Construction of intermediate level ski slope on Avala to begin in 2019 – Slope starts at TV Tower and ends near mountain lodge

Kopaonik, Stara Planina, Golija and Zlatibor are mountains that sit at high altitudes and the ski-slopes located in these mountain resorts are build at an altitude 1,000 meters so it stands to reason that the neighbouring towns would put winter tourism as their main advantage. A “sister” mountain much lower than the ones mentioned is Avala near Belgrade, which has an altitude of 511 meters and will, according to announcements, soon get its own ski resort.

Similar initiatives have been mentioned before, back in 1994 and 2005 and the planning documents for Avala also propose that the development of Avala turn towards building sport-recreational facilities including construction of cable car and a ski-slope.

However, now it seems that the idea will finally come to fruition since the Deputy Mayor of Belgrade, Goran Vesic has announced that the local government was negotiating with the Ski Resorts of Serbia on construction of ski-slope 550 meters in total length.

– The ski slope is our joint venture and we intend to have this object only 10 kilometers from the centre of Belgrade. The plan is for the slope to be open all year round as is the case in many cities worldwide, in order to make skiing possible for those who are not able to travel outside Belgrade. The city and Ski Resorts would equally finance the construction and we believe that this is the investment in both the future of the city and its tourism, Vesic announced recently.

Ski Resorts of Serbia said that the construction is planned for next year and that by then they will manage to get all necessary permits and terms from the competent institutions. The ski slope, around half a kilometer in length, will start near the Avala Tower and end not far from the mountain lodge.

The construction of the first phase will include the ski resort with related infrastructure, that is, a ski-lift, ski-slope and a training site, snow factory, lighting, special machinery, parking space and other facilities. The next construction phase entails the construction of entertainment and recreational facilities such as bobsleigh track, zip line, mini-golf course, rock climbing walls and adventure park with children`s playground.

– Keeping in mind the altitude and the climate characteristics, the suggested location of the Ski Resort is on the northwest-facing slope and we also proposed the construction of artificial snow system or a “snow factory”. In that way skiing would be possible even when day temperatures are above 0 degrees C, between November and February, sources from Ski Resorts said and added that the track will be covered with a special artificial surface so it could be used even when there is no natural snow.

Designing and construction of the ski slope would cost around EUR 5 million but tourist employees hope that the investments would be worthwhile because it would add a new asset to Belgrade`s tourism offer.
– Ski -slopes in ski resorts need to be wide enough, with a clear view , to have adequate angle of inclination and height difference and to be groomed in such a way that they're clear of holes, funnel-like depressions, rock formations and other dangerous spots. Ski tracks are classified depending on the difficulty level ( based on the type of surface they lie on) and marked with coloured sticks.

Avala ski slope is marked as a “blue track” or intermediate level slope, Ski Resorts say.

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