Kopaonik ski resort

Kopaonik ski resort or Kopaonik ski center (Serbian Cyrillic: Ски центар Копаоник, romanized: Ski centar Kopaonik) is a mountain resort and the largest center of winter tourism in Serbia.^[1] Located on the slopes of Kopaonik Mountain, it is mainly a destination for skiing and snowboarding, but also offers various other activities like tennis. In the area, there are several hotels and hostels, cafes, bars and night clubs.

Kopaonik ski resort
Kopaonik ski resort trails
Kopaonik ski resort Location within Serbia
Location	Kopaonik Mountain
Nearest major city	Brus, Serbia
Coordinates	43°16′9″N 20°49′21″E
Top elevation	2,017 m (6,617 ft) (Pančić's Peak)
Base elevation	1,770 m (5,810 ft)
Skiable area	55 km (34 mi)
Trails	25
Longest run	3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Lift system	25 total (10-passenger gondola, 3 high-speed 6-passenger Superchairs, 7 High-speed quad chairs, 11 Surface and 3 kid-surface lifts)
Lift capacity	32,000/hour
Snowfall	160 days
Snowmaking	Yes
Night skiing	Yes
Website	www.eng.infokop.net

History

Kopaonik ski resort was established in 1964, when the first chairlift was opened. In 1981, Kopaonik Mountain was proclaimed a national park of Serbia.^[2][3] In the same year, the International Ski Federation (FIS) recognized ski resort as an international ski center.

In 1999, it was bombed several times as the Serbian Armed Forces military base is located nearby.^[1]

Features

As of 2025, Kopaonik ski resort has 25 ski lifts,^[4] with 55 km (34 mi) of ski slopes for all categories. With around 55 km (34 mi) of alpine ski runs and 12 km (7 mi) of cross country runs, it is the largest ski resort in Serbia.^[5][1] Among other features, it has night skiing run and artificial snow system covering most of the resort.^[5]

Kopaonik has mild winters with high levels of snowfall, and on average about 200 sunny days annually with 160 days covered with snow. ^[6]

Kopaonik ski resort is being considered as one of the best ski resorts in South East Europe, with outstanding beginner and lower-intermediate terrain for skiers.^[7]

Festivals

There is an annual music festival "Big Snow" held from 23 to 29 March in the area of ski resort. The festival gathers international reggae, jazz and electronic music performers.^[6]

The ski resort has a "Snow Park" for extreme skiers and snowboarders.^[8] The park has expanses of grassland, forests composed of a variety of tree species, beauty spots, and river gorges. The snow blanket lasts a long time on this mountain and there are favorable conditions for the expansion of winter tourism there.^[9]

Transportation

Kopaonik ski resort is well-connected with the main transport routes in Serbia. It is linked with the Ibar highway, It is located 127 km (79 mi) (two-hour drive) from the international airport Niš Constantine the Great Airport and 287 km (178 mi) (four-hour drive) from the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The recently open Morava Airport near Kraljevo is much closer to this ski resort (102 km, 63 mi, approximately, hour-and-half-drive by Ibar highway). However, it is only in its early development phase, although it is expected that this aerodrome will serve as the main hub for Kopaonik in the future.^[10] Also, a public heliport is located in a military base 0.8 km (0.50 mi) north of the resort.

Gallery

• 
  View on Pančić's Peak during winter
• 
  Kopaonik landscape with chairlifts
• 
  Kopaonik panorama
• 
  Kopaonik panorama
• 
  Hotels in Kopaonik
• 
  Hotel Grand Kopaonik
• 
  Hotels on Kopaonik
• 
  Hotel Nebeske Stolice
• 
  Ski lift station Kopaonik
• 
  Kopaonik ski resort walk paths
• 
  Snowboarding in Kopaonik

See also

• Tourism in Serbia