The fourth international “Night of Fortresses” event will be held this year on May 9th in several Montenegrin municipalities: Berane, Cetinje, Herceg Novi, Ulcinj, Pljevlja, Nikšić, and Bar.
In Berane, the Cultural Center will organize an exhibition of old books; in Cetinje, a classical music concert performed by a string quartet will take place at the Royal Square; while in Herceg Novi, there will be a guided expert tour and a lecture on cultural heritage through a thematic visit to the Forte Mare fortress site. At the archaeological site of Šas in Ulcinj, an exhibition of paintings by young artists from Ulcinj schools will be opened, along with a tasting of traditional local products and a concert of folk and dance music. In Pljevlja, an exhibition promoting the Pljevlja fortresses Kukanj and Koznik will be held, and in Bar, the exhibitions “Ariadne’s Thread” by Muharem Muratović and “In the Heart of the Olive” by Vladimir Iličković will be presented.
As part of the international program of the Polish Presidency of the European Union, the music festival “Bedem Fest,” in cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute from Warsaw and the Nikšić 2030 Initiative Office, will organize a two-day event “Musical Caravans of Peace and Friendship” at the fortress in Nikšić to mark Europe Day. On Friday, May 9th, a volunteer action titled “Cleaning Ancient Onogošt, Thinking of the Fortress’s Future” is planned.
The “Night of Fortresses 2025” event is funded by the European Union within the GIFTSnet project under the Interreg IPA Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021–2027 program.
This year, “Night of Fortresses” has, according to the organizers, adopted a green label and a new slogan, “Night of Fortresses Goes Green,” as the event aims to be used as a tool to raise public and visitor awareness about concepts of green and sustainable development.
Over the past three years, the event has connected more than 50 sites across eight countries and 40 cities, including coastal and inland fortresses, castles, museums, galleries, and old towns, promoting them as tourist attractions. It is part of the European Fortress Summer event, which since 2018 has linked and promoted events at fortified heritage sites across Europe.
Launched in Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Night of Fortresses Goes Green now also includes locations from Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, and, from this year, Italy.