Mt. Kopaonik

Mt. Kopaonik's size, plentiful vegetation and salubrious climate make it an attractive year-round tourist destination. No other mountain in Serbia can compare to it in terms of natural beauty, while in the winter months it becomes a ski centre of European stature.

By Milorad St. Ilić
Photo by Milan Melka

The celebrated Serbian natural scientist Josif Pančić once wrote: "Mt. Kopaonik is an extraordinary part of Serbia in which I have always found something of interest to see and admire, and which I never left without wanting to return." Having fallen in love with this "nest of clouds", he had intended for this to be his eternal abode. His wish was granted; his tomb rests on a clearing resembling a large shell called Pančićev Vrh (Pančić's Peak). From a height of 2,000 metres above sea level that records more than 200 insolation days annually, one can make out the contours of Mt. Fruška Gora in the distance and even the Carpathian Mountain range towards Romania!

The mountain's main relief features were created some 70 million years ago. Located among the valleys of the rivers Ibar, Jošanica, Rasina, Gornja Toplica and Lab, this giant on which each of the past centuries has left some mark radiates with a time-defying indestructible beauty. In the vicinity of the "sleeper on the rainbow" there emerged the mainstays of the Serbian medieval state dating back to the time of the Nemanjić, Lazarević  and Branković dynasties; armies, religions and customs clashed here, while cultures and architecture mixed to leave diverse influences, first Byzantine, then Turkish.

The snowy mountain is covered in spirituality: the Serbian medieval ruler Nemanja raised the white Studenica Monastery in 1190 above a nearby river of the same name, a true treasure — while King Milutin's little church called the King's Church, the Žiča Monastery endowed by King Stefan the First-Crowned, was built in 1215 as the first seat of Archbishop Sava, the Sopoćani Monastery with the most beautiful frescoes, Zvečan — at the entrance of the Ibar River, Maglič — the fortified cities…

Even covered with snow, the Mt. Kopaonik National Park is vibrant with the beauty of its plant and animal life. Various types of vegetation alternate from the foot to the top of the mountain: oak trees, beech trees, fir trees, junipers…. The diverse landscape offers numerous recreational activities; the Samokovka River canyon, the waterfalls at Kozica, the romantic Kadijevac, the eagle's Kukavica… a true paradise for mountain hikers.

One of the most beautiful mountain massifs in Serbia, Mt. Kopaonik covers an impressive area of 2,756 square kilometres. It is 82.5 kilometres long and 63 kilometres wide at its farthest points. Nature has endowed this genuine gem of pristine beauty with ideal skiing terrains at altitudes between 1,650 to 1,800 metres above sea level. From its sun-drenched peak, you can see the network of ski lifts noiselessly sliding above the tops of snow-clad fir trees. The spectacular ski terrains of Karaman, Jelak, Duboka are covered with a carpet of snow that arrives early and stays long. The terrains are covered with snow even when the mountain turns the colour of spring green. The skiing terrains were officially registered in 1981 with the International Skiing Federation (FIS) and Mt. Kopaonik has since enjoyed the status of an international ski centre and national park that has all the conditions for successful winter and summer tourism.

Mt. Kopaonik is equally loved by daring young adventurers as by family vacationers. Some 57 kilometres of ski terrains await skiers (three FIS-certified competition tracks), 20 kilometres of Nordic ski terrain and a system of 21 ski lifts capable of carrying 19,000 skiers per hour. Given its capacity, the Mt. Kopaonik ski centre can meet the wishes of every category of skier. The artificially lit Malo Jezero slalom run allows for night skiing as well, while ardent lovers of this attractive sport can ski to their delight at the Gobelja run.

They can also take lessons in some of the more adventurous sports that have become increasingly popular in recent years: snowboarding, monoskiing, deltaplane flying, free-style skiing, ski-alpinism, motor-skiing, deep-snow ballet. Tournaments are organised in all these sports as are entertainment programmes involving kites and balloons flights. 

The Konaci–Sunčani Vrhovi accommodation complex is a virtual little town with 645 suites named after ancient Serbian fortified cities: Maglič, Zvečan and Koznik. The ground floor is dotted with restaurants, self-service markets, boutiques, bookstores, beer halls, souvenir shops and travel agencies. In addition to older accommodation facilities such as Rtanj, Olga Dedijer, Sunčana Dolina, there are also attractive hotels such as the Grand, Nebeske Stolice, Klub A, Junior, Dijamant and JAT Suites. They offer top class tourist services coupled with culinary specialties that masterfully combine national and international cuisines. The hotels have warm-water swimming pools, saunas, gyms for fitness and aerobic workouts, cosmetic and massage lounges. In the evenings, young people spend their evenings dancing to loud music in one of Kopaonik's many night clubs. And in the mornings, as the emerging sun cuts through the mist and casts its rays on the snow-laden branches of evergreens, beckoning all skiers to come out, Mt. Kopaonik is flooded with the fresh scent of ozone. One feels a day younger. For these singular qualities, its natural beauty and extraordinary tourist offer, the Kopaonik National Park deserves to be described as the gem of Serbia's tourist offer, a recreational centre visited by thousands of guests from around the country, Europe and the world.