View Full Version : Kopaonik
rugbycoach
15-10-09, 07:35
With the switch seeming to be well and truely thrown from "summer" to "winter" on Monday, and with 31cm already on the ground on the mountains and more snow on the way (including Belgrade!!) I was wondering if anyone knows where to get info on Kopaonik other than the infokop site. Any idea when the season starts - is it a fixed date or when there is sufficient snow? Also any suggestions regarding accomodation, food etc
Cheers
Unregistered
15-10-09, 13:15
Kopaonik is a mountain ski resort (southern part) of Serbia.
Kopaonik usually has snow most of the year, I once experienced a few flakes even in midsummer. It is a beautiful mountain, and for snow lovers I suggest going now, because during the holiday months when kids are off from school it turns into a
Balkan-turbo-folk-circus. During this time all of Belgrade plants themselves on the slopes
even if they dont ski, they bring the equipment, buy the gear and just hang out in the cafes drinking and watching the other skiiers.
The "Grand hotel" is like the most expensive and "it" place to go, but "it" hasent been renovated since Tito was alive......I am sure you would be better off looking into
renting a small quaint house or apartment, during this time it is probably cheap.
I havent been to Kopaonik in a few years, and am sure things have changed and improved, but I personally don't like the people that go there during peak season, so I kind of avoid it all together.
www.kopaonik.net is another site with useful information.
Basically, kopaonik is like a microcosm of Serbia - if you go in blind and unable to use any local knowledge, you'll get stung - badly.
There are some awful places to stay there, such as the Grand hotel, which is basically where the Serb tycoons who can't get Schengen visas go to..easily the most tacky, overpriced ski resort hotel I've ever seen.
Also avoid the Genex apartments/hotel (legacy of the Genex Group) that's right in the centre of the resort forming a sort of horseshoe shape.
Fortunately, the rest of the resort improves from that - a lot of investment has been made into new chair lifts the past few years and the cues are generally very small.
In terms of accomodation, I'd recommend going through a travel agent and staying at one of the smaller new chalets...note, they desperately hold out for people coming for 7 day stays (eg. Saturday to Saturday) so if you want a long weekend, it's best to wait till last minute when they're pretty much certain they'll not get a week long guest and then be willing for shorter duration guests. Many of these places also only accept cash.
The other REALLY important thing to know about Kopaonik is the state of the roads leading up to the resort - THEY ARE AWFUL! As in, they never put salt on them and only occasionally grit. Despite having grown up in a snow filled country and having taken the Nissan school of winter driving 3 day course years ago - I was scared silly. At a minimum, you'll need winter tyres, and even then you could stuck on ice. If you do buy chains, the good thing is that in poor conditions they have guys at various points just before the road gets steep who will put the chains onto your car for 300/400 dinars, a true bargain.
All of this might seem like a pain, but the resort, especially on the mountain itself, has a uniquely Serbian feel to it with wonderful traditional food and probably the best atmosphere and quality of food on the chalets I've seen anywhere in the world (and I've skied in quite a few places). It's definitely worth the hastle.
Hope this helps!
Oooh, that looks awesome! I'd love to go there when I'm in Serbia again :) Never been skiing.
Kopaonik is the best ski resort in Serbia and in the same time the most expensive. There are other, but smaller ski resorts Zlatibor, Iver and Stara planina. Stara planina is young resort and it will be probablythe best ski destination in Serbia for some years. Useful information about this places and also about weekend holiday in Serbia you can find on site http://www.discoverserbia.org/en/ski-holiday-in-serbia
Last weekend we treked the 5-6hours to Sarajevo and ski-ed Jahorina. OK site, not a huge amunt of runs, most of them reds, snow was blowing off the top of the ski-lifts so a bit rocky high up but good further down. Driving up the road you reach a first car parking area, the music was at a PHENOMENAL VOLUME and was awful and just plain horrible. The next day we went passed that car park uphill to other chair lift pick ups and there was no noise, really peaceful, north facing (I think) and really pleasant. Paid Eur.45 for a three day pass (bargain compared to where I last ski-ed in Austria) and Eur80/night for a house in Pale (arranged through a friend of a friend of a friend). We had 9 in our party so bargain accom. Sarajevo provided good food at night.
I chatted with a Russian who was living in Bosnia and he was saying that Kopaonik was expensive and over rated.
Jahorina has good webcams too so you can check the conditions.
Lee
Re the comment
"Stara planina is young resort and it will be probablythe best ski destination in Serbia for some years."
Was (so I was hearing only yesterday) also an uncontrolled development in a significant area for nature protection and may well be closed or prove to be unviable because of new controls in the future if not already.
rugbycoach
11-02-10, 14:29
Re the comment
"Stara planina is young resort and it will be probablythe best ski destination in Serbia for some years."
Was (so I was hearing only yesterday) also an uncontrolled development in a significant area for nature protection and may well be closed or prove to be unviable because of new controls in the future if not already.
Interesting then that the government is investing in it then...."The next year budget plans to set aside for subsidies to public companies and organizations ... and to the Public Company “Stara Planina” 938,200,000 dinars.
State Secretary Goran Petkovic explained that the Public Company „Stara planina“ would invest the funds in construction of infrastructure on this mountain, electricity supply and beginning of construction of accommodation capacities. He has also underlined that the beginning of construction of accommodation capacities is extremely important due to attracting foreign investors and he expressed expectation that the first new accommodation facility on Stara Planina shall be opened in 2012."
Wow! Quite clearly my informant was very wrong. Nevertheless it remains a strong nature conservation area for red book species so I am ssure they will need a good chunk of the 938 million dinars to sort it all out. One to watch perhaps!
Stara planina is nature reserve and it is really very beutiful area. I post it will be big ski resort because I know that nobody can not stop government to do what they decide, nor ecologist or releases. This is Serbia. It is a pity. There are amazing landscapes and waterfalls there. I think hotel complex and ski resort is the least problem. Problem is that when tourists start to come, people will start to build there illegal and uglyapartments and houses, buildings, unplanned settlements without sewerage etc. It will be bigger problem then hotels. Same is already hepend with Kopaonik during the last 20 years, it is happening now in National Park Tara and it will be same on Stara Planina for some years.
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