16 July 2019 - Bad weather in May and June affected the number of tourists and the tourist season in Kolašin in private accommodation in particular. However, the hotel capacities occupancy rate is quite high, according to CdM's report.

Tourist employees in the town on the Tara river hope that August will bring good weather and more tourists.

“We have to admit that bad weather has considerably affected the number of tourists. The occupancy rate of hotel capacities is high thanks to the reservations made in advance. According to the weather forecast, better days are coming and I am sure this season will be better than the previous,” said the Director of the Tourist Organization Kolašin Aleksandar Vlahović.

According to him, it is difficult to provide accurate data about the number of tourists and make comparisons. Private accommodation providers fail to register guests on a regular basis and there are many unregistered facilities offering accommodation services.

“Competent municipal services are familiar with this problem. We are working on eliminating it,” said Vlahović.

Guests are charged a fee of 0,80 EUR per night. This fee is the basis revenue of the local tourist organization.

“In the past period we have done a lot of things: we have created a website, produced accommodation catalogues, tour guides, we have developed maps… However, as long as there is a problem of unregistered accommodation, we can hardly count on big events in our town,” concluded Vlahović.

Director of the Tourist Organization Kolašin also announced the Alternative Theater Festival which is taking place from 26 July to 20 August, Bjelasica Ultra Trail race from 16 August to 18 August and a bicycle race on 25 August. Vlahović also hopes that Kolašin will be a host of many other cultural and sports events.

Read more news about traveling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

Adventurers and friends Damjan Vukicevic from Herceg Novi and  Bojan Aleksic from Belgrade sailed into Herceg-Novi City Port yesterday evening with their catamaran "Dedalus Adventures" after a full circle around the world, which lasted almost two years. 

The welcoming event in the harbour and the truly deserved recognition for this kind of accomplishment by the two adventurers were made by Damjan's family, while the port of Škver featured the City Music of Herceg Novi, the highest representatives of local authorities and citizens. They followed Vukicevic’s and Aleksic's first steps on the Herceg Novi mall 715 days after the "Dedalus Adventures" sailed off from Skver with applause.

"I knew they had prepared a welcome, but I have never dreamed that they would it in such a way," said Damjan after he got off the boat and greeted his family and friends. Speaking about their way journey from the Adriatic, through the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, until their return to the Mediterranean and back to the starting point – Herceg Novi Škver, Damjan and Bojan emphasized that it was an experience you can only have once and the one that completely changes you, not only because you remember it, but because it leaves an indelible mark.

"We planned to go a little longer, to sail around Sri Lanka, but when we arrived there we saw that there were some 200 ships going to the Red Sea with no fear of pirates, so I decided not to be a coward and then we went upwards and shortened the way. That part was somehow the most critical for us because there were pirates, but we got away. We did not have other big problems; several times we broke a sail and there were some minor failures, but that was all resolved and we were able to see how true sailors are solidary. Whoever we met on our way would give us support, everybody would help us out, as well as we would help them," Damjan says. He points out that it was impressive to get to know all these areas through which they were passing, but that the greatest impression has been left by the people they met on their way.

"First of all, people you meet on this path could never be forgotten and they leave the biggest impression. Somehow, the most beautiful thing to me was over the Pacific, and all the islands there. The truth is that it takes time to sail because you need a minimum of five days for each island, but people are so hospitable and they accept you incredibly well, they call you to their house to eat, ask where you are from and they want to hear more and more, which is really impressive," Damjan explains.

And while Damjan and Bojan sailed and met new areas and people, the family in Herceg Novi was not so good as they kept waiting for news from these two adventurers.

“I counted the months and days when he would come back. He would let us know where and how he was, and he would sometimes say what he had experienced, and then there would be no sleep for me until his next call, but now that he came back I'm happy and I can sleep peacefully," says Branka, Damjan's mother.

The president of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, Stevan Katic was also at the welcoming event to "Dedalus Adventures" catamaran at Skver. He said that the undertaking made by Damjan and Bojan is quite rare, and that it makes everyone proud. He concluded that it is nice to be a citizen of the city whose flag flew around the whole planet.

The two friends - adventurers Damjan and Bojan, as they said, will now take a rest and connect with the soil, so that they can definitely sum up the impressions, and maybe in ten years, they will repeat their feat.

15 July 2019 - Montenegro - one of Europe’s “secret places” that manages to charm tourists from all over the world keeps popping up on all lists of countries you must visit for a perfect vacation. Journalist Nick Rostron-Pike from The Sun has fallen in love with Montenegro, and in a recently published article, he described his memories of the perfect luxurious and action-packed family holiday!

Meandering through the scenery, it is easy to understand how the name Montenegro — meaning black mountains — was born. Some 85 per cent of the country consists of this rocky terrain — and some of the vistas can only be described as breath-taking.

The same adjective, though, could be used for some of the overtaking manoeuvres you will witness on the roads. A ninety minutes’ drive from the airport lies the seaside town of Ulcinj — in a former pirate cove with a beautiful, long sandy beach. Our first choice for an all-inclusive 4H Holiday Village, because everything is laid on just perfect for family breaks.

Pulling up to the reception we were greeted by what seemed like the closing party at Ibiza club night Manumission. Entertainment trio The Widgets (Gizmo, Whatsit and Doobley) started our break on just the right note by whisking the children off to dance and play while the adults enjoyed a well-earned drink.

The break was some valuable bonding time for my young daughter and me. However, our deluxe two-bedroom family room could have accommodated a family of four — with its double bed and an adjoining area with two single beds.

The bathroom would also be big enough for four, and everyone’s various beauty routines, plus there was a spacious balcony — the perfect place to enjoy a cold beer and the late evening sun while the little one snored. Some of the resort’s rooms even have swim-up balconies, which looked brilliant for those with kids who like to start the day with a morning dip.

In fact, children’s activities are a major selling point of the hotel, with all sorts of fun and games tailored to different ages and abilities. Whether its high ropes, games in the pool or archery that take your fancy, they’ve got you covered. The resort even has its own alien-themed Escape Room. Rumours that I’d left my own little monster in there while I visited the Irish bar are obviously wide of the mark, though.

One of the best things for children was the football and swimming academies where, for a small extra charge, your young ones can enjoy expert tuition. FA or Uefa-qualified coaches run the footie sessions, for those aged five to 16. But the winner for us was the swimming, run by ASA-qualified Amy and Chloe. The pair was brilliant at working with all abilities — and my girl made fantastic progress.

While we enjoyed the learning pool, there are also four more pools — catering to everyone. You can relax on a Bali bed in tranquillity or, as I did, try to get the better of your child in Total Wipeout-style challenges in the main pool. If you tire of the pools, then there is also the 16km-long sandy beach just moments away.

When it comes to food, Montenegro has you covered. With four different restaurants to pick from at the resort, your options are not limited. There is a huge array of grub on offer at the Swallow buffet- restaurant — stretching from trusty beans on toast, through to fresh fish and Montenegrin bureks (Turkish-inspired filo pastry with cheese or meat). And that was just breakfast. Lowered counter-tops, and child-friendly tables and chairs, were nice touches for the little ones — and even my fussy eater was impressed with the delicious fare on offer.

If you fancy a more scenic spot for lunch, head down to the beach bar, which rustles up sandwiches and salads while you enjoy the sea view. The pick for us, though, was the Grill restaurant which, unsurprisingly, serves Croatian konoba-style grilled meat and vegetables. Baby courgettes and peppers were the perfect accompaniment to seared steaks and cevapi (kofte-style sausages made of pork and beef mince).

After all that eating and drinking, it would be easy to relax into the evening and head off to bed.

Read more about travel experiences in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

14 July 2019 - The manifestation Jazz Under the Full Moon became a tradition in Gornja Lastva, where for several years visitors enjoy the beauty of this music genre in the magical landscape of Vrmac.

This year's concert will be held on Tuesday, July 16th at 10 pm, when Šule Jovović Jazz Band and Vladimir Krnetić will perform. Krnetić plays trumpet in the RTS Big Band. The event organizer is Cultural Homeland Association Napredak Gornja Lastva, and entrance to the concert is free.

A free bus transportation service from Tivat to Gornja Lastva is prepared by the organisers, and the bus departs at 09.30 pm from the bus station located at the centre of Tivat.

“Come and enjoy the beauty of music in a magic landscape of Vrmac,” says the invitation by the organisers. The sponsor of the concert is Porto Montenegro.

Gornja Lastva is a small place with a Mediterranean charm, located in the Bay of Kotor on the Vrmac hill that separates the Tivat and Kotor parts of the bay. It is located 300 meters above sea level and is 3 kilometres away from the Adriatic main road. Gornja Lastva spreads over the sunny slope of Vrmac hill overlooking the Tivat bay and further, via the Luštica peninsula, the open sea.

The concert Jazz Under the Full Moon was held for the first time in 2014 as part of the Days of Landscape, a campaign within the project Heritage – Development Trigger in which Cultural Homeland Association Napredak Gornja Lastva was one of the partners. The Days of Landscape are a series of cultural and educational events that aim to promote the cultural landscapes, especially the landscape of the Vrmac hill, giving it the role of a stage in nature, and drawing attention to its natural, architectural, ecological and aesthetic values and the importance of their preservation.

Find more information about the manifestation at the Facebook page of the event.

11 July 2019 - When we think of a summer holiday in Budva, we usually think of the nightlife and loud music, fast food and beach bars. Still, Budva is much more than that, and here are 11 things you do not want to miss when travelling through Budva that prove that you can spend a nice and quality time in this gorgeous coastal city without aggressive music and too much crowd.

Aside from what everyone knows about Budva - the main promenade surrounded by beach bars and cafes, Budva offers an entirely different approach to a holiday. This article by Dragana Pribilović addresses the things that you need to see when you come to Budva, none of which is related to the turbulent nightlife, crowd and loud music.

1. The Great Olive

In the hot summer months, the nice shade in Budva can be found in the settlement Ivanovići, right under an olive tree around 2000 years old. This olive tree, with the olive tree in Bar, is considered one of the oldest olive trees on the Adriatic. Its scope in the “root neck” is 12,5 meters, the trunk has a diameter of 4 meters and the tree is 10 meters high. The olive is of the local variety, and in the year of full-bloom, it can give about 250 kilograms of fruits, or about 40 liters of oil.

2. Krapina

For lovers of fresh water, or for those who want change or cooling in a natural pool, the ideal solution is the natural pool in Krapina, a village in a hilly landscape near Budva. This natural beauty and holiday paradise are at 185 meters above sea level and guarantees about five degrees lower temperature than the one in Budva. The locals also call this village Potoci (English: The streams), because of the Veliki potok (English: Great stream) which flows through Krapina and forms a natural pool, ideal for cooling at great summer temperatures. Lush vegetation gives the water a restful green color, making this landscape even more picturesque, so this is the place for fans of the nature of paradise and for lovers of photography, because the unusual natural frames of this area are ideal for photo lenses.

3. Čelobrdo

This viewpoint is located above the Praskvica Monastery and there is a monument to fallen heroes on it, as well as a fountain with spring water. Čelobrdo is a village located on Paštrovska Gora above Miločer and Sveti Stefan. On the plateau where the viewpoint is found, probably the most beautiful view of the Budva Riviera, a monument was erected for the fighters killed in World War II.

4. St. Sava Church in Đenaši

The Church of St. Sava and the viewpoint in Đenaši are located above Sveti Stefan island. From this place, there is a breathtaking view of Budva's coast, Sveti Stefan, Miločer, Reževići and Budva. This viewpoint is a favorite among the just married couples, who regularly choose this place for their wedding photographs, with Sveti Stefan in the back.

5. Monastery Podmaine

On a mild elevation above the Budva field, about two kilometers from the Old Town, there is a monastery Podostrog, with two temples, one of which is dedicated to the Ascension, and the second to the Presentation of the Holy Mother of God to The Temple. It was named after the Ostrog hill under which it was built, although it is often mentioned in the literature under the name Podmaine, which was the name of the monastery located somewhat lower, with the church of St. Petka.

6. Citadel

The Citadel leaning on the southern ridge dominates the Old Town of Budva and with its beauty and specialty, it attracts a great number of tourists from all over the world. Citadel was once known as Kaštel Svete Marije, shorter only Kaštel or by its Italian name Castello di Santa Maria.

7. Fortress Mogren

The fort was built in 1860. It was built by the Austro-Hungarians to protect the city from the west. It is badly damaged and never restored. It offers a beautiful view of the city and the island of St. Nicholas. Today Mogren Fortress is one of the inevitable tourist attractions in Budva.

8. St. Nicholas Island

St. Nicholas Island or Island Školj (Italian: scoglio - rock), as locals call it, is the largest Montenegrin island on the Adriatic. The island covers 47 hectares and is almost 2 km long, and the Old Town in Budva is a whole mile away. It was named after the church of the same name, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, patron of sailors.

9. Zlopi

Every summer night, lovers of the old good Mediterranean sound can enjoy the gigs of Nebojša Zloporubović known as Zlopi, who has been playing in the restaurant Pjaca in Budva for over twenty years.

10. Museum of Budva

Museum of Budva - In the Old Town, located in the building from the beginning of the 19th century, has permanent settings of archaeological and ethnographic collection, and on the ground floor of the museum is a lapidarium with valuable examples of stone plastic. The archaeological collection consists of objects found during archaeological excavations in Budva (Hellenistic gold, various vases, jewelry, ornaments, tools, cutlery, glassware, clay, silverware ...) that originate from the 5th century BC until the Middle Ages, unifying the culture of the Illyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Slavs in this area.

11. City Theatre Festival

The City Theatre Festival is a cultural manifestation that takes place during the summer months in Budva under the auspices of the Municipality of Budva and is definitely something worth the attention, with an excellent program and something that should not be missed when the cultural content is in question.

Conceived as a cross-section of contemporary achievements of primarily theatrical, and then artistic, musical and literary creativity, the City Theatre Festival with the quality of the program confirms its renown not only as a host to numerous troops and creators, but also with the quality of production activity that examines the authentic cultural heritage of Budva and Montenegro.

Read more information useful for travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

11 July 2019 - A merger of one segment of the spanning construction of the Moračica bridge on the Bar - Boljare motorway has been completed, while the complete bridge merging is expected by September this year, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Transport of Montenegro announced. It is expected that the new deadline for the completion of works, September 2020, will be respected.

Minister of Transport and Marine Affairs, Osman Nurković, with associates and representatives of the company CRBC (China Road and Bridge Corporation), visited the entire priority section of the Bar-Boljare motorway.

With satisfaction with the volume of works done on bridges, tunnels and open roads, Nurković once again expressed the expectation that the new deadline for the completion of works, in September 2020, will be respected.

"It is necessary to understand all participants and to help the contractor in order to come to the end of this extremely complex project. Moračica bridge is not the only section that is complex for construction, but I would say that, for example, the Veruša loop, with viaducts and access roads and bridges in length of almost a kilometre, is definitely a complex segment as well, so we have to keep that in mind," said Nurković.

So far, about 96 per cent of works have been completed on the construction of bridges, that is, in terms of pillars and foundations, while about 54 per cent of works have been completed on the span construction. The span construction is fully completed on three bridges: Gornje Mrke, Suvorovara and Preslo, while one track of the motorway has been finalised alongside while five bridges: Mištica, Uvač 1, Uvač 3, Pajkov Vir and Jabuka. The degree of completion of works on the span construction on the Moračica bridge is 80%. The merger of one segment of the span construction is completed, while the complete bridge joining is expected by September of this year.

From a total of 16 tunnels, 15 have been excavated. The construction of the upper part of the secondary coating of the tunnels is 94,7 per cent complete.

The tour of the route identified several problems with which the contractor faces the field. It was agreed that the problems are solved with the involvement of all stakeholders - the State Audit Commission, the Monteput Project Management Unit, the supervision unit and the engineers of CRBC.

The Minister reminded that in addition to the motorway route, in the previous period, a total of 65 kilometres of access roads have been built, which is also one of the benefits of the construction of the motorway.

All these works had a certain impact on nature, which is why Nurković calls for understanding for possible impacts, but also reminds that the contractor must try to protect the environment to the extent possible. "After the completion of the project, everything has to be rehabilitated, because it is not our goal to build one good, but destroy nature, as another good," concluded Nurković.

Read more information useful for travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

10 July 2019 - On Saturday, July 13th, on the Pine promenade in Tivat, the locals and tourists will be entertained by the famous band Van Gogh, while the local band Ansamb Toć will take care of the overture of the event.

The summer calendar of events in Tivat will surely be a good guide in choosing a holiday date for many guests from the region, and the new concept #tivtovanje gives enough reason for having a great time exactly on the Tivat Riviera! The new word (and concept) #tivtovanje explains with one notion all the experiences that can one can come in contact with in Tivat. The concert of Van Gogh band is a segment of the rich program that Tivat’s Tourist Organization has prepared for locals and tourists in 2019!

“Do not miss the unforgettable party on July 13th in Tivat. The entrance is free. Welcome,” said the official invitation of the Tourist Organization of Tivat Municipality.

Van Gogh is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade. In the 2000s the band became one of the top acts of the Serbian rock scene. Since the beginning of the band's career, vocalist and guitarist Zvonimir Đukić and drummer Srboljub Radivojević have been the mainstay members of the band. Van Gogh won the Best Adriatic Act Award at MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, the Best Band and Best Concert Award at Serbian Oscar Of Popularity 2009, Video Play MTV Platinum Award in 2013, Best Adriatic Act at MTV Europe Music Awards 2014 and the Album of the year award at The Naxi Star Awards in 2019. The band’s members are promising a good time, so be sure not to miss this manifestation in Tivat!

Read more about events in the summer season in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

10 July 2019 - The Tivat station for charging new generation vehicles - electric cars will be officially put into operation on Thursday, July 11 at 11 am at the parking lot in Arsenal Street. Charging will be free at first, reports RTCG.

Electric Vehicle Charging Station owned by Limited Liability Company Parking Servis Tivat is available for the use of the public and installed by Croatian Telecom in cooperation with Montenegrin Telecom.

"Through the mobile application Plugsurfing (and soon with other mobile applications), all users of electric vehicles in Europe are aware that they can fill their vehicle at a public parking lot in Tivat," the statement from the Parking Servis Tivat said.

Plugsurfing Application enables access to Europe’s largest and most up-to-date network of electric vehicle charging stations. The application’s owners and creators have been giving electric vehicle drivers access to Europe’s largest charging network since 2012. Their simple charging process supports existing EV drivers and helps many more smoothly transition to electric driving. Now, Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Tivat can be found on the maps for all the users of Plugsurfing Application, which sends the signal to electric vehicle owners that their commute, weekend getaway or road trip across Montenegro is simple and worry-free.

All types of electric vehicles, regardless of model, can charge batteries at this station. Parking Servic Tivat LLC invested more than seven thousand euros in the preparation of the terrain, procurement of the equipment and its installation.

Electric vehicles, due to the fact that they are environmentally friendly, have been recognized in the world as cars of the future, and in Montenegro, there were 74 vehicles of this type registered in 2018, said the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for CdM. The necessary infrastructure and public charging stations are gradually being created, and the introduction of a new station is a huge step towards increasing environmental awareness in Montenegro.

Read more information useful for travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 July 2019 - For a better presentation and availability of data on the quality of seawater in Montenegro to citizens and tourists, the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro has developed a software application system for processing and presentation of data, which can be accessed via the Internet.

The application is located on the website www.morskodobro.com and is available in Montenegrin and English. Also, the application was made according to the latest standards and is adapted for displaying data on all models of computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones, it was announced from the Coastal Zone Management Enterprise.

The program of the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro for 2019 foresees the monitoring of the quality of seawater at a total of 100 locations along the Montenegrin coast, namely: 16 in the municipality of Ulcinj, 13 in the municipality of Bar, 26 in Budva, 9 in Tivat, 15 in Kotor and 21 in the territory of the municipality of Herceg Novi. It is anticipated that the analyses will be carried out at fifteen-day intervals in the period from May to October.

Since 1996, the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro has been implementing annual programs for monitoring the sanitary quality of seawater at public beaches during the summer season in accordance with the provisions of the Water Act. Since 2010, this Program has been implemented by the Decree on classification and categorization of waters, as well as following other national and international regulations in the field of environmental protection.

In order to monitor the sanitary safety of seawater in public swimming areas and its overall quality, and in accordance with national and international regulations, the following parameters are examined: basic microbiological parameters - Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci, as well as additional chemical parameters: air temperature, water temperature (when taking a sample), salinity, pH value, the colour saturation with oxygen (% O2), ammonia (mg / l), floating waste materials (descriptive) and colour and transparency (descriptive).

According to the results of the analysis, the Public Enterprise regularly informs the municipal communal and republican water management inspectors, as well as the public. If the result of the sample exceeds the allowed limits (outside the category), sampling is performed to determine whether it is a transient change or contamination.

The results of testing the sanitary quality of seawater, as well as the data on sea temperature, air temperature and salinity for each individual bathing site, can be found on the special application on the website www.morskodobro.com .

Read more information useful to tourists in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.