Lustica Bay Magazine - Issue Year 2014

2014 season

Every puncture tells a story: montenegro by bicycle the great(er) escape: action & adventure for the modern traveller Plus Balkan film, seasonal style & inspirational eco architecture

contents 2014 season

Editor Cassia Geller Art Director Andrew Campbell Editorial Director Lucy Naylor Creative Director Will Scott Staff Writer Flora Hughes-Onslow Photography Editor Matthew Beaman Deputy Picture Editor Emmanuelle Peri Picture Researchers Alex Esquerdeiro Alicia Hart Contributors Deborah Burnstone Ifor Duncan Sean Lynn Cathy Strongman Laura Tennant Claire Wrathall Account Director Kristen Fleener Account Manager Jacqui Hoey Production Director Peter Davies Cover Photography Vincent Fournier

24 a picture

of health It’s official: Montenegrin living equals a long life and good looks. Get in on the action

27 Adriatic accents Make your home a treasure trove of local finds

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28 the Director’s Chair How the future of Balkan film was bred in our very own peninsula. We tell homegrown tales with filmmaker Ivan Marinović

5 about the bay All the news, whos and where-tos from Luštica Bay and beyond

Editor for Luštica Bay Colin Kingsmill Assistant Editor Ivana Uljarević Reproduction Zebra Printing Graphicom, Italy

8 in the saddle Pedal off the beaten track and out onto Montenegro’s mountain trails

21 the three sisters Heartbreak, architecture and the high seas: a tragic tale worthy of Bill Shakespeare himself 23 lead the pack Your summer of style, in the bag

14 the art of

adventure Ditch the sun lounger – modern travel means so much more than simply bringing home a tan

Published on behalf of Luštica Bay by Forward Worldwide, The Griffin Building, 83 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5AR

18 road trippin’

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Not a happy biker? Not a problem. We hitch a ride to see where else the road can take you to…

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w w w. l u s t i c a b ay. c o m

33 the shape of

things to come From ancient warriors to awe-inspiring athletes, the future of Montenegro looks fit

34 the green house effect A look at the sustainable design heroes inspiring our eco architecture 40 homeowner Meet Marco: family man, eco soldier, keen sailor and, you guessed it, proud owner of a Luštica home 41 property

Taking the next step in your Luštica story

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A little birdie told me…

At Luštica Bay, the ‘green’ will be greener With eco architecture and 94% of land left untouched

there’s a buzz about our coastline that’s almost tangible, an excitement shared in every beach club and business meeting

a letter from i l l u s t r at i o n : B o m b o l a n d at P O C K O P E O P L E

luŠtica Statistically speaking, Montenegro has had a very good year.

With a ten per cent increase in house prices predicted this year alone and tourism expected to grow faster than in any other country on the globe, it’s little wonder The Telegraph named it one of the world’s top ten places to invest in property.

Everywhere savvy calculatorwielders are doing the maths on

Montenegro, and every time the sums are coming out nicely.

But we’ve never been that much enamoured with stats.

Percentages and pie charts don’t make for very good company. They won’t tell you you look nice, or buy you a drink. You can’t even see them in action most of the time. And you certainly can’t feel them.

What you can feel here is what the Med’s coastal hotspots

felt 40 years ago – there’s a buzz about our coastline that’s almost tangible, an excitement shared in every beach club and business meeting. Last summer was as good as they come, and even the depths of the down season proved our liveliest yet, which means people are really putting down roots.

And, armed with the beautiful gift of hindsight, Montenegro is enjoying a more careful and considered growth than we’ve seen on other coasts – promising to preserve the natural beauty that first brought sunseekers to our UNESCO-listed shoreline.

All this, plus the exceptional year we’ve had at Luštica Bay – with building coming on beautifully, more and more homeowners joining our community, and a thrilling season of parties, arts and sports – means we’re feeling pretty perky, all in all.

Accordingly, in this issue we’re giving you something you can feel too. Feel the wind in your hair as you take to the hills by bike (p.8) or by car (p.18). Feel educated or enlightened – or feel a real hit of adrenaline – with our guide to adventure travel (p.14). Get a feel for local legend (p.21) or the world’s finest eco architecture (p.34). Feel pretty, oh-so-pretty, as we share the secret to eternal youth (clue: it’s Montenegro, p.24) and feel just a little smug as you hear about the future of film, first (p.28).

And once you’ve finished all that feeling, you can find your way here – we’re feeling quietly confident we’ll be seeing you soon. ■

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The air will smell sweeter With rosemary, honeysuckle, lavender and rose

about

the bay It’s been a busy year at Luštica Bay, and the action shows little sign of abating. Get up to speed with a smattering of news, some highlights from the months ahead, and a bit of insider info from our team

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Building the Bay Oh what a difference twelve months make. This time last year, we’d broken ground and had proudly laid our first cornerstone – celebrating the official start of construction in Luštica Bay. Since then, we’ve made rather a lot of progress: our first homes are taking shape

beautifully, and will be ready to welcome their new owners at the start of next year. Last autumn also saw work begin on the primary marina. And while it takes a lot of groundwork to get going on an 176-berth marina, eagle eyes will soon be rewarded with the first sights of it: the heart of our seaside town. Pats on the back all round then.

I know what we did last summer… …and it was, well, great.

Last summer saw our first official season get off to a swinging start, with every type of activity taking place at Luštica’s golf

club. The hilltop driving range played host to golf and archery lessons, there were tournaments between kids young and (very) old, a sparkling selection of parties at the club’s Bistro 19 restaurant and bar, and enough art to inspire even the most uncultured among us – with exhibitions by esteemed artists Adrijana Gvozdenović, Marko Petrović Njegoš, Nikola Radonjić and Suzana Pajović from Cetinje’s art academy. This, plus some spectacular weather, those astonishing sea views, and a healthy serving of rakija, and you can see why it was a season worth repeating.

Time for tee And since we’re on the topic of golf, it’s fair to say that Montenegro’s rolling hills, balmy climes and acres of verdant land are just begging for a proper course. So it’s happy news that Luštica Bay has

Fixtures & festivities

secured the country’s first golf course permit, and plans are well under way to build an epic eco-friendly, 18-hole masterpiece.

Sitting at the summit of our 1,700 acres, the Gary Player-designed site will be as spacious, scenic and ecologically sound as the rest of the project, but with the added bonus of being, well, a massive golf course. And no one could be better qualified to lead the design than Mr Player, with a Grand Slam and 165 tournaments in his golf bag, plus a whole host of incredible design projects that emphasise optimising existing landscapes rather than uprooting nature.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we think you call a hole in one…

Grab your boat, your gym kit or your Venetian mask and get ready for this summer’s best events Boka Triathlon Tivat, 21 June Start the season as you mean to go on, with a healthy bit of competition. Even if you don’t fancy taking part in this mighty endurance test, it makes for a fantastic spectator sport.

Cultural Summers Countrywide, 26 June - 3 September Spanning Podgorica, Tivat, and almost everywhere in between, Cultural Summers sees a diverse spread of entertaining events descend upon the area. Whether theatre fan, music anorak or literature buff, all tastes will be catered for.

Lightening up

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It wouldn’t be a party without flaming arrows, fireworks and freeflowing drinks, would it? And we wouldn’t be Luštica Bay without the odd party to celebrate our success. Accordingly, last autumn we brought together all of the above, plus friends, neighbours and government officials – among them the Prime Minister and the Mayor of Tivat – to welcome our first 100 homeowners, and mark the start of marina construction: a night that perfectly captured the excitement of passing such momentous milestones. Keep your ears open for news of more such soirées this season.

We can’t always promise

pyrotechnics, but the people are usually pretty lively.

The season ahead For all you sufferers of FOMO, fear not: this summer promises to be every bit as entertaining as the last. Bistro 19 will once again be serving up a delectable spread of parties, cultural events, food

It wouldn’t be a party without flaming arrows, fireworks and freeflowing drinks, would it?

and drink, with resident music-makers and a spot of barbecuing added to the mix – all in that impossibly handsome spot overlooking the sea. And you can get honing those handicaps, too, with golf lessons, tournaments and kids’ clubs at the driving range, plus archery lessons in case another flaming arrow opportunity ever presents itself. This summer we’re also offering a little bit of extra ‘omm’ with daily al fresco yoga classes too.

For more info, find Luštica Bay on Facebook

Southern Soul Festival Ulcinj, 26-29 June A charmingly intimate, boutique festival boasting acts from across the globe, set on one of Europe’s most stunning beaches.

Montenegro Sun Reggae Festival Petrovac, 5-6 July This brand new event has all the ingredients of the perfect summer party. The team behind the popular Petrovac Jazz Festival have turned their ears to this much-loved genre which, combined with the sublime climate, is sure to bring cheer.

FaŠinada Perast, 22 July A time-honoured homage to legendary island Our Lady of the Rock, Fašinada is a key date in the local calendar, involving a bright boat procession, folk music and a feast of fresh fish.

Kotor Carnival Kotor, 1-3 August This annual explosion of festivity is an unmissable affair – complete with colourful costumes and masks, local delicacies and swarms of joyful revellers.

Boka Night Kotor, 16 August A street fiesta like no other. The locals of Kotor start with a competition for the most creatively decorated boat then, true to form, party ’til the break of dawn.

For more, visit www. montenegro.travel

And if you want our opinion… Top tips and secret spots in and around Luštica Bay

Samih Sawiris CEO, Orascom I love… Montenegro’s amazing natural beauty, and the cultural aspects and beautiful old towns that add to its richness.

Don’t miss… Skadar Lake and the ski resorts – still close to the coast.

If Montenegro has taught me one thing, it’s... That small is beautiful.

Ihab Kamel CEO, LuŠtica Bay I love… The kindness of the people here.

Top spots: The beautiful town of Rijeka Crnojevića, right by the coast of Skadar Lake, or the restaurant at Hotel Hemera in Podgorica.

Favourite pastime: Jogging by the Adriatic Sea as the sun rises or sets.

Omar Farid Development Director Best meal: Pantagana, a charming family-run place in Dobrota open solely to friends out of season.

There are no menus – the only food served is what is fresh that day and recommended by the fascinating owner Budo.

Any advice? Explore, indulge and relax.

Ivana Uljarević Marketing Top trip: A walk around the Black Lake on Durmitor Mountain – perfect for recharging your batteries.

Best meal: Ćatovića Mlini in Morinj: fresh fish and wine, beside small streams and lush vegetation.

Any advice? Don’t just stay on the coast, explore the north of the country.

Damir Moskov Marketing Top local spots: The Serpentine Road between Njeguši village and Mount Lovćen has the most amazing view, and the old town of Kotor – it never ceases to amaze me.

Life in Montenegro… Is more relaxed than most countries. We don’t have hectic schedules, but just try to live life to the fullest.

Jasna TomaŠević Project Coordinator If I had to take a visitor to just one place… It would be Kotor. It is Montenegro in a nutshell: mountains, sea, rich history, and great gastronomy.

Life in Montenegro means… Enjoying the outdoors! With 250 sunny days a year, it’s heaven for outdoorsy people.

Bojana Šaranović Sales A perfect Montenegrin moment is… Enjoying the sunset with friends over a barbecue of fish my father caught that morning.

If life here has taught me one thing, it’s… Luxury is different for everyone.

For some it’s an expensive hotel, for others it’s hiking in the mountains. Luckily, Montenegro offers both.

Sabine Schoen Sales Top spot: Fortress Gorazda because of the history it holds, and the miraculous views of Kotor and Tivat bays.

I love… The rakija!

I’m most looking forward to… Watching our residents walk into their new Luštica homes, and seeing them mesmerised by the views.

Ivana Todorović Sales My ideal day… Would be spent boating around the coast, diving and exploring the underwater caves, then a barbecue on a (secret) secluded beach.

Favourite place: Bokeski Gusti in Prčanj – a tiny restaurant known only to locals, with the best seafood and a fantastic live band on Saturdays.

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in the

saddle

Montenegro’s mountains are a daunting prospect for even the hardiest of adventurers, but brave it by bike and you may just find the old adage holds true: four wheels good, two wheels better photography vincent fournier

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Previous page: navigating the stark slopes of Štirovnik, Mount Lovćen’s highest peak. This page: the aweinspiring view over Luštica and Tivat from the celebrated look-out spot, high above Boka Bay

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Montenegrins have a theory that, if you laid the entire country flat, its size would equal Russia’s. After all, its 5,000 square miles can pretty much be divided into two categories: up, and down (further divisible, perhaps, into steep and even steeper).

Most expats will look at you like you’re crazy if you so much as breathe the words bicycle and Balkans in the same sentence; cycling here, they’ll tell you, is arduous as hell, and something of a health hazard. Because if the hills don’t get you, the hairpin turns and devil-may-care attitude to road safety probably will.

Locals, however, are more enthusiastic. ‘Cycling?’ they say.

‘No problem. When can we start?’

It’s an attitude that means extreme sports are every bit as ubiquitous as beer, and a cultural difference made clearer still by the local road signage. At several points around the country, you’ll notice a sign that says, in Montenegrin, ‘Have a safe trip’. Safety conscious, sure, but a sunny outlook. It will be a safe trip, you think. On we go. In English, the same sign simply reads, ‘Good Luck’. Better just turn around and go home then, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking.

In truth, you don’t see a lot of two-wheelers on these precipitous roads. But a little bit of local knowledge goes a long way – at least long enough to see you off

the main roads and into some pretty spectacular spots.

One such set of locals, whose insider info and lust for adrenaline may just be enough to get you into cycling shorts, are the boys and girls behind small Montenegrin NGO Riders.me. Focused mostly on snowsports in winter (think freeride skiing and the lesser spotted snowkiting) and watersports and mountain biking in summer, their slightly scary motto is ‘Work hard, ride harder’ – but they certainly weren’t shy when we asked them for a tip or two about cycling for the not-quite-so-extreme.

‘Montenegro is a very small but beautiful country,’ says Riders

Cycling’s leading lady

One westerner who wasn’t put off by a few hills, however, was Irish anthropologist Dervla Murphy.

A veritable hero in the cycling world, Dervla took to the Balkans on two wheels in the wake of the Yugoslav war, cycling first through Serbia, and later from Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. There were struggles – a bit of vertigo, a lot of breathlessness, and some very funny looks – but she found that Montenegro’s ‘mountains were exalting enough to counter every sort of weariness’, while if you want any more reason to hit the road from Lovćen, Murphy describes the view over Kotor as ‘literally heartstopping’. For a rousing cyclists’ manifesto (‘cyclists know the joy of being with the place’, she says) and an eye-opening entrée into Balkan history and culture, read her account of the expedition, Balkan Journeys.

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co-founder Ilija Perić, who planned our top Montenegrin bike trips, ‘and cycling around is the greatest way to getting to know it. With more than 600 kilometres of local tarmac roads and probably 500 more of mountain roads, it is perfect for single or multi-day bike journeys.’

Of course, local knowledge can help you dodge traffic, but the terrain is pretty non-negotiable.

Yes, it’s hilly, and yes it’s hard work, but if you can make it, it’ll be worth the exertion to turn a bend and find yourself soaring above the breathtaking Bay of Kotor as you freewheel down to the coast from Mount Lovćen.

Equally, there are some beautiful sights to see by bike even closer to home – and some routes that may not require buns or nerves of steel.

Bike hire companies such as Kotor Bay Connect and Podgorica’s TEMPO will get you kitted out for an afternoon or two of slowpaced coastal cycling – particularly pleasant around Kotor, Perast, and our own peninsula. Several companies also offer longer, guided tours along the coast, combining cultural sites with some very scenic seaside cycling (and some rather relaxing transfers to boot). And, of course, Luštica Bay’s boardwalks and hillside paths will be all set up to welcome cyclists, too, so there’s no excuse not to get pedalling.

Cycling in Montenegro is taking off, and if you can’t beat ’em, we find it’s usually advisable to bike alongside ’em – so dig out your Lycra, hop on your two-wheeler, and ‘have a safe trip’. ■

On your bike

Got a day? Get touring. Our top one-day trips for road bikers

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Cetinje - Lovćen - Luštica 70-80km / medium / road A winding uphill start from old royal capital Cetinje through the beech forests of Lovćen National Park, taking in views of Boka Bay and Skadar Lake from Mount Lovćen.

Then it’s a downhill ride to Njeguši with stunning sights over the bay, ending with a Luštica sunset.

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2 The undulating paths and verdant land in Lovćen National Park make for a pretty perfect day’s cycling

Virpazar - Stari Bar 80km / easy-medium / local tarmac road Starting in capital city Podgorica, take a morning train to Virpazar (to avoid the busy road), then the winding road to the south.

This is a very picturesque tour, heading south by

Skadar Lake to the River Bojana, then on along the coast to Stari Bar.

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Durmitor Ring 80-90km / medium-hard / road with some mountain trail Starting from Žabljak in the north west of the country, this route takes in the Sedlo Pass, through Trsa to the beautiful Sušičko Lake, then climbs to Mala Crna Gora and on to the northernmost point, Štuoc. This is an epic journey through the very heart of the Durmitor Massif.

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Kolašin Podgorica 80-90km / medium / local tarmac road with some off-road A perfect one-day trip from Podgorica.

Take the morning train to Kolašin, then ride by the River Tara, upstream to Veruša and then to the beautiful Bukumirsko Lake, through the beech forests to Mount Treskavac and down through the villages of Kuči to Podgorica.

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Tivat - Herceg Novi 60-70km / easy-medium / road A very picturesque seaside route, the Boka Bay circle is perfect for spring and early autumn because there isn’t much traffic. Hugging the scenic coastline, it takes in such spectacular sights as Kotor’s fortress and UNESCO-listed bay.

For more info, advice and extreme sports, visit riders.me

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the art of

adventure 14

From cannibals to paragliders to one-on-one art viewings, today’s travellers want more than lazy days and sun loungers, Claire Wrathall reports illustrations by Radio

isten to anyone employed in the more expensive reaches of the travel industry, and the adjectives you will hear most often are ‘experiential’ and ‘immersive’.

Where once rest, recuperation and perhaps a broadened mind were the principal objectives of a holiday, travellers are now demanding more of a return on their investment.

In economically uncertain times, a holiday in which you do nothing but relax could be seen as extravagant. Not so a characterforming, fitness-enhancing, perspective-altering vacation...

Unforgettable memories are the very least anyone discerning will settle for. From transformative trips that stretch, surprise and stimulate the mind, spirit and body to pure adrenaline-fuelled daring, the watchword now is adventure.

No wonder, then, that research undertaken by the George Washington University School of Business found that the global market for adventure travel was worth $89 billion in 2012, a figure expected to grow by 16 per cent each year.

The trend has also been driven in part by the ubiquity of social media, the compulsion to log and share everything we do. There’s only so much you can tweet about from a sun lounger, hence the desire for activity over passivity, action over inaction, involvement over looking on.

Take safaris. A stay on a camp in KwaZulu-Natal might traditionally have focused on simply spotting animals. That no longer cuts it, for it is braver, surely, to have microchipped a live (if anaesthetised)

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THE ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

Be it bird watching or snowkiting, from Luštica Bay a wealth of action, adventure and culture is yours for the taking

Walking, watersports and inner calm on your doorstep Luštica Bay will have all the poolside spots and cocktail hours you could want, but you don’t have to travel far for a transformative experience or two.

Actually, you don’t have to travel at all. Hiking, cycling and nature trails criss-cross the site, offering hard-to-come-by peace and quiet and an abundance of flora and fauna to get acquainted with. Nor is there a better place to find some inner equilibrium, with sunrise yoga classes overlooking the Adriatic.

A lesson in local legend Culture vultures and history buffs take note: Montenegro enjoys as much local legend as it does sunny days, and many ancient monuments still survive to tell these tales. A short drive from Luštica is the UNESCO-listed Bay of Kotor, southern Europe’s deepest fjord. Here you’ll find the legendary man-made island Our Lady of the Rock and Kotor’s Medieval old town, markets and cathedrals, coming alive twice a year in very merry masked carnivals. Our tip: start the day

16 rhinoceros than to have just watched it from the inside of a Jeep. (If this appeals, then &Beyond is the company to contact.)

Even European cities can be settings for adventure. Spend a weekend in Oslo and of course you’ll want to see The Scream at the National Gallery. How much more cathartic, though, to scream yourself as you hurtle 361 metres down the zipline that runs from the 107-metre-high summit of the city’s landmark Holmenkollen ski jump.

Luxury hotels are increasingly wising up to this trend, plotting programmes that enable you to stretch your horizons, whether it is by engaging with local communities (Aman Resorts excel at this), or enjoying privileged access to sights – private art collections, private houses – not ordinarily accessible to the public.

Indeed, any first-rate hotel should have a concierge dedicated to curating unique experiences and more. At Six Senses’ Zighy Bay in northern a flight in a Oman, for example, a paraglider can be flight in a paraglider can factored into your be factored into your transfer transfer from the from the airport so that airport so that you can literally arrive you can literally arrive from the sky. from the sky

Of course, time was when the simple fact of holidaying in Oman would have had sufficient swank factor, for the road less travelled brings bragging rights of its own. Papua New Guinea, for instance, has been heralded a hot destination for 2014, offering as it does an opportunity to immerse yourself in ‘cannibalism and cargo cults, skull caves and spirit houses, wigmen and Asaro mudmen,’ at least according to Alex Mudd of Steppes Travel, one of the few tour operators to offer it.

Indeed, the George Washington University research also noted that, ‘given their penchant for exploring new destinations and seeking new experiences, [adventurous travellers] are frequently coveting emerging destinations at the early stages of tourism development.’

Which brings us to Montenegro, where the still-undeveloped hinterland abounds in opportunities to stretch oneself, what with the eerily beautiful Skadar (just take care not to stray too close to the aggressively guarded Albanian border, lest the real adventure begins), the monumental Tara Gorge and the sublime mountains of Lovćen National Park. ‘Am I in paradise or on the moon?’ George Bernard Shaw exclaimed on reaching the summit (1749 metres) of sacred Mount Lovćen in 1929. Either way, it clearly felt like an adventure. ■

Flora, fauna, food and drink Be it animal or edible you’re after, you’ll find it at Skadar. Straddling the border between Montenegro and Albania, Lake Skadar is the Balkans’ largest lake. A serious beauty spot, it’s worth a visit for the view alone, but there’s all sorts to get an eyeful of: with one of the largest bird reserves in Europe, you’ll find 270 species of feathered friend, including the elusive Dalmatian pelican.

Surrounded by dramatic karst mountains, its

Get a hit of adrenaline with white knuckle adventuring A holy trinity of action, adventure and all things daring, between them Durmitor National Park, Tara River and Canyon and the mountain town of Kolašin offer everything from snowkiting to zipwiring.

Tara – 1,300 metres deep and 82 kilometres long – is second only to the Grand Canyon in scale, which is pretty epic in itself, but you can also enjoy canyoning, kayaking, waterfall swimming,

If you venture beyond the Bay and into Luštica Peninsula, there’s plenty more to play with. Get your kicks kiteboarding and kitesurfing, or sail out to the Plava Spilja (Blue Grotto), an otherworldly blue-lit cavern. For a taste of local culture, explore acres of ancient olive groves and check out the Masline harvest festival – with beautiful home-produced olive oil and all the food and wine you’d expect from a Montenegrin celebration.

Finally, vast stretches of coastline and no less than two marinas mean Luštica Bay is the perfect place from which to set sail, whether to explore Croatia’s islands or cross the Adriatic to Italy.

with a sunrise climb. The city walls above town offer spectacular views, well worth waking up for.

Along the coast, past picturesque village Perast, you’ll find the ancient Roman settlement of Risan and its third-century mosaics, while to the east is old royal capital Cetinje, where you can visit the (four!) national museums and the mausoleum of prince, poet and bishop Petar II Petrović Njegoš up on nearby Mount Lovćen.

And, if you like your culture with a touch of glamour, there’s also stunning Sveti Stefan and the Aman hotel – a hotbed of Hollyood history.

calm waters and sandy rest stops invite wild swimming, while its surrounding parkland is perfect for hiking in total peace.

But if you’re really more about nurture than nature, there’s plenty of nourishment to be had too. This is Montenegro’s wine country, its fertile land producing some superb plonk. Because of its many family -run vineyards and farms, Skadar is your go-to for wine and gastrotours: enjoy a happy afternoon or a even whole week of the delectable local culture and cuisine.

white water rafting and a zipwire over the river.

From Kolašin you can go after the white stuff for skiing, snowboarding and snowkiting, or head to Durmitor for mountaineering and rock-climbing.

If you prefer a slightly slower pace of life, Tara is also superb for a spot of fishing, plus you’ll find glorious mountain food in Kolašin, and the revered Ostrog Monastery to the south of the country. And, of course, Montenegro’s entire inland is suited to hiking, cycling and generally getting down with nature.

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R oa d T r i p p i n ’ One car, two days, and three million superlatives: cassia geller hits the road in Montenegro, and finds almost as much to see as she does to eat

p h o t o g r a p h y: i l i j a pe r i Ć ; b r a n k o pe t r o v i Ć ; s l av e n v i l u s

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lamming the car door with (imagined) aplomb and squinting through my shades down a vertiginous drop to a dark gorge, I’m having a Thelma and Louise moment. I’ve got a car, a companion and a canyon, and I’ve shouted ‘Hell yeah, road trippp’ more times than really is defensible; I’m so Susan Sarandon. Except it’s not 1991, I haven’t killed anyone, and the grand canyon I’m peering down is a little out of Arizona: it’s the deepest river gorge in Europe, Montenegro’s Tara Canyon.

A determined cyclist, my usual ride has two wheels and a wicker basket, but it took one gammy ankle and three sharp inclines to realise that this might not be my moment for taking on Montenegro’s mighty mountains by bike.

However, a successful shotgun call and a rousing rendition of Prince’s Little Red Corvette soften the blow somewhat – after all, you can cover a lot more of the country in a couple of days by car…

As Luštica Bay is still in the offing, we start our journey a little further up the coast – in a shopping centre in Tivat, naturally – taking the coastal road past Budva. In the busy summer months it’s wise to avoid this road at all costs, but as we’re enjoying the relative calm of early spring, we ooh and ahh along unhindered, stopping occasionally to ooh and ahh a little more as we ascend and the picture-perfect bay shrinks to postcard proportions below.

Our first stop is Cetinje, Montenegro’s old royal capital. From here you can visit the mausoleum up on Mount Lovćen’s peak, if only for the views over Boka Bay, or soak up some culture in the National Museum complex.

Failing this, you can make as we made, and soak up the some of the town’s café culture instead.

Back on the road, we wind our way up to Podgorica. Soon the roadside will be gilded with mimosa – a plant which, like so many things in this delightfully celebratory country, enjoys its very own legend and festival – but for now we ogle a stereotypically Balkan mix of Hobbit-worthy mountains and half-abandoned car dealerships. We’re at the mercy of local radio stations which, frankly, are awesome, so the sights are accompanied by the equally stirring sounds of Up Where We Belong until we reach the capital.

Montenegro’s ‘sprawling metropolis’, Podgorica is a pleasing mix of stark Soviet-style towerblocks, glimmering Orthodox churches and shadowy mountains. Its engaging history and lively scene are worth investigating, but we’re too excited to linger for long: we’ve got big, mountain-shaped plans for the afternoon.

At the risk of further threatening my Thelma and Louise credentials, I’ll admit now that we’ve been joined by two locals foolish enough to a)

drive and b) point out things for us to marvel at. No, it’s not very hardcore, but it is handy: not long are we hairpin-turning our way up to Kolašin’s 1,000 metres above sea level before one spies the top of a crucifix. We halt here, at Morača Monastery, two thirteenth-century Orthodox churches complete with gloriously ornate artwork, including an 800-year-old fresco.

Cue many more (hushed) oohs.

We reach Kolašin in time for a late lunch at our hotel, the cosy wooden-clad Bianca. In winter months – as it should be now were it not for the warmest February in aeons – it is so snowy that even grocery shoppers wear skis, but with snow topping distant peaks only, we head to the hills on foot. It’s a stunning walk: sweeping views and mountain ranges, pretty farmhouses and domed hay bales, ancient watermills and audibly babbling brooks (accompanied by a lesson in the region’s waterside-dwelling vampires – and not the ‘sexy western kind’ either, I’m told).

Luckily, lest the blood-sucking local legend goes to our heads, we soon learn another perk of sticking with the locals. Half way up a hillside our guide bumps into an old school friend, and we’re invited in to enjoy some homedistilled rakija with the family. Next, skipping on through the mountains like a herd of tipsy Heidis, we visit a local honey farm for a round of ambrosial mead and more excellent company.

As my grasp of Montenegrin is limited to a poorly pronounced cheers (živjeli, FYI), my contribution to the conversation is mostly inane grinning, but I’m quite content – a culture so completely welcoming is rare, not least for a beaming, unintelligible Brit.

Kolašin’s cobbled streets are not made for kitten heels, as my defiantly glamorous travel companion soon learns, but she totters valiantly

From honey bees to hairpin bends, taking to Montenegro’s roads isn’t always for the faint-hearted. Take them on, however, and you’ll be wellrewarded with likes of Mount Lovćen (far left), Tara River (near left) and Lake Skadar (below)

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However much time or energy you come armed with, there are endless options for touring Montenegro.

This two-day trip offers a particularly impressive spread of sightseeing and snacking opportunities

to the (vampire-free) watermill that is to be our dinner destination. It’s worth the walk: tender clay-baked meats, sour salads and some of the finest things to have happened to potatoes since Mother Nature invented them. We pop into a local bar (inexplicably playing Last Christmas) for a quick rakija, which becomes a lot of rakija, a 2am Fleetwood Mac session and some slightly sore heads next morning.

But then – as they may or may not say – when in Kolašin…

Thankfully, mountain air is an excellent healer, so Thelma, Louise, Janko and Branko (really) are soon singing Don’t Go Breaking My Heart with our usual enthusiasm, driving past one of the last virgin black pine forests left in Europe to Tara River Canyon. At an exhausting 80 kilometres long,

Tara is a UNESCO-listed Mecca for white water rafters. We pull up at Đurđevića Tara Bridge to gaze into the brilliantly blue river, queasily pondering the adjacent zipwire before retreating to the car.

Road trippers – and hungover people – need lots of sustenance, so we stop in Žabljak for coffee and crêpes. At almost 1,500 metres, it’s the Balkans’ highest town, and offers our first taste of snow. That milestone out of the way, it’s down to Durmitor National Park, another UNESCO favourite, to see the aweinspiring Black Lake. I’m getting slightly sick of hearing myself gush ‘amazing’ at every opportunity, but the incessantly epic scenery means I’m running low on superlatives – and it is pretty amazing.

Montenegro’s inland looks, feels – tastes, even – completely

i l l u s t r at i o n : O w e n D av e y / F o l i o A r t

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different to its balmy coast.

Although the Soviet-chalet-chic houses seem slightly bereft without snow or spring, there’s a warmth here that’s somehow different from the more polished shore, which is only a matter of hours away. In some months, you could swim in the Adriatic in the morning, drive several hours and hit the slopes after lunch – almost unthinkable for someone who has to go long haul to get some sunshine.

The road from Durmitor to Nikšić is not for the faint-hearted, its zigzag turns so sharp they can only have been crafted by sadists or rollercoaster fanatics. Though largely unlovely to the eye, Nikšić’s austere towerblocks shelter a vibrant arts and culture scene, while the legendary Ostrog Monastery is just a short drive from town.

It’s been a long journey – we’re getting restless, and slightly numb of the bum – so we step on it, arriving in Podgorica by teatime for oven-baked pizza. (Could this be the most overfed trip in Balkan history?) The light’s fading, we’ve circled Montenegro in less than 48 hours, and we’ve got dinner plans in Kotor; it’s home time. But we can’t resist seeing one more sight, so take the Lake Skadar road back.

From Luštica, the Balkans’ largest lake and its pretty fishing villages make for an easy outing, but they also round off a road trip nicely. We stop by a crumbling fort to watch the last of the light dwindle over the lowlands; can you feel nostalgic for a two-day trip? One that you’re still on, no less?

But, zipping along the familiar coastal road past Sveti Stefan in the dark, I do feel a little wistful.

Elton John singalongs and regular snacking may not be very Thelma and Louise, but, then, Louise and Thelma drove off a cliff. I, on the other hand, did not, but instead got to fall a little further for a country that most of my friends still think is Monte Carlo. Even for those who can already find it on a map, Montenegro is an endless source of surprise, amusement and pleasure, and if that’s not cause for a singsong I don’t know what is. ■

the

three sisters of

Prčanj

p h o t o g r a p h y: v i n ce n t f o u r n i e r

Prčanj’s oldest building, the Tre Sorelle Palace harbours a tale of jealousy, heartbreak, and the seven seas. Meet the fastest sailors in the Adriatic and the women they left behind Young lovers waiting at windows? Sounds like a story I’ve heard before, O Romeo…

Not to be mistaken for a hammy Shakespearian adaptation, this fifteenth-century Gothic ruin, tucked away in Kotor Bay, has a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers all of its own. Local folklore claims a rich nobleman built the palace for his three daughters, and that – in a mightily inconvenient twist of fate – all three fell for the same sailor. The youngest daughter won his heart but, to avoid the anger of her spurned sisters, she vowed to join them in sacrificing their love and locking themselves away.

They spent the rest of their days at their bedroom windows, longing for the sailor who’d left on a journey from which he would never return. As each sister died, the others would board up her window, until the last perished – leaving no one behind her to block in the glass.

Three sisters in love with one sailor? Were men scarce in Prčanj?

These notoriously speedy sailors certainly didn’t hang around for long. At this time, the town was a strategic communication centre between

Istanbul in the east and Venice in the west, so Prčanj’s men were often off at sea while loved ones were left behind, wracked with anxiety for their safe return. Today, the Tre Sorelle Palace tells of the maritime prestige the area once enjoyed – and the perils of Early Modern sailing to the lives (and loves) of Europe’s young men and women.

The sea is certainly a cruel mistress…

And once I’ve met the sisters, are there any other equally uplifting sights to enjoy?

Nothing quite as cheerful as that. Keep pottering along the waterfront, however, and you’ll come across an architectural jewel among the noble stone villas: the Baroque church The Birth of Our Lady. Designed by renowned eighteenthcentury architect Bernardino Maccarucci, the exquisite building houses a surprising collection of paintings, including works by the Venetian masters Tiepolo and Piazzetta. Prčanj is every bit as rich in culture as it is in tales of woe, thankfully, and the perfect place to while away an afternoon. Beware, however, the charms of local sailors… ■

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The sky will be bluer With 250 sunny days a year

Lead the pack Jewellery designer Carolina Bucci on what’ll see her through the season at Luštica Bay ‘My suitcase is, and always has been, a Rimowa case; it’s travelled around the world with me and is practically unbreakable. A good hat and comfortable yet elegant sandals are essential, as are my Persol folding sunglasses – they fit in my pocket and are polarised so everything looks prettier! I also love Matthew Williamson’s resortwear, and this kaftan is perfect for Montenegro: cool and light in the summer heat. Blues are my favourite shades for swimwear, and Pucci’s bold patterned bikinis are my first choice. RMS raw coconut cream is a travel necessity and, as for jewellery, I always take a good selection of my Twister bracelets (the bright colours are perfect for the sun) and my 18k gold chain with baby boy pendants – for my two sons.’ ■ photography sam hoffman stylist linnea apelqvist

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L-R from back: Matthew Williamson Songbird kaftan, £575 (www.matthewwilliamson.com); Carolina Bucci Twister bracelets, £150 each (www. carolinabucci.com); Rimowa gold suitcase, £790 (www.rimowa.de); RMS raw coconut cream, $42 (www.rmsbeauty.com); Persol Steve McQueen folding sunglasses, £275 (www.persol.com); Carolina Bucci Diamond Pavé pendant, £6,000; Tod’s patent leather sandals, £240 (www.tods.com); Christys’ Reggie panama hat, £85 (www.christys-hats.com); Carolina Bucci Shimmer Ball necklace, £14,360; Emilio Pucci bandeau bikini, £330 (www.emiliopucci.com)

It’s a pretty promise, but just what makes life here so very long and lovely? And will it work for us?

Over to Luštica Bay’s wellness expert Nino Ganchev ‘Generally speaking, wellbeing in the Balkans has always related to lifestyle: not working so much, spending an important part of the day at some nice café or restaurant terrace, enjoying the fresh air, food and drinks, and chatting with friends and loved ones.

In terms of wellbeing as it relates to sports, healthy living, spas and eating in line with a nutritionist’s recommendations… that hasn’t always mattered so much. Montenegrin people still live long and never age as far as they’re concerned!

But this is evolving. A few really good fitness and wellness centres have opened in the country – in ski resorts, Podgorica and in the country’s best hotels – and we hope that Luštica Bay will build on this good work. Golf, tennis and other sport courts, swimming pools, spas, fitness and wellness facilities will create an extraordinary place, a place I think people will choose to move to so as to live a healthy life forever, instead of coming only for vacations.

We want to combine this with a medical approach to diet and activity, treating clients as patients. In this way we will reach the real meaning of wellbeing, all the while enjoying the sunshine, nature and fresh air.’

Marina Abramovic, artist

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No scene could be finer With sea views from every home, table and terrace

A d r i at i c

Accents

Interior designer and Luštica homeowner Ivana Maksimović will be dressing her new home in local finds and seaside touches ‘I am a firm believer in living life beautifully.

From breakfast in bed to cocktail hour, I pay a great deal of attention to detail – filling my home with unusual accents and accessories.

Happily, the Bay of Kotor is full of hidden shopping gems. One of my favourites is an antiques shop in Prčanj specialising in porcelain. Traditionally, many locals were sailors, bringing ceramics from all over the world, so it’s a real treasure trove. My two boys also adore a shop, deep in the maze of Kotor’s narrow cobbled streets, that sells charming sea creatures and shells. We are so looking forward to our first morning in Luštica Bay – breakfast in the sunshine with a view of the open sea from our new home – and filling the house with new memories!’ ■ photography sam hoffman stylist linnea apelqvist

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The

director’s chair When filmmaker Ivan Marinović sought to make his first feature film, no setting could have been more fitting than his family seat on the Luťtica Peninsula, finds Ifor Duncan photography vincent fournier

A

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Along with much of the inspiration behind The Black Pin, Ivan found a ready-made set in his Luštica home, including the 19 tiny churches that pepper the peninsula

sked to explain his first full-length film, The Black Pin, writer and director Ivan Marinović is reluctant. ‘It is always tricky to say what a film is going to be about until you shoot it. You never know what might pop up.’ Spoken like a true, evasive artist, but it’s a reluctance that hints at an honesty at his core.

‘It’s not easy to talk about plots,’ he expands.

‘This is really more about character.’ A visiting lecturer at the acclaimed FAMU academy in Prague (alma mater of such European greats as Miloš Forman), where he also earned his master’s degree in film, Marinović should know.

The character he refers to is both of the individual, and the collective character of a community. The film follows a misanthropic Orthodox priest who, due to his mother’s illness, returns home to a village undergoing a strange transition. ‘The villagers are selling land and getting rich. The film deals with how they cope with the arrival of Capitalism.’ When the priest interferes with the interests of an investor he incurs the wrath of the villagers, who attempt to chase him away.

Set and shot on the Luštica Peninsula, The Black Pin is inspired by a real event: a local funeral interrupted by a clash between Orthodox liturgy and communist practice. In a surreal, absurd turn of events, set in a hilltop graveyard above the picturesque bay, the conflict between priest and villagers descended into mayhem.

This was the starting point for the film’s tragicomedic themes. ‘It has always been a question of the priest, who I have met and who I have known, and his duty to be a spiritual guide for the people and to “love thy neighbour”.

But how is this possible if everyone is having so much fun teasing you and making your life miserable? So I started to imagine what would happen if he had a very human reaction to it.

What if he doesn’t like them? What if he doesn’t love his neighbour?’

In fact, many of Ivan’s anecdotes seem set around funerals and graveyards. Is this part of a sense of humour specific to Montenegro’s coast?

‘Funerals are always major social events; people help each other, but they also enjoy those interactions – and there is a lot of alcohol involved!’ Ivan tells a story passed down from his grandfather about a group of turtles with candles on their backs let loose in a graveyard.

‘I thought that this image was really beautiful in a way, and also completely crazy. It is part of dealing with a very small community. It’s a way to defend ourselves from tragedy.’

He laughs warmly. ‘As a writer I could never come up with it myself. It really happened, and yet is surreal and magical.’

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‘As a writer, i could never come up with it myself. it really happened, and yet is surreal and magical’ But he’s clearly a natural storyteller, and one for whom such tales have always been important. As the son of a local fisherman, he spent much of his childhood observing boats going to and fro, some of dubious provenance, and hearing the stories they brought with them.

He plans to make a film about these memories: a ‘twentieth-century Mediterranean Tortuga.’

Despite growing up surrounded by this rich storytelling tradition, it was not until he began experimenting with cameras while studying industrial design in Milan that he realised film would be his medium. Now, seven years after graduating, the 29-year-old Marinović is at a pivotal point in his career and he knows it.

Production hasn’t begun on The Black Pin and yet it’s already receiving substantial media attention, winning acclaim at the Berlinale and Sarajevo Film Festivals and Jerusalem Film Lab, and gaining unprecedented funding from Montenegro’s Ministry of Culture – undeniable endorsement for the country’s blooming film industry and its star player.

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‘we keep being exposed to all of this change, but now i feel the things that are happening are for something better’

For many outsiders, the perceived image of the Balkans remains one largely associated with the violent break-up of Yugoslavia.

According to Ivan, ‘There are a lot of films coming from the Balkans which are calculated to receive funding from Europe because they deal with politics and war.’ Naturally there are exceptions, he says, like Serbian director – and The Black Pin co-producer – Mina Đukić, whose film The Disobedient, about teenage sweethearts reuniting years later, was nominated for The Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Along with the likes of Đukić, Marinović hopes to pioneer a new image of the Balkans. Not one shaped by war, but what he believes to be an artistically honest one: the simple charm and comedy of real life.

As such, while esteemed Balkan actors like Macedonian Nikola Ristanovski and Croatia’s Leon Lučev are confirmed cast members, Marinović is keen to use local ‘non-actors’ too, to give the film a true Montenegrin essence.

‘I find that the most fruitful way of telling stories is to think about what’s inside of you.

We don’t have anything else in terms of cinema and stories than who we are. I’m not made of anything other than where I come from. I try to be honest, and so far that has been appreciated when I’ve applied to programmes and film festivals. I think they sense that there is an interest in an authentic Montenegro and Balkans. A lot of things out here are undiscovered territory. Not many local films have travelled; there is so much to explore.’

He’s right, there is much to explore. ‘The Luštica Peninsula has its own mythology,’ Ivan asserts, and he hopes to show this – and Montenegro’s handsome landscape – to his audience. To be ‘authentic’ in Montenegro today, he says, is to explore the universality, but simultaneously the uniqueness, of these small communities and their setting. He is passionate about achieving this with integrity.

The Black Pin is about dealing with ‘inevitable change’ and managing expectations. ‘When I think about Montenegro, it is a really big change that is happening. It is very strange: this seems to happen every ten years. We keep being exposed to all of this change, but now I feel the things that are happening are for something better and not for worse.’

In the past new developments have been damaging, but Ivan believes that projects like Luštica Bay are pioneering an entirely new attitude, which he finds fascinating. ‘They have this thing where they only want to build on six per cent of their land – I have never heard of anything like it! It is great because the villages and the places I grew up in will remain, but there will be this new town built with great ideas. I really have optimism for the peninsula.’

As I look at the time, I’m surprised to see that we’ve been talking for an hour. Ivan is still laughing, recounting inherited memories, and those of his childhood: skeletons found wearing synthetic ties, the tree in his grandmother’s garden where he used to read. Brought up among Montenegro’s many transitions, who could be better placed to tell the often surreal, amusing yet poignant stories of Luštica than he?

Ivan is intent on honestly capturing a world that has its traditions, but which is constantly exposed to change. Now, though, he has become one of the forces driving this change, which can only mean good things. ■ Filming for The Black Pin is planned for early autumn

most Modern montenegrins are still in terrifyingly good shape – and rather fond of watersports

the

shape of things

to come History has a habit of repeating itself, so it’s no surprise that ancient Europe’s finest warriors are shaping up to be some of its strongest athletes

I

n the olden days, Montenegrins were warriors.

Some of the most feared warriors in the world, to be precise, who withstood and endured the advances of everyone from the Romans and the Ottomans to the Venetians and 1950s Hollywoodites. And when war took to the high seas, they gained a reputation as the finest sailors Europe had ever seen.

This means several things. One, that modern Montenegro has retained the best of her invading influences, so there’s some rather serious pan-European dining to be had. Two, that modern Montenegrins are justifiably proud of their rich history. And three, that most are still in terrifyingly good shape – and rather fond of watersports. That ancient warrior blood has evolved into a fierce

love of exertion, a fact made very clear in the country’s international successes in football, water polo, handball and the like, despite a pocket-sized population.

At Luštica Bay, it has always been our aim to encourage this activity. First, amongst our friends, residents and visitors – through the Olympic stadium-sized plans for golf, tennis, hiking, cycling, swimming, sailing, yoga and so on. After all, we do have a rep as the healthiest, most active spot this side of Mount Olympus – and we don’t want our guests to feel too bad about themselves when they come ab to impossibly-sculpted ab with the local athletes, either.

And then, of course, there are those locals who put us to shame in the first place. Supporting the community here has always been integral to us; frankly, we wouldn’t be building our shiny, sporty town without them. And while we may not make the team ourselves (give it time), we can put our assets to better use – preserving that ancient warrior legacy, and supporting the often underfunded local sport stars.

So we introduce the warriors of tomorrow, amongst them Boka Handball Club, Teodo Basketball Club, Sloga Radovići Football Club, Delfin Yachting Club and Podgorica’s student sports organisation. In sponsoring them, and watching these youthful, wilful and terribly talented teams with wide eyes and no small amount of envy, we’ve come to feel very good about the sporting future of Montenegro – and very bad about the shape we’re in comparatively.

These local legends may not need any more encouragement to out-run, -row or -muscle flex us, but we’ll take all the motivation we can get (especially in light of all that pan-European dining). ■

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Italian architect Renzo Piano’s characteristically sustainable design for the California Academy of Sciences features a domed rainforest and aquarium, topped by a 2.5-acre living roof (pictured below)

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green house effect As Luštica Bay comes ever closer to completion, Cathy Strongman looks back at some of the groundbreaking green designs, and designers, that came before it

p h o t o g r a p h y: T i m G r i ff i t h / A r c a i d

the

B

read and butter, Sonny and Cher, Dolce & Gabbana: some things just naturally go together. But sustainability and luxury, really? Rarely. At Luštica Bay, however, these surprising bedfellows just might.

An environment-first, luxury contemporary development on that picturesque stretch of the Montenegrin coastline, this joint initiative between Orascom Development Holding and the Government of Montenegro meets all the infrastructural needs of a modern community

as a ‘mountain’ course, with the rough preserved in its natural state. This, too, will involve moving minimal amounts of earth, and will be entirely irrigated with tertiary water.

In order to ensure that Luštica Bay reaches the highest standard of sustainable architecture, and that it has the documentation to prove it, its planners have committed to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification scheme. This consists of a series of rating systems created by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) with regards to the design, construction and operation of buildings, homes and neighbourhoods. There are four levels – certified, silver, gold and platinum – and, despite this being the first LEED-certified residential project in Europe, every building will reach a silver standard at the very least.

To achieve this, Luštica Bay has drawn upon the materials and methods of the local vernacular. All the retaining walls, for example, are made from stone excavated from the site, while major architectural elements, including

While Luštica Bay’s architecture will meet the highest environmental standards, it’s the vast space left untouched that will benefit nature most

RENZO PIANO

The Italian architect Renzo Piano found fame with the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, which he completed with Richard Rogers in 1977. Since then he has picked up the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s most prestigious honour, and continued to design eye-stopping buildings such as The Shard in London. He has also created some of the world’s most innovative green projects. These range in scale from the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which resembles two rolling grassy hills thanks to its 10,120-squaremetre living roof, to an entirely energy and water self-sufficient one-man retreat called the Diogene cabin in Germany. He has just created a super-compact and efficient Dragonfly Invisible Wind Turbine for residential gardens, which is currently being independently tested, while next year will see the completion of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens, which has a roof canopy topped with 100 square metres of solar panels and is aiming for an LEED platinum rating.

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WILLIAM M CDONOUGH

American architect, author, designer, advisor and all round eco expert William McDonough is one of the leading figures in the green movement today. In his book Cradle to Cradle he calls for an entirely new approach to sustainability in which all products are designed so that after their useful life they provide nourishment for something new. This could be either as biological nutrients that safely re-enter the environment or as technical nutrients that circulate again and again without being downcycled into low-grade uses. He uses his own architectural projects as examples: green roofs, for instance, provide natural insulation without creating waste when they’re finally dismantled.

As an architect, McDonough has designed landmark sustainable buildings including the Ford River Rouge Complex in Michigan, a historic site that has been given an innovative green makeover, and the NASA Sustainability Base in California. In 2007, after Hurricane Katrina, McDonough and Brad Pitt founded Make It Right, an organisation that builds homes and communities for people in need around the world.

All Make It Right projects follow the Cradle to Cradle principles and are LEED certified.

p h o t o g r a p h y: C é s a r R u b i o , C o u r t e s y W i l l i a m McD o n o u g h + Pa r t n e r s ; T i m e & L i fe P i c t u r e s / Ge t t y I m a g e s ; D a n i e l S t i e r / Ge t t y C o n t o u r ; C o u r t e s y F o s t e r + Pa r t n e r s

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without once forgetting its staggeringly beautiful site, and the terrestrial and marine life it teems with. Protecting these natural assets has been central to the project’s planning from the start.

At the forefront of Luštica’s sustainable strategy is impact: less than six per cent of the total land mass will ever be built upon, and where changes have been made, the impact has been minimised. ‘Low density is important to us from an environmental standpoint, but also from a quality perspective,’ says project and development director, Omar Farid. ‘What people call luxury today isn’t just finishings, but also a sense of space and privacy,’ – which is where the undeveloped 94 per cent comes in.

Equally, the ridgelines and natural drainage ways of the rocky coastline have been incorporated into the plan, and the marina and adjacent town are carefully positioned on a sandy stretch of the bay with no underwater grasses so as to protect existing ecosystems.

Efforts are also being made to enhance habitats that already exist, with advanced initiatives to encourage horticulture and marine life to prosper. ‘This will help the environment, of course, but it will also provide a place for people to go snorkelling and diving,’ says Omar.

On land, bicycle tracks and hiking trails, as well as a botanical garden, will allow people to discover the natural flora and fauna, while a military barracks that is currently abandoned and riddled with asbestos will be completely reborn as a village with homes, a school, a small agricultural area and a market selling the freshest of local produce. Finally, the golf course, which is bound to raise a few environmentalists’ eyebrows, has been designed

THE HIGH-TECH GREEN CITY

Masdar City is the world’s most ambitious green development project, with an entire sustainable city currently being constructed in the Arabian desert, close to Abu Dhabi. Part designed by Sir Norman Foster and with an estimated budget of $18-19 billion, this incredibly advanced government-funded community is due for completion in 2025, when it will house up to 40,000 people. Cutting-edge features include streets occupied by electric trams and buses, a 45-metre Tefloncoated wind tower that channels cool air to the public square below and displays how much energy the community is using, and rammed earth and steel walls insulated with argon gas. It’s a testing bed for new technologies, too, with pilot schemes including super-smart appliances to help residents reduce their energy use, solar-powered and geothermal air-conditioning, plus interior daylighting systems that use lenses and reflectors to redirect low-angle sunlight, rejecting the overpowering midday sun for consistent natural light levels.

Watch this space.

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Currently under construction in Copenhagen, the Amager Bakke Waste-to-Energy Plant generates power by incinerating waste while also providing the Danish capital with a 31,000-square-metre ski slope that runs down the roof of the huge wedge-shaped building. The brainchild of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) Architects, who describe it as ‘the single largest environmental initiative in Denmark’, the impressive structure is even crowned by a chimney that will emit a smoke ring every time a ton of carbon dioxide has been released into the atmosphere to remind locals of their carbon footprint. Nothing guilt-inducing about that…

THE CUTTINGEDGE OFFICE

When the Co-operative Group Headquarters was completed by BAM architects in 2012 it was hailed as the greenest building in the world, and opened by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The 16-storey office building at Manchester’s One Angel Square is packed full of inventive and eco-friendly technology, such as heating and energy provided by units that run on plant oil harvested on Co-operative farms. There’s also rain and wastewater recycling and the clever use of glass and concrete to help passively heat and cool the building. It was awarded the highest ever BREEAM rating (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology: the British equivalent to the LEED scheme). Quite the accolade.

p h o t o g r a p h y: C o u r t e s y D a n i e l - H o pk i n s o n

THE INNOVATIVE POWER PLANT

the roof tiles, have been sourced locally. This reduces the ‘embodied energy’ (the amount of energy required to produce and transport materials to site). It is also a requirement of LEED, which states that all materials must come from within an 800-kilometre radius. ‘I admit it has been tricky with things like bathroom fixtures, but fortunately Italy and Germany lie within the radius,’ says Omar.

There are some seriously high-tech elements in place too. Modern façade systems and aluminium-framed windows will enhance the performance of the buildings, while solar panels will glisten on their roofs. Micro wind turbines are currently being considered on some of the villa plots, too, but geothermal and tidal energy – although environmentally ideal – are not always financially viable. ‘It’s all about finding a balance between respecting the local vernacular, meeting the environmental demands of LEED and providing our clients with the highest standard of modern comfort,’ says Omar.

But it is also about engaging existing communities, and helping the region as a whole. Luštica Bay has a 25-year development plan through which the company hopes to inject life into the area all year round, and benefit everyone who lives and works there; social, as well as environmental, sustainability.

‘Our approach embraces sustainability in the sense of being able to sustain something for a long time,’ says Omar. ‘This means preserving, not only the environment, but also the social and economic lives of the people who reside here now and in the future.’ ■

life will be better With hiking and nature trails, golf, tennis, sailing and spas

h om e ow n e r

Marco Sieber Lucerne-based CEO Marco Sieber likes sailing, sustainability, and good food with good friends; we think he may have come to the right place. He and his wife Petra have bought homes in Luštica Bay for themselves and their daughters Lisa and Jana

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‘I have always liked the idea of a holiday home in Montenegro,’ says Luštica Bay investor Marco Sieber. ‘It’s a two-hour flight from central Europe, you’re on the Mediterranean, yet there’s no mass tourism, the population is friendly, and you have a beautiful landscape and good food. Over the years we’ve holidayed in Spain, southern Italy and the Danish islands, and none of those places could offer quite that combination.’

As a friend of Samih Sawiris, chairman and CEO of Orascom Development, the brains behind Luštica Bay, Sieber wanted to make sure that he would be the first to know when plans for the Bay were mooted. ‘When I heard they’d started I flew out to take a look right away. I bought my two apartments pretty much on the spot.’

‘we bought two homes so when my daughters have families of their own, they can bring them to luštica bay too’

For Marco, Luštica’s eco credentials were just as key as its spectacular setting and climate.

As joint CEO (with his brother Reto) of Swiss company SIGA, he has spent 23 years working in the green industry. The company produces environmentally-friendly insulation materials for buildings, and last year won a Swiss Family Business Award.

Around 30 per cent of energy worldwide is devoted to heating and cooling our homes, and insulation is something of a crusade for SIGA. So Marco was delighted to learn of Luštica Bay’s impressive environmental successes thus far – the cutting-edge energy-saving technologies and minimal carbon footprint that have led to its being the first development of homes in Europe registered with the US’s LEED certification scheme. ‘It was very important to me to commit to something that was sustainable – not least because it makes a much better investment,’ he explains.

Marco and his wife were also able to dictate the finish of their properties, tweaking elements of the interior design.

This year Marco and Reto stood down from the direct management of SIGA to fulfil a more strategic role – and, one hopes, carve out a little more time for R&R. So when the houses are completed in 2015, Marco and his family look forward to spending every summer there, and weekends too.

‘I’m a keen sailor and I’m looking forward to messing about in motorboats and playing all kinds of water sports,’ says Marco. ‘And since you can rent boats in Luštica, I’ll be able to keep my Windy Boat sports cruiser on Lake Vierwaldstättersee here in Switzerland.

Of course we’ll swim every day – there will be private beaches and the bay is all blue water, warm and not too windy. I may even learn to play golf – the course is going to be right outside my apartment. And if we want a change of scene, Dubrovnik is only 50 kilometres away.’

Having travelled all over Europe for holidays, the Sieber family are now planning to put down some roots. ‘As people buy up the houses and apartments, Luštica is developing a village feel of neighbours who know each other,’ Marco continues. ‘Food is very important to the Swiss so we’re planning to do a lot of eating out in Luštica’s restaurants, and we’ll cook at home too, with food from the local markets – particularly the fish market.

‘We bought two apartments so when my daughters have families of their own, they can bring them to Luštica Bay too. I’m so looking forward to having my grandchildren run next door to visit their Grandpappy.’ ■

property

A luštica

i l l u s t r at i o n s : N a b i l Ne z z a r / F o l i o A r t

home

When you buy a property in Luštica Bay, you’re buying part of a community. Paying for a better lifestyle, for hours of sun and open space.

Buying into Montenegro’s future, and picking up a piece of its past. You’re shelling out for years of picture-perfect seaside days for you, your family, and the tiny little future yous to come.

All very lovely in theory, but we know you can’t live on – or in – an idea alone.

Luckily, when you buy in Luštica Bay, you’re buying somewhere to lay your head too –

purchasing a plot of land, and with it an awardwinning, eco-friendly home with a swimming pool, terrace and views out to the Adriatic Sea. You’re buying access to two marinas, a golf course, tennis courts and water sports, to spas and a school, beaches, bars, restaurants and boutiques, to portside promenades and hillside trails. And, of course, you’re investing in some pretty prime real estate in one of the most hotly tipped destinations on the map.

Which means you’re getting rather a lot.

property

property apartment

Whether you’re after a small but perfectly formed studio or a spacious three-bed, our apartments offer the very best in lateral living: beautifully designed in line with local architecture, with private terraces, the nicest communal gardens this side of Eden (plus those all-important pools) and, gosh, is that another sea view? You can choose to roll out of bed and right into the water in our E-type apartments, or eye up the excitement from the F-type apartments up in Marina Heights but, whichever plot you pick, your high-tech, high-spec home will make for an unbeatable coastal bolthole – and a rather smart rental opportunity, too. From €180,000

phase one

townhouse

What can I buy?

On completion, Luštica Bay will feature: • 6.9 million square metres of land (with just 5.8 per cent to be built upon) • Over 1700 LEED-certified apartments, townhouses and villas with sea views • Seven hotels, from luxury brands to independent boutiques • Two world-class marinas • A signature Gary Player-designed 18-hole golf course • Year-round amenities, sports and wellbeing facilities, shops and eateries

Phase one, which is due for completion in 2017, will include all the amenities and facilities you could possibly ask for, the primary 176-berth marina and golf course, two hotels and a selection of studio, one-, two- and threebed apartments, townhouses and bespoke villas, available to purchase now.

This first phase of properties will sit pretty behind the marina, or perch on the hillside above it – offering you a choice between being in the action, or enjoying easy access to it from the quiet and calm of our Marina Heights area. Whichever plot you pick, you’re guaranteed the authentic local design, ecologically-sound and technologically-advanced architecture, ample outdoor space and sea views that define homes in Luštica Bay.

The classic townhouse gets an Adriatic facelift, with all the stateliness and space of a city pad, plus sprawling gardens, swimming pools and the authentic style that so perfectly complements the charming local aesthetic.

(And did we mention those views?) Offering easy access to the marina’s café culture, but with vast amounts of private land, our 14 townhouses strike a rare balance between action and tranquillity. And with two or three bedrooms apiece, garages, and expansive living and entertaining space – plus the opportunity to dictate your property’s fixtures and finishes – they’re the perfect pick for happy families and parties of friends alike. From €565,000

Villa

While owners of any one of our apartments or townhouses can finish their homes to their specifications, owning one of our beautifully bespoke villas means owning a palatial family home that is truly tailored to you. You want a waterfall? Fine, it’s yours. Walk-in his and hers wardrobes?

Not a problem, you can have that too. Working with our dedicated design team, you can mould your home to cater to your every need (and anything else you just quite fancy too). Set back from the primary marina, all villas enjoy exceptional views from the hills above – and with only four planned for our first phase, your villa will be every bit as exclusive as it is made-to-measure. From €1.8 million

property

What happens now?

Come and see us

Arrange a site visit. Our sales team will take you on a spin around the grounds – plus above or along them from the LB helicopter and boat. We’ll show you every available plot to let you check out the view from your new windows, shout you a drink at our driving range, and give you a little taste of the local area too, so you can fantasise about your future home over a bite to eat.

Make our house your home

This, of course, is the tricky part: which to choose? But once you’ve settled on a spot – in the midst of the action or overlooking it – and a size – family villa or apartment for one – all you need to do is decide which stone to clad the kitchen tops in, and what colour to paint the walls. And if that’s too much to ask, our design team are always on hand to help.

Luštica Development AD Radovići, Montenegro +382 77 200 104 info@lusticabay.com www.lusticabay.com

Start living

A solid real estate investment that benefits the environment and local economy, and allows you an entrée into a lively community and a healthy, active lifestyle? Clearly, once you’ve purchased your property, there’s little more to do than congratulate yourself all the way to that first sundowner on your bougainvillea-filled terrace. Ours is a white wine, thanks.

…but that’s just between you and me

Luštica Development AD Radovići, Montenegro +382 77 200 104 info@lusticabay.com www.lusticabay.com