Source: Emg.rs

          The Festival will gather more than 100 music performers, led by the famous Basement Jaxx, double winners of the prestigious award for the best global music act. They will be accompanied by DJ Fresh, Eddy Tample Morris, Judge Jules, Micky Slim, Disciplin A Kitchme, Rambo Amadeus, Darkwood Dub, Eyesburn, Vrooom, and many others…

          The most significant European winter music festival, “The Big Snow“, moves from Andorra to Serbia and will be organised at Mt. Kopaonik on March 23-29, 2012.

          The Festival was launched two years ago by the largest global tourist agency, Thomas Cook. The EXIT team and the Association of Hotels of Mt. Kopaonik, supported by MK Mountain Resorts, public company Skijališta Srbije and the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, will join the organisation of the Festival as of 2012

          This music event will gather renowned global, regional and local music names, who will attract several thousands of guests from all over Europe. Especially for visitors for Serbia and the region, the Festival organisers have provided exceptionally favourable accommodation arrangements.

          In the last two years, “The Big Snow“ has grown into one of the most prominent European winter music festivals. With its entertainment capacities and beautiful nature, Mt. Kopaonik has been selected as the destination where this Festival can continue with its fast growth and development, and help the development of winter tourism of Serbia. “The Big Snow“ Festival is designed to provide good music and winter sports lovers with an exceptional opportunity to combine their two passions into good entertainment, with the contribution of the unique atmosphere of Mt. Kopaonik, the best preserved winter secret of Europe – underlined Ms Teresa Walsh, Managing Director of Club 18-30 in Thomas Cook.

          It is estimated that, owing to The Big Snow Festival, Serbian tourism will record revenues of more than EUR5 million in the next three years, while the value of international promotion of skiing tourism of Serbia will be several times higher.

          Bearing in mind the relevance of foreign and local partners participating in the organisation of the Festival at Mt. Kopaonik, this event will certainly help position Serbia at the map of important European skiing destinations, particularly at the market of Western Europe.

          It is important to note that The Big Snow Festival will significantly contribute to revenues from tourism in local and foreign currencies, as well as to the promotion of mountain tourism of Serbia in Europe and the world. In addition, we expect this event to enable young people from Serbia and the world to rediscover why Mt. Kopaonik is one of the most beautiful mountains in the region we can be proud of – underlined Mr Goran Petković, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, adding that it is privilege for our country to host this Festival at Mt. Kopaonik, particularly when a global tourist agency such as Thomas Cook recognises the opportunity for cooperation with partners from Serbia and decides to relocate this Festival to our country.

          The Festival will gather more than 100 music performers, led by the famous Basement Jaxx, double winners of the prestigious award for the best global music act. They will be accompanied by DJ Fresh, Eddy Tample Morris, Judge Jules, Micky Slim and other foreign performers, while the local scene will be represented by Disciplin A Kitchme, Rambo Amadeus, Darkwood Dub, Eyesburn, Vrooom, and many others…

          It is important to note that this is only a part of a line-up of musicians who will perform at the popular Mt. “Kop” on March 23-29, 2012, and that the whole line-up will be announced at the beginning of the winter season, in early December 2011.

          As of today, when the promotion of the Festival in Serbia starts officially, a seven-day travel arrangement, including accommodation and a set of tickets, will be available at a gift price of EUR89, or EUR129 with a ski pass included. Bearing in mind exceptionally attractive prices, top quality of the Festival and vicinity of the destination, the ski season will be most attractive at Mt. Kopaonik this winter.

          For all additional information on the Festival, please visit www.BigSnow.rs .

          Nature and mountain lovers will have an opportunity to visit the 2nd“Cepe Days” at Mt. Kopaonik, on September 09-11, organised by MK Mountain Resort, Kopaonik National Park and “Raška“ Tourist and Sports Organisation.

          Nature and mountain lovers will have an opportunity to visit the 2nd “Cepe Days” at Mt. Kopaonik, on September 09-11, organised by MK Mountain Resort, Kopaonik National Park and “Raška“ Tourist and Sports Organisation.

          At the “Cepe Days” event, which is becoming traditional, visitors will be presented with products made of cepe by local producers, and their quality will be evaluated by an expert selection committee in several categories: cold appetisers, broth dishes, cepe barbeque.

          During the event, cepe of the I and II class will be registered and measured every day. At an official closing of the event at the central square, within Konaci Suite Complex, with a diverse program of the cultural and artistic society from Raška, the heaviest cepe at Mt. Kopaonik will be selected.

         During the contest, an ethno offer of the sub-Kopaonik area will be presented (local manufacturing products, old dishes, traditional singing) in front of the Zvrk Restaurant. Stands with products made of mushrooms will be open within Konaci every day during the event from 9am until 10pm.

          Nature and mountain lovers will have an opportunity to visit the “Blueberry Days” event at Mt. Kopaonik on July 28-30, organised for the second consecutive year by MK Mountain Resort, Kopaonik National Park, “Raška“ Tourism and Sports Organisation and the Tourist Organisation of the Municipality of Brus.
          Nature and mountain lovers will have an opportunity to visit the “Blueberry Days” event at Mt. Kopaonik on July 28-30, organised for the second consecutive year by MK Mountain Resort, Kopaonik National Park, “Raška“ Tourism and Sports Organisation and the Tourist Organisation of the Municipality of Brus.
          This year, the event will also be supported by the Sector for Agriculture Development of the Embassy of Holland in Serbia.
          During the “Blueberry Days” event, which is receiving a traditional character, visitors will be presented with blueberry products of local exhibitors, and the quality of the products will be evaluated by an expert selection jury in several categories: non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, jellies, jams and preserves made of blueberries. On the final day, cultural artistic companies from Raška and Brus will entertain guests at the central square, while a pageant for the Blueberry Queen will be organised in the Grand Hotel on the same evening.
          Events such as this one contribute to more visits to Mt. Kopaonik and therefore, wishing to meet needs of guests, hotels have offered other additional sports and recreational activities.
          - This summer, in addition to the visit to the “Blueberry Days” event, we suggest to guests taking some of outdoor activities within the Active Holiday package. The offer includes a horseback riding school, paragliding, Quadro or mountain bike off-road rides down Mt. Kopaonik slopes.
          For children between 10 and 14, a summer camp of English and French language is organised, while for the youngest we have a tennis and basketball school during the summer – explains Nikola Avram, General Manager of MK Mountain Resort.
          A high level of service and significantly lower prices compared to winter season are only some of the reasons why the most beautiful Serbian mountain should be visited during summer as well.
          Therefore, it is not surprising that people increasingly change their habits and spend their summer holiday on the mountain, away from everyday life, instead of at the seaside.

Source: emg.rs

          If you’re looking for somewhere fresh, exciting, and a little bit different this year, try one of these more unusual destinations. Beirut, Lebanon - Doha, Qatar - Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina - Seoul, South Korea - Baku, Azerbaijan - Slovenia - Kazakhstan - Quebec City, Canada - Macau, China SAR and Kopaonik Serbia
          For good skiing at great prices, Kopaonik is the place to head this winter. Eastern Europe’s most modern ski area, it has 21 lifts – many of which are very new – serving the forest-lined runs. The max vertical drop of 521m may be modest by Alpine standards, but the area does offer some excellent tree runs after heavy snow. Kopaonik retains its traditional charm with thatched slope-side huts serving ‘hot wine’ and meaty snacks in front of roaring fires. After dark, Serbians know how to party, with the bars and clubs jumping until the small hours.

Source: xeniosworld.com

          Ski.Powder.Mountain.JPGA ski holiday in France can be up to three times more expensive than in other locations, Skyscanner can reveal.
Skyscanner compared the cost of flights, ski lift passes, ski hire and accommodation in a selection of European and North American ski resorts and found startling differences in the total costs.
Val D’Isere, which has long been a popular but pricey choice for the British skier, came in as the most expensive ski holiday, costing three times as much as a trip to Kopaonik, Serbia’s premier ski resort.
          Cheap flight does not = cheap holiday
          Even though return flights to Geneva, the gateway airport to Val D’Isere, cost just £50, a fraction of the cost of flights to the other destinations, when the price of the other components were factored in, the total cost soared. In fact the Skyscanner's research showed that it is cheaper to buy flights to Canada or America and go skiing on the other side of the Atlantic, than to ski in Val D’Isere.
Savings are even more apparent for longer ski trips where the cheaper resort costs balance out the more expensive flight costs; a 14-night ski holiday in Val D’Isere cost £3308, whilst in Vail (Colorado, USA) it was £2921, and in Whistler (British Columbia, Canada) is was £2530.
          Ski holidays have been considered as a secondary trip by some, but Skyscanner’s research shows that they are far more affordable than many people realise. Budget savvy skiers and snowboarders are looking beyond the traditional haunts of the French, Swiss and Austrian Alps, and finding that they can still afford a ski holiday if they choose their destination carefully, with both Bulgaria and Serbia offering good value for money.
          Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner travel editor commented:
          “We’re tipping Kopaonik in Serbia as the best value ski resort this winter. In what is likely to be a tough season for the ski industry, we’ve already seen a 130% increase in winter flight searches for Serbia, whereas searches for flights to Geneva are down on last year.
          “The quality of the accommodation, lift systems and accommodation in Kopaonik is just a good as resorts in the Alps and food and drink are much better value; the main difference is that the ski area is smaller than the big, interlinked domains in the Alps. However, for intermediate level skiers and snowboarders, Kopaonik offers excellent value skiing and there is some good off piste terrain too.”

         Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic announced today that by 1 December three new chairlifts will be completed on Mt Kopaonik and the artificial snow system installed on 70% of ski tracks.
         Dinkic, who visited the works on these installations today, specified that the project is estimated at over RSD 1.5 billion.
         He noted that two new chairlifts will be built on Karaman and Krst, while the third one will be located on the Suncana Dolina track.
         A new six-seat chairlift suitable for beginners will be built on Mali Karaman and will take the passengers up in four minutes, as opposed to 12 previously, the Deputy Prime Minister explained.
         Ski tracks on Mt Kopaonik will no longer depend on the weather because 70% of them will be covered by the artificial snow system.
         Dinkic announced that next year the tracks will be covered up to 100%, to include ski tracks on Krcmar, Rtanj, Marine Vode, Suncana Dolina and Duboka.
         Stressing that the ski season may start on 1 December, Dinkic cautioned hoteliers on Mt Kopaonik not to make the same mistake as in previous years, but to adjust their prices to suit both domestic and foreign guests.
         He recalled that thanks to the White Schengen, Serbian citizens can now easily travel to any winter resort in Europe if they find more favourable conditions than in Serbia.
         Since a number of trees had to be cut down to make room for new tracks, the Ministry, in cooperation with Kopaonik National Park, plans to plant three times more trees at another location, the Minister explained.
         Secretary for Tourism at the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development Goran Petkovic and Director of the public ski company Skijalista Srbije Nebojsa Skoric accompanied Minister Dinkic on his tour of the works.
         Take a look >>>

Source: Serbian Government