Serbia? Kosovo perhaps?

A snowHead

This IfYouSki piece talks up Kopaonik in Serbia as a winter holiday destination. Any fellow snowHeads been skiing in this part of the world?

http://www.ifyouski.com/news/newsarticle/?ObjectID=7106515

As for me, I'm seriously considering a skiing trip to Kosovo this winter. My mate Agim who runs a ski school somewhere within 45 mins of Pristina airport has offered to pick us up and give us free board and lodging, so it's pretty tempting.... though I'm not too reassured about the idea of flying into Pristina - even now, after a decent amount of time has elapsed. Don't think BA does direct flights!

I'll post some more details on the actual resort soon...

A snowHead

Hi,

I caught a BBC travel program about travel company execs beeing taken around Serbia by the tourist board to persuad them to put Serbia back in their brochures. They commented that they were peleasantly surprised by how nice it was, and that the locals were really welcoming to outside tourists - 'cos there hadn't been may scince the war.

I've also had some friends who went on a sailing holiday in Croatia ovet the summer who said they had a great time .

Cheers
Dave

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Found the place, it's in the north west region of Kosovo, Peje, a resort called Gjeravica, mountain of same name (2522m). Don't suppose anyone's any the wiser!

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I went to Kopaonik in 1990. Very poor year for snow - lots of grass/mud and icy patch skiing. Food not of the best, although edible, and not particularly cheap as we had been led to believe. Slow chair lifts including a 1 person chair as I recall. Area a little spaced out and not interlinked.

It snowed on the Friday night, and leaving by bus on the Saturday morning involved a locked wheels slide down the mountain into the back of the bus in front.

I have in more recent times worked in Opatja/Rijecka in Croatia. Beautiful coastline (the "Austrian Riviera") and very friendly erotic dancing girls Embarassed

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

who like skiing with Welshmen.

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The one you really all want is in western Macedonia, called Šar Planina. (pronounced Shar). May be a little dangerous yet.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

PG, and others. Here's the F&CO Travel Advisory for Serbia & Montenegro, including also Kosovo. Not very encouraging. They tend to be ultra cautious but check your insurance cover carefully if you are ever going somewhere against their advice. Insurers will often use it as a get-out clause.

After all it is free

Thanks KI. I was guide to the (Muslim) group of Kosovans who came grass skiing in Le Sauze during August, and I questioned them pretty thoroughly on this. The general view is that it's pretty quiet now (though after hearing their horror stories of brothers/sisters/parents being massacred, you have to wonder about their definition of 'quiet'!)

As long as you were being picked up from the airport and looked after by locals, they assured me, everything would be fine... Hmm. They want to plan the "Kosovo Alpine Ski Championship" to coincide with my visit, and I'm supposed to persuade some French ski racers (and kids) to take part....
Puzzled

well for the past 3 years the snow on kopaonik has been wonderful. if i remember my geography correctly one of the runs in kopaonik is actualy IN kosovo *grin* although this was the one thats only opened recently as it was previously still not checked for unexploded cluster bombs (it was a black run... so i guess there should be a new category black run + unexploded ordinance).

alan is right though, the lifts are quite slow. there is a 1 chair lift, but ive never been on it - instead theres a 2 person lift that goes to the same place but they both take around 15 minutes i think (and lead to the higest point... so it can be very cold and windy up there). the slopes are quite well interlinked, if you know the routes to take. some arent signposted very well, but you can ski a long way without having to start over from the same place.

also the resort is very close to the top of the mountain, so most places you can ski direct to the door. some lovely restaurants, some terrible ones. and lots of cafes all over the slopes. i have a lot of fun everytime i go there.

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dnc, do you know anything about the Peje region, and a resort called Gjeravica in particular?

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PG, fraid i cant help you there. no idea.

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Just to see how today Kopaonik look likes. Feel free to come it's safe

http://ept.kg.ac.yu/kopaonik

nice pictures stevs, they really show how beautiful kopaonik is. where are you from?

im desperate to go back there now. the only trouble is that the world is conspiring against me. this weekend is slava - so i have to go to my inlaws for that. then next week im off to london for christmas and new years. then when i get back i have to go to china for a month. so its going to be a long time before i can go skiing (although its already booked, paid for and being dreamt about every night for the last month!).

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Not sure that the latter is a particular accurate yardstick to measure the risk factor involved. Arkan's "Tigers", and the "White Eagles", were hardly figments of the imagination. With respect, I would rather have neutral advice on the pros and cons of a visit to Kosovo!

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Stevs, as I said, I'm interested only in whether flying into Pristina and travelling to Gjeravica to go skiing is an acceptable risk to take and much as I respect your sensibilities over the recent conflict, an independent assessment of the situation is what I am looking for. As for security once in Gjeravica itself I would feel reasonable secure as my hosts are very good friends of mine.

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PG, sorry i cant give you much advice on kosovo itself. i think the foreign office still has travel anywhere in kosovo that isnt essential as a bad idea. ive had some friends who have been to pristina and they found it perfectly fine, but then ive heard that the most problems are in the rural areas. it shouldnt be such an issue if you are non-balkan, all the countries around here do wish to increase their tourism and as such are usually much more open and considerate to anyone not from around here. still, i wouldnt go to kosovo myself, but for the same reason id think twice about going to croatia (it wouldnt go down too well my speaking some serbian - ive heard lots of stories about people getting harrassed for using the wrong word for bread in croatia (essentially serbian and croatian are the same language, but have seperated as much as possible by changing some words since the 90's).

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Back to the subject of Kopaonik; its a possible destination for myself and husband as a 'last minute' type thing next year - but my hubby is a snowboarder and has not quite mastered drag lifts yet so has reservations about the place. Does anyone know how many draglifts the resort has, or whether you can get about pretty well using chairs?

Ta

Puzzled

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The first question I would ask is :

If there is an expensive problem will my insurance company cover it?

If not, do'nt go there! Cool

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theres quite a few drag lifts, and the only night slope is a very steep drag lift, but theres also quite a few chair lifts. plus you dont need to be strapped in to use the chairlifts (you are allowed to carry your board on). last year they upgraded the main chairlift to a newer, faster and bigger chair lift. and ive heard that they've done it with 2 more of the runs this year as well. so its plenty possible to get around the majority of places without having to deal with a drag lift.

After all it is free

Bosnia is safe..

Kosovo - personally as a tourist (rather than in a professional context!) I'd still avoid, although in the grand scheme of things it's not exactly dangerous; and the chances of there being any trouble in the area your in is very small. As always refer to Foreign Office travel advice.

As a neighbour of these lands...i should say something. I have to say is that the most of the people in kosovo are serbian and albans of muslim religion. Albans now are the dominating majority(about 80%). 7-8 years ago there was a civil war when albans were shooting at serbians and made them run away from these lands. The land of Kosovo is like messopotamia for humanity, like Geneva for Swiss, like Loisiana for jazz:) - a really significant place for all the serbian nation. Albans made a hell out of this place and there is no way for me to go there. If it depends on me I would made a huge graveyard there and nothing more.

Sorry for my directness and for my racial oppinon. My apologies for everyone who appeared to be insulted by me...
moderators if the post is not appropriate del it..

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[quote="Winterhighland"]

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One of the guys I know who was working in Kosovo a year or two back said that they'd go up into the mountains and rent an appartment for e15! - for three of them!

As for Hybrids comments - I think they're valid in the context of the discussion: Would you want to go there. The feelings amongst all the factions involved in Yugoslavian civil war and the later Kosovo.. "issue", still run extremely high - and in both cases, each side was just as unpleasant to the other; and I'd go as far to say that some of the things that happened in Yugoslavia makes Iraqi insurgents/terrorist/freedom fighters, even with the odd beheading, look like a bunch of girl guides on a picnic. And this is what you have to judge your trip on - these feelings still run high - as do feelings in some people against US/UK citizens for their percieved interference in internal affairs.

Its a shame to let something like politics get in the way of something vastly more important like skiing.. but.. Wink

There are several posts on "Kop" on various forums on Snowheads. I've not been there, but my wife who is fom a place called Cacak (about 2 hours) from the place has spoken of its beauty plenty of times.
As for safety. There are ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS.
Perhaps I'm biased but I feel the Serbs (as do most people at some time or another) have had some very bad press......not that some of it was unfounded....to put it mildly.
I go out to Belgrade/Cacak twice a year and I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE PEOPLE ARE FANTASTIC. There is a real genuine wish among most of the people to get the country back on its feet and the progress being made in terms of transport links, roads and infrastructure is visible on each trip I make out there. Even the road to Cacak which is on the way to Kopaonik is being seen to.
Great people, great food, cheap booze, fantastic scenery and "interesting" music.

Stevs, Kako si?

You know it makes sense.

Well said Mr g.....I will happily back up as I have been to Serbia a few times with the gunners and we have always been made very welcome by the serbs and in fact made some very good friends over there.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Kev, no wonder they would welcome you back with the entertainment you have provided them over the years!!! Anyone for some Vinjac?

A snowHead

mmm think ill pass on this neck of the woods for a while yet

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

prrrrrrrrrp Laughing

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well i just booked in for new years in kop. time to start praying for snow (the last 4 years have all had great snow falls around christmas and new year!)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I'm hoping to get out there in March.

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Serbia? Kosovo perhaps?

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