In eastern Serbia, near the community of Knjaževac, lies an old mountain range – the highest in this area.

Here, in the heart of pristine mountain nature, in one of the most beautiful places in Serbia, is the Stara Planina resort.

A resort with great potential

For the state, this facility has serious potential for tourism development.

Stara Planina lies at an altitude of almost 1,800 meters, which makes it possible to form excellent quality trails.

The most picturesque mountain peak here is recognized as “Babín Zub” with a height of 1,758 m. This point is a nature reserve.

Weather

Snow, with an average thickness of 1.2 meters, covers the local nature for 5 months of the year (from November to March).

At the peaks, humidity is higher and temperatures are lower than in the lowlands. The lowest temperatures are in January, when the average is 0 ° C. In general, we can say that the climate here is similar to the western Ukrainian one.

“Stara Planina” as a ski resort

Features of the ski service in Stara Planina are as follows:
maximum height – Mount Midzor (2,169 m);
the largest height difference – 495 m;
average height – 1,723 m above sea level;
total length of trails – 13 km;
total number of slopes – 7, of which 2 are black, 3 are red and 3 are blue;
number of FIS slopes for snowboarders – 2;
length of the largest slope – 1,155 m;
number of lifts – 6, of which: 1 gondola (for 8 people), 1 towable – “plate”, 1 double – “anchor”, 1 belt conveyor, 2 four-chair;
availability of night slopes with good lighting; artificial snowmaking technology (30% of slopes);
accompanying ski service (rental, repair, storage of equipment and inventory);
ski school.

Stara Planina is a young ski resort, but with excellent organization, technical equipment, and high-quality prepared mountain slopes.

In winter, it is an ideal place for active and family skiing and recreation.

Tourists note: real professionals work in the training schools – in 3 days, seven-year-old children who have never skied before are already skiing well and are not afraid.

The quality of the slopes is constantly maintained at the proper level. The slopes are well groomed. The lifts work without interruptions.

Skiing the mountain slopes is a pleasure! Good service and polite staff also leave a pleasant impression from such a “winter vacation”.

Where to stay

Hotel Stara Planina 4-star hotel

The Stara Planina Spa Hotel is located in the immediate vicinity of ski lift and slopes. Opened in 2012, this hotel offers an impressive range of wellness facilities, including hot tubs, a gym and a swimming pool.

The hotel operates on an all-inclusive basis, offering buffet breakfast and dinner, light lunch and drinks during meals.

Guests of the Stara Planina Spa Hotel can rent ski equipment and take skiing lessons. The hotel also has an à la carte restaurant, a bar and several shops. Children can play in the games room or on the children’s playground.

The rooms and apartments with bathrooms are elegantly and modernly decorated. Amenities include a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and free Wi-Fi.

This secluded oasis is surrounded by dense forests and mountain scenery. The village of Kalna is 30 km away.

Guesthouse Babin Zub 2 stars

guest Featuring a restaurant, bar and free WiFi throughout the property, Babin Zub is located in Crni Vrh, a few steps from Sunc • ana Dolina T-bar and 4.3 miles from Babin Zub Chairlift. The guest house offers family rooms.

At the guest house, each room is equipped with a desk, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom. All rooms have a wardrobe.

A buffet breakfast is available daily at Babin Zub.

Guests at Babin Zub can enjoy various activities, including skiing.

Konstantin Velikiy Airport is 56 miles from Babin Zub Guest House.

Vila Vesela Kuca 4 stars

Vesela Kuca is located in Jalovik-Izvor and offers a garden and a terrace. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and a shared kitchen, along with free WiFi. The guest house offers evening entertainment.

At the guest house, all rooms have a patio with a garden view. All rooms are equipped with a private bathroom with a shower, a hairdryer and free toiletries. The rooms come with a wardrobe.

Guests at Villa Vesela Kuca can enjoy a continental or a Full English/Irish breakfast.

There is a children’s playground at the property. You can play table tennis at Villa Vesela Kuca, and the area is popular for skiing and cycling.

The nearest airport is Constantine the Great, 62 km from the accommodation, and the property offers a paid airport shuttle service.

Sin-Kom Hotel Garni 3-star hotel

Hotel Sin-Kom is located just a 5-minute walk from the centre of Pirot and 600 metres from the Main Train Station. Free Wi-Fi is available in all rooms. A 24-hour front desk and video-surveilled parking are also available.

All rooms are air-conditioned and feature satellite TV.

Hotel Sin-Kom is a 20-minute drive from Temska Monastery. Bela Palanka can be reached in 30 minutes by car.

Hotel Ana Lux Spa 4-star hotel

Ana Lux Spa Hotel is located in the center of the city of Pirot. It offers modern rooms with free Wi-Fi, a spa area with a sauna, hot tub and gym. Free parking is available on site.

The brightly decorated rooms feature air conditioning, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a hairdryer and free toiletries.

The hotel features a Caffe bar, a City tavern, a fast food restaurant, a breakfast room, a banquet hall, a 24-hour front desk and a conference room with a capacity of 100 people.

Ana Lux Spa Hotel is located 18 km from the Stara Planina Nature Park and 65 km from the city of Niš.

Apres-ski

The basic services at Stara Planina are complemented by the Apres-ski service. Then the vacationing client will be in maximum comfort, relaxation and will not be bored.

The resort provides the following services:

a gym with the latest technical equipment and personal sports trainer services;
yoga;
aqua gymnastics;
pilates;
massage;
bath and sauna;
swimming pool;
spa services;
catering facilities:
restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs;
night clubs, discos.

Other entertainment

Hiking.

There are enough hiking trails in Stara Planina, created by experienced hiking clubs and organizations.

The trails pass through the most picturesque, expressive and inspiring places of the Balkan Mountains and foothills.

In summer, wonderful cycling trails open here.

photo

There is room to turn around.

Skating on gondola lift.

While in Stara Planina, you can’t help but admire the beauty of this place from the height of the gondola. From here you can see a stunning panorama of the resort.

Banjica Center for Sports and Recreation.

Banjica is a center designed for “warm” swimming. There are pools of various sizes, even for children. The water temperature in them is about 27° C.

Extreme.

The slopes of Stara Planina are sometimes used as freeride zones – downhill skiing without paved trails.

Paragliding and paragliding in Serbia are increasingly attracting risk-free extreme sports without towers.

Hunting, fishing.

To the east, a hunting farm is located on the mountain slopes. Among the prey are deer, wild boars, pheasants, wolves, foxes, partridges, etc.

Serbia has an impressive number of water bodies. And here, in the mountains of Stara Planina, there are many streams and lakes, where avid fishermen like to spend their vacations.

Sights

Among the interesting architectural and archaeological monuments, tourists are advised to visit the following:

The Church of the Virgin Mary, dating back to the 14th century (the village of Donja Kamenica). This is a vivid example of a combination of Gothic and Romanesque – Moravian style of building, a valuable religious monument of Serbia.
The ancient Holy Trinity Monastery with a unique ancient library.
A collection of ethno-monuments of the first century AD. e. in the areas of archaeological excavations, diverse and numerous.

Tourists advise: if possible, visit winemakers in the villages or a wine museum: tasting drinks is an incredible event. The impressions will be unforgettable!

Prices: accommodation and ski-pass

According to travelers, the resorts of Serbia are very cheap. Combined with the excellent quality of resort services, this is a find!

Accommodation can be found with any requirements: a hotel room, apartment, chalet or guesthouse.

The average price for a standard hotel room for 1 person per day is about 800 hryvnias.

Ski-pass.

The prices for passes are as follows:

For 1 day: adult -360 UAH

seniors -320 UAH

child -280 UAH

For 6 days:

adult -1240 UAH

seniors -1040 UAH.child -800 UAH

For 10 days:

adult -2320 UAH:

seniors -2100 UAH

child -1680 UAH

Prices may change, please note this. All changes are displayed on a special electronic stand.

How to get to Stara Planina

Step 1 – Flight (to Belgrade or Niš). Step 2 – car rental, bus + taxi, or ordered transfer.

If you go by car, then from Belgrade you need to cover a distance of 330 km (4 hours), from Niš – 110 km (1 hour).

The bus trip will take longer, but it will be cheaper. Buses run every hour, but only from Niš (it takes 2 hours to get to the resort). The ticket price is about 200 hryvnias. The bus goes to Knjaževci. Then you can take a taxi. The price for a taxi is from 840 hryvnias.

The transfer service, that is, ordering a car, costs from 4,800 hryvnias. for a 3-seater car. The time spent is similar to option 1. This is the most comfortable way.

To sum up

So, Stara Planina is a popular tourist and health ski resort – modern and fully equipped. This is a well-deserved duet of quality and favorable price!