Kujtim Dobruna, April 2025
More than two decades ago, Swiss media described Brezovica as the second-largest ski resort in the former Yugoslavia. With slopes reaching an altitude of 2,500 metres, a vertical drop of 1,600 metres, and breathtaking views stretching across Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania, Brezovica offers everything one would expect from a premier winter destination. It has hosted international competitions and regional championships. The infrastructure may be modest, but the experience remains authentic and unforgettable. Comparisons with Zillertal in Austria or Engelberg in Switzerland – two of the most prominent winter sports destinations in the European Alps – were not exaggerated but well-deserved, concluded the Swiss.
Around 2010, an Austrian newspaper noted that snow in Brezovica was guaranteed. Tourists, mostly weekenders, and three functioning ski lifts kept the resort, still dubbed “the most reliable snow destination in the Balkans,” barely alive – but operating well below its true potential.
A Sleeping Gem
Brezovica remains a sleeping gem. With its ideal climate, stunning landscape, and natural snow in volumes that rival many European resorts, it lacks only a long-term vision, serious investment, and sustainable management. At a time when Kosovo is in search of development models and economic diversification, Brezovica should not be seen as a relic, but as a tangible opportunity for the future.
There have been several attempts to revive and modernise Brezovica. In 2005, the Kosovo Trust Agency, the predecessor of the Kosovo Privatization Agency, put Brezovica up for privatisation, only to withdraw the offer later. Inappropriate procedures, but more critically, interventions and campaigns by the Serbian government against the process, discouraged serious investors from participating.
Later, Brezovica was placed under the direct administration of the KPA, but the ski resort nestled in the Sharr Mountains, which can count up to 280 days of snow, remained stagnant. Today, Brezovica’s offering is limited to two outdated hotels and aging ski lifts.
After Kosovo’s independence, a new process was launched with the aim of attracting investments of around €400 million. Various investors from Europe and the United States showed interest, but the entire endeavour eventually collapsed for reasons that, to this day, remain unclear. Still, it is not too late. Located advantageously, near the airports of Prishtina and Shkup/Skopje and alongside a modern motorway, Brezovica could be transformed into one of Europe’s finest resorts within just five years.
The Potential of Brezovica
With smart design and investments, Brezovica could develop up to 100 kilometres of interconnected ski runs, with a capacity to host 15,000 skiers at once. It could become a hub for hosting international competitions, thanks also to a long skiing season, which could be extended further with snowmaking technology.
Brezovica has the potential to become a year-round tourist destination—skiing in winter, hiking and mountain biking in summer, offering a variety of sports activities, summer camping, and aqua parks, with the potential to attract tourists from around the globe. The resort’s capacity could be significantly expanded through cooperation with the nearby “Kodra e Diellit” in Tetovo, transforming the Sharr Mountains and regional tourism into an integrated, unique destination for visitors from Europe and beyond.
At full capacity, and under a conservative scenario, Brezovica could generate annual revenues of €170 to €200 million from ski pass sales, accommodation, and related expenditures. This is not just a dream, it is a concrete opportunity that must be realised.
Beyond Tourism
The development of Brezovica would have multi-dimensional effects. It would significantly increase the number of tourists visiting Kosovo, not just from the region, but also from Europe (particularly Eastern Europe), the Middle East, and the United States. As a new, affordable destination with two international airports nearby, Brezovica could become a preferred location for both winter and summer holidays.
But the benefits would not stop there. The demand for local products (fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, beverages, etc.) would stimulate a rural revival in the surrounding region. Farmers and local producers would gain access to a stable and nearby market. The processing industry and supply chains would develop in parallel.
The resort’s development would create over 1,500 direct jobs, and, through the multiplier effect, another 1,000 indirect jobs in construction, logistics, tourism, and support services. This would inject much-needed vitality into the local and regional economy.
Brezovica would also become a new calling card for Kosovo: a success story of long-term planning, public-private partnership, and international image-building through investment and sustainable economic development.
What Next?
The government must pull the old development plans for Brezovica out of the drawer and update them in line with today’s market demands. The time has come for a new strategy – ambitious, yet realistic. A development plan should be drafted, based on the principles of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and focused on infrastructure development, professional management, and environmental protection.
With an investment of around €350 million, the resort could reach full capacity within five years. The majority of this amount could be secured from private investors (domestic, diaspora, and foreign) through a genuine PPP model that safeguards public interest while offering long-term returns for investors.
To attract capital, Kosovo must present this project as a strategic national investment, actively promoting it in international forums and in cooperation with development banks such as the EBRD, the European Investment Bank, and the World Bank.
Due to Brezovica’s dormancy, Kosovo has potentially lost €4 billion in revenues over the past 20 years. Every lost year is one season missed, one more opportunity wasted. The time for Brezovica is now. If we treat this project with the vision, seriousness, and partnership it deserves, Brezovica could become not just a ski resort, but a reference point for the country’s economic development.
Kujtim Dobruna is the Founder and Senior Partner at ECIKS, a consultancy specializing in advisory services for foreign investors with an interest in Kosovo and Southeast Europe. This opinion piece was originally published in the Kosovar daily Koha Ditore on April 4, 2025.
