Three key issues at Montenegro’s state-owned Kolašin ski resort — the tilted support pillar on the K7 cable car, the installation of an artificial snowmaking system, and the slope lighting project — will not be completed during the 2025–2026 ski season, according to the government’s Winter Tourism Season Preparation Plan adopted on Thursday.
Funding has not yet been secured for repairing the tilted cable car pillar, and a public tender must be launched before work can begin. The design documentation for the water supply system needed for artificial snowmaking is still being prepared, and financing for the works is not yet available. Although the technical task for the ski slope lighting project was completed in July, no tender has been announced.
The K7 cable car, which cost 9 million euros, connects the state-owned and private ski areas on Mount Bjelasica. When it is not operational, nearly half of the state ski runs are closed. The lift, with a capacity of 2,600 skiers per hour, began operating in February 2022. However, construction on neighboring private land in 2024 caused a landslide that destabilized pillar number four, leaving the lift closed last winter and likely this one as well.
The inspection authority ordered the private investor, Ski Resort Kolašin 1450, in June 2024 to ensure the stability of the pillar within 12 days, but the issue remains unresolved. State company Ski Resorts of Montenegro and the Ministry of Tourism held several meetings with the private operator, owned by Zoran “Ćoćo” Bećirović, but the contractor selection process was not completed due to large cost differences between the received bids and the project estimate.
As the private operator did not move forward, the Ministry of Tourism stepped in to secure funding and enable emergency procurement through Ski Resorts of Montenegro. However, no timeline for the start of works has been specified.
A similar situation exists with the long-announced artificial snowmaking project at the Kolašin 1600 ski center. The Ministry of Tourism has commissioned studies to determine water availability for a smaller reservoir to power snowmaking equipment, but the required funds have not yet been secured.
Progress has also stalled on the slope lighting project at Kolašin 1600. The technical documentation was completed and submitted to the Ministry of Public Works in July for tendering, but no procurement process has been launched so far.
The only likely progress this season is expected at the Savin Kuk ski resort in Žabljak, where a 600-meter snowmaking system could become operational in December.
