02 December 2018 - Although the summer season in Herceg Novi ended long ago, the first December weekend near the festive New Year’s season has attracted 1576 guests to the city, which is an increase of 26% compared to last year according to the local Tourist organization data. Most tourists come to Herceg Novi from abroad (1230 guests).

Most tourists chose private accommodation – 975 guests, and 601 guests have picked hotels. Many hotels are closed during winter, and among those which are operational is the luxury Lazure Hotel & Marina in Meljine. This five-star complex is not only popular for people who look for accommodation, but for locals and visitors from other cities of Montenegro as well.

Lazure Marina & Hotel reside on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro at the entrance to the picturesque Kotor bay, next to the beautiful medieval city of Herceg Novi. Supplemented by a boutique hotel housed in a renovated 18th-century building, spacious residences, Mediterranean restaurants, and a wellness centre, the Lazure Marina & Hotel is a supreme destination for travellers and sailors.

And while many guests are enjoying one of the Lazure restaurants and terraces and taking advantage of the favourable weather conditions, the Spa centre is being built within the complex. The planned construction of the new hotel segment is at its beginning stages. The new segment is included in the V, VI and VII phase of the project. The principal investor of the hotel expansion is Limited Liability Company Imperio Holdings. The Spa centre will cover 1710 square metres; it will have an underground segment, ground floor, and first floor. The resort will cover the area of 17,000 square meters, with an underground section for garages, ground floor, and four floors. The whole complex covers over 10 thousand square meters.

The completion of works is planned for next year. The technical documentation was prepared by the company "Omorika Montenegro", which is the contractor. This company has been engaged in the construction of the hotel and has done an excellent job.

30 November 2018 - The Protocol on Cooperation of Tourist Organizations of Herceg Novi and Saint Petersburg, signed in September, will be officially announced on December 1 in this Russian city. Representatives of the Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi, a delegation of the Municipality, as well as a dozen businessmen from Herceg Novi, representatives of local Tourist Organizations from the coast, the Ministry of Transport, the National Tourism Organization and Montenegro Airlines traveled to Saint Petersburg. Representatives of the Embassy of Montenegro in Russia will also be present.

According to the director of the Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi Pavle Obradović, a press conference is planned for December 1, where the main tour operators, travel agencies and the media will be present.

"I think that it is very important to establish cooperation with a popular tourist destination, from where a large number of tourists can come from us. Our city is a very attractive destination for tourists from Russia, and Saint Petersburg, a city of over five million inhabitants is a very emitting market and based on these facts the cooperation of tourist organizations of two cities will be affirmed," said Obradović, adding that they received support from the Ministry of Tourism and National Tourism Organization .

Herceg Novi and Saint Petersburg will cooperate in the field of culture and tourism. According to the Agreement, business cooperation includes cooperation in various fields such as tourist traffic, establishing and implementing the tourism development policy and its promotion, coordinating and organizing cultural, artistic, sports and other events, with the aim of mutual promotion and promotion of tradition, customs and ethnological treasures of tourist areas of two cities.

In May next year, Herceg Novi will host guests from Saint Petersburg for many cultural and entertainment programmes.

25 November 2018 - Herceg Novi is a gorgeous coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. Known as “The City of Sun” for its numerous sunny days all year round, Herceg Novi is often recognizable by beautiful mimosa flowers that bloom throughout the city towards the end of January. This enchanting and picturesque town offers exciting trips, tours and entertainment for tourist, and here are our top 5 things and recommendations for this winter!

1. Take a Tour through the Herceg Novi Old Town

Old Town Herceg Novi is the centre of the city and a charming district surrounded by limestone walls. Even though you have to walk the stairs to get to get the full impression of the tall stone buildings, the fortress, town square, city museum and a lot of family-run shops and small cafes, it will be worth your effort! In winter, which can be characterised as mild in Herceg Novi, the Old Town turns from busy to a quiet place, and you can explore it in a whole new manner. You definitely shouldn’t miss exploring the Citadel, Forte Mare, Tower of St. Jerome, Nikole Đurkovića Square, Belavista Square, the Clock Tower, Kanli Kula, and the Fort Španjola!

2. Visit the Savina Winery Cellar

At the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, by the Savina Monastery, sun-soaked vineyards throughout the year are still bearing fruit like they did back in the 18th century. This family-run winery has carefully picked the finest grapes from their vineyard and has nurtured the wine in french oak barrels in their gorgeous estate cellar. Savina Winery has two hectares with international grape varietals (Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Chardonnay) and one indigenous white varietal, Žižak (zhizhak). The vineyards are located in the best part of the estate, with southern exposition and with a spectacular view over the sea. Their wines are characterized as light and breezy, with a summer style. If you want a glimpse of the vinyard and the cellar, you can book a private tour accompanied by wine tasting and matching local bites and have a splendid experience!

3. Have a Great Meal at the Old Wine House Montenegro

Ethno house "Old Wine House Montenegro" is situated in a gorgeous rural setting of Sasovići, above Zelenika, in an old house dating from 1689, owned by Šimrak family. The ethno house has kept the tradition of producing wine, juice, olive oil, bread, vegetables, fruits and all other necessary food for the household and the restaurant. It offers traditional cuisine and dishes prepared in an old-fashioned way also known as "under the sač.” As the ethno house is family-owned, the owners kept the traditional recipes and hospitality of their ancestors, as they provide an authentic atmosphere accompanied by urban traditional folk music.

4. Night Out at Prostorija (English: "The Room")

Prostorija is a great place to visit if youre looking for a night on the town. Opened on the stairs to the marine, a decade long place of alternative culture, Prostorija has a concept which is proven as one of the critical toponyms of Herceg Novi's independent art scene, but also the culture of urban life. In the bar, the sound and program are based on several musical styles, among which are African, Latin jazz and funky house.

5. Enjoy Wellness Treatments at Institute "Dr Simo Milošević"

Dr Simo Milošević is primarily an institute for physical medicine, rehabilitatiton, and rheumatology. It is one of the largest and the most famous institutions for a multidisciplinary spa treatment in the Balkans. It is a pioneer of the modern physical and preventive medicine, rehabilitation, talasotherapy, and wellness, and it became one of the leading international centers for rehabilatation of children, adults, and seniors. Besides the prevention program and health rehabilitation, Institute Igalo also offers wellness and recreational programs, which primarily rely on modern medical principals. These programs are devoted to the promotion of a healthy way of living, correction of bad living habits, and just enjoying the benefits of aromatherapies, massages and face, body and soul pampering treatments.

25 November 2018 - The recently opened Herceg Novi Comics shop, which Total Montenegro News reported on earlier this month here, has made it to the Bleeding Cool website's headlines this month!

Bleeding Cool is an Internet news site, focusing on news, rumours and gossip, reviews, previews, features, interviews, videos, and columns about comics, TV, film, and games. The website enjoys a high reputation in the comic book industry, as it was nominated for the "Favourite Comics Related Website" Eagle Award in 2010 and 2011 and won the Award in 2012. It was named as one of PC Magazine's top blogs of 2010 and Technorati gave it a perfect 1000 score for influence in the comics category in 2011. Rich Johnston, the founder of the website, was awarded the Shel Dorf Award for Best Comics Blogger for his work on Bleeding Cool in 2012.

The Bleeding Cool Website has reported on the new comics store opening, explaining what the store will focus on and what the shop will contain. The website also mentioned the Herceg Novi Comics Festival, Pasara Gallery as well as an already famous comic store in Podgorica, “Mr. No.”

As the article explains, “Following the recent Herceg Novi Comics Festival, the twelfth in Montenegro, the country is getting another comic store. With the festival, the Pasar Gallery, and the comics shop Mr. No from Podgorica, the first comics shop in the Bay of Kotor has just opened.

The Herceg Novi comics store will promote the likes of Veseli Četvrtak, Ludens, Darkwood and Fiber, as well local comic book publishers and a large manga selection. The shop will also contain Herceg Novi Comics Festival souvenirs and memorabilia. The Paser Gallery was founded by comics artists Boris Šuberić and Vanja Berberović Šuberić, and now will include a comic shop under its roof.”

Read more information about Herceg Novi Comics Shop here. 

24 November 2018 - The art exhibition of drawings by Nera Pletikosić was opened in the gallery "Josip Bepo Benković" on November 21st. In the introductory text of the catalog of works by Nera Pletikosić, art historian Jasmina Žitnik spoke.

"Nera is a poet that sings about the sadness and loneliness of humankind, but also of faith, hope, love. Her works include drawings of children, women, men, old and youth, who all seem to make one big family, or perhaps even an entire album of family photos. One picture, a man's coming, a change of generation, a life that wins and age and death," said Žitnik when asked about Nera's work.

Nera Pletikosić was born in 1990 in Subotica, Serbia. She finished elementary and mastered academic studies at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. She won the "Hand Palm Print" Award for the results achieved in the field of art in 2015, as well as the annual awards of the Department of Fine Arts for the most successful artistic work in the artistic discipline of drawing, and the University of Novi Sad Prize for achieving success during the studies.

She had several solo exhibitions and participated in collective exhibitions in the country and abroad, as well as in numerous art colonies.

The exhibition by Nera Pletikosić was opened by Jasmina Žitnik, the curator of the gallery "Josip Bepo Benković", and the exhibition will be opened for the visitors until December 4th.

24 November 2018 - The Agency for the Development and Protection of Orjen at the exhibition "Nature Connects Us - Parks Dinarides" in Slovenia, presented the most beautiful landscapes from Nature Park "Orjen" in Herceg Novi. The exhibition was set up in Ljubljana's Tivoli Park on Plečnik's promenade in an attractive open space.

"Photographs of protected areas, members of the Association of Parks of Dinarides, as well as photographs of the members of the Community Parks Park were presented. The photographs show the natural and cultural sights of the area and the advantages of protecting these areas for the local and regional population. Nature park "Orjen" has a task of protection, but also valorization of this mountainous area in the immediate hinterland of the Adriatic Sea. The park is famous for the forests of the endemic species of Pinus heldreichii, an unusual and rough karst relief, as well as a cultural landscape based on centuries-old efforts to gather stone from the earth," as stated in the announcement of the Agency for the Development and Protection of Orjen. 

The Agency also added that the park is gravitated by the inhabitants of Bay of Kotor: Herceg Novi, Tivat, and Kotor, as well as residents of Dubrovnik and Trebinje. Since this area is at the triple country-border, it is also a significant tourist area. Park will play an essential role as a destination for excursions to the hinterland.

The partners of the Tivoli Park and Parks Dinarides in the organization of the exhibition were the City of Ljubljana, Public Power Company which manages the Nature Park Tivoli, Rožnik and Šešenski hrib and WWF Adria.

24 November 2018 - In the northern coastal area of Montenegro, an annual Mimosa Festival has been conducted starting the first weekend of February since 1969. The Mimosa Festival is a traditional manifestation that celebrates the mimosa flower and the coming spring season. This is one of the most important tourist manifestations in the region that gathers hundreds of locals and numerous guests to the gorgeous port city of Herceg Novi to celebrate the sunny days that lie ahead.

Businessmen and the Municipality of Herceg Novi have a common interest in celebrating the 50th Mimosa Festival with high-quality content and by attracting the highest number of visitors to the city - it was concluded at today's meeting of representatives of local government and local companies in the Grand Hall of the Municipal Assembly. The new decade of this Holiday will be a sign of expansion to new European markets. The program was supported by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro and the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro.

At the invitation of the local administration, Herceg Novi’s businessmen took part in the meeting with the representatives of the Municipality and provided suggestions on how the traditional Festival should be improved in order to make its commercial effects more visible. Businessmen expressed their intention to keep their stores open during the celebration of the Festival and stressed that every event that creates demand for products and services aside from the main tourist season is important to them.

As concluded at the meeting, the Mimosa Festival significantly improved the offer of Herceg Novi as a tourist destination, but in recent years its economic and promotional effects are not at the level that this event deserves. In this regard, it is crucial to involve the city’s business people in activities and programs.

The framework of the program was created even before the summer, so the tourist season was used to share propaganda material. Package arrangements have been created and starting in December, intensive marketing campaigns will be launched in the cities of the region.

The participants of the meeting agreed that the Mimosa Festival should expand further over the regional borders. Starting with this year, the Festival growth will be achieved by the promotional Caravan of Mimoza which will reach Budapest and Vienna, by organizing dinners dedicated to the culture and gastronomy of European cities and countries, by the participation of foreign groups in the program, and by cooperation with the partner towns and embassies in Montenegro.

As concluded, the new decade of the Mimosa Festival will be in the wake of the expansion to new European markets, which is necessary to ensure the bright future of this event.

Traditionally, the Mimosa Festival will include many tourist, entertainment, cultural and sports programs. The most attractive programs are usually the costume ball for children and adults, “Mimosa, fish and wine festivals” along the Herceg Novi Riviera, International Flower Exhibition, concerts in town squares, various sports competitions, etc. The Mimosa Festival has grown into a complex tourist and cultural event with a multitude of visitors from all over the region. The executive producer and organizer of the Festival of Mimosa are Public Cultural Institution “Herceg Fest.”

21 November 2018 - According to AserNews reports, Portonovi Montenegro will feature as one of the leading exhibitors at the 4th International Real Estate & Investment Exhibition Rec Expo Real Estate held on November 22-24 at Baku Expo Centre.

Located at one of the most beautiful spots on the Mediterranean coast, this exquisite multi-use resort in Montenegro will open its doors to first residents in 2019.

Boasting its luxurious residential area with magnificent gardens, a D-Marin Portonovi Marina for boats and superyachts, the first One&Only resort in Europe with Espace Chenot Health Wellness Spa, Portonovi is set to be the most exclusive real estate project in this part of Europe.

On a perfect position between Italy, Greece and Balkan Peninsula, Montenegro is famous for magnificent nature, centuries-long history, rich cultural life, and soothing climate. Having more than 250 sunny days in a year, Portonovi is the perfect European home on a picturesque Mediterranean coast. Symbolizing the country’s outstanding beauty and exceptional lifestyle, the resort spreads on 26 hectares of land with more than 200 apartment residences and over 50 luxurious villas with gardens, amenities and branded interior design options. A mixture of restaurants, bars and high-end shops and galleries are designed for the citizens of the world who appreciates authenticity, culture and history of civilizations. This elegant neighborhood is set to be one of the most sought-after residential and leisure destinations in the Mediterranean.

On top of this, Montenegro as a European country has one of the most favorable legal, financial and tax systems for business investment. Increasing number of airlines from global destinations is definitely a great advantage. Also, open visa policy for many world countries is a sign of political stability and good cooperation on an international level.

Azmont Investments, the main developer, will feature this world-class resort at Real Estate & Investment Exhibition Rec Expo Real Estate from 22nd to 24th November at Baku Expo Centre.

17 November 2018 - The tourist organization of Budva represents the tourist offer of the Budva Riviera and Montenegro at the 22nd Fair of Tourism and Catering, called "Autumn Fair", which is being held from 15-18 November in Banja Luka.

In addition to the Tourism Organization of Budva as the carrier of the Montenegrin offer, the country's tourist offer is also presented by the local tourist organizations of Kotor, Tivat, and Herceg Novi.

The interest of Banja Luka for the tourist offer of Montenegro is traditionally high, while a considerable number of media companies are interested in the tourist offer Montenegro present.

Assistant Director of Tourist Organization of Budva, Vukoslav Rucović, met with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Government of the Republika Srpska Stevo Mirjanić, and on that occasion discussed future cooperation in the field of tourism.

The number of guests from the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina is growing every year along the Budva Riviera, which is confirmed by the statistics. This year, for the January-November period, 37.566 guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina stayed on the Budva Riviera with total of 277.108 overnight stays, while in 2018 as total, this number was increased to 44.435 guests, or 316.076 overnight stays, which represents an increase of 18% compared to the same period of the previous year.

By direct communication with the visitors of the stand, representatives of local tourist organizations had the opportunity to promote both the tourist offer for the next season and the New Year's programmes. Tourist Organization of Budva took the opportunity and invited potential guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina to spend their first days of 2019 in Budva. Under the slogan "See you in Budva! Twentieth time!" with a rich and various programme, Budva will mark 20 years in a series of organized New Year's programmes on the square in front of the Old Town in Budva.

There are about 150 exhibitors at 60 booths at the fair in Banja Luka.