Brezovica

Brezovica is unquestionably one of the most promising ski resorts in the Balkans, but years of neglect due to Kosovo’s disputed status and interethnic tensions have thwarted all attempts to realise its great potential. Only three of its nine ski lifts work, and that’s on a good day, many of the hotels have not seen a cent of investment in the past 20 years, and at weekends the roads and pistes are jam-packed with buses of children and unprepared townies. But these gripes aside, Brezovica remains a superb place to ski, especially if you are able to visit on a weekday, and provides ideal hiking ground in the spring, summer and autumn.
Brezovica is 45km east of Prizren and 70km south of Pristina, in the southern Sharr mountains which border Macedonia. Its heyday was the 1980s, when it became the favoured skiing destination for the Yugoslav elite, hosting 120,000 overnight stays a year. In 1984, it was an alternative venue for the Sarajevo Winter Olympics and the slopes have been officially registered by the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS). The nine ski lifts were built in the 1980s by German and Swiss contractors but have received little investment since then, resulting in regular breakdowns. The actual village of Brezovica is at 900 metres above sea level. It's a 10-minute, steep drive to the ski centre at 1,800 metres. The settlement is mostly made up of holiday chalets, once owned by the Yugoslav elite and more recently bought up by wealthy Kosovo Albanian businessmen and politicians.

Transport & Orientation
Brezovica is a 70km, 90-minute drive from Pristina and a 45km, 40-minute drive from Prizren, and is signposted from the Prizren-Štrpce road. In winter, snow chains are highly recommended for the steep final 8km. Travel agencies in Pristina and other cities arrange tour buses to the slopes in winter.
Brezovica's ski centre has no obvious street names or landmarks, but is vaguely centred around the huge Hotel Molika. On foot, follow signs to Pizzeria Tina by a wooden map of Brezovica and you'll find a clutch of bars, restaurants and the Woodlands Hotel.