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The world "It has never been like this", Brezovica almost without snow

2023-01-16 23:09:16Biznes SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The world "It has never been like this", Brezovica almost without snow

Brezovica does not remember such a bad season, say local businessmen and producers. Due to insufficient amount of snow, the season has almost failed and the financial losses are huge, they say. Tourists who regularly visit this ski center in Mali e Sharri agree, although they say that Brezovica has its charms even without snow.

Brezovica is located in the town of the same name in the territory of the Municipality of Shtërpce - about 80 kilometers from Pristina. It is considered one of the biggest centers of winter tourism in Kosovo and is known for its skiing center. 

This year, the skiing season there has not started yet, because there is not enough snow. Slavisha Janiqeviq, who has been working at the ski center in Brezovica for forty years, does not remember this kind of season in January. He says he doesn't even remember such a small number of tourists - which he attributes to the lack of snow.

"I remember that there used to be up to three meters of snow, while currently there is 15 to 20 centimeters. That's why skiing is not allowed", says Janiqević for Radio Free Europe. The ski center in Brezovica has nine cable cars for the same number of ski slopes - the longest of which is 3,500 meters.

But, in the current conditions, Brezovica can only be used for walking.

"It's really nice, but no snow"

Remzi Gashi from Prizren spent the weekend in Brezovica, although he knew that, during this period, he would not be able to ski, just like in previous years.

"There is less snow, but I still like it here. As it seems, we also have to face climate change," says Gashi.

In addition to him, on January 14 and 15, around 1,000 fans of white sports stayed in Brezovica, among them Ela from Durrës - a coastal city in the north of Albania. She hoped that she would find snow, but she says that Brezovica is beautiful even without it.

"We will come again when there is more snow," she says.

Marku from the USA speaks similarly about Brezovica, who says that he has friends in Kosovo and that he visits them regularly.

"I'm here [in Brezovica] for the first time and it's really nice. The snow is not enough, but this beauty can make up for it," he says.

Has the winter season failed?

The Administration of the Ski Center in Brezovica says that all preparations for the start of the winter season have been completed on time, at the end of November. They add that due to the unusually warm weather for this time of year, the season has been "disordered", but they still hope that it will not fail.

"If we had snowballs, everything would be different. We created a new business plan, but we'll see how it goes," Lubisha Stojanović, manager of the Brezovica Ski Center, tells Radio Free Europe.

The municipality of Shtërpce, in whose territory Brezovica is located, is multi-ethnic, so both Serbs and Albanians work in the ski center. They agree that they don't remember such a bad season.

"This season is weaker by up to 70 percent in terms of income in the hotel industry. It has never been like this", Luli Zhubi, who has been working there for thirty years, tells Radio Evropa e Lire.

Losses due to lack of snow

Dane has a snowmobile rental company. He employs about twenty workers, but due to the bad season, he has not been able to hire half of them this year.

"We don't have money to pay even basic expenses. "It would be ideal if at least a meter of snow fell and the tourists would return - which is impossible," he says.

Blerim Islami, who offers skiing equipment for rent, says the same.

"There are few visitors, therefore there are very few interested in the equipment that I offer. "I don't remember so little snow here, at about 1,700 meters above sea level," says Islami.

Even Sreqko Stanishič has been offering ski equipment for tourists for about 20 years. He hopes that there will be snow and that, again this year, guests from the countries of the region will come. He singles out tourists from the coastal part of Albania who, as he says, are "extremely good consumers".

"They earn money during the summer season and save it for the winter. We behave in such a circle", says Stanishič.

Farmers are also at risk...

Villagers from the territory of the Municipality of Shtërpce, which are located near Brezovica, are mainly engaged in the production of fruits, vegetables or dairy products, which they then sell to tourists.

"For years we have sold the famous Sharr cheese, milk, raspberries and various juices. This year, sales have dropped to a minimum. It's a big loss for us", says Sara Ivic for Radio Free Europe.

"Until a while ago, I had about 200 sheep, about 20 heads of cattle, pigs, goats... I sold cheese and meat, especially during the winter season. Now the times are such that I no longer have any head of cattle", says Sllavisha Janiqevič, an employee at the Ski Center in Brezovica.

Kosovo has five tourist regions: the Albanian Alps, the region of Sharri, Anamorava, Mitrovica and Shala e Bajgora. In addition to them, there is also a central region in Kosovo that includes the capital - Pristina. Kosovo also has other tourist attractions and destinations, such as the source of the Bardhë Drin, the Mirushe Waterfall and numerous caves. Among the well-known thermal springs are the baths in Kllokot and Pejë./REL


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