The organization of the duathlon “Sutjeska – Piva” of the Municipality of Foča and Plužine ended this year’s tourist season
The first duathlon “Sutjeska – Piva”, which gathered 50 participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, was held on October 17, 2021 with the support of the European Union. The duathlon was organized within the project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.)” implemented by the Municipalities of Foča and Plužine with partners.
The race started at Tjentište in Foča, from where the competitors rode bicycles to Prijevor, at the foothill of the highest peak of BiH, Maglić Mountain, in the length of 18 kilometers. From Prijevor, the competitors ran to Trnovačko Lake, the jewel of the Nature Park Piva (Montenegro) and back, along an 11-kilometer-long trail, and then rode their bicycles back to Tjentište.
The duathlon through the National Park Sutjeska and the Nature Park Piva attracted cycling and mountain marathon enthusiasts from several cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, who had the opportunity to enjoy the phenomenal scenes of untouched natural beauty of this cross-border area. The winner of the duathlon is the young Nikola Jovanović from Rudo, who successfully finished the race in 3 hours and 45 minutes. The second place won Miloš Bodiroga from Trebinje, while the third place went to Slaviša Vrećo from Foča. Naida Husić from Živinice was the only woman among the participants in the duathlon and placed among the first ten participants. Despite the demanding track and cold weather, all participants expressed a desire to participate in the next duathlon.
The cooperation of the municipal protection and rescue services of Foča and Plužine has been improved with the financial support of the European Union
During September and October 2021, four rescue drills were organized in the area of the National Park “Sutjeska” (Municipality of Foča) and Nature Park “Piva” (Municipality of Plužine) within the cross-border cooperation project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A)” . The drills were organized with the aim of improving cooperation and coordination of protection and rescue services from the two municipalities in order to contribute to greater safety of tourists visiting this cross-border area.
Within the first rescue drill “Maglić 2021”, held at Prijevor, National Park Sutjeska, the protection and rescue services of the municipalities of Plužine and Foča evacuated the injured from the motor passenger vehicle and rescued the injured mountaineer. The next rescue drill “Hrčavka 2021” was organized in the Hrčavka canyon, where a scenario of rescuing an injured tourist during canyoning was implemented.
The next two drills were organzed in the area of the Nature Park “Piva”. Rescue drill “Piva Lake 2021” was organized according to the scenario of a traffic accident with two injured in which, due to serious injuries of one of the injured from the motor vehicle, the roof of the vehicle and the door had to be cut so that he could safely surrender to the Hospital from Plužine. During the final drill “TARA 2021”, a fire was simulated on a motor passenger vehicle, which spread to the surrounding low vegetation and to inaccessible terrain.
During the rescue drills, members of the Rescue Service from Plužine, the Civil Protection from Foča, the Territorial Fire Brigade from Foča, the ambulance team and the General Hospital from both municipalities showed a high level of training. Connecting rescue services, equipping and strengthening their capacities will especially contribute to greater safety of tourists, which is one of the goals of the project.
The project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.)” is implemented by the Municipalities of Plužine and Foča, in cooperation with the Nature Park “Piva” and the Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Foča, and funded by the European Union within the Cross-Border Cooperation Program BiH-Montenegro. The aim of the project is to develop and promote the cross-border area as a unique destination for active tourism. Realization began on December 1, 2019 and will last for two years, until the end of November 2021.
The sixth coordination meeting of the rescue services from Foča and Plužine organized
On Monday, September 13, 2021, the municipalities of Foča (BiH) and Plužine (Montenegro) organized the sixth coordination meeting for members of its rescue services (civil protection, police, health facilities, fire services and associations, protection services and rescue, GSS) within the project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A)” supported by the European Union. The aim of the meeting was the dynamics of the organization of joint rescue drills and discussions on logistical details.
The goal of organizing joint rescue drills is to contribute to increased safety in the border area and more efficient connection of rescue service teams, which will establish closer cooperation between rescue services from both municipalities.
During the meeting, the exact dates and locations where the mentioned drills will be organized at 4 locations in the cross-border area were specified, namely drills on Maglić peak and in the Hrčavka canyon in the municipality of Foča, as well as in the Tara river canyon and Piva lake in the Plužine municipality. Rescue drill will contribute to a more successful and efficient response during rescue activities. After the rescue exercises, a protocol of activities will be developed, which will be followed during the rescue operations.
The meeting was organized within the cross-border cooperation project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A)” implemented by the municipalities of Plužine (CG) and Foča (BiH) in cooperation with the Nature Park “Piva” and the Tourist Organization of Foča, funded by the European Union in the amount of EUR 499,654.00 within the Cross-Border Cooperation Program BiH-Montenegro. The goal of the project is the development and promotion of the cross-border area of these two municipalities, as unique tourist destinations for active tourism.
The realization of the project began on December 1, 2019 and will last for two years, until the end of November 2021.
“Drinska priča” in Foča attracted a large number of visitors from the region
In the period from September 7 to 8, a two-day manifestation “Drina Story” was organized in Foča with the financial support of the European Union, and attracted a large number of audiences from BiH, Montenegro and beyond.
The opening of “Drina Story” belonged to the group “Vesele 80-te” from Kragujevac, recognizable by the unique concert performance of songs by an entire generation that wrote the golden age of domestic rock music. The band members performed as a group both nights.
Numerous audiences then enjoyed the concert of Dženan Lončarević, who, with his band, delighted everyone. Dženan Lončarević, known for his ethno, pop and rock performances and autobiographical songs, created a great atmosphere and delighted thousands of visitors from Foča and the surrounding area.
On the second night, the audience from Foča had the opportunity to enjoy the hits of the Kragujevac rock group “Osvajači”, which had the honor of closing the “Drina story” with their hits. There were people of different ages in the audience, and they all visibly enjoyed the performances of well-known songs, which confirmed the “Osvajači” as one of the most popular rock groups in our area.
“Drina Story” is one in a series of activities of the project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A)” implemented by the Municipality of Plužine and the Municipality of Foča, in cooperation with the Nature Park Piva and the Tourist Organization of Foča, and funded by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the BiH-MNE Cross-Border Cooperation Program.
Bloggers and influencers from the region enjoyed the natural beauties of Foča and Plužine as part of FAM Trip
In Foča and Plužine from 19-25 July 2021, an activity of the project Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure T.A.R.A. “Familirization Trip” was organized, aiming to promote the tourist potentials and attractions of these two municipalities. FAM Trip brought together bloggers and influencers from the region who during a six-day visit to the municipalities enjoyed the natural beauty and numerous tourist products they have to offer.
The first three days were reserved for a visit to the municipality of Foca. Bloggers and influencers from the region had the opportunity to visit the Sutjeska National Park, Zelengora Mountain and Lakes Gornje and Donje Bare, Borić, Dragoš Sedlo, Beškita, Prijevor, Perućica Rainforest, Hero’s Valley, as well as cultural and historical sites in the city. They ended their adventurous visit to the municipality of Foča with the famous Trnovačko Lake – a lake called “the heart of the mountains”, where they enjoyed the unreal beauty of this area.
“Fam trip” continued its “caravan” towards the river Tara, where participants enjoyed a rafting adventure and experienced an unusual adrenaline rush. After Tara, they flew over Piva Lake, the longest ZIP LINE in Montenegro (1400M). In the continuation of their journey and discovering the endless beauty of the Piva region, with an organized jeep safari, they visited the mountain of Piva area and the Durmitor ring, enjoyed the Black Lake, Žabljak and the canyon of the river Sušica.
On the last day of getting acquainted with the beauties of the Nature Park “Piva”, the participants of FAM Trip visited Stabanjska lakes, the pearls of this area, glacial lakes 4.5 km away from the village of Stabana, after which they were named.
The visit to the Municipality of Plužine ended with the manifestation “Piva Story”, with musical notes by the Montenegrin band Rudolf, the group Galija and with one of the most famous vocalists of folk music, Miroslav Ilić.
“Familirization Trip” is one of a series of activities of the project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.)” implemented by the Municipalities of Plužine and Foča, in cooperation with the Nature Park of Beer and the Tourist Organization of Foča, and funded by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the CBC BiH-MNE Cross-Border Cooperation Program.
“Piva story” with notes by Rudolf, Galija and Miroslav Ilić raised the Plužine audience
With the financial support of the European Union, the “Piva Story” manifestation was organized in Plužine on July 24, 2021 in the city amphitheater, which attracted great interest from audiences from Montenegro, BiH and beyond. As part of the manifestation, a promo concert was also held the day before in Foča, announcing the event in Plužine.
The opening of the concert belonged to the Montenegrin band Rudolf, where they presented their songs to a large audience. Then, the rock band from Niš, Galija, came on stage, which caused a great reaction among the audience with their famous hits. After Galija, the stage was taken over by Miroslav Ilić, one of the best vocalists of folk music, who closed this musical event with a great atmosphere.
The concert attracted a large number of visitors, who used the weekend to enjoy the natural and tourist attractions provided by the municipality of Plužine and Nature Park “Piva” and thus enjoyed rafting adventures, cruises, zip lines, hiking trails, as well as swimming in turquoise. -blue Beer Lake.
“Piva Story” is one activity of the project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.)” implemented by the Municipalities of Plužine and Foča, in cooperation with the Nature Park Piva and the Tourist Organization of Foča, and funded by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina. within the CBC BiH-MNE Cross-Border Cooperation Program.
The aim of the project is to develop and promote the cross-border area as a unique destination for active tourism. Realization began on December 1, 2019 and will last for two years, until the end of November 2021.
ANNOUNCEMENT: “Piva story” in Plužine
As part of the project “Tourism, Adrenaline and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.) on July 24, 2021, a concert will be organized in Plužine with the participation of the group Galija, Miroslav Ilić and the band Rudolf. The concert will be held in the summer amphitheater in the center of Plužine starting at 8 p.m. Entrance is free.
In the municipality of Foča, a concert will also be organized on August 23 at the Cinema Club with music of Veljko Vučurović.
The European Union continues to support strengthening rural households in Plužine and Foča
On 26 April 2021 in Plužine was organized an event “Connecting rural households with service providers in the field of tourism” with the support of the European Union, which brought together representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development of Montenegro, representatives of rural households from Plužine, Meanderbug travel agency, the Municipalities of Plužine and Foča and Nature Park Piva.
The representative of the Ministry of Economic Development, Ms Anka Kujović, informed the participants about the steps that need to be taken in order to receive a Decision on the registration of a rural household, which legally allows them to be engaged in tourism industry. She pointed out that, in addition to being a legal obligation, registration also brings benefits to rural households, such as the possibility of applying for grants awarded by the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and other relevant institutions.
In his presentation, the Executive Director of the Meanderbug Agency from Podgorica, Brit Boone, first praised the cross-border cooperation project between the Municipality of Plužine and the Municipality of Foča. Mr. Boone, an American by birth, moved to Montenegro eight years ago to work on developing rural tourism. He emphasized that the Municipality of Plužine is already using the potential for rafting, but it is necessary to develop other activities such as hiking, mountain biking and fishing, so that tourists have vacations filled with various activities and thus extend their stay. Boone pointed out that the COVID-19 virus pandemic has changed the way people think when it comes to travel, so now those who plan vacations want to spend them away from big cities and crowds. This is exactly the advantage of Plužine and Foča, because they are places for peace and isolation, and that is what many visitors from Western Europe want.
In the following period, activities related to rural households from the area of the two municipalities will continue within the project.
The event was organized in accordance with the measures aimed at combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Linking local tour operators with rural households
Yesterday, in the Center for Culture and Information of Foča, a meeting “Connecting rural households with service providers in the field of tourism” was successfully organized with the support of the European Union. The meeting was attended by representatives of rural households from Foča, representatives of the Municipality of Foča, the project team of the municipalities of Foča and Plužine, the director of the Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Foča, the president of the Foča Rafter Association and local media.
At the meeting, the possibilities for connecting rural households with service providers in the field of tourism were presented, as well as the legal norms that regulate this area. The president of the Foča Rafters’ Association shared his experiences in cooperation and connecting rafting camps with rural households, presenting ways to improve the existing cooperation.
Representatives of rural households presented the problems they face in the distribution, placement and branding of their products, and listed the obstacles they face in the registration of rural households as providers of services in the field of tourism.
At the end of the meeting, conclusions and further steps were adopted in order to improve cooperation, and the realization of the general goal: Increasing the number of rural households that provide services in the field of tourism in the municipality of Foča.
A study of research on speleological objects in the municipalities of Plužine and Foča has been prepared
As part of the project activities, members of the Mountaineering and Speleological Society Vučja stopa from Foča were engaged for conducting speleological research in two municipalities with the aim of promoting speleology as a tourist offer and making proposals for arranging one cave for tourist purposes in each municipality.
During the engagement, members of Vučja stopa visited and explored 6 speleological objects in the area of both municipalities, topographically drew cave channels, as well as described speleological objects in detail. Proposals for arranging one cave in each of the municipalities of Foča and Plužine were also made and presented in the study.
In the area of the municipality of Foča, the cave Mala Kutlača was explored for the first time, whose canals have a total length of 503 meters. The cave abounds in various forms of cave jewelry and the proposal for the arrangement is precisely this cave that will delight many visitors. It is specific for its cave pillars, the highest of which is 3.6 meters.
In the area of the municipality of Plužine, the real speleological phenomenon of these areas, the Đokova ledenica cave, was explored, among others. The cave is specific for large amounts of ice that is over 25 meters wide and up to 10 meters high. The ice in the cave is 50 meters long and various forms of ice cave jewelry are formed on it. Such caves can be seen in much higher areas such as the Alps. What would further bring to the attractiveness of this cave is a suspension bridge that would descend to another level, which so far visitors have not had the opportunity.
Study:
Study of research of speleological objects in the municipality of Plužine and Foča