Desire for Luštica Bay

Jens Freise is in charge of the Luštica Bay project - we asked him some questions.

Montenegro is still considered new territory when it comes to luxury tourism. Under the aegis of visionary, architect, multi-millionaire and Orascom founder Samih Sawiris, a pretty little village has grown up here on almost 700 hectares of green hillside, currently comprising around 300 apartments in villas and townhouses as well as a marina and The Chedi luxury hotel. We are talking about Luštica Bay (pronounced Luschtiza). Even though the development is far from complete, the promenade and boutiques are already bustling with life when we visit at the end of May.



Congratulations on Luštica Bay! That must have been quite an act ...

You could say that. The planning alone took a few years. The houses had to be driven into the rock, and Orascom is also committed to sustainability. We focus on architecture that is authentic or organic, in other words, traditional Adriatic construction. To achieve this, we use materials from the region and local craftsmen wherever possible. It all took longer than we thought. We opened in July 2018.


Luštica Bay is more of a village than a vacation resort. What can you find here?

Apart from the hotel, there are residences that we sell and that are co-managed by the hotel. It is up to the owners whether we rent them out or not. Along the promenade we offer 18 units for diving school, boat rental, boutiques, supermarket, Café Demel, bakery ... We will also build a school to ensure the year-round operation of the village. A second hotel with around 150 rooms is being built at the other end of the promenade. It will offer casual luxury. For the future, we are talking about seven hotels, 500 villas and townhouses, an 18-hole golf course and a second marina with customs clearance, where yachts from abroad can clear in directly.

You mentioned opening all year round. Is that already the case?

Yes, there are guests and owners who would like to spend the winter on the Adriatic. This also means we can get rid of the worry of having to put our employees out of work for six months. It also helps with community building, which is the concept behind Orascom developments. We want to create vibrant destinations where people meet, keep coming back and bring new people with them. And bring new ideas with them to help us move forward. In El Gouna, this has worked fabulously.


Are there flights to Montenegro in winter?

Yes, to Dubrovnik and Podgorica, both airports are about two hours away. We will also be launching our own connection from Munich to Tivat from November. Perhaps also from Düsseldorf. The journey from Tivat Airport to Luštica Bay takes about 25 minutes.


What can you do?

The fascinating thing about Montenegro is its nature. Mountains, bays, forests, national parks, the huge Lake Scutari. Almost the entire country is mountainous, with snow at the top in winter. It is best to hire a car for discovery tours. Top sights are the historic towns of Kotor and Perast. In the summer months, however, they are overrun by cruise ships. Our guests also enjoy hiking and cycling. Tours by motorboat or sailing yacht along the coast and into the Bay of Kotor are also wonderful. We will be opening a beach club on a private island there.


Do you have any restaurant tips?

We have hired a great chef for the Chedi - Željko Knezovi . If you visit Kotor and Perast, the charming garden restaurant Stari Mlini, which means old mill, is the best recommendation.

Interview: Kiki Baron