25 November 2018 - To mark ten years of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Montenegro, the embassy of the United Arab Emirates is organizing the UAE-MNE Cultural Evening on Tuesday, November 27 at the Great Hall of the Cultural and Informational Centre "Budo Tomović" from 7 PM.

As it was announced in the official report by the CIC “Budo Tomović,” the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy traditional Montenegrin games performed by Cultural and Artistic Association "Njegoš" from Cetinje and the traditional Emirate performance of the ensemble from Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

As explained within the announcement, diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Montenegro were established in 2008. “This year, the two countries celebrate ten years of diplomatic relations that have always been in the spirit of friendship, trust, solidarity, and understanding. For these 10 years the United Arab Emirates and Montenegro have learned a lot about each other, have found ways to work in many areas, and have come close to the two peoples seemingly entirely different and far, turning them into friends and partners," the report says.

The UAE Embassy started working in Montenegro in 2010 and has since made a significant contribution to the promotion of Emirates culture, bringing prominent artists in the field of calligraphy, painting, and drawing, traditional music from the region and traditional costumes typical of UAE.

"Now, for the first time in Montenegro, the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy the folklore performances of the cultural, artistic associations from the UAE, in a friendly exchange with the cultural, artistic association from Montenegro," the CIC reports.

Free tickets for UAE-MNE Cultural Evening can be redeemed at the CIC Ticket Office every workday from 9 AM to 8 PM.

25 November 2018 - There are significant advantages in using wind energy, which explains why it's one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the world. As an alternative to burning fossil fuels wind farm and its power is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, consumes no water, and uses little land. Montenegro has recognized the benefits of wind power and decided to invest in a capital-intensive project of building the necessary station infrastructure.

After two years of construction of 23 windmills with 46 MW power, worth 40 million EUR on the hill between Bar and Ulcinj, Možura wind farm will begin producing electricity by the end of this month as part of the country’s efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet the renewable energy standards of the European Union it aspires to join.

Speaking in a morning TV show of the public broadcaster RTCG, Minister of Economy of Montenegro Dragica Sekulić said that the Možura wind power plant is going to be operational by the end of this month, which will, according to her, significantly contribute to the stability of the electricity supply throughout the country. “According to the information we obtained from the investor, we expect the Možura wind power plant to be tested by the end of November,” emphasized Sekulić.

As the Minister explained during the interview, in 2016, Montenegro produced an output of 4 billion EUR, while a year later the economic growth accounted for 4,7%. In 2018, Montenegro also recorded an increase in its domestic product. Any production significantly contributes to economic growth, which is why it is especially crucial for the country to vary in methods of electricity production. The plan is for Montenegro not to depend on hydropower plants and the rainfall concerning electricity supply.

The state representatives have signed the contract in which it is stated that the purchase price of electricity produced in the wind farm would be warranted and fixed for the first 12 years of operation and would not be less than 95,99 euros per megawatt hour (MWh).

The Ministry hopes that this project, which most certainly has a safe future on the energy market, will encourage new investment in renewable sources.

The main agricultural crop is still olives. Half of all Montenegrin olive groves are located in Lustica. There was a law enforced here that no young man could marry without having previously planted 40 young olive trees. The bark of the soil allowed fewer vegetable crops, places for grains had to be found. All other space was used for growing olives and citrus fruits. The stone was always abundant, so they built dry houses, tombstones, drywall constructions for making limestone-klačine, small-sized, dry-stone buildings on agrarian surfaces. And harmonious villages, with standard amenities - mills for olive oil, gumna- threshing floors, and later on, houses of culture.

The 1st thing you don't want to miss in Lustica

The harmony of the typical Mediterranean architecture of this small town was disturbed recently by construction within the village and in its surrounding, but once you get to this medieval town's micro promenade, you will be filled with nothing but the glory of nature and respect - the small fishermen boats, the smell of fresh fish, the song of the seagulls. There is even a great offer of private accommodation, as well as some restaurants offering seafood delicacies. The sound of the local dialect, somehow different from other parts of Boka Bay, will be good company while you wait for the ship connection to the municipality center. If you didn't know, part of the Luštica belongs to the Herceg Novi Municipality. So, Rose is still a vital traffic point, although recently only for citizens of Luštica and their guests. Many more visitors come year after year, making Luštica one of the most popular Montenegrin areas for those looking for untouched nature, welcoming hosts, fresh air and organic food.

The 2nd thing you don't want to miss in Lustica

Just a few kilometres from Rose, surrounded by acres of olive trees, pomegranate trees and woods of laurel, there is a village called Klinci. A hidden gem, and recently completely abandoned, rural tourism is slowly but surely developing. Three-hundred-year-old family estates are slowly being restored, but one stands out - Klinci Village Resort. The estate has kept its original shape, just how it was made by ancestors. This resort is one of the places on Luštica where you can experience and learn about the old rural way of life. All guests are served delicious traditional dishes from organic food and wine - everything is produced, prepared and served there in a traditional manner.

The 3rd thing you don't want to miss in Lustica

Situated in the village of Tići, farm Moric produces organic olive oil and so far is the only Montenegrin producer with that quality mark. The Moric family offers a tour in the olive groves, the new modern lines for processing olives, as well as the old mill with an olive oil tasting and other local products. In addition to enjoying the discovery of Luštica’s gastronomy, householders offer a tour of the Luštica peninsula with ATV vehicles - quads, as well as bike and walking tours.

The 4th thing you don't want to miss in Lustica 

The 5th thing you don't want to miss in Lustica

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 - The cruise ship "Artania" owned by the German company Phoenix Reisen sailed into Bar on November 23 for the first time and brought 1,054 tourists and 527 crew members to the country. This event has officially closed the “cruising season” in Montenegro, during which 16 cruisers arrived in the port with a total of 22,500 tourists.

According to Emil Kukalj, director of Tourist Organization of Bar, this cruising season was successful. He explained that cruising began to develop in Bar with the arrival of the Global Ports Holding and with the efforts of the Allegra agency, through which the first cruise ship sailed into the port. Cruising merely has continued to lean on the existing resources of Bar Municipality ever since. Cruising tourism, as a part of nautical tourism, has grown to become a financially powerful tourist industry in recent years. The world maritime cruise market is seeing growth in all its submarkets and, according to the estimates; it will become an increasing part of world tourism. The representatives of Bar Municipality are especially pleased that the city has become a destination of interest within cruising voyages, and they are particularly looking forward to positive projections for the future.

Compared to the previous year, the cruising season in Bar is significantly better. According to Tanja Novović, activities coordinator at the joint stock company “Port of Adria," it is announced that 2019 will bring 25 cruisers to the port with about 26,000 tourists. The companies that send their cruisers to Bar are satisfied primarily with safety and security in the port, port facilities, infrastructure and service, but also with the content of this tourist destination which offers the possibility of various excursion tours.

Captain of "Artania" cruise ship, Morten Hansen, has been visiting Montenegro for years. This occasion marks the second time he visited Bar Port. "It's a great opportunity to visit two ports in one day, Kotor and Bar. However, in Kotor space is limited, there is room for one cruiser, and the other is on the anchor. It is a small town, and coming with this many people, we have to pay attention to that. Therefore, it is good that we have another port in Montenegro. If there is a crowd in Kotor, we can choose Bar, and as far as I know from Bar, it is not far to get tourists through the excursion programs to Kotor, it's only an hour away. It is also an opportunity for tourists to see your beautiful country, Montenegro, "said Artania's captain Morten Hansen, who has been working for this company for 13 years.

In 2017, JSC Port of Adria accepted nine cruisers, with about 11,550 passengers arriving in Bar and Montenegro, while in 2016, it took seven cruise ships and 8,660 passengers.

Compared to the 2017 season, the growth of passengers in 2018 is 96%! The projected passenger growth for 2019 compared to the 2018 season is 16 percent. With the arrival of the German cruiser, the tourist season in Bar was extended, which is undoubtedly one of the priority goals of the Municipality.

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.”

23 November 2018 - The judgments of the European Court of Human Rights about Montenegro represent a real treasury of legal knowledge that guides us and illuminates the directions in which the Montenegrin legal system should be developed, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin noted.

23 November 2018 - Kolašin will welcome the forthcoming winter tourism season and holidays fully ready. Almost all accommodation facilities of famous hotels have been sold.

Ski Center Kolašin 1450, regardless of the snow cover, is ready to welcome the winter and the ski center will officially be open in the middle of December.

This season as well, guests from Albania will be the majority in the town on Tara. The only thing they are waiting for now is the snow. According to the forecast, it is expected at the end of December.

Director of the Tourist Organization Kolašin, Aleksandar Vlahović, says that the preparation of winter tourism season is in full swing. Promotion of the tourism offer of Kolašin will take place in the region, primarily in Tirana and Dubrovnik.

“Also, after a several years break, the bus line from the town center to the ski center is about to be open. We are also working on the creation of new website and profiles on social networks,” said Vlahović.

Vlahović expects great occupancy in the rest of winter season.

While you are staying in Kolašin, make sure to check the best restaurants in the town.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

23 November 2018 - The three-day event "Days of Hungarian Film", dedicated to the new Hungarian production, will be organized within the framework of traditional cooperation between Montenegro and the Embassy of Hungary in Montenegro from November 26 to 28 at the DODEST Hall, Cultural and Information Centre in Podgorica, starting at 8 PM. The entrance is free.

Monday: “Kincsem” (2017)

The opening of the event, Monday, November 26, is reserved for the "Kincsem" (2017), a melodrama based on the true story of a legendary racehorse. This Hungarian movie, directed by Gábor Herendi, presents the history of Kincsem, a thoroughbred racehorse who has the most wins of any unbeaten horse the history of the sport. Sired by a stallion owned by Queen Victoria, Kincsem became a sensation across Europe and a personal favourite of the Austrian emperor Franz Josef, winning all 54 of her races before retiring in 1879. Budapest’s main horse racing track now bears her name. The movie “Kincsem” stood as the most expensive domestic movie with a combined cost of 3 billion forints. The Hungarian National Film Fund shared 2,078 billion forints from the total production cost. The movie was released in Hungarian cinemas on 16 March 2017 and was later shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Tuesday: “Kills on Wheels“ (2016)

The film "Kills on Wheels" (Hungarian: “Tiszta szívvel”) will mark Tuesday, November 27^th.
Tiszta szívvel is a Hungarian original, action-packed dramedy which tells a tale of two disabled teenagers from a Budapest rehab centre whose life changes completely after they become involved with a hitman who uses a wheelchair. Throughout the film, the director Attila Till keeps highlighting the fact that people frequently underestimate those they perceive as handicapped. He was inspired to make this film from his own experiences as a volunteer for the disabled; thus the movie inspires the idea that life should be lived to the fullest.

Wednesday: “Brazilok”(2017)

The film "Brazilok" (2017) will close the curtains of the event on Wednesday, November 28^th. The film tells a story about a small Hungarian village where the friendly football tournament turns into a much bigger issue. As Fabien Lemercier explains, “the film is an ethno-tale with plenty of humour and tears. The chaos begins in the remote village of Acsa, where the local mayor has been urged by the new, young priest to allow the Gypsy football team, called the Brazilians, to enter the local football cup. This year, the winning team is invited to Rio de Janeiro, thanks to funding from a local millionaire. The championship begins. Events, emotions and anger take the story in all kinds of unpredictable directions until those who finally win shouldn’t be the winners, and those who find love shouldn’t be together.”