Located in the north-western part of Macedonia, Popova Shapka is one of the most popular winter ski resort in the country. It is situated on the beautiful Shar Planina (Shar Mountain), 1780 meters above the sea level, just 35 kilometers from the capital Skopje. Popova Shapka offers excellent ski environment and hotel accommodations.

Visitors not only from Macedonia, but also from many other countries, return season after season here to relax, have fun, and experience adventure. Popova Shapka has been a host to both the European and Balkan Ski Championships. Not far from the resort, there are many small picturesquely glacial lakes scattered around on the mountain. There are two ways to get to Popova Shapka: by car and by rope-railway with a starting location in Tetovo. The rope-railway is 6km long and it takes about 36 minutes to reach the top.

Shar Planina is one of the three Alpine mountain ranges in Macedonia, the other two being Korab and Bistra mountains. The Shar Planina range is 80 km long and 12 km wide and is covered with snow from November till March and April every year. The highest pick is 2760 meters. From the diverse fauna, the Sarplaninec dog is worth mentioning, as it has earned a fine reputation among the pet dog lovers. These dogs are used by the sheep-herders of Shar Planina, to guide and protect their sheep herds.

Various kinds of game, in particular bears, boars, deer, and mouflons, provoke the development of hunting. Due to its rich vegetation and wildlife on the one hand, as well as because of the preserved and unpolluted environment, it represents a real Mecca for tourist resorts and sports facilities, where medical herbs can be picked up, and game hunts arranged.

At summer time, Shar Planina can be described as a ocean of grass. In fact, Shar is the largest compact area covered with pastures on the European Continent. This provides excellent opportunities for animal husbandry. High quality dairy products, mainly cheese and feta cheese, are made in the many sheepfolds on Shar and the adjacent mountains. The best known kinds of feta cheese are Shara and Galicnik. The Shar Mountain, along with the adjacent mountains, is rich in wide-ranging vegetation, which provides possibilities to gather medical herbs and to produce healthy food.