Skiing in the Balkans
I know everyone loves summer trips and don’t get me wrong, I love them too! But one thing I am discovering as I have been living in Europe the past 4.5 years is that I love winter travel just as much. I grew up skiing in mostly New Mexico, USA with my family and have skied in Colorado, Arizona and California in the USA. When I lived in Spain, I skied in the Sierra Nevadas, Austria and Switzerland and the were totally dreamy!
The past couple of years, I have had the unique experience to live in Eastern Europe, in Albania, and I’ve been able to ski all over the Balkan Region! There is a totally different vibe, a bit spunkier, then skiing in western Europe! In general, the slopes aren’t as pristine, but they are still great and you cannot beat the prices! Any where I have skied in the Balkans, I have paid between 10- 40 Euros total for a daily rental of skis and a lift ticket. Insanity!!!! I am going to share with you some of my favorite ones I have been to and maybe I will keep adding as I go to more.
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina:
We skied at Jahorina and just loved it! Sarajevo’s claim to fame is that they hosted the 1984 winter’s olympics here! How cool?! As a place that has hosted the olympics, you can probably guess that it an amazing place and well maintained. There are so many different runs, restaurants and bars all around the mountain and it is beautifully maintained. I also love how it is a short drive from the city of Sarajevo, so you can get a ski weekend and a city experience! I love the mix. We were a group of 5 girls on a girls trip and we booked an apartment in the city of Sarajevo! For a daily ski rental and lift ticket, we paid about 40 euro! I would recommend staying in the city and drive to the lifts to ski a couple days.
We stayed in the city centre and I think while in the city you should:
-do a walking tour and learn about the history of Sarajevo
-Walk around the bazaar and get some cool souvenirs
Drinks:
-Gastro Pub Vučko
-Sarajevo Brewery
-Cafe Pub Gondola
Coffee/ tea:
-Teahouse Džirlo Čajdžinica Džirlo
-Slatko ćoše (have a classic Bosnian coffee here!!!)
Restaurants:
-Inat Kuća
-Barhana
-Dženita
Bankso, Bulgaria
I went on a Bulgarian road trip in January 2020 and spent New Years Eve in Bansko. It is one of my favorite ski towns and experiences ever. I love that you can ski and ski straight to a kebab stand and chow down! There is a super fun and spunky vibe here and it was a New Years Eve we didn’t expect. On NYE, every restaurant has a fixed menu and you have to make a reservation. We did not, but managed to get in somewhere. It was an elaborate meal with wine, appetisers, the main course, dessert, a fun ambiance, live music and champagne to kick off the New Year. A few minutes before it struck 12am, everyone just knew and stood up and went outside to the street. Everyone, from every restaurant came out to cheers, celebrate in the streets and watch the fireworks. It was magical! You have to make a stop here to ski and experience the town! It is only a couple hours from Sofia. We paid about 30-35 euros for a daily ski rental and lift ticket. We loved to walk around on one of the main streets, “Piren” Street and pop into shops. I even bought my secondhand ski jacket and I love it! I always recommend walking around and pop into places that call to you, but some places that we liked and would recommend are:
Restaurants:
-Dedo Taste Traditional Restaurant
-Механа Ловна Среща
-The Bears
-The Log House Bansko
-Stop at any kebab stand
Drinks:
-Happy End (so many people were here after skiing and it was a PARTY.)
-Coconut Coffee & Smoothies
As far as places to stay, I think finding a place in the town is crucial. I always use booking.com to find my accomodation. I usually travel on a lower budget, ideally spending no more than 50 euro a night, which is very reasonable in the Balkans. A couple recs are:
-The Elegant Hotel
-BanskoVilla Zlateva House
Kolašin, Montenegro
I have been to Kolašin a couple of times. They are two skiing areas, the 1450 and the 1600. The 1450 has a more open area for beginners and has a lovely bar/restaurant at the bottom of the slopes. I think you should try both parts! I love how Kolašin only has one restaurant/ bar at the bottom of the lifts, which makes it easier to sync up with your group if you don’t have service, but I do wish there were more options for stops up on the slopes for a drink, etc. I LOVE the little quaint town of Kolašin.
Places to stay (I always use booking.com):
-BB Etno House (cutest cabin and a 7-10 min drive to the city centre.)
-Apartments Tango
Restaurants:
-Restoran Vodenica
-Konoba Nišavić
Drinks:
-Caffe Bar SFRJ (great apres ski vibes!!)
-Gorštak Pub
Mavrovo, Macedonia
I really like the vibe and spunkiness of Mavrovo. There are places at the bottom and on the slopes to stop for drinks, which I love. I think staying in the city right by the slopes is crucial. We originally got a place a little far out but decided to change our accommodation and stay right near the slopes and it was THE move.
Great place to eat:
-Mavroski Merak
Great place for breakfast (and I think we would stay here next time):
-Glamour
Brezovica, Kosovo:
I love every experience of trying places to ski and I would always suggest this. There are multiple restaurants right at the ski lifts and I love how they put drinks, raki and snacks right in the snow to literally buy as as you’re in line for the lift. It is again, spunky and fun! The only thing about Brezovica is that there are not a lot of casual slopes for beginners. You get off the lift and it is straight down. Another thing here, even though I think its kinda fun and keeps you on your toes, is that it’s a little unpredictable. In one moment, there is powder, then ice, then a hole, then a rock and then a tree stump. SO just know this and be careful! I have stayed in a cabin with a group of friends once and then in a hotel once, Pine Hotel and Spa It was nice and also had a restaurant below and is near-ish to the lift. It is a little more expensive then other ski towns as far as accommodation. Skiing is around 20-25 euro for a lift ticket and rentals for the day. Wherever you stay, you will have to drive and park along the road and walk to where you get the lift tickets and rentals. I would recommend getting there early so you can try to park close. Some things to recommend on your way to Brezovica is to stop and maybe stay a night in the city, Prizren. It is right on the river and have a low key social vibe. (Places for coffees and drinks that we liked in Prizren are: BarAca, People, Te Kinezi and Minimal Bar. And a great place to eat is: Restaurant Marashi) On the way to Brezovica, there is a cool hotel that it is nice to stop for a coffee and maybe stay a night here: Hotel Sharri.
Žabljak, Montenegro:
This is a super small place to ski in Montenegro. It is casual, no pressure and really nice for beginners. There is only one lift and one run to ski. But it was kinda fun to have such a small and simple place. There is a bar at the bottom and it’s so cheap. Like maybe 10-15 euros for the day. The town is super small and there is not a lot to do here. Nice to stop here on a road trip to have a quick ski!
There are some good restaurants to eat:
-Kafe-Restoran Dvorište
-Krcma Nostalgija
Coffees:
-Kaćun Caffe & Restaurant
-Caffe Club Cudna Suma
-Restaurant Or'o
I hope to add more places to ski in the Balkans as time goes on. I just love how fun, spunky and inexpensive it is to ski in this region. I think it would be perfect to be on a road trip adventure and stop at all these stunning places to hit the slopes!
