04 February 2019 - The rich entertaining program of the Jubilee 50th Mimosa Festival will be continued with a two-day event, Days of Polish Culture, which will begin on Wednesday, February 6. The locals from Herceg Novi and guests will have the opportunity to meet the young instrumentalists of the orchestra in Lobez, as well as the delicious Polish cuisine.

The manifestation will officially start on February 6 at 11 am at the centre of Herceg Novi, and meanwhile, the program in Igalo will begin at 6 pm. The Youth Orchestra of the Culture Centre in Łobez (Młodzieżowa Orkiestra Dęta Łobeskiego Domun Kultury), under the guidance of Dariusz Ledzion, will have the opportunity to impress the audience in Novi.

On the following night, February 7, the City Tavern will host a “Gastro Evening”, which starts at 8 pm. On this occasion, the guests can taste some of the most delicious were specialties of Polish cuisine!

Among many dishes, there will be a tasting of sour flour soup, sour beetroot soup, pierogies - similar to ravioli with cheese and potatoes, potato pancakes, bigos - cabbage with meat, bread with pork fat and sour cucumbers.

Polish cuisine has many delicacies you do not want to miss, the dishes are cheerful, dynamic and have a taste like they are carefully home-made. The Poles use a lot of sour cream and eggs in their recipes. Traditional dishes often require a lot of time and effort to prepare. Many Poles spend a lot of time preparing, serving and enjoying festive meals, especially for preparing dinner before Christmas or Easter breakfast.

Polish national dishes are bigos, pirogues, sausages, chops, golobki (cabbage roll type), zrazi (type of rolls), roasted meat, sour cucumber soup, mushroom soup, tomato soup, rosul (various kinds of meat-based dishes) and žurek (type of sour wheat soup).

"I hope that the guests in Herceg Novi will feel like they are at home among friends and brothers for the next 50 days. Herceg Novi has always been known to welcome all visitors and to give you everything that a local knows and everything that we traditionally did all these five decades. On this occasion, I thank all the people who participated in the organization of the Festival. I wish everyone good health to enjoy Herceg Novi for the next 50 days as much as possible", said the President of the Herceg Novi Municipality, Stevan Katić.

03 February 2019 - The brand new gem of Montenegro ski resorts - Kolašin 1600, located in the southern part of the Bjelasica Mountain, will be officially opened on February 16, said the director of the resort, Saša Jeknić.

With an area of about 27,19 hectares, the new resort base village consists of the central zone with hotels, apartments, reception and public facilities and all the usual ski resort content. Situated, as the name suggests, 1.600 meters above sea level, the 50 million EUR project features 4,6 kilometres of ski slopes.

According to the developers, Kolašin 1600 will operate one 400 seat restaurant for this inaugural season, along with a planned ski school. The 1600 resort will supposedly operate a six-seat lift with a total capacity of 2.800 skiers per hour to deliver skiers from the base lodge to 2.070 meters of altitude.

"What we can safely say now is that the ski centre will officially be opened on February 16. From the moment we open the ski centre, the entire resort will be operational. For now, there is a child ski lift, ski rental, ski school and the restaurant Troglav, "Jeknić told the Mina-business agency.

He said that they are currently in the process of testing a six-seat cable car and that a final test is scheduled for Tuesday. "The necessary documentation and paperwork still awaits the final approval, so we hope that by the end of the next week, it is possible to put the wire in function," Jeknić added.

He reminded that the Kolašin 1600 ski resort started operating on December 29th and that total investment so far amount to 16 million EUR.

02 February 2019 - Despite its small size and sparse population (less than 700,000 inhabitants), Montenegro offers incredible diversity in its topography. Thanks to the possibility of a stunning adventure - the transition from the Adriatic coast to the mountainous region, Montenegro has recently gained the title of a tourist destination that offers a “two-for-one” trip experience.

Christina Webb, a writer for Lonely Planet – renowned travel guide book publisher, recently wrote an article on “Two-for-one trips: destinations that offer double the fun” and Montenegro has proudly taken the second place on the list! The article provides advice for all tourists who can’t decide whether to spend their holiday on a sunny beach or is their main goal to kick back and relax in the mountains. To help them with their decision, Lonely Planet writer decided to list all destinations that offer plenty of sun, picturesque coastline cities and breath-taking beaches, but at the same time, there are options for mountain lovers, like hiking, cycling, kayaking and many more – all in one country!

“Say goodbye to indecision," says Christina. “If you’re stuck between travel daydreams of markets or mountainscapes, spine-tingling safaris or the siren song of the sea, don’t fear. Fitting two types of trips into one might seem arduous to organise, but with the right timing, transport, and planning, it’s easily achievable,” Lonely Planet writer reports. Now it is possible to “pack diverse experiences into a region that can be explored in a typical vacation period”, you just need to choose carefully and organise ahead.

The article presents Montenegro as a country ideal for a vacation that includes rafting amid the mountains of the north and seafood and Med climes in the southern area! Follow the advice of the travel guide writer, Christina Webb, and get a holiday of a lifetime! As explained within the Lonely Planet article, “in Montenegro, rafting is synonymous with the turquoise Tara River. Arrive at Durmitor National Park and glimpse the winding river through the mountains and you’ll see why. The Black Lake by Žabljak is both dramatic and serene, as are the forests of Biogradska Gora National Park near Kolašin. Exploring both the towns and national parks over a few days is all you need before taking to the water. Most rafting takes place in Durmitor, and you’ll get the most dramatic view of the Tara Canyon’s imposing 1300m high walls from your raft.”

“Then, make your way down the country over a few hours; the best way to experience the changing scenery is to hire a car, but it can also be done by bus. Along the way, you’ll notice how the patterns of snow, A-framed farmhouses, and green hills will disappear as terracotta-tiled stone buildings and shimmering deep-blue water come into view. Spend a couple of nights in Kotor’s Old Town. Climb the 1300-plus steps to the top of the fortifications, meet the town’s feline population and sample grilled squid, seafood risotto and other Mediterranean culinary delights. You’ll easily be able to fit in exploring the charming villages dotted along the Bay of Kotor, Perast, Prčanj and the outskirts of Dobrota,” says Christina from Lonely Planet.

02 February 2019 - What could be more romantic than the small, pugnacious kingdom of fierce fighters, with its ancient temperate rainforests, bleakly beautiful mountains and fjord-like coastline of bays, inlets and emerald waters?

It’s an epic landscape accompanied by more history than any country the size of Montenegro has a right to. For centuries, it was the only Balkan state to hold out against the mighty Ottoman Empire, and although its historic capital Cetinje was sacked by Ottomans three times (in 1623, 1687 and 1712), Montenegro was never ruled by them.

Archaeologists have found evidence of agriculture, pottery, and copper smelting dating back to 7000 BM and by 4000 BC trade links with Europe had been established. These first Illyrian or early Balkan tribes were joined by Celts and later Romans, who conquered the region in 9 AD. After the fall of Rome, Montenegro became part of the Byzantine Empire, and Slavs from Poland and the Baltic joined its original inhabitants.

In 1041, the Serbian warlord Stefan Vojislav became King Vojislav after he won independence from Byzantium at the Battle of Bar. His kingdom of Duklja, which included most of Montenegro, was superseded by that of Stefan Prvovjenčani, the founder of a Serb dynasty which by 1355 ruled over a territory that included the majority of the modern Balkans.

By 1483, the Ottomans had conquered all of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Montenegro’s ruling Crnojević dynasty decided to move their capital to the more easily defended mountain fastness of Cetinje, having agreed a defensive alliance with Venice in 1455.

Fascinatingly, from 1516, for the next 355 years, Montenegro was ruled by celibate prince-bishops called “vladika”. The last of the Crnojevićs married a Venetian and entrusted the defence of Montenegro to the first of them, Cetinje’s Orthodox bishop. After that, succession passed from uncle to nephew, with Montenegro’s warrior-priests fighting a guerrilla war against the Ottomans and winning formal independence in 1799. The greatest of them, and the father of modern Montenegro was Petar II Petrović Njegoš, who created a central government, judiciary and police force and still found time to compose an epic poem, The Mountain Wreath, celebrating Montenegrin culture and values.

After Petar’s nephew was assassinated, he was eventually succeeded by Prince Nikola Petrović, or Nicholas I. In portraits, he appears in a national costume of richly coloured sash, coat of duck-egg blue, and black cap adorned with the Montenegrin crest; armed with a sword and laden with medals, he looks part paterfamilias, part Balkan chieftain. His wife Milena gave birth to three sons and nine daughters, five of whom married into Russian, Serbian and Italian royal families, earning him the nickname “the father-in-law of Europe”.

This canter through Montenegrin history can’t possibly do justice to its complexity. We hardly mentioned the famous defeat of Napoleon in Kotor, let alone the birth of modern Yugoslavia, and much more. But without a sense of Montenegro’s rich past, anyone’s sightseeing would be a much poorer experience.

Source: Luštica Magazine

01 February 2019 - The diverse tourist offer of Montenegrin national parks attracted the attention of many visitors during the 30th Alpe-Adria – International Fair for Green Active Tourism, Camping, and Caravanning.

Tourists from Slovenia are known for their love for nature, undiscovered areas, hiking and other experiences in the field of active green tourism, which are included in the offer of national parks in Montenegro. This is especially important because many tourists who want to visit Montenegro always have the feeling that Montenegro can offer just the sea and the sun. The Alpe-Adria Fair was an excellent opportunity for the organisation National Parks of Montenegro to present a different, much more exciting and diverse tourist offer of Montenegro.

Alpe-Adria – International Fair for Green Active Tourism, Camping and Caravanning is a show for travellers, athletes, alpinists, hikers, active recreational participants, joggers, cyclists, nature adrenaline sports fans and similar. This year, as a novelty, the fair also included contents for camping and caravanning enthusiasts.

Tourists from Slovenia have an excellent opportunity to use weekend arrangements in Montenegro. There is a direct airline between Podgorica and Ljubljana on a daily basis. The flight is not long and the embassy of Montenegro to Slovenia is putting considerable effort into reducing the cost of airline tickets. “The negotiating process with tourist agencies from Slovenia which are working on many different arrangements is currently in process, "said the Ambassador of Montenegro to Slovenia, Vujica Lazović.

The organisation, National Parks of Montenegro, had a unique opportunity to present virtual walks through Montenegrin national parks, which allow visitors to the Visitor Centres to experience some of the beauty and activities in nature and learn about the many values of protected areas and tourist offer. This opportunity, which is granted before actually visiting and experiencing the parks in person, is very valuable. During the Fair, travel agencies and tour operators were most interested in rafting, kayaking, biking and hiking. Regarding individual fair visitors, they were mainly interested in mountain tourism; Montenegrin coast and the possibility of an active holiday where biking, hiking, hiking and camping prevail.

"Aside from the promotion of active tourism and tourist offer of National Parks of Montenegro, the fair appearance in Slovenia was also a good opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas, and to establish cooperation with tour operators from the Alpine-Adriatic region," concluded the director of the public enterprise NPM, Elvir Klica.

31 January 2019 - The sixth winter edition of the "Best of Montenegro" fair will be held on February 9 and 10 at the Delta City Mall in Podgorica.

The traditional agricultural event "Best from Montenegro" will be attended by producers of wine, olives and olive oil, honey, prosciutto, milk and dairy products, medicinal herbs and various types of other organic products.

The fair gathers producers from all over Montenegro in one place, and it is an ideal opportunity to point to the problems that they encounter in the production and distribution of their products.

This fair aims to influence the awareness of consumers to buy as many homemade products as possible, and that Montenegrin food products become national brands which should be present in every consumer basket.

During the two-day event, visitors will be able to directly purchase products from Montenegrin manufacturers, and get acquainted with the production process.

Organizers highlight that the point of gathering producers in one place is to motivate as many people as possible to produce homemade agricultural products, but also to emphasize the obstacles and problems related to production to resolve the main issues. By making changes in the production process and providing help to the producers within the agriculture field, it should become apparent that agriculture deserves to be the second most perspective branch of the economy in Montenegro (after tourism).  

With the help of this fair, which is trusted by many residents of Montenegro, the products of local producers, especially small farms, will be able to find a more accessible path to the Montenegrin market. Just how successful the project "Best of Montenegro", is seen by the fact that each time the event is visited by about 20 000 visitors. It is expected that the best from Montenegro 2019 will fully meet the expectations of both organizers and producers and consumers.

31 January 2019 - During the first seven days of the Jubilee 50th Mimosa Festival, the ancient fortresses of Herceg Novi, run by Public Cultural Institution Herceg Fest, will be open to visitors. From February 1 to 7, Kanli Kula Fortress and Forte Mare will be open every day from 10 am to 4 pm, and the entrance is free!

The Municipality of Herceg Novi, through the National Commission for UNESCO, has nominated Forte Mare Fortress for inscription on the World Heritage List. The candidacy was sent within the already existing nomination "Venetian fortifications of the 16th and 17th centuries." Last year, the candidacy passed the relevant institutions and entered the list as a transnational nomination of Montenegro, Italy and Croatia.

Forte Mare Fortress (The Sea Fortress) is located on the coast. It was built between the 14th and 17th century, restored in 1833 and from 1952 was reconstructed in the summer cinema. The fortress was built on solid rock, above the promenade, and within the walls, there is a passage from the seashore to the top of the fortress. On the upper side, there is “SEA GATE ( Porta di Mare) with preserved fortification elements of Bosnian period. Forte Mare certainly among the most beautiful examples of fortification architecture and quite realistic assumptions are that there was a nucleus of the Old Town.

Kanli Kula Fortress (Bloody Tower), a monumental fortress in the Old Town, was built by the Turks after 1539. It was built on the site and foundations of an earlier fortress. In the present size, the work of the Turkish builders has preserved, in the most part, the authentic architecture of that time. Raised at an altitude of 85m, on the north side of the city, and with its position and ramparts, the complex fortification system of the Old Town is rounded up. Dimensions of the fortress 60x70m, with corner towers of coarse domestic stone, make a monumental impression. Some parts of the western wall belong to the period of early use of firearms. The Turks gave it a final appearance, while the Venetians made certain repairs and attachments after significant damage, especially in 1687, when the Herceg Novi was conquered after a two-year Turkish rule.

When it comes to Kanli Kula Fortress, this building is awaiting the rehabilitation of the landslide of a wider area, as this is only the first step in a major project of rehabilitation of the fortress itself. According to the tender of the Government of Montenegro - Directorate of Public Works, the site will be repaired by the Institute for Construction DOO from Podgorica.