Have you ever had the need to jump out from your skin and put yourself in somebody else’s shoes if only for a day? We act differently in different places depending on the occasion. Even though we always do our best to make a good impression, the fact is: people sometimes just need to relax.

If you want to escape the everyday routines and have a knack for games and fun, then, Carnivals and Masquerades are the right events for you to attend!

All places that celebrate Carnivals have generally the same activities, but each Carnival is unique considering local culture and customs. In Montenegro, you can enjoy in Carnivals during the both winter and summer season. In February, tourists, as well as the residents themselves, can feel the spirit of “Festival Mimoze” named appropriately after the silver wattle flower which blooms only at this time of the year, while most of the country is still covered with snow.

This extraordinary manifestation of forty years, takes place in Herceg-Novi, a town at the very South-West of Montenegro. “The feast of wine and fish”, as they call it, attracts numerous visitors to Herceg Novi. It is the time when the promenades are overcrowded with beautiful majorettes, entertaining and funny clowns, marching bands, troupes, etc. The incredible nature, delicious local specialties and breathtaking landscapes, as well as the hospitality and creativity of the residents in this small town never fail to impress its visitors. Creativity of the people is expressed through various exhibitions, dance performances and mask costumes. The manifestation ends with a Carnival procession and a masquerade ball. On the day of the Carnival, citizens put a puppet through a trial and find it guilty for the troubles of the previous year. The festivities, then, continue to the other coastal towns, such as Kotor and Budva.

Kotor is one of the most visited towns when it comes to Carnivals. It has a very long tradition of celebrating Carnivals dating back to the 1800’s and is visited by thousands of people. Except for the carnival troupes from the coastal towns of Montenegro, Kotor carnival hosts many carnival groups worldwide. All of sudden, Kotor, at night becomes an enchanting flower consisting of colorful and cheerful masked people. At the masquerade you can be anyone you like for a short time: a queen, a president, a superhero, a pop star… Your imagination is the limit! Sometimes masks represent a parody of the current political situation. The citizens of these small towns make enormous efforts to create the most interesting masks and the best ones are rewarded.

Unlike the Carnivals of Herceg-Novi and Kotor, the Carnival of Budva is organized during the summer months. This Carnival is quite similar to the one in Kotor. It is enormously popular internationally, a spectacle that no visitor ever forgets. Apart from the main event - the Carnival parade with dance performances, on each square, the concerts are organized, clubs are full of masked people and the party lasts till the smallest hours. The most amazing fact is that you can be even over 70 and still take part in a Carnival masquerade, it is for the young at heart. Everyone who likes good fun is more than welcome!

All of the coastal towns have a very interesting history and are very well loved destinations, especially during the summer season. If you ever decide to visit these places, you will be immediately enchanted by their beauty. But if you come at the time of the Carnival, go ahead and disguise yourself, just be careful! Don’t forget to get back in your own skin when you take off your costume, your boss may be just around the corner! Have fun, discover yourself, meet new people and the culture because one thing is certain, there’s no doubt that Montenegrin people are creative and have good sense of humor!