Brezovica, Kosovo

Brezovica
Brezovicë/Брезовица
Settlement

Ski resort, March 2010
Brezovica

Location in Kosovo

Coordinates: 42°13′19″N 21°00′17″E / 42.22194°N 21.00472°ECoordinates: 42°13′19″N 21°00′17″E / 42.22194°N 21.00472°E
Country Kosovo[lower-alpha 1]
District Ferizaj
Municipality Štrpce
Area
  Total 80 km2 (30 sq mi)
Elevation 1,015 m (3,330 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
  Total 68
  Density 0.85/km2 (2.2/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 38157
Area code(s) +381 290
Car plates 05

Brezovica (Albanian: Brezovicë; Serbian Cyrillic: Брезовица) is a settlement in the Štrpce municipality in Kosovo,[lower-alpha 1] known for its Ski resort. According to the 2011 Census in Kosovo, Brezovica's total population is 68.[1]

Geography

It is situated in the northeastern part of the Šar Mountains, and in the drainage basin of the Lepenac river. The Brezovica ski resort is situated between 900 m and 2,500 m above sea level. There is a combination of mild valley climate in the lower parts and Alpine climate in the higher regions.

Ski resort

Main article: Brezovica Ski Resort

Wide ski terrains of the Ski Centre Brezovica are made of a system that includes: 5 chair lifts and 5 ski lifts, connected with 16 km of ski slopes of the average length 3,000 meters. On Brezovica FIS slopes for slalom, giant slalom, downhill race and “Super G” simultaneously could ski 50,000 skiers.

A number of successful national and international competitions are held at the resort, including the Belgrade-owned "Inex ski center Brezovica", among others. A number of Kosova winter sport teams train at the resort.

Panoramic view of Velika livada

History

In Medieval Serbia, the župa (province) of Sirinić (first mentioned in a charter of the 13th century, the second time in 1331, in a charter of Emperor Stephen Dušan) existed, covering the whole of modern Štrpce municipality, having the cities of Gradište (in Brezovica) and Zidinac (in Gotovuša). Several remains of Byzantine forts exist in the region.[2] At the top of the Čajlije hill, above the mouth of the Piljevac creek of the Lepenac river, there exists the remains of the Gradište fort, which has two layers, the first from the 6th century,[2] and the second from the 13th century.[3] The fort is in ruins, of which a donjon tower, and outlines of other buildings, can be identified.[3] The entrance to the city, at the north, was protected by a tower.[3] From that tower, a rampart continued, with another tower, from where a defensive wall stretched to the foot of the hill, towards the Lepenac.[3]

On 28 June 1944, during World War II, Bulgarian soldiers executed 46 locals (of whom 12 were children) on the Rakanovac site in Brezovica, after the death of one of their soldiers.[4]

Demographic history
Ethnic group 1981[5] 1991
Serbs 323 (98,48%)
Others 5 (1,53%)
Total[6] 328 445

Annotations

  1. 1.0 1.1 Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. Kosovo's independence has been recognised by 108 out of 193 United Nations member states.

References

External links