About Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi was founded in 1382 and has an attractive historical town centre. Two market places, several churches, a thriving culture, the marina and its boardwalk, and the old fortress are the main attractions of the town. Worth seeing is the Clock Tower built by the Turks in 1667 which now forms part of the city charms on the main square and the abbey of Savina (with a small church built in 1030 as well as a large church) which also runs a hostel with a museum. Only about 6 nm away the Blue Grotto is another attractive place for excursions. Not far from Herceg Novi is the internationally renowned Spa
Igalo that is a 20 to 25 minute walk along a thriving boardwalk full of cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, taverns and tourist gift outlets. For guided and well-serviced kayak experiences, contact Kayak Montenegro. Racing regattas can be viewed at close quarters from anywhere on the waterfront each summer weekend.
Top 10 destinations
1. MANASTIR SAVINA
The history of the Savina monastery in Herceg Novi takes us back to the time when Saint Sava lived, after whom the monastery was named. According to the time of creation, it belongs to the Baroque period. It is located in the most beautiful part of the bay of Boka Kotorska, on a hill from which there is an incredible view of the sea and the island of Luštica.
2. KANLI KULA
It was built after the reconquest of Herceg Novi from the Turks in 1539. Today, this is one of the most beautiful summer stages on the entire Adriatic, from where it offers a wonderful view of the city from its walls.
3. Forte Mare
Translated as “Sea Fortress”, Forte Mare was built in the rocks in 1382. This, today a well-known tourist destination, is a summer cinema with a stage.
4. Promenade “Pet Danica”
For those who like to walk by the sea, they will enjoy the 6 km long and well-maintained promenade from Igalo to Meljin.
5. “Njegoševa” street
Njegoševa, or the main street in the city, is the seat of numerous exclusive shops, administrations, tourist agencies… From it you enter the most beautiful park of the city, Park “Boke”.
6. Church of ST. Archangel Michael
This temple of unique architecture is located on Herceg Stjepan Square, popular Belavista. Built in the neo-Byzantine style, it has decorative elements of Romano-Gothic reminiscence (1905). The surroundings are old, elegant historical buildings in which the archive, library, radio, gallery…
7. Sahat Kula
The clock tower represents the entrance to the Old Town, it is a symbol and one of the most important tourist attractions of Herceg-Novi. The staircase between Nikola Djurković Square and Belavista Square (nice view) leads through the city gate under the Clock Tower. The tower was built in 1667.
8. City museum
The museum building is an endowment of Mirko Komnenović, bequeathed to the city with the wish that the house be a museum. The endowment consists of a Museum building built at the end of the 18th century and a beautiful botanical garden with more than a hundred selected species of Mediterranean and subtropical plants formed in a park style.
9. Church of ST. Leopold Mandic
It is located on Mića Pavlović Square and was built by order of Jerom Korner a year after the liberation of the city from the Venetians, in 1688. It is dedicated to Leopold Mandić, who was born and raised in Herceg Novi, who was declared a saint by Pope Ivan Paul II in 1983.
10. House of Ivo Andrić
Herceg Novi is known as the city of writers. The list of writers who were inspired by their stay in Herceg Novi to create is long and includes: Aleksa Šantić, Simo Matavulj, Mihailo Lalić, Dušan Kostić, Stevan Raičković, Zuk Džumhur and Ivo Andrić. Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić left a house with a beautiful garden in Topla, the town, and today it is used for gatherings within the framework of cultural events.
City of festivals
This city has a festival identity that lasts. Like many cultural centers, Herceg Novi is in a specific way part of a wide European and even world audience thanks to the large festivals that are held there throughout the year. It is a meeting place for creators, creative visionaries, performers and famous names, which make it the eternal City of Festivals.
MIMOSA FESTIVAL
February
The Mimosa Festival is one of the most important tourist and propaganda events in our region, which has been going on since 1969. A large number of entertainment, cultural and sports programs take place within the Festival. The most attractive are masquerade balls for children and adults, carnival processions led by blech music and majorettes that are the hallmark of the Mimosa Festival, as well as the popular Mimosa, Fish and Wine Festival. The international flower exhibition has a long tradition, and concerts in the squares, various sports competitions and artistic programs are an integral part of this great festival. The Mimosa Festival Caravan visits many cities promoting the festival, which is a complex touristic and cultural manifestation known in the region and beyond.
HAPS
April
Hercegnov’s April Theater Festival is a festival that has changed its concept since 1996, when it was founded, from a review of amateur theaters of the former Yugoslavia, to a profiled review of selected regional professional productions. The program of HAPS today consists of guest and domestic theater performances for children and adults, as well as a diverse supporting program. The titular Hercegnovsko pozorište and JUK Herceg fest, which is based in Dvorana Park, are the co-organizers of the festival, which according to the audience and professional public is in constant artistic ascent.
FAMILY FUN FEST
June
Considering the authentic experiences that this festival offers and the fact that it is one of the few that presents exclusively family content, Family Fun Fest attracts a large number of visitors who are interested in the destination’s fun cultural resources. The festival is held in several locations and, in addition to open-air film screenings, offers numerous concerts, plays, masquerade balls, as well as other entertainment, which, along with the reflection of the sea, are a guarantee for the most beautiful photos in the family albums of the summer of Nov.
DAYS OF MUSIC
July
International festival of artistic music Days of Music is traditionally held in the month of July. Participants of the festival are eminent artists from all over the world. Concert programs of the Music Day are held in the Park Hall, and the sponsors of this elegant music festival are the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro, the Municipality and the Tourist Organization of Herceg-Novi, while JUK Herceg Fest is the executive producer of the Festival.
GUITAR ART SUMMER FEST
August
Guitar Art Summer Fest is an international classical guitar festival. Concerts are held every evening in the heart of the Old Town between two churches, the Music School, between stone houses and the summer starry sky, but also on the ancient Kanli tower. As part of the Festival, a summer guitar school takes place during the day, with which GASF supports and promotes young talents who have the opportunity to work and perform with the greatest artists on the guitar.
JAZZ BAY FESTIVAL
August
The Jazz Festival, apart from concerts by prominent jazz musicians, emphasizes education and bringing jazz music closer to young people, organizing instrumental and vocal workshops. Concerts are organized in fantastic settings. The guests are artists from all over the world and thanks to the Jazz bay festival, Herceg Novi as a cultural tourist destination has a prominent place on the map of jazz events.
FILM FESTIVAL HERCEG NOVI – MONTENEGRO FILM FESTIVAL
August
JUK Herceg fest is the executive producer of the Film Festival Herceg Novi – Montenegro Film Festival, whose competition program is held on the summer stage of the Kanli Tower fortress. The idea of the festival, which today has the status of a manifestation of special importance for the culture of Montenegro, was born in 1987, when the first Yugoslav festival of film direction was held. In several locations in the city, films are shown in four selections: feature film – competition and review program, documentary films and a selection of student films in a separate competition program. The festival is accompanied by workshops for young professionals and other programs related to film art and cinematography.
OPEROSA MONTENEGRO – OPERA FESTIVAL
August
The opera and classical music festival Operosa was founded in 2006 by the mezzo-soprano Katherine Haataja for the purpose of promoting young opera talents and contemporary expression to a modern audience. Operosa Montenegro Opera Festival takes place at the beautiful open fortress of Kanli Kula. The festival combines unique performances of international opera talents with the wealth of local cultural heritage, attracting an increasing number of audiences and media from all over the world. The goal of Operosa is to focus on a repertoire suitable for young opera singers, working with top producers and presenting opera as a modern and entertaining form.
HERCEG NOVI COMICS FESTIVAL
September
HSF is the first and only comics festival in Montenegro, founded in 2006, and therefore Herceg Novi has become the absolute center of events and trends in this art. Considering the recent popularity of comics, HSF plays a significant role in the promotion of the city for numerous members of comics and urban culture, developing year by year and attracting more and more attention from the regional and world public.