets. Surely, Sea Dance Music Festival managed to fulfil all expectations in the past years and with its quality organization and performers, the manifestation earned unreserved support of its sponsors.

“Sea Dance contributes to the affirmation of Budva as a world-famous destination and brings audiences from all the meridians to our city,” highlighted Carević.

After the first five years of development and a series of success along the way, the Sea Dance Festival has entered a new era, and it is time for new, even more ambitious steps, claims the founder of EXIT and the Sea Dance Festival, Dušan Kovačević. “This year's program confirms the new era, because the world's biggest stars are coming to Budva and Montenegro, and soon, we will announce major headliners of the third day, while dozens of other performers will be announced earlier than ever,” he says, adding that this year he expects a record visit.

The tickets will be available through the official website of Sea Dance Festival, while from March 5, through the official travel agency EXIT Trip, tourist packages will be available to visitors, which, in addition to tickets, will also contain various options for accommodation and transportation.

03 March 2019 - According to News Agency Jedro, during the summer season 2019, the Montenegrin and Italian coast will be connected by the Croatian ferry Dubrovnik.

Stock Company Barska plovidba and its Croatian partner Jadrolinija from Rijeka have been in charge of the Bar-Bari route, a service that exists over half a century, for two years in a row.

The representatives of Montenegrin company Barska plovidba recently confirmed for Jedro that the most reasonable and probable solution for the establishment of a seasonal ferry service between the cities of Bar (Montenegro) and Bari (Italy) is the ferry Dubrovnik.

This will mark the third season in a row that the Croatian ship Dubrovnik takes over the Bar-Bari service line as the Montenegrin Stock Company Barska Plovidba still hasn’t purchased a ferry.

The managerial staff of SC Barska Plovidba visited Rijeka (Croatia) in February to negotiate business requirements, the timetable and schedule for ferries with managers of Croatia’s Jadrolinija.

“The 2019 summer season is about to start, and we had to provide an alternative solution for the Bar-Bari ferry line. We had good cooperation with Jadrolinija over the past two years, and we expect this collaboration to continue in the same way this year as well. Barska Plovidba’s still striving to buy a used passenger vessel that would take over the Bar-Bari line,” said the president of the Board of Directors of SC Barska Plovidba, Ljubo Kočović.

"This line was established in 1965, and so far it has transported two million passengers, 240.000 cars and about 100.000 trucks and trailers. For half a century, the number of passengers who have travelled on this route is four times bigger than the total number of people living in Montenegro, and our most successful business years were 1995, 1996, 2006, 2007 and 2008, "said Tihomir Mirković, Acting Director of Barska plovidba.

The ferry Dubrovnik has the length of 122,06 metres, a width of 18,82 metres and height of 12,55 metres with a gauge of 4,83 metres. The ferry’s structure includes a restaurant with 135 seats, a self-service restaurant with 224 seats, a cake shop, a bar with 274 seats, a video hall, a chapel and a playroom for children.

01 March 2019 - You still haven’t decided where to head to for the winter holidays? Here’s our suggestion – come to Montenegro! As the name implies (Black Mountain), more than 80% of Montenegro is covered in mountains so we would say the best way to experience Montenegro is first to experience its mountains. Particularly in winters, Montenegro is in abundance with all kinds of winter activities from skiing, snowboarding, to ice-skating, snowmobiling and others.

Montenegro has two main ski resorts, Ski Resort Kolašin 1450 and Ski Resort Savin Kuk, located within the staggering mountains of Bjelasica and Durmitor. Besides them, there are also smaller ski centres like Ski Centre Vučje, Ski Centre Lokve, Ski Centre Hajla etc.

Ski Resort Kolašin 1450 offers a wide range of services including the ski-lift facilities, ski equipment rentals, ski depot for children and adults, night skiing, ski schools by professional ski instructors and much more at the 25km of slopes. The resort is located 8km from the city centre, at an altitude from 1450m up to 1973 meters, and easily accessible by car or bus.  The slopes are well-maintained, divided and marked. Besides for experienced skiers, this place is very popular amongst the beginners and intermediates, who want to improve their skills. With good snow quality and reasonable prices, we are sure you will enjoy this resort to the full.

Renting ski equipment for one day this season costs 10€ for adults, and for children 8€, while the price of a ski depot for the disposal of ski equipment is from 3€.

Close to the National Park Biogradska Gora, this ski area is considered a great tourist destination where after an exhausting day on the ski slopes, you can rest and savour the delicious home-made Montenegrin cuisine with a glass of mulled wine.

Kolašin 1600

Besides Kolašin 1450, this year, Ski Resort Kolašin 1600 has been opened, as “the new pearl of winter tourism in Montenegro”. The infrastructure of this ski centre will operate in total about 4.6 km of ski slopes, on which one six-seat ski lift is installed.

Savin kuk

Ski Resort Savin Kuk is located within the territory National Park Durmitor, 5km from Žabljak which is known as one of the favourite tourist destinations. At the altitude of 2,000 metres, this ski resort has two two-seater cable cars, three ski lifts, one of which is equipped with reflectors for night skiing, as well as a children's ski lift. There are a total of 5km ski slopes, with a capacity of 3 000 skiers. The resort is easily accessible by car and bus transport is often being organised from Podgorica.

Javorovača

In Žabljak, there is also another ski centre Javorovača, with two ski lifts, baby lift, night skiing, ski school and ski service, at the track length of 400 m.

Vučje

About 20 km from Nikšić in the direction towards Žabljak at an altitude of more than 1,300 metres, located on the slopes of the plateau of Krnovo, Ski Centre Vučje is placed. A recreational trail of 1200m, two smaller tracks of 120m and a snowboard park with jumps are at disposal for the visitors. The cable car has a capacity of 200 skiers per hour. Ski equipment renting prices are 10€ a day, which is the same price for a daily ski pass, while ski area for children and beginners, as well as rental of sledges, is 5€! The tourist-recreational complex Vučje, besides a ski centre, service for renting and repairing ski equipment, also includes a 3-star hotel with a restaurant.

Hajla

After being inactive for 13 years, Ski Centre Hajla has been reopened in 2017. Hajla is one of the most magnificent mountains in Montenegro. It is located at the very border of Montenegro and Kosovo, and with its highest peak of 2403 m, it is the highest mountain of the Montenegrin part of the Mountain wreath of Prokletije. Two ski schools are operating on the ski area, "Rožaje Ski School" and "Turjak Ski School" which are conducted by lead skiing instructors with international licenses. All accompanying equipment for safe skiing including safety fences, trail markers, mountain rescue services and equipment for urgent repair of possible injuries are installed, with a medical worker also on the track. Within the track named Turjak 2, snowboard club „Jump“is organising snowboarding school with a five-day training course.

Lokve

Ski Centre Lokve is located on the mountain Cmiljevica, at an altitude of 1350 to 1700 meters. Found close to the same-named hotel Lokve, which has not been working for the past couple of years due to privatisation, this ski centre is 15km away from Berane, and next to the main road to Rožaje. Thanks to its mesmerising nature and the fact that is close to the highway to Serbia, this ski centre has a great potential of becoming a real winter attraction in this northern part of Montenegro. Currently, the length of existing slopes is around five kilometres, and the centre has a two-seater chair lift and two ski lifts. The daily ski equipment price for adults is 10€, for children 7€ and the youngest 5€.

Source: My Guide Montenegro

28 February 2019 - The German Airline Lufthansa has confirmed that starting from April, the company will launch a seasonal flight from Tivat to Munich and Frankfurt in Germany as part of the expansion of the network in the Balkans Peninsula.

Lufthansa will enter the Montenegrin market next year by launching flights from Munich and Frankfurt to Tivat. Services from both German cities will be maintained once per week. The Munich-Tivat service will start April 13, while the Frankfurt-Tivat service will be launched three days later, April 16. The services will be maintained with the airline’s 136-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

The Director of Lufthansa Group in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia, Bernhard Wodl, stated that Lufthansa decided to launch connections between Tivat and both its hubs in Germany, as the Montenegrin market has a lot of potentials. From Montenegro, passengers will be able to use Lufthansa’s large global network of hundreds of destinations and thousands of connections.

During the negotiations with the German airline, Danilo Orlandić, Head of the Airports of Montenegro, gave a statement on the importance of the connection with the German market and the cooperation with Lufthansa. "Lufthansa, as one of the most important carriers in Europe and the world, should be our partner. The German market is extremely important for our tourism industry. Furthermore, German airports have excellent worldwide connectivity, so the launch of new routes to this market is vital for the public, "said Orlandić.

You can find more information about the new service and the schedules of the new flights at the TMN dedicated page.

Other Lufthansa Group-member airlines serving Montenegro include Austrian Airlines from Vienna to Podgorica, Brussels Airlines to Tivat, as well as Eurowings from Dusseldorf to Tivat. Other airlines which have already confirmed new flights to the Montenegrin market next year include Laudamotion from Stuttgart to Podgorica and Enter Air from Poznan to Tivat.

28 February 2019 - Ryanair has put tickets on sale for its upcoming new service between Barcelona and Podgorica!

Connections from Barcelona to the Balkans are becoming even more diverse as Ryanair launches a new route to Podgorica in June.

Montenegrin Airports have invested enormous effort to establish the direct airline Podgorica - Barcelona, bearing in mind the fact that the Pyrenees peninsula is one of the most significant markets in Europe.

As TMN reported earlier, Danilo Orlandić, the Montenegro Airports’ executive director, started negotiations for the establishment of the airline above at a meeting within European Aviation Forum, Connect 2018.

"As I said earlier, we took a proactive approach and established contact with companies within markets that we think are not open enough. One of the most important markets is the Pyrenees peninsula and having in mind all factors, we decided to do everything to establish the direct line Podgorica - Barcelona, "Orlandić told CdM.

The European Aviation Forum, Connect 2018 gathered more than 500 representatives of 65 airline companies and 250 airports who visited Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi to discuss aviation challenges. During the three days of the Forum, the delegates of air companies including Royal Dutch Airlines, Gulf Air, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Ukraine International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and many others have discussed existing and expected challenges in the field of air traffic, and have provided grounds for cooperation between airlines and airports for new flights.

Podgorica – Barcelona flights will launch on June 6 and run once per week, each Thursday, until October 6, after which the route will be maintained twice per week, on Thursdays and Sundays. It marks Ryanair's second new service to the Montenegrin capital this year, following Bologna. Further flight details can be found at the ExYu Aviation Website.

As CdM learns, the significance of this line is enormous, as Podgorica Airport will be the only airport in the region that will be connected to Barcelona throughout the year. Other airports have seasonal lines with the capital of Catalonia, so Podgorica will be the point of uniting this part of Europe with Barcelona outside the season.

This is the first direct airline linking Montenegro and Spain.

February 25, 2019 - Orahovac is a place in Kotor Bay, which stretches from the village of Ljuta to Perast. The name of the site is first mentioned in the 15th century. Like most settlements along the Bokelian coast, and Orahovac exists as Gornji (upper) and Donji (lower) - the first was formed the settlement in the hinterland, and later the urban area along the coast. Today, it is just the coastal part of Orahovac - the center of the settlement and the village Drazin Vrt, what we read in the area, while most of the upper settlement is left behind preserving only the outlines of the former cultural landscape. Our host in Orahovac is Professor Dr. Ilija Lalosevic, an architect.

"At the time of Old Zeta, Orahovac was the principal and included Donji Orahovac, Drazin Vrt and Glogovac, if we are talking about the seafront. Orahovac once belonged to the Perast municipality, and we know that Glogovac was part of it, by notary records from the Venetian period. As far as Gornji Orahovac is concerned, we have a whole range of hamlets - the Velje Selo, the largest, then the Kljavici, Jezevici, Ubalac and Velinici. What we see today along the shore is therefore only a small part of the settlement territory, which inland goes all the way to Krivosije, and in one part even borders with the Municipality of Niksic and the Municipality of Cetinje - the villages of Grahovo, Zalazi and Cuce. Of course, the older settlement is Gornji Orahovac. Along the coast, as well as in other parts of the Boka Bay, such as the Stoliv or Prcanj, at first were just objects related to sea activities, while the majority of the villages were in the background," explains Professor Lalosevic.

Copyright: www.dan.co.me

From 1482 to 1684 Orahovac was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. It was freed along with Risan and other places under Turkish rule, up to Kumbor. "At that time, the inhabitants began to be more involved in maritime and commerce, which meant the spread of settlements along the coast. Although Orahovac in the past was primarily perceived as a settlement of farmers and fishers, it was significant in the maritime sector and especially in the trade. Because of the connection to the hinterland, this place was the door of Montenegro to the sea - the area of Cuce gravitated to Orahovac. Therefore, after liberation from the Turks in the 17th century, beside Kotor and Risan, the one in Orahovac was the third market in Kotor Bay. For this purpose, the whole network of paths has been made, as evidenced by the documents available in the Historical Archive in Kotor," explains architect Ilija Lalosevic.

Orahovac is today one of the few places along the coast of the Boka Bay where you can still feel the authentic culture of life. The reason for this, above all, lies in the fact that the cultural landscape along the coast is still quite well preserved of the pressures of excessive and inadequate urbanization. "In comparison with other places in Boka, we can say that Orahovac is well preserved, especially part along the coast with old, stone houses. After the earthquake in 1979, some buildings were built that are not very close to the ambience, but the town mostly preserved the character and urban matrix, characterized by smaller buildings and a lot of greenery. The relationship with the coast, the sea, the Mandraci has been preserved, we have kept the beaches. We have a tourist resort that we did not want, against which the locals even managed to compete at the session of Kotor Municipality in the 1990s, but it was subsequently built. It is the Synthesis Complex, which, as we would say, is seen from the plane. We have several dense urban angulations that are not in the character of the matrix, but it is still negligible when we look at what has happened in the area of Dobrota, Kostanjica or Prčanj."

Gornji Orahovac is almost completely abandoned today. "According to some data, Orahovac had almost 1,000 inhabitants in its "golden age", in the middle of the 19th century. The village was very populated; each household had about ten members, especially in the largest hamlet of Velje Selo, which had thirty houses. Gornji Orahovac became abandoned after the Second World War when emigration took place. Today there are no permanent residents, and part of the houses is preserved only in Ubalac settlement, to which, thanks to the efforts of the locals who are still returning to the hinterland, especially the teacher Mr. Abramovich, a road was made. This route comes from the hinterland of Risan, from the locality of Kalacka Voda. To other villages of Gornji Orahovac, there are no roads, and they are abandoned completely thirty years ago," says Professor Ilija Lalosevic.

Today, Gornji Orahovac is known primarily as a popular destination for alternative tourism, hiking, and mountain-climbing, which brings us to the sad fact that this part of Boka Bay has met more tourists than residents. "There are plenty of domestic and foreign guests, as well as my colleagues, who visit Gornji Orahovac, primarily within walking and hiking trails. I was there last time in 2005 when we prepared the exhibition "Orahovac - a village on our conscience" realized by Jadran Art from Perast and the former Regional Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. Except for the needs of this exhibition, some ethnologists from the University of Belgrade were also involved in the research. While we were engaged in the Regional Institute, colleague Aleksandra Kapetanovic and I started work on collecting materials - shooting old houses, after which the rural architecture of Gornji Orahovac was not deeper studied," Lalosevic explained.

In anticipation of some better times for the legacy in the hinterland, and Orahovac, as well as other places along the coast, today mostly lives from tourism. However, the site has managed to preserve a part of earlier economic activities. "We in Orahovac still have fishers who are engaged in fishing in the old, traditional way. Agriculture, because of the terrain configuration, has never been specially developed but we're cattle breeding. Unfortunately, this activity is dead. As far as tourism is concerned, Orahovac is not a place that characterizes masses. The capacity is primarily directed towards family tourism, which is why Orahovac attracts guests seeking peace and rest and the true meaning of that word. Along the coast, we have several wonderful beach bars, which are embedded in the ambience and are characterized by a lot of greenery. I think peace and harmony are what attracts tourists to Orahovac. Earlier, most of our guests come from Belgrade and Novi Sad, and now most of our guests come from Western Europe, Germany, and France," says our host in Orahovac, architect Ilija Lalosevic.

The church of St. George on the rock Stanac, Copyright: Portal Beogradska Nedelja

When it comes to the cultural heritage, the most important monument of Orahovac is the church of St. George. Its architecture is not impressive, but its position. It is located on the great natural rock of Stanac. The chapel on the site of today's church altar dates from the 13th century, while the rest of today’s church was erected in the 19th century.

Today, in Orahovac you can visit the Bajova kula tower, a place where the famous Montenegrin warrior Bajo Pivljanin once operated. You can opt for one of the hiking trips in the hinterland, or enjoy the pleasant seafront ambiance, with friendly hosts and hard working fishers who continue to sail on the wooden boats, using the fishing tools of their grandparents.

24 February 2019 - Tour Guide Association of Montenegro visited Nikšić yesterday to officially celebrate the International Day of Tour Guides. 50 of them had the opportunity to acquaint themselves with cultural and historical monuments, the most representative facilities and tourism potential of the town at the foot of Trebjesa.

“We hope that this visit will make a very positive impact on our municipality and that we will enhance tourist visits. We also hope that we will improve the quality of the tourism offer of Nikšić since it is, as many people think, the neglected destination on the tourism map of Montenegro,” said the tour guide and a representative of the Association, Miljan Mijušković.

Deputy president of the Municipality of Nikšić, Sonja Nikčević, pointed out that this city “still has not found the place it deserves on the tourism map of Montenegro”.

“Your arrival will help reinforce the story of Nikšić as being tourism town, with all its attributes that we are going to develop further. I am one of those who think that Montenegro has a unique address in tourism and, in that sense, I believe that Nikšić is one of its pearls, about to find the place it deserves,” said Nikčević.

Today, thanks to the improved transport infrastructure, the importance of the town at the foot of Trebjesa is significantly higher. In addition to that, the hotel industry gives its contribution as well. As far as tourism offer is concerned, this city has a lot of things to be proud of. Beautiful nature and cultural and historical monuments in the first place.

“Let’s just mention Crvena stijena, Roman bridge dating from the 3^rd century, Carev most, (the Emperor’s Bridge), the castle… Everybody is amazed at the nature Nikšić offers,” said Nikčević.

Local administration will keep working hard on improving the tourism offer of this beautiful town and its adequate positioning and categorization.

Experience of the representatives of the Association shows that, so far, Nikšić barely existed in the tourism programs.

“We pass through Nikšić when we go rafting or canyoning. After this visit, the story about Nikšić will definitely become richer,” concluded tour guide from Budva, Darinka Grloman.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

24 February 2019 - Connections from Barcelona to the Balkans are becoming even more diverse as Ryanair launches a new route to Podgorica in June 2019.

Montenegrin Airports have invested enormous effort in order to establish the direct Podgorica - Barcelona line, bearing in mind the fact that the Pyrenees peninsula is one of the most significant markets in Europe.

Danilo Orlandić, Montenegro Airports’ executive director, started negotiations for the establishment of the aforementioned airline at a meeting within European Aviation Forum, Connect 2018.

"As I said earlier, we took a proactive approach and established contact with companies within markets that we think are not open enough. One of the most important markets is the Pyrenees peninsula and having in mind all factors, we decided to do everything to establish the direct line Podgorica - Barcelona," Orlandić told CdM.

The European Aviation Forum, Connect 2018 gathered more than 500 representatives of 65 airline companies and 250 airports who visited Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi to discuss aviation challenges. During the three days of the Forum, the delegates of air companies including Royal Dutch Airlines, Gulf Air, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Ukraine International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and many others have discussed existing and expected challenges in the field of air traffic, and have provided grounds for cooperation between airlines and airports for new flights.

As CdM reports, according to the agreements established at Connect Forum and further negotiations, the direct airline Podgorica-Barcelona will be established from June 2019. Flights will be organised once a week and from October two times a week.

The Podgorica - Barcelona airline will be run by low-cost company Ryanair, with which Montenegrin Airlines has already reached an agreement. Previously during the Forum, MA also negotiated with companies Vueling and Iberia.

As CdM learns, the significance of this line is enormous, as Podgorica Airport will be the only airport in the region that will be connected to Barcelona throughout the year. Other airports have seasonal lines with the capital of Catalonia, so Podgorica will be the point of uniting this part of Europe with Barcelona outside the season.

This is the first direct airline linking Montenegro and Spain.