Macedonia

Not to be confused with Macedonia in Northern Greece, the little-known Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia is a country with bags of potential.

Unlike some other parts of the Balkans, Macedonia actually has decent mountains. Better still, the snow sticks around till the end of May, which means is possible to go skiing or snowboarding in Macedonia almost six months of the year.

Although the current infrastructure at most ski resorts in Macedonia can't compare with more established international skiing and snowboarding destinations in eastern Europe (at least not yet), there are a number of resorts here really worth visiting.

Popova Shapka in the Shara mountain range is one of the most popular ski resorts in Macedonia, partly due to its proximity to the capital Skopje. Only 35 kms away, it's perfect for a weekend blast. It's also super convenient for tourists wanting to mix a bit of culture with some snow time.

With its insane 1,400 metre (4,593 feet) vertical, Popova Shapka is also host to the annual International Alpine Skiing Tournament (the Shara Mountain Cup). Dating back to 1947, it's the oldest sporting competition of any kind in Macedonia.

Another popular ski resort in Macedonia is Zare Lazarevski (Mavrovo). At 1,255 metres (4,117 feet), the resort itself isn't particularly high, but there's a vertical here of more than 600 metres (2,000 feet or thereabouts) and a good choice of runs home. For more advanced skiers, Zare Lazarevski also has a giant slalom piste and a maize of other black pistes running down the front of the mountain.

Aside from skiing and snowboarding, hunting's big in Macedonia. There's all kinds of stuff to shoot at - if you're into that sort of thing - including deer, boars, bears and the curiously-named mouflon, a sort of Eastern European version of the Spanish Ibex.

Cost

If you're looking for skiing or snowboarding on a budget, it doesn't get much better than Macedonia. Accommodation and grub are cheap (with hotels from around US$30), and a weekly adult lift pass will set you back less than €100 (US$156).

Getting here

Austrian, Swiss, Macedonian and JAT airlines all fly direct to Skopje from a number of European cities including London, Paris, Rome, Berlin and Amsterdam.