Geography
For everyone who lives in Macedonia or the neighbouring countries, one of the most desired winter destinations is “Popova Shapka” (which means Priest’s Hat). The name comes from an old legend about an Orthodox priest travelling through the villages on the mountain while carrying out his evangelical mission, who was killed and torn apart by wild animals — so when people tried to find him, they only found his hat.
Popova Shapka is a famous ski centre located on one of Macedonia’s tallest and largest mountains, the Shar Mountains (Shar Planina), covering around 1,600 km2 of area. It is located north-west of Macedonia and covers a small area in Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. There are many famous peaks on this mountain with heights over 2,500 m, loved by people passionate about skiing.
The Shar Mountain
This mountain is also famous for being home to over 200 endemic species and rare fauna. You’ll find rare animals like lynx, doe, bear, wild boar and the famous Yugoslavian shepherd dog, called “Sharplaninec” (named after the mountain). The mountain is beautiful to visit in summer too, thanks to its rich fauna and warm summer climate. You can also visit the many mountain lakes and ponds, called “Shara Eyes” or Mountain Eyes — there are 25 permanent lakes, an occasional 15 more, and around 150 ponds. In summer there are organised motorcycle tours to the peaks and camping in mountain lodges, as well as organised hunting tours during the open season. For adventurers who love extreme sports and an adrenaline rush, there are organised paraglide flights from the peak of the mountain — many paragliders say this is one of the best places to glide from, watching the great mountain and its wonderful nature below.
The ski centre “Popova Shapka”
The ski centre Popova Shapka is located on the peak “Titov Vrv”, the highest on this mountain and the second highest in Macedonia, at 2,747 m. When you first search for Popova Shapka you might think of it as a very small ski centre given the number of chairlifts and ski lifts, which are few. However, because of the length of the slopes — around 35 km2 — it dominates the Balkans.
Popova Shapka offers various ski slopes for people of different skill levels: two beginner slopes, four slopes for advanced skiing and a few hard slopes for professionals. There are also two ski slopes available for night skiing and snowboarding.
For people who love extreme sports, especially advanced and extreme skiing, Popova Shapka is a real snow paradise offering vast untouched landscapes. The resort also offers free transportation for skiers to nearby peaks for free rides, skiing and snowboarding.
Security is top level, with rescue teams on site equipped with full equipment, rat racks and snowmobiles. For visitors who want to learn skiing and snowboarding, there are ski schools with trainers on site, and shops where you can buy or rent ski or snowboard equipment, or even sledges.
There are amusements for children and for people who love the snow but aren’t into winter sports. The resort offers many restaurants and cafés serving beautiful traditional food and some of the best barbeque in Macedonia, plus hot beverages to warm up easily. One of the oldest and best-known restaurants is called Bachilo. While you sit and wait for your order there, you’ll be astonished by the breathtaking view of the snow and the mountain and how the sunrays make the snow sparkle in different colours. It’s magical. When your food arrives, especially if you ordered the famous Bachilo recipe “Sharska Pleskavica” (a traditional local burger), you’ll feel like you’ve never tasted anything better — many flavours at once, juicy and rich. It’s a great combination of wonderful landscape and tasty food at the same time.
Mountain tourism
This resort offers many hotels for accommodation, or you can rent one of the beautiful private villas and feel warm and cozy in front of the fireplace in a small wood-and-stone villa — in my opinion, the better way to experience the snow idyll at its best, especially if you’re travelling as a family with children.
Because it’s a winter ski resort in the mountains, there aren’t any nightclubs to party at. But people there often throw house parties in the villas, or walk around the mountain for breathtaking views and clean air. If you want to party and aren’t a fan of house parties, or don’t want to spend the time relaxing on the mountain, you can drive down the mountain for around 7 km to the nearest town, Tetovo, which offers some of the best parties and nightclubs in Macedonia.
In my opinion, if you choose to visit this resort or a mountain vacation, you should try to relax, become one with nature, get a great sleep (it’s known that the best sleep you’ll ever get is high in the mountains), breathe as much clean air as you can, and feel healthy. Try to make new friends with locals or other tourists, eat tasty food and get warm with hot beverages by the fireplace, and talk to each other, tell stories, play some social or board games and become closer. Or go out, walk and enjoy the landscapes, take some pictures to remember the place, or get involved in a winter sport, follow your passion and fill your heart with adrenaline. Relax your mind and fill your batteries before you return home, to your jobs, in the busy cities we live in.