Raška

Raška is a small town in southwestern Serbia, set along the Ibar River in the Raška District and known as a gateway to the Kopaonik mountains. The surrounding landscape of wooded hills and river valleys gives the town a quiet, mountain-influenced character.

Historically, the wider Raška region was the medieval heartland of the Serbian state. The town briefly served as a wartime seat of the Serbian government in 1915, and the region's UNESCO-listed monasteries — Stari Ras, Sopoćani and Studenica — preserve some of Serbia's most important medieval art and architecture.

Within easy reach of the town are landmarks such as Končul Monastery on the Ibar, the 13th-century Gradac Monastery on the slopes of Golija and the stone bridge over the Ibar. Kopaonik National Park, with Serbia's largest ski area, is the main attraction in the surrounding municipality, joined by the Jošanička Banja spa.

Raška's economy and visitor activity revolve around Kopaonik tourism, light industry and the surrounding rural area. Winter brings skiers and snowboarders, while summer attracts hikers, cyclists and nature visitors to the mountain and the nearby spa.

Both leisure and business travellers use Raška as a practical base for Kopaonik, with road connections to Kraljevo, Novi Pazar and Belgrade, making it a useful stop in one of Serbia's most historically significant regions.