There is no other way to put it. Popova Sapka is a shadow of its former self. It’s accelerating state of decay obvious in its lift infrastructure, buildings, packs of wandering dogs, piles of rubbish, crumbling roads & weekend traffic chaos. It has a third world feel at first glance & may be confronting for some international visitors, but we are here to tell it the way it is & not gloss over it. Popova is broken, but skiing & snowboarding here most certainly is not.

We would have loved to see Popova Shapka in its heyday. Must have been quite the ski resort. Gondolas arriving all the way up from the valley in Tetovo, a thriving hotel industry, fully functioning ski lifts, deserted ski slopes! What a contrast it would have been.

Thankfully today the best elements of Popova Sapka still remain. Snow, awesome freeride terrain, fabulous food, delightful locals & some amazing cat skiing. The longest running cat ski operation in Europe has been providing freeride snow fixes for years, even as the ski resort crumbles around it.

Only four ski lifts are turning these days, but they serve all the terrain. Slope grooming occurs, but is poor, particularly on the upper mountain (You didn't come here to ski the piste anyway....... did you?). Hotels are generally clean & the food is excellent, but most are in disrepair & have seen better days. 

The off-piste, ski touring, cat skiing, food & culture at Popova are all well worth the journey to Popova. Understand that Popova is not a shiny family snow holiday destination & you will love it.

Hoist a rakija in the air & toast to a great ski location, despite its problems…….
See our video here