A Land of war and pistes – Part 3

Kosovo is one of those places they warn you about when taking outtravel insurance. Not explicitly,but to tell you that you’re not covered if you travel against Foreign Office advice.The FCO still advises against visiting parts of Kosovo for all but essential travel. My travel was essential: I wanted to ski Europe’s youngest nation, even if it is still patrolled by Nato soldiers. Indeed we met a ‘KFor’ peacekeeper from Bavaria as we climbed from the Macedonian resort of Popova Sapka up the Sar mountains that form the border with Kosovo. We enter Kosovo by official channels, however, driving to the border crossing, where the blue and beige flag of the infant republic flutters in the breeze and the border guards are welcoming. We are heading to Brezovica, which nearly became a household name in the UK back in 1984. The resort, with its long, steep descents and north-facing slopes, is very snowsure. So when Yugoslavia opted to host the 1984 Winter Olympics… Continue Reading