Kopaonik became a ski destination in 1964, when its first chairlift opened. In 1981 the mountain was declared a national park, and the same year the International Ski Federation (FIS) recognised the resort as an international ski centre. Today it is the largest ski resort in Serbia — and a friendly place to learn.
Pančićev vrh (2,017 m), the highest point of Kopaonik, in winter. Photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
A resort with history
2,017 m
Pančićev vrh, the highest point
48
alpine slopes + 30 ski trails
21
lift installations + 4 conveyor belts
33,834
skiers per hour, total lift capacity
Which slopes suit you?
The slopes are classed by colour. Of the 48 alpine slopes at the Ski Center, 24 are blue (easy), 15 are red (intermediate) and 9 are black (difficult). Thirty-five of the 48 have a vertical drop of under 300 m, which suits beginners, and the resort also has two dedicated beginner training grounds.
Beginner tip
Starting out? Look for the Jaram magic carpet, the ski kindergarten and the children’s park, plus two dedicated beginner training grounds. Book a lesson for your first morning and leave the steeper runs for later in the week.
The signature ride is the Brzeće–Mali Karaman gondola: 3,745 m long, climbing 844 m in about 12 and a half minutes, it links the village of Brzeće with the center of the resort. The rest of the network is a mix of detachable quad chairs, six-seat chairs and surface lifts, with a total capacity of about 33,834 people per hour.
Kopaonik also has racing credentials: five slopes carry FIS homologation, including the Gvozdac, Gobelja and Duboka I runs, so you may share the snow with serious racers.
Snow you can count on
Natural snow is topped up by snowmaking. Artificial snow covers 23 of the 48 slopes — around 58% of the slope area — and 10 of the 30 connecting ski trails, which helps keep the main runs open when the weather is less generous.
After the slopes
When the lifts close, three slopes are floodlit for night skiing from 6 pm to 10 pm during the season: Malo jezero, Pančićev vrh and Karaman greben. Every year in late March the resort also hosts the “Big Snow” music festival.
Stay within walking distance
Our 22 m² studio in Konaci is about a 5-minute walk from the central ski hub, and shops, a pharmacy and restaurants are within roughly 100 m. Most slopes are interconnected and start close to the central hotel complex, so ski days begin and end within a few steps.
Facts: infoKOP (Ski tracks and lifts) and Wikipedia, “Kopaonik ski resort”. Figures change from season to season — check the resort’s current information before you travel.