Pelister Ski Resort North Macedonia
Pelister ski resort is a small skiing centre within the forested Pelister National Park of North Macedonia. Also known as Ski Centar Kopanki, Pelister is in the south of the country near the city of Bitola. Whilst the resort skiing at Pelister-Kopanki can be good for a leg warmer on its 400m of skiable vertical, the main reason to visit the area is for the cat skiing tours run on nearby Baba Mountain.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
As with most of the ski centres in North Macedonia (& throughout the former Yugoslavia), Pelister’s ski lifts are an ancient selection currently consisting of a double chair & T-bar surface lift. From the base area at 1,400m altitude, the two lifts carry skiers to the tree line at 1,800m. From there it is possible to skin or boot another 800m vertical to the top of Pelister Mountain at 2,601m elevation. The alpine skiing can be excellent above the tree line, but it is true backcountry and comes with all the associated thrills, exertion & risks.
See the Pelister ski trail map.
Cat Skiing with SF Freeride
By far the best way to check out Pelister is with the local crew at SF Freeride. Whether it is cat-skiing or some other outdoor proclivity, they can provide all you need for a safe & enjoyable visit to the region.
See here for tours with SF Freeride.
Where is Pelister, North Macedonia?
The Pelister-Kopanki ski resort is 15km (30min) by road west of the North Macedonian city of Bitola and 188km (2½hr) by road south of the capital Skopje. The nearest village is Magarevo.
The main gateway airports is the grandiose titled Skopje Alexander the Great International Airport (SKP), 170km away to the north. Alternatively, the Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) in Greece may appeal to some travellers. The distance by road to Pelister from Thessaloniki (also known as Thessalonica) is 260km & over 3hr travel.
Search & book a great deal on a flight to Skopje of Thessaloniki.
Due to the difficult nature of public transport to the Pelister, for reasons of value & efficiency, we recommend looking at a private transfer. We strongly suggest organising transfers by the local tour & hotel providers, or you can try to search & book here for reputable airport transfers to Pelister.
Pelister Accommodation
A visit to Pelister is made easier by the availability of some fantastic local accommodation. If looking to ski with the SF Freeride cat skiing operation, the best accommodation is at Hotel Sumski Feneri as it is run by the same crew! The hospitality, food & facilities at Hotel Sumski Feneri is second to none
Further up the hill toward the skiing, the small village of Magarevo has the excellent Green Apartments - particularly good for those with their own transport. At the base of the chairlift at the ski resort, Hotel Molika provides ski-in ski-out lodgings.
The nearby city of Bitola has numerous accommodation options. Whilst it can be of interest to visit as a day trip, Bitola is not recommended as an overnight location.
Search & book all Pelister ski accommodation.
Ski & Snowboard Rentals
Ski rentals are available at Pelister; however, we recommend bringing all of your own ski & snowboard equipment when visiting the Balkans.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed the cat skiing at Pelister in 2019 but had so much fun we missed out on checking out the skiing at the small chairlift. The lifted ski area is NOT a destination in & of itself, but merely a means of doing some fast turns on snow plus supporting the local economy & meeting the locals. We will endeavour to review it on our next visit to the region.
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