Zlatibor

Zlatibor is not a peak but a rolling plateau at around a thousand metres, of meadow, pine and scattered villages, and Serbians have been coming here for well over a century for the air, which was prescribed for respiratory complaints long before it became a holiday habit. The centre is a resort town around a small lake, comfortable rather than beautiful, and one of the longest gondolas in Europe now climbs from it to the Tornik ski area. What draws most visitors is the countryside around: walking and cycling on open upland, the Sirogojno open-air museum of relocated log houses and outbuildings, the Šargan Eight railway looping through the hills nearby, and above all the food, with pršut, kajmak and Zlatibor cheese sold from farms and eaten in enormous quantities.

History

In the Middle Ages the region was the župa of Rujno, part of Raška, and the name Zlatibor, probably golden pine, came into use in the 18th century; by 2021 the local golden pine survived nowhere in the wild. The medieval Uvac Monastery, surveyed in the 1990s and rebuilt, was consecrated again on 21 September 1995 (Wikipedia, Zlatibor).

What's there

• The upland meadows - walking and cycling across open pasture and pine.
• The gondola to Tornik - one of Europe's longest, to the ski area above.
• Sirogojno open-air museum - relocated log houses of the old highland village.
• Pršut and kajmak - the cured ham and clotted cream the region is known for.

When to go

June to September for walking, cycling and the countryside; December to March for skiing at Tornik, which is modest but adequate. The resort centre is busiest in the Serbian holiday weeks of July, August and around New Year, when it is crowded and prices rise.

Before you go

The resort centre has been built up hard and fast, with a great deal of new apartment blocks and a commercial main strip that has little charm; the appeal is in the surrounding countryside rather than the town. Skiing at Tornik is small by Alpine standards. It is a long drive from Belgrade and busy in peak Serbian holiday periods.

Nearby

Sirogojno and Mokra Gora with the Šargan Eight railway are close; the Drina and Tara park lie north.

Key facts