Zlatibor

The Golden Mountain

Whenever I think of my childhood travels and memories, Zlatibor is the instant association to happiness, as it was the inevitable stop while driving through Serbia and most freguently, the final destination. This beautiful mountain immediately brings a smile to my face when I think about its beauty, fresh air, amazing atmosphere and the greatest moments I had there. I already mentioned Zlatibor as one of the best spots you should consider for a New Year's Eve destination, but If you are curious to find out more about this golden Serbian mountain, that is also the perfect escape not just from the urban life but reality in general, then keep reading. If the images only do not convince you to visit this beautiful place, then I don’t know what will.

Zlatibor is a mountain region situated in the western part of Serbia, and one of the most important tourist areas of Serbia, with resources for health tourism, skiing and hiking. it is located in the very heart of Serbia, in its western part, 230 km from Belgrade and 300 km from Novi Sad. The main city of the region is Uzice, located at the foothills of the mountain, while most of the area belongs to the municipality of Cajetina and Uzice, both in the Zlatibor District. The name Zlatibor probably stems from the Serbian words zlatni (golden) and bor (pine).

As I already mentioned when suggesting Zlatibor as one of the best locations to celebrate New Year's Eve, this is a perfect mountain for those who are great nature lovers and craving for relaxation, but at the same time are going crazy after two days away from the civilization. You will be surprised how urban and touristy are some parts of Zlatibor, so basically there is an option to dine in the best restaurants, go out in the biggest clubs and simply enjoy the crowd. Interestingly enough, until today, the so called Town of Zlatibor emerged from a group of vacation homes into a full-fledged urban location.

Thus, we could say that Zlatibor has a unique blend of rural and urban, interesting places with rich culture and spiritual heritage, colorful scenes and hearty, direct people, all with good home cooking cuisine, that will definitely leave you fulfilled. This mountain beauty is characterized by a pleasant, mild climate, spacious slopes, and lush pastures with mountain streams. In fact, mild winters and snow cover from October to May made it possible for the most popular air spa to become a healing and recreational center, a ski resort, and a center for cultural events and gathering people from all over the world. Its favorable position at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level, where mountain and marine currents collide, greatly favor and accelerate the treatment of several diseases, as well as the perfect place for relaxation and detox.

Moreover, the touristic area of Zlatibor has not been stopping to attract the tourists from all over the world since the 19th century, when the King of Serbia at that time, Aleksandar Obrenovic, decided to establish a health resort on an initiative from the local hosts. To his honor, a fountain was erected on accompanied by a small lake, titled Kraljeva Voda (King's water), which was later renamed to Partizanske Vode. Indeed, the hospitality of Zlatibor and its locals is really shown in the numerous hotels, villas, restaurants, open swimming pools and other sports facilities. The most surprising fact for some is that eventually, the residents of surrounding villages of Sirogojno, Gostilje, Jablanica, and the town of Cajetina even open their homes to tourists, so that they can obtain the true, authentic experience of the region. Rest assured you would be greeted well, with a three-course meal and warm rakia.

Even though this might not be the first choice of the avid practitoners of winter sports, but more picked as perfect spring, summer and fall destination, Zlatibor still offers a Tornik ski resort, named after its highest peak, Tornik. The ski resort has several tracks, four being covered by artificial snowing systems, with the total capacity of the about 5,400 skiers per hour. Apart from this ski resort, other mountains in Serbia such as Kopaonik and Stara Planina, indeed offer way more for the ski lovers, but I am sure Zlatibor simply cannot leave you disappointed.

Furthermore, Zlatibor is the perfect place to visit with you family, have peaceful walks in the nature and enjoy the rides at the famous Zlatibor lake; or with the loved one, since the mountain definitely offers a romantic atmosphere, warm spots and breath taking views. In any case, you will enjoy the perks of the fresh, mountain air and breath taking nature.

Finally, gorgeous nature, urban side, warm and lovely locals, amazing spots, rivers, lakes, great cuisine and good connection with all the surrounding tourist destinations such as Drvengrad, Visegrad, Tara, and Tornik are more than enough reason to select this magnificent mountain as your next vacation destination. In any case, I will keep you updated about all the best spots in the region that you can visit while here, so follow us for more inspiration.