VILLAGE ET STATION DE SKI DE BROD

Dominated by Mount Ćule (2,220 m above sea level), Brod is a pretty mountain village at 1,384 m above sea level with about 1,500 inhabitants (48% Gorans, 40% Bosnians, 7% Turks). It has preserved some of its Ottoman-style houses and stone buildings. It also has famous confectioners along its shopping street, Predljekuje Street. Most of the families make a living by raising and selling Šar cheese. But the living conditions are still quite rustic. There are more horses and cows here than cars. In summer, dung loaves dry on the edge of the paths: they will be used for heating as soon as the first frost sets in. While the village empties in the depths of winter, it comes back to life during the first week of May: the Gorans of the diaspora return to get married on the occasion of Saint George's Day, an orthodox festival followed by several Muslim communities of the Balkans. It is the occasion of great reunions and concerts of Klaxon. In summer, when the families are complete, the population can reach 8,000 people.

Skiing and hiking. Brod has a small ski resort built around the Arxhena Hotel. Located 3 km south of the village, it has four lifts and runs between 1,510 m and 2,050 m above sea level. Two chairlifts also operate in the summer, allowing for some walks in the area. But it is from the village itself that the most interesting hikes in the Gora start: to Mount Ćule, to Baćka/Baçka, in the Brod River Gorge or at Lake Šutman (2,070 m above sea level), to the top of Mount Golema Vraca (2,582 m above sea level), which is not too hard to climb, and towards Mount Velika Rudoka (2,658 m), Kosovo's highest point, on the border with northern Macedonia. On the way, you can pick blueberries, but beware of mushrooms, often poisonous in the region. Beware also of the šarplanina dogs that protect the herds from wolves' attacks: they are generally not aggressive, but can become so if you get too close to the sheep. There are a few restaurants on site, the most famous of which is Ramće, located shortly before the ski resort (roast lamb to be ordered the day before, +383 44 98 10 11). Homestays are rather rare, but Ajhan Hadžija offers his services for camping in the wild ([email protected], +377 44 56 13 03).