23 May 2019 - The Agency for Development and Protection of Orjen will present a new tourist offer in Herceg Novi on Friday, May 24th, the historic Time Machine of Herceg Novi tour.

The promotional tour will be organized for media representatives, Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi, tourist agencies and hotel guests from the area.

The start of the tour is at 8 AM from the square of Nikola Đutković, at the Clock Tower, the symbol of Herceg Novi.

"We are producing dominant fortifications over the city, Kanli tower and Španjol, a reminder of both the long-standing Turkish and the short-lived Spanish authorities. Walking through history, we follow the route of the main hiking route that connected Herceg Novi with mountain for centuries and in that role it existed until the last quarter of the 20th century, until the villagers of the surrounding villages were able to go down to the market with a stock of livestock, full products" as explained from the Agency .

Along the path today, there were numerous catering facilities, such as Avramović's cormorant, which was even visited by Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević during his walks in the hinterland of Herceg Novi.

"Crossing the Matkovo Bridge (a coherent stone building) we enter deeper into the hinterland, into the Kotobilj battlefield, a crucial event for the liberation of the Herceg Novi region from the Turkish authorities. Today it is a place in the pleasant environment of dense forests of coastal pine and cypress, with more organized rest areas for walkers," said representatives of the Agency for Development and Protection of Orjen.

The walking tour is adapted to the average visitor and requires a minimum physical fitness (since about 350 meters of climbing altitude difference must be mastered). It is necessary to announce a minimum of 48h earlier. With sightseeing and resting, the tour lasts for 4 to 5 hours, of which about 3 hours of the trip is being walked.

Suitable shoes (not sandals and flip-flops), small backpack with water and food, spare clothes, protective creams (sun and mosquitoes), rain protection, mobile phone and, possibly, personal accessories for first aid are also required on this tour. The organizer is obliged to take all measures for the safe implementation of the programme, however, participation in the Time Machine tour is at your own risk.

Source: Radio Jadran News

22 May 2019 - The solo concert of pianist Nikola Vučković will be held in the concert hall of the Music School of Herceg Novi on May 24th at 7.30PM. The programme will, among many others, include pieces of composers Ravel and Liszt.

After finishing the Elementary Music School in Budva, Nikola Vučković started studying at the secondary Music School in Subotica in the class of Professor Matija Molcer. He continued his education at the Music Academy in Novara, Italy, in the class of Professor Marian Mike, where he graduated with honors in 2002. He also studied at the Music Academy in Cetinje in the class of professor Boris Kraljević, in which he graduated in 2004. He has a master's degree in the class of Professor Vladimir Bockarjev.

He has been improving in the country and abroad with famous pedagogues such as Dmitri Bashkirov, Sandor Falvai, Noel Flores, Vladimir Ovcinjikov, Kemal Gekić, Aleksandar Serdar, etc.

In addition to his remarkable performances at domestic and international competitions, he performed at over 250 concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in Montenegro, Serbia, Italy, Austria, France, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany. Among the significant performances in Montenegro, recitals should be singled out in the National Theater of Montenegro, the Royal Theater Zetski Dom in Cetinje, the Park Hall in Herceg Novi, City Theater in Budva, and at Barski Letopis, as well as at the one of the most important ones - concert at the National Theater of Montenegro, which he performs with the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Radovan Papović, who also represents his orchestral debut.

Out of his concerts abroad, the most significant are the opening of the "Verbanja Musica" festival (Italy) - on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Chopin, the city of Martelag (Venice), a concert in Milano for the most influential politicians of Forza Italia, a recital in Naples, a performance at the Bosendorfer Hall, in Vienna and in the Royal Casino in Baden, at the Army Hall in Sarajevo, "Olivier Messian" in Paris etc. So far, he has recorded a large number of notable performances that were recorded and broadcast by TV stations: RTS, RTCG, RTV Novi Sad, RTV Budva, Rai Uno (Italy), as well as radio stations of classical music "Bela Bartok" (Hungary). Since 2015 he is a permanent member of the duo "2Soul(o)s" with prominent violinist Dušica Kordić. He is currently engaged as director of the Music School in Budva.

Source: Radio Herceg Novi

May 23, 2019 - Mountaineering Club Subra from Herceg Novi this weekend organizes the jubilee 20th Orjen Marathon, and in cooperation with the Orjen Development and Protection Agency prepares an attractive program for all generations, which will last from 24-26 May.

Independence Day of Montenegro was marked in Baosici by the cultural, entertainment and sports program "My Country".

"The day on which Montenegro marks independence is a day that clearly marks the milestone and a break with the mythomania, the waving of swords, the daggers and the flags, the day where Montenegro, human, honest, dignified, civilized, decided on its destiny," said the playwriter Stevan Koprivica.

The state of Montenegro, he said, becomes a shelter, or at least tries to be, to all, no matter if they are called Montenegrins, Serbs, Croats, Albanians, Bosnians, Roma, Egyptians, Italians, more than a state that implies institutions and demonstrations of power.

"Montenegro is a homeland to people whose honesty, workmanship, rejoicing, and family are not determined by the nation itself, but by human quality. Ethics, and not nationalism, is the ethos that emerges from the national dance in which the jump strives to the heights, the nobility of the Boka Bay “kolo” (dance), in the emotion of old-Podgorica songs that have the tones and longings of the east, in the heights of Prokletije," Koprivica said.

Montenegro and all of its people, by the act of celebrating independence, relying on those irrefutable facts of history, but not being slaves to them, embarked on a modern era of emancipation of human values, the attempt to keep the state not to be a government mechanism but a synonym and paradigm of a homeland," concluded Koprivica.

In the program of the celebration, whose organizer and executive producer was "Media Frame", the chorus from the High school "Ivan Goran Kovacic" and their band "Kupplung", duo "Providenca", "Castel Nuovo" and actor Milos Pejovic participated.

"Race of Independence" was held on the route from the Cultural center in Bijela to Baosici Local Community.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on May 21st, 2019, read more at Vijesti

19 May 2019 - "Convinced that the values ​​of the Bokelj Navy, which is considered to be the oldest existing maritime organisation in the world, overcome national and regional borders, we have nominated this cultural heritage for the inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity, as Montenegro's first nomination for the inscription on this prestigious list," Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin noted while opening the exhibition "Bokelj Navy Kotor - 1210 years of history, spirituality and culture" in Cetinje.

He explained that this initiative was launched by the organisation itself, and that the nomination process was in deep agreement with the members of the organisation and was conducted in line with its basic principles that indicate that the Bokelj Navy can be accessed by any person accepting its Statute, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or any other identity, and that it is an organisation focused on respect for human rights and mutual respect for religious, national and cultural diversity.

The Deputy Prime Minister underlined that the members of the Bokelj Navy, their family history and traditions of the local community preserved this cultural heritage for the generations to come in spite of all the challenges the Bay of Kotor had faced throughout its history.

He recalled that for over twelve centuries the Bokelj Navy has managed to resist the strong influences that overwhelmed the area, stressing that the maritime tradition that permanently marked it was the true and fundamental value of the organisation itself.

DPM Pažin emphasised that the essential value of the Bokelj Navy is immaterial. "The value transcending all material traces, which is passed on from generation to generation and which is a key cultural value that recommended this organisation for the status of Montenegro's cultural property of national importance."

He concluded by saying that only by preserving local communities, supporting their identity and the initiatives that come from them, such values ​​can be preserved and passed on to future generations.

19 May 2019 - The first Herceg Novi regatta named Herceg Novi Sailing Tour is being organized by the Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi in ​​cooperation with the Sailing Club Jugola Grakalić, the Municipality of Herceg Novi and the Hotel Lazure.

The event, which will take place on June 1, includes an umpires and skippers boat race. The regatta will be held in the waters of the Bay of Kotor within the territory that belongs to the Herceg Novi Municipality.

The sailing tour, which will mark the official beginning of the 2019 summer sailing season, starts in front of Marina Lazure in Meljine and runs around the island of Mamula. Then the ships sail towards their goal - the city port of Herceg Novi.

Fifteen crews are expected to compete, and the Montenegrin sailor that competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Men's Laser class, Milivoj Dukić will also take part in the sailing tour. The list of the participants in the regatta will include musician and sailor from Herceg Novi, Rambo Amadeus.

In anticipation of the Herceg Novi Sailing Tour, Milivoj Dukić said: "Herceg Novi is becoming richer for yet another port of nautical tourism, in this case, Lazure Marina & Hotel in Meljine. Therefore, the Sailing Club Jugola Grakalić, which I represent today, and the Tourist of Organzation Herceg Novi, came up with the idea to organize the regatta of large ships. We are becoming richer for another regatta and our goal is to attract as many participants and visitors, because every time our boats sail into the sea, we send the best picture to nautical tourism lovers all over the world."

Starting from May 27, all competing boats can be docked at the Lazure Marina and await their official registration within the regatta. On May 31, the organizers have prepared a special cocktail at the Lazure Marina for all the participants within the event.

The sailors will meet for the race on June 1 at 9:30 am, and the official start of the regatta will be at 11 am. The finishing point of the sailing tour is the city port Škver, and sailing enthusiasts can await the boats at this point at 1 pm.

The Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi and the Sailing Club Jugola Grakalić have prepared a traditional fish and wine celebration accompanied by local entertainment and music from 1 pm to 5 pm. The award ceremony will be held also on June 1, at 9 pm.

The representatives of the Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi are inviting all sailing enthusiasts to experience the unique regatta moment when the first boat will officially sail for the first time on June 1. All visitors will be able to enjoy an exciting and competitive racing and the onshore camaraderie! 

With the music from the opera "The Blind Mouse" by Johan Straus, 220 graduate students from the high school "Ivan Goran Kovacic" danced the quadrille at the square "Nikola Djurkovic".

The graduates were dressed in yellow and green t-shirts, thus giving their contribution to the jubilee celebration - 50 years of Mimosa Festival. Ana Ercegovic led the graduate's dance.

So far, around 400,000 graduates from more than 100 European cities have participated in this event. All graduates dance the same choreography at the same time, and music is broadcasted over satellite radio. All together they are part of the project of dancing with the same goal in Europe, connecting and cooperating, as well as spreading togetherness, love and peace.

After dancing at the square, the graduates continued the celebration at Kanli Kula, and on Saturday, 25^th May, there will be the graduate’s parade through the city and the graduation party.

Graduates from Herceg Novi first danced the quadrille on May 16^th in 2008, and so far over 350,000 students from more than 100 European cities have participated in this event, and seven times they have succeeded in breaking the Guinness record.

"Herceg Novi sends a picture of youth, beauty and communion in the world," said the secretary of culture and education of the Municipality Herceg Novi, Ana Zambelic Pistalo, addressing graduates, professors, numerous gathered parents, relatives and friends.

"Herceg Novi has young people full of potential, and many of them today are united in the beauty of dance, and we are trying to support young, prospective citizens of Herceg Novi through various activities. To make Herceg Novi a city in line with the needs of the young people which offers quality and opportunities, this is our basic task and obligation," the secretary for culture said.

The general sponsor of the event is the Municipality Herceg Novi.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on May 17th 2019, read more at Vijesti

13 May 2019 - Within the framework of the manifestation Kotor Concert Season, organized by prestigious Montenegrin Music School Vida Matjan and KotorArt Don Branko's Music Days, renowned musicians Ratimir Martinović (piano) and Gordana Josifova Nedelkovska (oboa) will perform on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in the beautiful ambiance of Luštica Bay’s The Chedi Hotel.

Martinović and Nedelkovska will present an interesting and challenging program to the audience, which includes the compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Robert Schumann, Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac and Stanislas Verroust.

Martinović, who is also the director of the International Art Festival KotorArt, is more than satisfied with the previous cooperation with Luštica Bay and looks forward to the mutual success in the future.

"Luštica Bay is a traditional partner not only of our festival, but also of other valuable art events in the country. Luštica is not only the largest investment in tourism in the country, but perhaps its most beautiful. Such an enthralling vision is granted to have superior art as its partner. As a pianist playing in Luštica Bay, it is very inspirational to engrave our music in the youngest city to be built in Montenegro, and I believe that Gordana and I will be able to convey our vision through a varied and multi-layered program that we have prepared," Martinović said in an interview for the CDM portal.

The concert will take place on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at 8 am and will be held at The Ballroom of The Chedi Hotel.

The cooperation between Luštica Bay and KotorArt began several years ago, through the partnership that brought the first artistic programs to this gorgeous marina town. From then on, the organization of cultural events in Luštica Bay continues to position this new centre of life as an incredible tourist destination that cherishes the importance of culture in location branding.

The organizers of this event have made sure that all interested locals and tourists have the opportunity to come and enjoy the concert, so they arranged transportation from Kotor. The bus departs from the bus stop in front of the Employment Service Kotor (Montenegrin: Zavod za zapošljavanje Kotor) at 7 pm. After the concert, the bus will depart from The Chedi Hotel to transport the passengers back to Kotor.

"For the very first time, the Kotor Concert Season is organizing a concert in our youngest town, Luštica Bay. It is our great pleasure to organize a concert with the long-standing partners of the Festival and announce all the events that are expected within this year's Don Branko’s Music Days, precisely with their support. What distinguishes the Kotor Concert Season is the care of pupils and teachers of the school, as well as our faithful audience and during the winter months for which, primarily, we organize transportation from Kotor," said the representatives of KotorArt.

The manifestation Kotor Concert Season was first launched in 2015, and is organized with the mutual cooperation between the Music School Vida Matjan from Kotor and the International Festival KotorArt. Through numerous concerts and master class workshops, this event allows its students, professors and audience to listen and learn from the world's most celebrated names of classical music. Therefore, during the winter period, concert hall becomes the centre of cultural events in the city and a favourite place for the development of ideas, conversation and socializing.

“So far, Kotor Concert Season events hosted incredible artists: Albert Mamriev, Rita Kinka, Mihajlo Zurković, Florian Koltun, Xin Wang, Antonio di Cristofano, Darko Karajić, Stefan Milenković and many others," stated from the KotorArt PR Service.

Pianist Ratimir Martinović was born in Kotor, and he graduated in 1999 from the class of Kemal Gekić at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, playing in one night Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”, Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier Sonata”, Chopin’s Four Ballades, and Prokofiev’s “Toccata”, to great critical acclaim. He received his Master’s degree, playing an all Bach program. At present, Martinović works as Associate professor at the Academy of Arts, as the youngest piano professor and serves as the head of music department.

Martinović plays as soloist with orchestras such as the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Mexico State Symphony Orchestra , Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vogtland Philharmonic, Thailand Philharmonic, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Plovdiv State Symphony Orchestra, Macedonian Philharmonic orchestra, North Czech Symphony Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic, Radio-Televison Serbia Symphony Orchestra as well as witch chamber orchestras such as „Viotti“ Orchestra, Kaliningrad Chamber Symphony, St. Georg’s Strings, Young European Soloists, The Orchestra of the North Shore and many others, collaborating with conductors such as Alexandar Rahbari, Andres Mustonen, Emil Tabakov, Peter Sundkvist, David Porceline, William Noll, Aleksandar Ostrovsky, Gudni Emilsson and many others.

He is the winner of many domestic and international awards and tributes.

After initial successes in piano competitions at a very early age, Ratimir Martinović withdrew from the competition scene, devoting his time to playing concerts and teaching.

Oboist Gordana Josifova Nedelkovska is a very respectable musician in the highest European cultural circles, and she is considered as one of the most important Macedonian artists. Critics call her „sophisticated oboe poetess“, and her name is a synonym for the pursuance for perfection in musical expression.

She has performed as a soloist with many important orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra of the State Chapel of Saint Petersburg, the Estonian National  Symphonic Orchestra in Tallinn, the Chamber Orchestra Musica Viva with Alexander Rudin, Belgrade Symphonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra ‘Sophia Soloists’, the Chamber Orchestra St. George Strings, the orchestra of Avignon – Provence, Chamber orchestra of Porto Alegre – Brazil, United Europe chamber orchestra. Since September 2009, Prof. Josifova Nedelkovska has been Dean of the Faculty of Music – Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.   

May 11, 2019 - The fourth Primavera festival, organized by NGO "Hands" started today with an educational walk in Nature Park Orjen, and for Sunday, May 12th, rich content is planned, with some new activities and events for all ages and tastes.

May 10, 2019 - The list of artists to be presented at the 13th edition of the Herceg Novi Strip Festival from 6th to 13th September is enhanced by two other great Italian artists - Daniel Vetro and Pasquale Del Vecchio, organizers of the HSF say. 

Daniela Vetro, Copyright: Herceg Novi Strip Festival

Pasquale Del Vecchio, Copyright: Herceg Novi Strip Festival