18 March 2019 - The Masquerade Ball Finale on the occasion of 50th Mimosa Festival was held on March 17 in Herceg Novi, for the first time in the hotel "Park" in Bijela. For a good atmosphere and proper entertainment, the fun and energetic Indira Forza was in charge, who said that it is nice to be present at the jubilee Mimosa Festival and that it is always nice to spend time in Herceg Novi and Montenegro.

"You can feel the buzz, everyone is in costumes and masks. It is beautiful, we are all excited and what else do I have to do except make best party in the world," said Indira, a former soloist of the Colonia group.

The popular Croatian singer expressed her satisfaction that she was a guest of Herceg Novi during the masquerade ball because she likes to wear costumes and masks in beautiful colors and noted that she is happy that her business allows her this joy.

"Well, did not you notice, I am actually wearing the costumes and masks all the time? My job allows this game, I am always in costumes. It is characteristic of me that when you come to my concert, the dancers and I are always in costumes, and that is what I am really happy about," Indira said through a laugh and called her costume "Lady on the trampoline".

She recalled her performances and socializing with her colleagues in Herceg Novi, who had left her in good memory. According to her, the love between her and the people in Montenegro is reciprocal and lasts for many years and will continue. She is proud to be singing her old hits and new songs from the album "Valkira" with the same glow. She thanked the audience for giving her the wings.

Park Hotel owner Čedo Popović said that he wanted to host the Mimosa Festival's Masquerade Ball and that this was an extraordinary event that should be maximally supported.

"My wish is that the first masquerade ball will be held next year in a new hotel in Kumbor," Popović said.

He also added that the tourist season begins with them in about 15-20 days, and the announcements for this year are excellent and the capacities are filled.

At the 50th Mimosa Festival, a total of five masquerade balls were held, of which four were for adults and one for children. All of them were successfully organized and well attended, said the director of the Public Institution of Culture "Herceg Fest" Gordana Porobić Krcunović.

16 March 2019 - "According to the current state of the booking and information, we can expect a stable trend of good visits by Russian tourists, both individuals and organized groups that come to our hotels and private accommodation through a tour operator," said Maja Liješević, director of the Tourist Organization Budva at the international tourism fair "MITT 2019", which was held in Moscow from 12 to 14 March.

"Last year more than 3 million overnight stays were realized from this market in Montenegro, of which 2 million were realized in Budva, so there are really great reasons that we are present in this market this year," added the director of the Tourist Organization Budva and emphasized that a significant number of Budva hotels representatives are present in Moscow, among which are the hotel groups "Montenegro stars" and "Budvanska rivijera", hotels: "Avala", "Maestral", "Melia", as well as the company "R Tours Montenegro".

The most frequent questions of visitors during the first two days of the fair were about hotels and private accommodation, gastronomy, sports activities, such as diving and sports fishing, the possibility of organizing trips and similar. Most have expressed satisfaction with good flights connection with Montenegro.

Special interest was caused by the presence of Budva and Montenegro in the special edition of the Russian Gazeta, which printed more than 70,000 copies just before the fair and distributed alongside the daily version of one of the most circulating newspapers in this country.

As part of the activities of the Tourist Organization Budva during the fair, Krsto Radović, President of the Municipal Assembly and a member of the Executive Board of Tourist Organization Budva and Danilo Kastratović, President of the Executive Board of Tourist Organization Budva participated in the fair.

The tourist offer of Montenegro is organized by the National Tourism Organization and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism at "MITT" in 2019 (Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition), in cooperation with the Embassy of Montenegro in Russia, local tourism organizations, strategic partners and tourism industry.

The most important tourist fair manifestation in the Russian Federation market brings together over 2,500 exhibitors and 23,000 professionals from all over the world.

16 March 2019 - Starting at the city center, through City taverns and Cafe "Beograd, all the way to Škver, the atmosphere was conducted by a custom small cars race and the second race "Karotrc" for the 50th Mimosa Festival. This event attracted audiences of all generations, as well as the participants. Smiles and applause were present during the entire event, while two-seat and three-seat cars raced down the hill. The 700-meter long race track was successfully finished from many participants coming from Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat, Budva, Šibenik, Belgrade, Banja Luka, and Trebinje.

Herceg Novi's Deputy Mayor, Miloš Konjević, and the oldest member of the non-governmental organization "Maškare", Damir Bakica, opened the race.

"This is a phenomenal event that deserves to be traditional within the Mimosa Festival, and every year it is organized on an even higher level," said the Deputy Mayor Miloš Konjević, satisfied with the number of participants and spectators and enthusiasm about the atmosphere

"I used to drive as a kid, when I was seven to eight years old. I made a pause until I was 30 and last year I drove again," Konjevic said, adding that the race is a true example of the content of the Mimosa Festival that needs to be cherished, which returns old customs and games.

He thanked the non-governmental organization "Maškare" and Ivan Peulić, who brought this idea to Herceg Novi and Mimosa Festival. He said that "Karotrc" is a great intro to the finale of the 50th Mimosa Festival, which will be a spectacle. As he announced, the festival ends next weekend by carnival parade of 18 groups, traditional burning of carnival and a big concert by Ceca Ražnatović in Igalo.

Members of the "Maškare" non-governmental organization, who are the initiators of this sport and entertainment event, took care of the good organization of the second race.

"Our initiative has started since the moment when we are at Rijeka's carnival, where we heard that something similar is being organized, so we came up with an idea to do it in a somewhat different way," concluded Ivan Peulić from NGO "Maškare".

17 March 2019 - The Mayor of Budva, Marko Bato Carević, said that he supports the owners of open bars located at the main city promenade in Budva in their struggle to be allowed to work this year. He also stressed that the local government does not have the jurisdiction to decide which temporary buildings can be allowed to work, and that the jurisdiction was given to the Public Company for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro.

The owners of six popular discotheques, which were removed from the Plan of temporary objects in Budva by the Company for Coastal Zone Management and the Ministry of Sustainable Development of Montenegro, announced a protest on March 19.

Legal representative of owners of cafes and restaurants in Budva, lawyer Zoran Piperović, said that the discussions with representatives of the PCCZM and the representatives of the Ministry have been held for a month. During these negotiations, the representatives of these institutions have been constantly implying that the person in charge for this decision was the Mayor of Budva, reports News Agency Vijesti. "I was told that as a condition for concluding contracts for this year, we need to deliver the Permission from the Public Company for Coastal Zone Management, three certificates from the hotel owners whose hotels are located in the immediate vicinity of the facilities and the approval of the Mayor of Budva."

Piperović said that hotel owners already gave their confirmation that these facilities do not interfere with their own businesses. "The state claims that they will give the permits, if the Mayor of Budva does the same. I am well aware of the theory of law and state, and I have to admit that I have not yet encountered this kind of case, which is reflected in the fact that the state says – “we want to give the necessary permits, but the Mayor won’t let us," Piperović explained.

Commenting on this situation, Mayor Carević said that someone wants to get him dragged into the whole problematic situation. "The local government has no jurisdiction and there is no need to announce any opinion whatsoever on this matter.  It is up to the Public Company for Coastal Zone Management to decide and comment on the matter," Carević said.

He stressed that protests are legitimate in this matter and that he supports the requests of the restaurant and bar owners.

"Everyone has the right to fight for their rights. Running a business is a tireless process, and no one can stand in the way of business, no matter how hard he tries. The business should only be flexible and adaptable to all standards, but it cannot be stopped. Budva is a city of entertainment and nightlife, and Budva without these facilities will never be the same. How much will it affect the turnout, it remains to be seen, "Carević said.

Carević did not miss the opportunity out to show his disagreement with the decision of the previous municipal leadership - that the municipality deleted 250 temporary buildings located along the promenade, stating that it was not in accordance with the stand of the Democratic Front.

"If only they listened what I said earlier, this situation would not have occurred. Still, the one who has made the decisions at the time will have to solve the present situation which is the result of those decisions, ”the Mayor added.

According to him, the decision makers at the time should have taken into account the economic aspect, as more than a thousand people will now lose their jobs.

"I told them what we should do at the time, and if they listened, we could’ve reached an agreement which would’ve benefitted all sides. They did not allow that possibility; because we were conditioned by the principle "this or that" and the representatives of the Democratic Front had to accept one of the options. A parliamentary decision was then passed and it is currently being implemented, and there is no more room for discussion. We could’ve done everything differently, without the tensions and conflicts we now have to deal with. But the decision has been made and we will implement it as we must, "Carević said.

Source: Investitor

16 March 2019 - From March 21 to 23, Budva will traditionally host a remarkable Food Fair, which year after year manages to gather renowned exhibitors of food and beverages producers from Montenegro and abroad.

Each year, Budva hosts a series of specialized fair manifestations and events and each of them represent a great opportunity for the successful businesses to promote themselves.

The 45th Food Fair is a traditional exhibition which gathers representatives of the food industry, agriculture and supporting industries and continuously provides exhibitors with a business platform for placement and promotion of products and services. It is recognizable by exhibitors’ promotional and commercial results in the field of food industry, agricultural production, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages production, production of food and beverages typical for the Mediterranean culture, industry of coffee, olive oil, organic food, fish processing and confectionery products. A significant number of exhibitors from these fields presented their offer for the first time on the Montenegrin market.

Food Fair Budva is the oldest event organized by the Adriatic Fair. The Global Fair Association recognizes it as UFI Approved Event which continuously contributes to the establishment of strong and dynamic economic relations and activities between business entities and institutional partners at the international level. The international character of the event from year to year has been confirmed by CENTRX, an independent auditing company which deals with monitoring of fair events.

By connecting strategic economic branches - agriculture and tourism, the fair offers all exhibitors the possibility to promote their business in a competitive atmosphere, to demonstrate the quality of their products and to improve their business results.

The 28th International Tourism Fair and 24th Ecology Fair will also take place in Budva from March 21 to 23, which is an opportunity for the exhibitors to use all the benefits of synergy that exists between the three events. Traditionally, the event will be visited by the general public, numerous representatives of the tourism industry, media and businesspeople from Montenegro and the region. This event also represents an excellent opportunity to achieve significant commercial effects within a relatively short timeframe.

12 March 2019 - The great mission of the Theatre City Festival, which takes place during the summer in Budva, was recognized by an international jury, comprised of 11 artists from the art world, which define the criteria for the EFFE 2019-2020 award!

Festival “Theatre City” is one the most prestigious cultural manifestations in the country and region, organised under the patronage of Municipality of Budva. Since its founding, in 1987, this Festival has been rebuilding the Mediterranean spirit of the Old Town and every one of its squares and piazza’s, but also parts of the town that are outside of the old town's centre. The Festival changes them into a scene in the open on which every visitor and passer-by can become a participant of the artistic act. Since it is, from its founding, an integral part of tourist offering of the city, Theatre City and the whole city of Budva became and an indispensable destination not just to ordinary tourists but also to cultural - tourists, and to that attests the fact that the festival is every year visited by over 15000 people.

After the Kotor Children's Theatre Festival, another art festival in Montenegro was awarded the label EFFE, which is Europe’s quality stamp for remarkable arts festivals showing their engagement in the field of the arts, community involvement, and international openness.

The Festivals labelled with EFFE award are embedded in the European artistic, cultural and social reality. They are recognised for presenting a coherent and curated artistic programme, supporting on-going artistic development, providing opportunities for upcoming or innovative artists to create or to be presented in their programme, helping to increase access to culture and attract diverse audiences, taking measures to be more sustainable, helping to shape, encourage and promote intercultural experiences for different audiences and artists and engaging with audiences, for example through educational programmes.

“Theatre City” was conceived as an intersection of contemporary achievements first of all theatrical, and art, musical and literary creations. With its program quality, the Festival still confirms its prestige not just as a host to many troops and creators, but also with a quality of its production activities with which it confirms authentic cultural heritage of Budva and Montenegro.

Data on the Festival acquired from Montenegro 360

10 March 2019 - Around 140 various costumes and masks from Kotor, Tivat, Budva, Herceg Novi and even some cities from Russia, took part in the second big Masquerade Ball on the 50th Mimosa Festival organized by the Igalo Institute.

The beginning was marked by the local music of Đenovići and the majorette club Lili, while the band "Stari Kapetann" was a great introductory to popular regional singer Dženan Lončarević. The participants and the guests described the atmosphere as unforgettable and hot. Dženan Lončarević sang all famous pop, rock and folk hits, varying Bijelo Dugme, Čolić, Dino Merlin, Yu Grupa as well as Tina Tarner hits, Oliver Mandić and Prljavo Kazalište.

The organizers provided financial awards for individual and group costumes. For individual - up to three members, 600, 300 and 200 EUR, and for group ones - from three to eight members, 800, 500 and 300 EUR.

The audience chose the best animators, the most original ideas and the most beautiful costumes and masks.

In the singles competition, the most successful costume was "The King of Mimosa and the Old Fisherman", the second was the costume "AmputiNiranje" (Vučić and Putin) and the third "Crimean Octopus" and "Mastrelak".

In the category of the group's first prize, the "Happy Merry Wife" costume, the second "Satiri" from Herceg Novi, and the third "Grand Stars Jury" equalled with "Exotic Travel".

The next masquerade ball at the 50th Mimosa Festival is on March 16th with Indira Forca at Hotel Park in Bijela.

In the hall of the Academy of Knowledge organized by the National Library of Budva, the promotion of the first book of poems by the young poet Lejla Kasic was held, titled "My Red".

Lejla Kasic was born in 1996 in Prijepolje. She finished high school "Slobodan Skerovic" in Podgorica, after which she enrolled at the Faculty of Philology in Niksic. She studied at Karl-Frances University in Graz. She has been writing since elementary school when she read her texts in children's shows at the RTCG where she was a host and co-worker on the radio. She has written poetry intensely in recent years, and the first collection is a product of poetic growth and maturation. Her poetry is featured on many literary sites, and some of her poems are translated into Hungarian.

The collection "My Red" contains about 50 poems about love, life, passion, pain, death... The book came off the press in October 2018, and the publisher is Stampar Makarije.

At the promotion in Budva, the author read the verses from her collection "My Red" to the audience's delight and joy. With the author Lejla Kasic, Stanko Stanojevic, moderator of literary promotion, also spoke.

What is your symbolism of red, love and suffering and danger? This is, in a way, a growing up and artistic maturation, but also a little deeper?

"Red is simply the most lifelike color, the color of the base on which life creates and disappears. If I were a color, I would be very red, because it is so ambivalent and contradictory – it is a color of love and hate, and the struggles and surrenders, it is all-encompassing. On the other hand, red is tied to my sister who departed too early and tragically from the game of life, and her name Al-Hammbra means red in translation. There's also a part of the collection that includes poems that talk about death, pain, my survival of her death, so I think those poems and  the book’s title are a nice way to give her eternity."

Poetry about love, pain, suffering, passion, death, life in general, about topics that, as you said, should be kept from clichés. These are eternal themes. How are you guarding them? What is the immortality of the subject and the poet?

"I guard them just as I speak and write about them, but primarily by allowing myself to feel, live and survive what I write about. The immortality of these themes is reflected in their presence in our lives, whoever we are and whatever we do we cannot and should not remain immune to them. The poet is, therefore, only someone who by playing with words, can touch the soul, and his immortality comes when, after him, his words, thoughts, ideas do not cease to live."

Should poetry necessarily have a foothold in the real, experienced poet's experience and what motivates you most?

"Literature itself is fictitious and so skillfully flirting with reality and with lies, and somewhere its point is not to be able to distinguish what really happened and what did not. Certainly, the impulses from reality are necessary, but this does not necessarily have to be a real experience, as long as we can identify with it. Life motivates me. Its predictable unpredictability, challenges, joys, fateful coincidences. Youth is driving me, those wild years when you're running the world, and you can hardly see, all those craziness that accompanies maturity. Love, that divine feeling and all the trivial feelings that accompany it, which are equally important.”

You're writing about a woman from a woman’s view. Among other things, one who fears "becoming a mother because I am too selfish", as well as one that "would give birth to a son with celestial eyes and a daughter with a gap between the teeth, if I could." What do you think of the position and freedom of women in a society in which someone gives birth to someone, and not to himself, as in creation?

"The topic of the position of a woman is always inspiring because as a woman I feel how much this position can make us suffer. Today, more than ever, we are full of stories about the rights and freedoms of women, and the struggle for the rights is reduced to the controversial continuation - the titles in the occupations and the celebration of March 8^th with the appropriate music programs and perfumes at promotional prices. It's not the point. The problem is much deeper. For example, when a poet uses vulgarism in their creations, they will probably not be questioned about the quality of the written text nor will they be criticized. It will be praised; it will be compared with Bukowski. When a poet does the same, there will be comments like: "A woman is not fit for that!", "It's not ladylike!" Who determines what suits or does not suit a woman? We are not all born to be ladies, and that does not diminish our specialty and value, and we need to say what we feel loudly and clearly, and no one has the right to condemn us for doing so or adhere us with any labels.

The above verses are from poems between which there is a two-year difference. And now, when a couple of years has passed between the then and the present me, I say that a woman should not give birth to someone else, or herself, but when she decides to become a mother (if you ask me, the only person who is worthy of having a monument), she does it only because of the being she gives life, because no matter if she gave birth, she does not claim the right to another's life."

What is the position of a poet in the society and culture in which she is being accomplished? Should she also have luck and affection, to be in someone’s grace?

"Luck and affection are always nice to have, and I am grateful to the Universe that always keeps my back and that is always on my side, so I constantly meet people who instruct, support, and motivate me. So, this promotion in Budva reminded me of last year's poetry evening also in Budva, where I met people with whom I later collaborated and who turned my thoughts towards the serious idea of publishing a book. But that does not have to be decisive. Sometimes the adverse circumstances are good motivation, but it's easier and more beautiful to know that you are creating close to people who are willing to support you."

Are creative impulses always binding you on creation and when are they embedded into a poem?

"I often get these impulses from reality as small signs of inspiration. So a word comes down to me, comparison, sentence and when I write them, I do not force them, but I'm thinking about them, and I wait for the moment when they will grow up in a poem. Sometimes they are only waiting for a few hours to get the final shape, and sometimes much longer. Sometimes they do not wait at all, but the avalanche of words leak out of me. The inspiration is deceitful, and I simply adore its games."

When the poem gets its final shape, do you return to them, do you make them better?

"I don't come back to them. Not because I think there is no room for repairs, but because it's an expression of me at that moment and as such, it would not be worth or make sense if I would return to it to make it better."

Do you think that a poet can and should present what they do, therefore, without a publisher and a critic; do you consider it good for some future literary duration?

"For me, so far, this kind of approach exalts me. I held the first promotion all by myself, leading the audience through my creations with a certain story or an anecdote related to the poem. I think that, for someone who is only at the beginning of their literary work and who needs to be recognized in that area, I still have not earned so much respect and appreciation, so others would write reviews about my work. I prefer to see how the audience experiences the verses I read than someone interpreting what the poet wanted to say. Of course, I will be happy when one day I find someone writing criticisms about me, but I do not want to force it now and that this is done because it needs to be done, not because it wants."

Is the audience’s judgment decisive then? Whose is it?

"The audience is important, but I do not tie myself to their opinions and expectations. If they like me, that's good. If they do not like me, that's also ok. When they react to my words, it has the least connection with me and with those words. The reaction is related to what the words awaken in them. Therefore, it is a reaction in themselves, and the words are only an intermediary. An Indian poet said that our art is not how much others like what we do, but how much we like it, how honest we are in creating and how we must never sell sincerity to please somebody. And that is the point of art and creation."

What are the creators, writers, artists influencing your creating and poetic testimony and path (sometimes explicitly underlined in peoms)?

"Poetry has always been present in my life, so various influences have been precipitated, that I cannot even distinguish from where a thought in my head came from, and whether it's originally mine or someone's influence shapes it. And I love this intertextuality, because it provides a new life with already existing words, and on the other hand, some of the writers have so ingeniously said some things that it cannot go beyond it. This is in a way networking of old and new generations of writers, because, our essence is the same. There are many of them, from Miroslav Antic, Dis, Jesenjin, Ratkovic, to some musicians such as Damir Urban and the like."

For more information please visit TMN's dedicated page

Text by CdM, on March 8th, 2019, read more at CdM

07 March 2019 - The new categorization of beaches and amendments and balancing of lease prices, as well as the new rule that colorful advertisement sunshades or temporary facilities that do not fit in will not spread all over the swimming areas anymore. This is just some of the news that will be the main feature of this summer’s seaside season, said the Director of the Coastal Zone Management, Mr. Predrag Jelušić.

After some strategic estimates were made, the need for the so-called beach categorization arose. Beaches will be divided in 12 categories. Apart from the existing ones, beaches for the active tourism, excursion beaches, beaches intended for pets, nudists, as well as party beaches will also be part of the offer.

“We are going to have a whole new palette of a large variety of swimming areas in almost every municipality. This way we made a significant step forward in our offer. Habits of our guests change; tourists do not want to spend their entire vacation at one beach only. Ulcinj, for example, is recognized as a place of active tourism. Kite surfing is the main reason why tourists go there. The similar thing will be with diving,” said Jelušić.

What this model will enable is a lease with a clear theme and clearly defined responsibilities.

The tender for the hotel beaches is almost over. By 1^st May, all swimming areas, or at least the majority of them, should be ready to welcome the guests.

According to the Law on Spatial Planning, the lease of beaches and swimming areas will be for a period of five years, starting from this year.

“We believe that leaseholders will behave more responsibly when it comes to the space and that they will invest more in the quality of the offer. There were some comments earlier, that the temporary facilities are not very attractive, because of their color and material. Well, now the town architect will give suggestions. After the architect gives consent, the main project can be carried out. Improvised facilities, installed in contravention of the defined rules, must not happen this year,” says Jelušić.

Another news in the Rule book on swimming areas is that after 5 pm, equipment will not be charged.

“There have been some unpleasant situations regarding this matter. Sometimes, guests were required to pay the full price of the furniture even after 5 pm, and it seemed rude and left such a negative impression. The new harmonized rule book is expected to be finished soon, and we will have plenty of time for the preparation of the season. It is high time we eliminated a negative picture of our coast,” says Jelušić.

Number of locations intended for the purposes of temporary facilities will be reduced this year.

“Refill ice cream stands, rows of showcases along the promenades, barbecues…all these will not be allowed,” points out Director of the Coastal Zone Management Jelušić.

Prices of the lease in Ulcinj increased, which made the hotel industry employees react. They think the prices are too high.

“They have to come to terms with the fact that if they want bigger space, they have to pay more. The lease will be charged by one square meter, €1 per square meter. All areas developed. Ulcinj has been underrated for so long when it comes to leasing prices. The construction of a new, little resort on Bojana enlivened this area, and it would be fair that prices corresponded to the present tourism valuation of Ulcinj,” concluded Director of the Coastal Zone Management Jelušić.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

March 9, 2019 - Continuing our look at the real estate opportunities through the mouthwatering RE/MAX portfolio, find a view which beats this one!

It is said that there are only three things you need to consider when buying real estate - location, location and location.

And while that is certainly very true, my experience over the years dealing with real estate on the Adriatic over the last 17 years has been that there are three other factors which are equally important - the view, the view and the view.

And they don't get much better than this. 

Located just a few kilometres from Budva and yet a world away from the busy summer season, this breathtaking view of the Adriatic is just one of several highlights for this week's RE/MAX Property of the Week. 

This standalone and fully-furnished house comes with an additional plot of land (430m2), where you can build either a swimming pool or an additional house. 

More details of the property from the official RE/MAX property description:

"Located in a small village near Budva, this house is few kilometres away from the Old Town of Budva and nearby beaches. This completely furnished house has an area 105m2 on a plot of 250m2 with additional 430m2 plot adjacent to the house which can be used to build a swimming pool or another house. In addition to that, there is a 45m2 basement and on the flat roof one more apartment can be built. Excellent potential for further development.

"The internal area is divided between one bedroom, spacious living room and kitchen, bathroom and the spacious balcony. In front of the house there is a parking spot. The whole area is surrounded by fence on automatic settings. This beautiful private oasis can be yours. Think about moments with family and friends in the garden with a wonderful view of the city & sea and energy of the sunsets, every day and night... with music, Mediterranean dishes and fresh air. Sounds priceless, right?"

And how much for this priceless view, with options for another apartment and additional house or swimming pool? A mere EUR 260,000. For more information, photos and to book a viewing, check out the original RE/MAX listing.