From May 31 to June 2, Herceg Novi will host the annual General Assembly of the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities (EFNC), within the “Destination Napoleon” network, a certified cultural route of the Council of Europe.

The three-day event will bring together representatives of Federation member cities from 12 countries, then members of cultural institutions, heritage protection organizations and representatives of the tourism sector who will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences and plan future cooperation.

During the working part of the General Assembly, which will be officially opened on Monday (June 1) at the Lazure Hotel, presentations of European projects and members’ activities, discussions on sustainable cultural tourism, and the reception of new members from Italy and Spain are planned. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the cultural and historical institutions and monuments of Herceg Novi.

At the “Destination Napoleon Award” ceremony, awards will be given for the best European projects in culture, while on the last day of the event, the household baton will be handed over to the Portuguese city of Almeida.

The European Federation of Napoleonic Cities was founded in 2004 and gathers European cities and territories where there are cultural and historical traces from the Napoleonic era. Herceg Novi became a member in 2023 due to the location on Ilinica where the grave of French soldiers from the time of Napoleon’s rule over the Illyrian provinces is located. It is a monument to the French soldiers who died in 1806, and the monument was erected by the French soldiers of the 126th detachment from Thessaloniki.

The organization of the event was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Media.