14 July 2019 - The Parking Service Herceg Novi company installed four parking payment machines in four different locations near Solemar in Igalo, Tonsati, in the city center between the City Cafe and Atlas Bank and on the street X Hercegovačka (bus from Dubrava to the main Bus Station). These parking payment machines are fully operating and in function since a few days ago, reported Radio Herceg Novi. The Director of Parking Service Herceg Novi Miladin Bato Vidaković talked about these payment machines and their functions, as well as the zones where these machines will apply, but also mentioned their fees.

"The parking payment machines receive banknotes up to 20 euros and returns the change. Through the display, the user determines how long they will park," explained Vidaković.

Parking Service Herceg Novi has imposed a time limit in the red zone for a maximum of two hours. A new, blue zone in the center of Igalo has been introduced (from the former hotel "Tamaris" to "Galeb"), which has inherited the red zone, but without a time limit. The summer mode of payment is currently being applied which means that the price in red (time limit of 2 hours) and the blue zone per hour is 0.80 EUR, and in the yellow zone 0.50 EUR. In the yellow zone it is also possible to buy a daily ticket of 5 EUR, which is valid from 7 AM to 12 AM. Parking can also be paid by SMS. For red zone number is 14510, blue 14511, yellow 14512, and for day card 14513.

Read more news about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

13 July 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović, at the invitation of Ahmet Erentok, President of the Board of Directors of Azmont Investments, visited the works at the Portonovi resort in Herceg Novi.

On this occasion, the preliminary works of the first phase of the construction, contents and activities, which will be available to the local and international public from 1st of August this year, were shown for the first time.

When Azmont Investments entered the Montenegrin market in 2012, its contractual obligation was to invest 52 million EUR in the first four years, or 258 million EUR in eight years. By the end of June this year, Portonovi’s investor invested 469 million EUR, while the total investment after all works would be close to 1 billion EUR, the company stated. In all segments of the project, an average of 1,560 workers are now engaged.

Đukanović said that he is impressed with what he saw in Portonovi, adding that the implementation of the project from the first day to the present seemed almost unbelievable. A lot of works have been completed already and everything was done according to what were the most optimistic expectations.

"This is a serious chance to solve key economic and social problems in the country and a key opportunity for Montenegro's development, primarily in these activities that really represent the best development opportunity for our country," noted Đukanović according to the report of the Cabinet of the President of Montenegro.

The Resort spans over 26 acres and consists of 1.8 kilometers of an exclusive coastal area with 214 residences. World brands, such as the first One & Only hotel in Europe with the Espace Chenot Health Wellness Spa Center, and D-Marine with 238 berths and the ability to receive boats up to 120 meters long, are part of the Portonovi’s resort offer. Within the marina, a border crossing is also envisaged.

Portonovi settlement is designed in a traditional Mediterranean style with a combination of bohemian and Venetian architecture, concerning Montenegrin history, tradition and culture of life and construction. With its completion, the quality and standards of Montenegro's tourist offer will significantly increase.

"I am pleased to note that in the final I can see that through the realization of the resort such as Portonovi, Porto Montenegro, Lustica and many other venues that are in preparation, we realize the vision of Montenegro as a European prestigious tourist destination where many people from Europe and beyond Europe recognize something that is truly the most valuable quality of our space and our people," concluded Đukanović.

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

The concert of Aleksandar Tutunov, a prominent representative of the Russian pianist school who lives and works in the United States, will be organized tonight in the Park Hall at the 36th International Festival "Days of Music" in Herceg Novi. The repertoire includes works by Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Glinka and Prokofiev. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most prominent virtues of the former Soviet Union and also the winner of national competitions of pianists in Belarus and Russia. He often performs in Europe, China, Mexico and the United States, performing solo, as a soloist with an orchestra, but also on radio and television, and is very much sought after as a judge at competitions. He graduated with honours at the Moscow Conservatory and at the University of North Texas and received a Ph.D. degree with honours at the State Conservatory of Belarus. He taught at the music universities of Minneapolis, North Texas and Illinois. As a successful pedagogue, he continues to prepare award-winning students for prestigious pianist competitions. Dr Tutunov is an Artist in Residence at the University of Alaska South East, artistic director of the International Institute of Piano at the University of South Oregon and director of the Chinese-American Institute of Piano International in Chengdu, China.

The international festival “Days of Music”, started on 10 July with the performance of the Amoroso Chamber Orchestra and lasts until 20 July. 

Days of music has been refreshed this year - three of the seven festival concerts are being held in various open areas, according to which Herceg Novi is recognizable, and also a top pianist repertoire is being performed on the new piano in the Park Hall.

Along with Aleksandar Tutunov, solo concerts will also be performed by the three artists of different generations - representatives of the Music Academy from Sarajevo on 18 July and by the artistic director of the manifestation Boris Kraljević, on 20 July. Both of the concerts will be performed in the Park Hall Herceg Novi at 9.30 p.m.

The concert of the Zagreb Quartet will be held on 17 July in the Garden of the City Museum "Mirko Komnenović" at the same time. It is the oldest Croatian chamber ensemble. They have played at more than 3,000 concerts on all continents and won numerous domestic and foreign awards, including the Vladimir Nazor Award for lifetime achievement in 2009. They recorded more than 60 albums.
This year the festival was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro while the General Sponsor is the Municipality of Herceg Novi.

10 July 2019 - The 38th Herceg Novi Swimming Marathon "Memorial Mario-Dido Marić" manifestation will be held on Saturday, July 27th, when a number of athletes, recreational sportspeople and citizens of Herceg Novi will swim 2500 meters from Njivice to Škver.

The right to participate in the swimming marathon is open to all those who are interested in taking a compulsory medical examination two hours before the race, as well as submitting official documentation forms which are available on spot, as reported Radio Jadran.

On the day of the race at 3.30 PM, the transport of swimmers from Škver to Njivice will be organized, after which the competitors' reports and medical examination will be made on the beach of the hotel "Iberostar Herceg Novi". The marathon starts at 6 PM when the participants will head to a 2,5 kilometer long target, a beach "White Fairy" on Škver (Boka Beach).

The limited time of swimming in the race is set to an hour and thirty minutes, while at 8 PM the competition in the rope pulling for the main prize, ham, will be organized.

For all of those who arrive at the destination, diplomas and souvenirs, sandwiches and juices are provided, while the winners will take money prize, cups and medals. For the first place in the women's and men's competitions, the prize is the cup, medal, and 150 EUR, for the second place of it is a medal and 100 EUR, and for the third place, a medal and 50 EUR. Special gifts are provided for both the oldest and the youngest participants of the race.

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

9. July 2019 - The HSF, Herceg Novi Strip Festival has added two outstanding British artists Boo Cook and Simon Davis to the list of special guests of this year's 13th edition of the Festival (HSF), which is going to run from 6 to 11 September.

Davis began work for the 2000AD house in the 1990s, and his brilliant full-colour artwork enabled him to be a long-standing illustrator of stories like Sinister Dexter, Black Siddha and Judge Dredd. Newer projects where he worked are Ampney Crucis with Ian Edginton and Slaine: The Brutania Chronicles with Pat Mills. Davis's latest creation is Thistlebone folk-horror story with writer T.C. Eglington. Apart from his work on comics, Simon is also a portraitist and the Vice President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

Like of all more prominent comic writers in Britain, Cook's comic work began at the 2000AD house on figures like Judge Dredd, Anderson Dogs, Blunt, ABC Warriors and Harry Kipling. In addition, he was the regular author of the cover for Elephantmen's Monthly Edition in Image/Comixology. Cook is also the author of a huge number of covers, including Wolverine and X Factor, for the most famous American publishing house Marvel. Like Simon, Bo is a polyvalent artist, so he is also a successful painter, writer and musician –drummer in the Forktail band where he plays with Davis, but also in the experimental-synth band Motherbox. He says he loves sci-fi, curry and cats.

Since all headliners have to make a special poster for the Herceg Novi festivity of ninth art, the London comic artists have already sent their works for this year's edition of the festival.

With the premier release of these remarkable achievements, the organizers remind that in addition to two great British artists, the list of special guests is made up of Argentinean, legend of the comic book Enrique Breccia; Italians Vanessa Belardo, Pasquale del Vecchio, Andrea di Vito and Mario Allberti, and Spanish Raul Allen and Javier Fernandes, as well as Belgian Alain Mauriset. They will lead an impressive army of more than 50 artists who will be staying in Herceg Novi in ​​September. Among them are practically resident artists - William Simpson, Rufus Dayglo, Walter Venturi, Walter Trono, Dražen Kovačević, Mirko Čolak, Aleksa Gajić , Stevan Subić, as well as those who had participated in the festival from the first edition and are considered an inseparable part of the HSF, Tihomir Tikulin, Vladimir Vesovic, Iztok Sitar.

Given that 2019 is full of significant jubilees from the world of comics, this year's edition of the HSF will be marked by these crucial historical moments, like 90 years since the release of Tin Tin, 80 years of Batman, 60 years of Asterix, 50 years of Alan Ford and 50 years of the most famous Balkan comic book Dikan. In honour of this jubilee, a lecture will be held by the legendary author, creator of Dikan Lazar Sredanović, great Montenegrin theorist Luka Rakojević, as well as renowned comic artists Moreno Buratini, Iztok Sitar, Vladimir Vesović, Milko Peko, Zoran Stefanović, Enis Čišić and many others. Lectures will be held at local schools and established HSF locations, in addition to exhibitions, drawings for fans, art workshops, concerts and major HSF parties, which will make day-long programmes for all six days of this festivity devoted to ninth art. To make it even better, all events will be free for all visitors.

HSF would not be one of the best festivals in this part of Europe if it didn’t prepare a major surprise for each edition, so more special guests and music creators can be expected until the beginning of the 13th Herceg Novi Comic Festival.

07 July 2019 - From season to season, Herceg Novi and the Bay of Kotor attract more and more tourists who want to explore Montenegro's underwater world. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in diving courses offered by Diving Club Adriatic Blue on Škver.

The Diving Club Adriatic Blue was founded 15 years ago and ever since, its members have been actively organizing diving training and diving tours. Two instructors and three dive masters are the main members of the club. “Diving classes are attended by children from 8 to 14 years old, while the diving school is accessible to individuals older than 14 years, which is the precondition for getting the certificate issued by the Diving Association of Montenegro,” said the director of the club Danijel Đorđević for Radio Jadran.

Training for divers who want the CMAS certificate of the first, second or third category, lasts for an average of 6 days. The theoretical part is processed daily, followed by practical training under water.

Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) is an international federation that represents underwater activities in underwater sport and marine sciences, and oversees an international system of recreational snorkel and scuba diver training and recognition. It is also known by its English name, the World Underwater Federation. The CMAS has developed a CMAS International Diver Training Certification System that consists of Diver, Speciality Diver, Technical Diver and Leadership Diver Training Standards and which allows divers that have been trained in accordance with the prescribed CMAS International Diver Training Standards to have their certifications recognised throughout the world in countries that are members of the CMAS family of divers.

The underwater area of Bay of Kotor is extremely attractive, due to nature and configuration itself, but also due to the wreckage of ships and planes that have been found at the bottom of the sea throughout the years.

“At the area from Cape Dobreč, through the island Mamula to Blue Cave (Montenegrin: Plava špilja), we have a very attractive terrain, riffs that extend up to 40 meters deep and several caves, such as Blue Cave, Zlatne vale, Jakubića cave, that are harmless even for beginner divers. In terms of shipwrecks, the most attractive ship is Patrolac at Žanjice, because it is accessible for all CMAS categories. It is the most visited wreck on the entire Montenegrin coast,” says Đorđević.

He also highlighted that better cooperation between diving clubs and the Municipality of Herceg Novi and the Tourist Organization of this city is of great importance in order to more actively promote diving tourism before, during and after the tourist season. “If we had more support, Herceg Novi would become a great diving destination, because all foreigners that come and go on our diving tour are delighted with the visibility, the warmth of the water and the diversity of locations on a relatively small area, at a short distance from the city,” Đorđević concluded.

Read more about tourist destinations in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

06 June 2019 - After the development of the Spatial Urban Plan of Herceg Novi, the local administration started developing the Herceg Novi Investment Map, in order to “open” the city to investors and new projects. The completion of the spatial urban plan means that now all interested investors can have access to the necessary planning documentation and can build objects which are necessary for the development of the city in various parts Herceg Novi.

According to the statement that the Advisor of the President of the Municipality of Herceg Novi Tamara Vujović made for Radio Jadran, one of the most important capital projects within the Herceg Novi Investment Map that the local administration wants to implement is the Bus Station in Igalo.

“Aside from the Bus Station in Igalo, we also want to build business-residential buildings in various parts of the city, a business centre with a market in Igalo and a cable car from Njivice to Žvinja. There is also the construction of a bypass, i.e. the map covers projects from those who don’t require major investments to the crucial capital projects, which Herceg Novi does not currently have,” said Vujović.

The investment map is in the final stages of development and will be presented at the first next business forum, which means that Herceg Novi is ready to open its doors to investors and people who want to beautify the city.

The investment map is based on the Spatial Urban Plan of Herceg Novi, which was adopted at the end of last year.

The local government also plans to develop the City Development Strategy for the period 2020-2027. The Advisor of the President of the Municipality told Radio Jadran that the local government is currently gathering a team to develop this strategy.

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

06. July 2019- The Herceg Novi – Tivat speed boat line started last week, bringing passengers from one side to the other of the Boka Bay in twenty minutes. Nataša Bajat, the owner of Montenegro Boat Company, launched this interesting offer. She has lived and worked in New York since 1997, but she spent the last summers at her home in Herceg Novi.

What inspired her was the long time she had to spend to get to Herceg Novi from Tivat Airport by land:                                                                              "It was not difficult to come to this idea since I travel frequently. Always, when I would land at Tivat airport, I thought that it would be nice to get to Novi faster, and this is what I wanted to achieve," Nataša says.

Currently, a Sea Ray 240 Sundeck - "Wizard", with a capacity of 10 seats, is operating on that sea line, but from next week, another with 7 seats will be included. The route is covered every hour in each direction. From Herceg Novi to the airport, a speedboat arrives in about 20 minutes. Departures from Herceg Novi are at odd hours, starting at 7 a.m and from Tivat Airport from 8 a.m. It is necessary to make reservations via phone, e-mail, Viber or WhatsApp to service passengers and guests from abroad. One way ticket costs 19 euros, but discounts are planned for return tickets, as well as benefits for regular travellers and guests. People usually don’t believe that the price is so low for this sea line, Bajat said.

"The emphasis is on transporting passengers and tourists to the airport in order to avoid traffic jams from Herceg Novi to Tivat, but we stop and transport to all locations according to the requirements of passengers, including Tivat Bay, Krašići, Krtole, the complete left and right side of the bay to Igalo, as well as Rose and Njivice. Upon request, we are open to including Perast, or that part of the bay and add it to our sea line," explains the owner of the company. This service is open not only for airport passengers, but also for people who want to come to Tivat from Herceg Novi, or vice versa by this connection.

The boat stand is 350 meters away from the airport, which is a 4-5 minute walk from the Airport Terminal to the Marina Restaurant. The cooperation with Taxi drivers - Car Pool option has been arranged. The ride, which lasts less than a minute, is 5 euros, and the car can take five passengers who share the cost of transport.

"This season is a pilot project to make sure that all of this works and it would certainly be nice to have a service like this in the bay. It would be a good way to reduce pressure on road traffic," Bajat said.

The company currently has five employees, a female and male captain, a hostess who welcomes passengers at the airport and sends them to the mole where the boat is seated, as well as two sailors.

Nataša Bajat came to New York as an exchange student from Novi Sad, where she studied philosophy. She worked in tourism for sixteen years, for a world corporation of restaurants and hotels, where she remained a consultant, now she is in real estate. As philosophy remains in every segment of our lives: the philosophy of tourism, statehood, real estate, it will always stay a part of her life, too. However, boats have been her love since childhood, and she desires to return one day from New York to Herceg Novi and Boka.

04 July 2019 - The UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted decisions relating to two world heritage sites in Montenegro - the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor and the National Park Durmitor.

The decision relating to the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor is one of the most affirmative decisions of the Committee related to the Region of Kotor, especially since 2003, when the area was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger on which it was inscribed due to the devastating earthquake in 1979. 

Nevertheless, from that moment, the Committee commenced the warnings about the danger of sudden and uncontrolled urbanization and tourist pressure that threatens the preservation of exceptional universal values that are the basis of the World Heritage List. The decisions of the Committee were stricter, until the Istanbul Decision in 2016, after which a series of consultations were held with UNESCO, which resulted in the Government of Montenegro's adoption of the Action Plan for the implementation of this Decision. Since February 2017, when the Action Plan was adopted, a number of activities resulted in a Decision that welcomes the efforts of the "member state in many areas, including the development of the Draft Urban Spatial Plan of Kotor, the preparation of amendments to the Law on Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, the initiation of the audit of the Management Plan, the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) of the area...".

It welcomes the State's decision to abandon the proposed project of the cable car from the Old Town to the San Giovanni Fortress and the Glavati Prčanj tourist complex in order to protect the exceptional universal value. The State is encouraged to continue to improve the process of impact assessment, the HIA is required for the tourist complex in Morinj and the bridge in Verige, before State's commitment to implement these ideas. It is required that the revised Management Plan includes recommendations of the Reactive Monitoring Mission from 2018. In particular, it is required that the Management Plan addresses the issues of managing and reducing risks and tourism management.

The Ministry of Culture of Montenegro reported that the decision concerning the Durmitor National Park treats the issues that were the subject of the Advisory Mission in November 2018. The decision confirms the findings of the Advisory Mission, which calls for a series of activities that the State should undertake in the upcoming period in cooperation with UNESCO and advisory bodies.

The World Heritage Committee is held every year with the aim of considering the state of conservation of natural and cultural goods inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as considering new nominations. This year's Committee is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 30 June to 10 July. The Committee has made a number of important decisions, some of which concern the cessation of the status of "heritage in danger" for countries that have managed to prevent the loss of certain values. Certain goods are inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

At this year's Committee, Montenegro joined a group of states that supported Switzerland in an appeal for a more consistent application of the Convention in deciding, and for equal access to all countries and goods under consideration, in order to further strengthen the Convention and the role of the Committee. 

Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO of Montenegro Milica Nikolić is taking part at the Committee in Baku.

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

Memorial Day was marked with a central celebration in Herceg Novi, Sutorina, where the wreaths to the victims fighting for freedom were laid by the President of Herceg Novi Stevan Katic and the President of SUBNOR Herceg Novi 1941-1945, Mihailo Kilibarda.

Vice-Presidents of the Municipality Danijela Djurovic and Milos Konjevic, Consul of Serbia in Herceg Novi Zoran Dojcinovic, as well as representatives of various organizations and citizens attended the Memorial Day celebration.

"By marking this Day at the memorial park in Sutorina, we remember and celebrate all the ancestors who defended their families, homes, customs, language, freedom, and homeland during the turbulent history," Katic said and stressed that Memorial Day must not be just a figure in the school books, because even today there is fascism as a state organization of radical authoritarian nationalism.

He was concerned that a large number of people are still struggling for basic rights and freedoms, which are difficult to conquer and easily lost.

"That is why we must not forget the dates that represent the beginning of an anti-fascist struggle, and we have to convey to the young generations the memory of the many names and dates that determined the history and the future of our people," Katic said.

Memorial Day was also marked in Bijela, where the members of the local organization of the fighters laid wreaths and flowers on the grave of Milo Savo Serovic, at the church of the Virgin Mary. The Serovic family gave another bold son of the revolution - Petar, who fully contributed to the liberation struggle of Bijela and Herceg Novi.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on July 4th 2019, read more at Vijesti