About Kopaonik
Kopaonik (known in Roman, Venetian and Turkish springs and as Silver Mountain) is the largest mountain massif in Serbia, which extends from north-west to southeast about 75 km in length, reaching in the middle part about 40 km wide. One part of Kopaonik is a protected zone called the National Park Kopaonik, within which there are a number of protected natural entities, and it is also the largest ski center in Serbia. The natural advantage of Kopaonik is 160 days under the snow cover, which provides excellent conditions for winter sports and makes Kopaonik one of the most interesting winter tourist centers of the Balkans. The highest peak of Kopanika is the Pančić peak with 2017 meters above sea level, on which is the Mausoleum of the famous Serbian naturalist Josif Pančić, after which he was named.
The entire massif of Kopaonik was named after the great mineral wealth that has been exploited there since the Middle Ages, and in its wider area is a whole series of cultural and historical monuments from the 12th to the 15th century. Kopaonik was a developed mining area in the Middle Ages, and from that period, there were many undercuts, names and mining tools. Mining has been renewed in recent times, especially in Trepca, which has large deposits of lead-zinc ore on the southern slopes of this mountain. Belo Brdo mine is located at the very foot of Pančićev vrh. Thanks to the developed tourist center with modern hotel facilities and accompanying facilities, Kopaonik is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Serbia and South-East Europe.
The highest part of Kopaonik is the spacious area of Ravni Kopaonik, which is surrounded by Suvo Rudiste with Pancic (Milan’s) summit (2017 m), with Pancic Mausoleum, Karaman (1934 m), Gobelja (1834m) and dr. Southeast of Suva Rustišta, the ridge of Kopaonik is narrowed and broken down into a number of plastic elevations: Čardak (1590 m), Tatorica (1750 m) and Oštro koplje (1789 m), among which are wide transitions. Kopaonik is the most widespread part of the forest-pasture zone of central Serbia. On the higher parts is the coniferous forest of spruce and fir, and on the mountainous sides, the forests of beech and oak. Kopaonik is a place where species of endemic flora can be found, such as Sempervirum Kopaonicense Pancic, Cardamine Pancicii and Copper Violet (Viola Copanicensis). Of the many animal species, the most important are the gray falcon (Falco Peregrinus), the raw eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the bulb (Bubo Bubo), the wild cat (Felix Silvestris) and the deer (Capreolus Capreolus).
Animal husbandry is the main occupation of the population of Kopaonik, and more recently tourism. On Ravni Kopaonik is a large tourist mountain ski center, with numerous accommodation facilities, a ski slopes and ski lifts and other infrastructure. Another such complex is developing at Brzeć village on the eastern slope, where about 1000 beds are available in hotels, apartments and houses. They reach Kopaonik through Josanica Spa, Brzece and Rudnica. On the west side of Kopaonik, from the Ibar highway, take two times for Ravni Kopaonik, one of Biljanovac along the Josanicka River, and the other from Rudnica; and on the east side of Krusevac and Toplice, through Brzeć, descending steeply into Jankovo gorge, which separates it from the mountain Jastrebac. Roads to Kopaonik: Raska-Biljanovac-Josanicka Banja-Kopaonik (37km) and Raska-Rudnica-Kopaonik, (19km) from Ibarska Mageistrale, Brus-Brzece-Jaram-Kopaonik, (30km), Kuršumlija-Mercez-Blaževo-Brzece- Kopaonik (64km), Gracak-Jošanicka Banja (27km) and Mercez-Lukovska Banja-Jelak-Leposavic (41km) from the valleys of Toplice and Rasina.
