One of the most beautiful massifs of Serbia, Mt. Kopaonik stretches over an impressive area of 2,756 square kilometers. Its length is 82.5 km and its widest section covers 63 kilometers. Surrounded by the valleys of the Ibar, Jošanica, Rasina, Gornje Toplice and Laba, this giant that has been traced by each passing century, is destined to play the leading role in a great tourist spectacle. At altitudes of 1,650 and 1,800 meters, nature has endowed this pearl of untouched beauty with the ideal ski terrain. From the sunlit peak one can see a network of ski lifts noiselessly gliding over snow covered treetops. The spectacular ski terrains of Karaman, Jelak and Duboka are covered with a sea of snow that falls early and lasts for a long time. Snow remains here even after the Alps have become green.
 The World Skiing Federation registered the ski terrain in 1981 and Mt. Kopanik has since enjoyed the status of being an international ski center. Moreover, the resources at the National Park are favorable not only for the development of seasonal tourism, but also health tourism. Young daredevils and peaceful families share in common a love for Kopaonik. Skiers have at their disposal 57 kilometers of white paths (three FSI, competitive tracks), 20 kilometers of Nordic runs and a system of 21 cable cars with a capacity of 19,000 skiers per hour. With these facilities the Kopaonik ski resort can meet the needs of all categories of skiers. The illuminated ski track "Malo Jezero" (The Lesser Lake) makes slalom possible during the night and fervent lovers of this attractive sport can also try their daredevilry on the ski track of Gobelj.
 Slalom and giant slalom belong to the small number of sport disciplines that are enjoyed by children and adults alike. Skiing offers a rare opportunity for the whole family to spend unforgettable days in clear and pure air that refreshes soul, multiplies red cells and stimulates the appetite. At Kopaonik, children as well as adults are offered individual programs: from skilled ski instructors to contests in various fields. Besides exploring the mountain it is also possible to receive training in the disciplines today considered the greatest hits in the world: snowboarding, mono-skiing, Delta plan, free-style, ski-alpinism, sleigh motoring and ballet lessons in deep snow. Tournaments and entertainment programs are organized in all these disciplines. Paragliding and ballooning, daring ski descents and mono-boarding are particularly attractive for those wishing to witness something exciting.
 On the site where the Karavan Hotel once stood, today stands the modern Grand Hotel, the name of which refers to its deluxe ambience. There, suntanned skiers can relax in a warm swimming pool, solarium with fitness hall, lunch by fireplace, enjoy in grilled homemade specialties and taste wines, play tennis or go shopping in some of the galleries or handicraft shops. The "Konaci" (Lodgings) and "Sunčani vrhovi" (Sunny Peaks) complexes are small towns with 645 apartments bearing names of old Serbian fortifications "Maglić", "Zvečan" and "Koznik", in front of which are rows of restaurants, boutiques, bookshops, beer taverns and travel agencies. Besides "old residents" like "Rtanj", "Olga Dedijer", "Sunčana Dolina" (The Sun Valley) and "Vojno odmaralište" (the "Military Rest House"), the attractive JAT Apartments offer top level tourist accommodations. Suntanned faces, exclusive sport equipment manufactured by top world designers (Rosignol, Elan, Marker, Salomon) mix with wooden souvenirs, vessels containing cottage cheese and milk skim and homemade brandies made from blueberries, wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and currants. Besides other delights, Kopaonik also offers an exclusive parade of beautiful faces and an exceptional fashion show from morning until evening. One often wonders whether this is a tourist resort or a beauty pageant.
Every village at the foot of Mt. Kopaonik, like Brzeće, has a hotel, like the Junior Hotel, from which the center of the mountain can be reached by new ski lifts like the "Bela Reka" (The White River), which means that skiers do not need to use cars or buses.
Owing to the natural beauty and the top level accommodations, skiing, recreation and entertainment, National Park Kopaonik is today a jewel of the Serbian tourist trade. The recreation resort is visited by thousands of people from Yugoslavia, Europe and the world.
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Skiing
The ski terrains on Mt. Kopanik are situated from 1,650 up to 2,017 meters above sea level. The first ski-lift was built in 1964, and today there are 22 high-altitude ski-runs 42 kilometers long connected by a network comprising 20 cablecar ski-lifts plus four baby ski-lifts, totaling 17,222 meters. The central cross-roads of the ski lifts lies on the peak called Mali Karaman. The ski-lift capacity ranges between 13 and 15 skiers per hour. Three Alpine tracks enjoy the FIS status for slalom and giant slalom, and for lovers of Nordic skiing is the Crvene Bare (three tracks).
In addition to the simple ski-runs for Alpine skiing on Kopaonik, more daring skiers can try the red and black slopes. One of the black slopes is the Duboka I, on which competitive ski events are organized. As its name reveals, Sunčana Dolina (Sunny Valley) from midday is bathed in sunshine that often "eats up the snow" while Malo Jezero (Lesser Lake) is completely sheltered from the wind. It operates even in the most unfavorable meteorological conditions, and has special lighting to enable night skiing. The special advantage of this skirun is the vicinity of the Kopaonik tourist resort with its hotels and apartments.
Though skiers regard Mt. Kopaonik as their domain - where they enjoy racing downhill from Pančićev Vrh (Pančić’s Peak), Karaman, Duboka, Jaram, Krčmar to Bela Reka (White River) - there are no few pleasures that this mountain pearl can offer to those who don’t ski. Besides strolling under snow covered firs, the more daring visitor can descend one of the slopes on snowboard or, instead of skiing, they can ride on one of the motor sledges. For the less courageous there are traditional, horse-driven sledges. Others, besides enjoying the sun and clear air, have at their disposal swimming pools, covered tennis courts, gyms, restaurants and coffee shops... | |
