Trebinje

MMSF will take place in one of the Mediterranean's best-kept and most beautiful secrets: Trebinje, located just 19 miles (30km) from Dubrovnik, in the southernmost part of Bosnia & Herzegovina. A birthplace of Jovan Dučić, a famous Modernist Serbian poet whose refined aesthetics are felt throughout the area.

Trebinje has complex and rich history stretching back to the 9th century, when it was known as “the land of Serbs.” It was later ruled by the Ottomans and the Austro-Hungarians and was part of the former Yugoslavia. Today, Trebinje is the capital of the Serbian Autonomous Region of Herzegovina.

There are so many stages and splendid venues for our concerts: the magical stage at the Amphitheater Crkvine at Hercegovačka Gračanica will host the festival’s opening Gala concert as well as the Grand Finale closing Gala; another one of our favorites - the Museum of Hercegovina, will host several evening performances as well as educational events and masterclasses; individual lessons will take place at the Music School in Trebinje, across the street from the main Cultural Center (Kulturni Centar), which will host our ensemble and string orchestra rehearsals as well as the concerto competition finals; the most elegant Vila Lastva, located in the nearby Lastva Village, is another one of our exclusive locations for a special evening of music and dining; there is Porta Hrama in Ducic Park, The Market Place at Platani and so many other beautiful locations and places yet to introduce and discover. Nice to know - all rooms and interior stages are non-smoking and air-conditioned.

The main stages and performance spaces for MMSF include:

Amphitheater Crkvina
Museum Hercegovine
Theater Hall in the Cultural Center
Vila Lastva
Music School Trebinje
Market Place at Platani Square
Plato Hrama at Dučić Park
Touring locations: Mostar, Kotor, Herceg-Novi, Dubrovnik…..

Arrival Dates and Transportation / August 1-14, 2024

All students should fly into the International Airport of Dubrovnik (DBV) in Croatia. MMSF will be providing a free pick up and drop off shuttle buses in both locations. Participants should plan to arrive on August 1. The shuttle bus transportation times are: 3pm for the arrivals in Dubrovnik. When booking your return flight, plan to leave from Dubrovnik on August 14, with a flight departure after 9am. Everyone who wishes to take the shuttle bus should plan their flight times accordingly. If, however, your arrival/departure times are outside the provided bus schedules that may include a different airport location (Sarajevo, Tivat, Podgorica airports), MMSF can assist you with making reservations for an additional airport transfer fee, not covered by MMSF. Please email your flight arrival/departure times to our Student Services Manager, Snjezana Marinković (Snez) at: office@mmsummerfest.com.

Important: A valid passport is required for all international arrivals and departures and for all additional shuttle buss services and boarder crossings during the festival. Upon receiving your Letter of Acceptance to MMSF, please email a copy of your passport’s front page to Snez at: office@mmsummerfest.com.

For all additional inquires, please email us at: info@mmsummerfest.com.

Accommodations

Participating students and guests will be staying at Hotel Leotar, a newly renovated, Mediterranean style hotel, situated in the center of Trebinje and next to the river Trebisnjica. Guests may also be staying at Hotel Central Park and/or Platani, both 4-star boutique hotels that are situated on the main square in Trebinje. Participating students, guests and faculty will have breakfast at their designated hotel and everybody meets together for daily lunch and dinner, which will be served in the main dining room at Leotar. All rooms are non-smoking facilities, with air-conditioning and Wi-Fi service.

❗️New: vegetarian selections are now available to all at MMSF who are staying at Hotel Leotar.

NEW for All Guests - Wines and Vineyards of Herzegovina!

Several visits to world-class regional vineries will be organized during the festival. If you are a wine aficionado this will be one of those memorable outings where you will also be learning about the rich wine-making history of this region that goes back to the Middle Ages. But that is not all! There is the mouthwatering local prosciutto and variety of cheeses to have along with the wine. You may add to your palate the world famous rakija made of various organically grown fruits and you will have a most extraordinary epicurean experience. Sign up when you are there. €20 per person.

Culinary Classes & Tastes of Herzegovina - more about it soon!

A team of local chefs will show you several old traditional cooking methods dating back to the XIV century! The class will take place at a scenic, century-old village near Trebinje. You will learn how to cook with locally-grown organic grains using traditional cookware, learn about the locally made goat cheese (sir iz mjeha), prepare several traditional specialties after which, at the end of a class, you will enjoy a most epicurean meal, accompanied with local wines and rakija. Sign up when you are there. €25 per person.

Excursions

First excursion will take us to (August 8, 2024):

Kotor, Montenegro - voted as one of the best places to visit in 2024 by TripAdvisor is a UNESCO World Heritage site, located on a glorious bay on the coast of Montenegro, Kotor is a city steeped in tradition and history, with remarkable scenic views. The old city was built between the 12th and 14th centuries and is filled with medieval architecture and historic monuments. Extending over four kilometers, the city walls that have protected Kotor for centuries lead up to the fortress of Saint Ivan. A bonus: MMSF will be featured at the prestigious KotorArt festival in a collaborative performance on August 8, 2024 at Crkva svetog Duha.

Second excursion will take us to (August 12, 2024):
Dubrovnik, one of the most spectacular and a must-be-seen destination on the Adriatic Sea. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of the World Heritage Sites. We will spend an entire day touring and going to the beach. You can also check the top Game of Thrones filming locations:
https://www.welcomepickups.com/blog/croatia/dubrovnik/game-of-thrones-filmed/
Additional trips, which we can help you arrange. This would be great for our registered guests of the festival with more time to explore the region:
Mostar, a glorious city situated on the Neretva River where “Start Most” - Old Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is seen. This is not all, we are presenting a student-faculty concert in the evening. More information will follow soon.