Vlašić does not have a ski resort like Jahorina or Bjelašnica, but this mountain is extremely popular among skiers from BiH and the region. Every winter, thousands and thousands of skiers and snowboarders come to Vlašić, as well as those who simply want to enjoy the clean mountain air or spend the weekend with family and friends in numerous cottages and apartments.
Given that the season is just beginning, we asked Samer Dolovac, director of the Travnik Municipality Tourist Board, how they are preparing for the upcoming season, and what are the expectations in the coming period. We had the conversation at the end of November, so Dolovac says that the preparations are at the very end, and that now almost everything depends on the weather conditions.
Ticket prices
– Bearing in mind that the autumn period in Vlašić was quite well when it comes to visits, as a continuation of the excellent summer season, the Vlašić tourism workers did not have much time to idle in order to approach the final preparations for the new winter season at a slower pace. Earlier, more intense November snowfalls further accelerated the preparations, and they are coming to an end. In any case, Vlašić will be ready for the winter season – he says.
When asked if there will be a change in the prices of ski tickets, Dolovac says that, if there are no extraordinary and larger increases in energy prices, the prices should remain at last year’s level.
-According to the work plan of vertical transport, the start of the ski season is expected in mid-December when the official opening of the winter season of all centers and ski resorts in the Central Bosnian Canton is planned, along with the already regionally popular Šankanje, when we expect a significantly larger number of visitors and tourists – Dolovac points out.
There are about 11 kilometers of trails in operation on Vlašić, mainly for recreational skiing. Also, there are baby ski slopes ideal for beginners. The baby ski trails and the main trail are also illuminated for night skiing and have an infrastructure for artificial snowmaking.
– All existing ski lifts are in operation and are ready for the upcoming ski season. In addition to the lifts, there are also active ones on the baby ski slopes, as well as one chairlift – he emphasizes.
As far as visitors are concerned, Dolovac says that Vlašić traditionally, apart from BiH, welcomes visitors and tourists from the region and the BiH diaspora.
– In recent years, there has been a positive trend in the arrival of ski schools, both for one day, but also with multi-day stays during the winter school holidays.
Accommodation facilities
When it comes to accommodation facilities, Dolovac says that in addition to hotel and pension accommodation facilities, Vlašić also has private houses, i.e., cottages and apartment facilities, which are also popular.
– The entire Vlašić plateau, not only Babanovac as a central tourist resort, is in the flow of tourism, of which I would especially single out the area of Galica and Gostilje. These are mountain locations that are being intensively developed and put in function of tourism. In Vlašić, there are generally high-quality accommodation facilities, given that they are mostly newer and modernly equipped facilities, and we are currently working on the register of private accomodation facilities in order to have more precise information about the number of beds in Vlašić – Dolovac points out.
In addition to staying directly on Vlašić, there is also an increasing trend of a certain number of tourists staying in Travnik and its surroundings due to the proximity of Vlašić, where guests spend certain number of days on the mountain, but use part of their time to visit Travnik, its surroundings and other destinations in the area of the Central Bosnian Canton. All in all, Vlašić is ready and an ideal opportunity for your winter vacation.
