Kopaonik: the back story

About Kopaonik: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Belgrade Editorial Team

Long before it was a ski resort, Kopaonik was a mountain of miners, shepherds and monks. Its name remembers the mines that helped make medieval Serbia rich, its highest peak honours the botanist who studied its flowers, and in the valley below stands one of the greatest monuments of Serbian history.

A mountain of mines

Kopaonik is the largest mountain range in central Serbia, a long, high massif covered in spruce and fir. Its name is usually linked to the Serbian verb kopati, to dig, and for good reason: in the Middle Ages the mountain and its surroundings were mined for silver, lead and other metals, and the wealth of these mines helped make the medieval Serbian state one of the richest in the Balkans. Traces of old mine workings can still be found on its slopes.

The botanist on the summit

In the 19th century, Kopaonik attracted a different kind of explorer. Josif Pančić, the father of Serbian botany, climbed its slopes again and again to study its rare plants, and when he died his wish was to be buried on the mountain. The highest peak, at about 2,017 metres, is named Pančićev vrh in his honour, and his small mausoleum stands at the top, with views across half of Serbia on a clear day.

Long before it was a ski resort, Kopaonik was a mountain of miners, shepherds and monks.

A national park

In 1981 the heart of the mountain was protected as Kopaonik National Park, to preserve its forests, peat bogs, wildflowers and the many plants that grow nowhere else. In summer, its meadows are full of flowers and its trails lead to springs, waterfalls and viewpoints, and it is one of the best places in Serbia for walking in the cool mountain air.

Serbia’s ski mountain

Skiers began coming to Kopaonik in the middle of the 20th century, and from the 1970s a modern resort grew up high on the mountain, with hotels, lifts and long runs through the forest. Today it is Serbia’s biggest ski resort, with more than 60 kilometres of slopes, snowmaking across almost all of them, night skiing and a lively après-ski scene, while new luxury hotels have brought an international crowd.

Studenica: the mother of Serbian churches

In the valley to the west lies Studenica Monastery, founded in the late 12th century by Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the medieval Serbian state, who later became a monk and is honoured as Saint Simeon. Its white marble Church of the Virgin and its frescoes, including a famous Crucifixion painted in the early 13th century, are among the masterpieces of Serbian medieval art, and the monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit here is the perfect counterpoint to a day on the slopes.

The hot springs

At the foot of the mountain, the spa of Jošanička Banja has some of the hottest springs in Serbia, and the warm water has drawn visitors for generations. After skiing or hiking, an evening in the thermal pools is one of the great pleasures of a trip to Kopaonik.

Our advice: combine the resort with a day trip to Studenica, about an hour and a half away by car, and dress modestly for the monastery, with shoulders and knees covered. In summer, start walks early, carry water and a layer, and check the weather, which can change quickly on the high ridges.

Kopaonik through the years

Dates from the national park and monastery histories.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Kopaonik: the back story before you go.