Kopaonik

Kopaonik is the most popular resort in Serbia, located in the Kopaonik mountain range, in the central part of the country. The picturesque mountains are 83 km long and 63 meters wide. They are composed of granites, serpentinites and crystalline quartz. Up to a height of 1.5 km, the mountain slopes are covered with oak, beech, spruce and pine forests, and above that there are flowering alpine meadows. The highest point of the massif reaches a height of 2017 meters. The peak is named after the Serbian botanist and physician Josif Pančić, who lived in the 19th century.

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Video: Kopaonik

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Highlights

Kopaonik has a subalpine climate. About 200 days a year are sunny in the mountains. Due to the altitude, the temperature here is slightly lower than in other parts of Serbia. The snow cover is stable for 160 days, from the end of November to the middle of May. The snow depth is 1.2 meters, and the average winter temperature is around -5 ° C.

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Excellent weather conditions have made Kopaonik a famous ski resort. During the season, which lasts from late November to March, many winter sports enthusiasts from Western Europe and CIS countries come here. Kopaonik regularly hosts national and international competitions, as well as Serbian national team athletes train here.

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Vacations in this snowy corner of Serbia are popular for several reasons. Kopaonik has very beautiful nature, very affordable prices and not bad hotels. There are excellent ski slopes of different levels of difficulty for adults and children. In addition, there are tracks for cross-country skiing, a tubing area for sledding and a modern park for snowboarding fans. The slopes are served by 24 elevators, and almost all of them are located in close proximity to the hotels.

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In the summertime, the Kopaonik resort is not empty either. Travelers who come here do summit climbing, hiking trekking, biking and rafting on the mountain rivers.

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There are many thermal springs at the foot of the mountain range. The hot springs have temperatures from +36 ° C to +78 ° C and are popular with those who want to improve their health. Several balneological resorts have been established in Kopaonik, which are equipped with modern spa complexes, indoor and outdoor pools.

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Kopaonik Resort

The Kopaonik ski center lies at an altitude of 1700 m above sea level and offers excellent conditions for winter sports enthusiasts. Perhaps the local slopes are too easy for professionals and extreme skiing enthusiasts. But beginners, intermediate skiers and parents who come here to put their children on skis enjoy skiing here.

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The total height difference on the slopes is 512 meters. The pistes for alpine skiing enthusiasts are 60 meters long and the cross-country skiing pistes are 18 kilometers long. The total number of ski slopes is 33, and the longest of them reaches 3.5 km. Seven pistes have black markings and are recommended for experienced skiers, while thirteen “blue” pistes are used by beginners. More than 90% of the ski slopes in Kopaonik are equipped with artificial snowmaking systems.

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Those wishing to learn downhill techniques can use the services of an individual instructor or undergo training at a ski school. It is noteworthy that Russian-speaking instructors work in Kopaonik.

Recreation at the resort consists not only of skiing on the slopes. There are several gyms open in Kopaonik. You can also relax in the swimming pool and have a good time in a cafe, nightclub or one of the national restaurants. Local chefs are famous for their skill in cooking mountain trout, and the most popular dish in the resort is fish baked with greens and prunes.

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Attractions

Vacationers at the ski resort like to go on excursions. In the vicinity of Kopaonik is the territory of the national park of the same name, as well as several Serbian Christian shrines. One of them is the male monastery Studenica, founded in the XII century, during the reign of the founder of the Nemanjic dynasty – Grand Duke Stefan Nemanja. The ancient monastery has preserved the white marble churches of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. Joachim, where one can see frescoes of the Byzantine style from the 13th-14th centuries. Since 1986, the architectural ensemble of the monastery has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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Another monastery located in the vicinity of Kopaonik was built in the 13th century, during the time of Stefan Nemanja’s successor Stefan Pervovvenčany. It is called Žića or Tsar’s Lavra and is located to the southwest of the town of Kraljevo. Interestingly, in the 1920s, Russian icon painter Nikolai Feofilovich Mayendorf took part in the restoration of the frescoes of this monastery. Today Zicha is the largest nunnery in the country. There are 45 nuns permanently residing here. The monastery buildings are erected in the style of the so-called Rasch school, which absorbed the traditions of Byzantine and Western European Romanesque architecture.

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National Park

The central part of the Kopaonik mountain range is occupied by the national park of the same name, which has an area of 11,810 hectares. The nature protection area was established in 1981 for the protection and conservation of rare and endangered animal species. The national park is home to roe deer, wolves, wild boars, forest cats, foxes, hares, ermines and wolverines. 148 species of birds live here. Peregrine falcons, golden eagles and owls can be seen on the mountain slopes. Favorable natural conditions and plenty of sunshine contribute to the richness of the local flora. There are 825 plant species in Kopaonik, and many of them are endemics.

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On the territory of the park, at an altitude of 1500 meters is the largest Serbian waterfall Jelovarnik, which reaches a height of 71 meters. It is located in an inaccessible forested area and therefore was only described in 1998.

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How to get there

The resort area of Kopaonik is located 290 km south of Belgrade. Transfers to the resort are organized from Belgrade and the city of Niš, which is located 120 km from Kopaonik. During the year, there are daily regular flights from Russia to Belgrade, while during the winter tourist season, direct charters to Nis fly from Moscow. The drive from Belgrade to the resort takes about 5 hours.

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