Bjelasnica

Bjelasnica rises to 2,067 metres southwest of Sarajevo and hosted the men's alpine events of the 1984 Winter Olympics, and the ski area on its northern side remains the main resort near the capital, with the observatory building on the summit and lifts running from the base at 1,260 metres. What makes it more than a ski hill is the plateau behind: a high karst grassland used as summer pasture, with stone villages of dry-walled houses and stone-slab roofs at Lukomir, Umoljani and Sinanovici, the highest permanently inhabited settlements in the country, reached by rough roads and connected by walking routes across the plateau.

What you actually see

• The ski area - the Olympic pistes and lifts on the northern slope.
• The summit observatory - the building on the 2,067-metre top.
• The highland plateau - the karst pasture behind the summit.
• Stone villages - Lukomir, Umoljani and the other high settlements.

When to go

December to March for skiing, with the most reliable snow in January and February. June to September for the plateau and the villages, which are cut off by snow in winter. Weather changes fast at altitude.

Honest expectations

The ski area is small by Alpine standards with limited terrain. Plateau roads are rough and closed by snow for much of the year. Villages are small and facilities minimal. Mines from the 1990s remain in parts of the massif and staying on marked routes matters.

Nearby

Umoljani and Lukomir lie on the plateau; Sarajevo is northeast.