Kopaonik (Serbian Cyrillic: Копаоник; Albanian: Kopaoniku) is a mountain range located in Kosovo and Central Serbia.

The central part of the Kopaonik plateau was declared a national park in 1981 which today covers an area of 121.06 km2 (46.74 sq mi).

[6] The Pančić's Peak, with 2,017 m (6,617 ft), is the highest point of the mountains and it marks the border between Kosovo and the rest of Serbia.

[10] The 1983 earthquake had an intensity of VIII (Severe) and affected 7 villages, leaving 200 people homeless, and damaging 1,200 buildings and dwellings.

Dobrinac originates from the 3rd or 4th century AD and it was the administrative center of the mining and metallurgic operations on the western slope of the mountain.

During the Ottoman period, from the 15th century, the mining gradually ceased, but they developed the thermal springs, building Turkish baths.

He made a collection of Kopaonik's plant life which is today kept in the Imperial Natural History Museum in Vienna.

[13][14] Chetnik vojvoda Dragutin Keserović, commander of the Rasina Corps and possibly the most active Chetnik leader, conducted various activities in and around Kopaonik, leading to the Waffen-SS launching Operation Kopaonik in order to eliminate Keserović and his unit, which ultimately failed in its purpose and instead led to the murders of 690 civilians,[15] including the rounding-up and massacre of dozens of civilians in a church in Kriva Reka.

With territorial reorganization in the mid-1950s, the southern parts of Kopaonik were to be ceded from NR Serbia to its autonomous province Kosovo and Metohija.

[3] In 1981, due to its location, climate, rich forests, variety of herbs, and area for holiday and recreation, 121.06 km2 (46.74 sq mi) of the range were proclaimed a national park.

To the north and northwest of this plateau stretches Banjski Kopaonik, which is the location of Jošanička Banja spa, whose strong springs' waters reach the temperature of 88 °C (190 °F).

Directly below the Suvo Rudište plateau starts the valley of the Samokovska River, with its steep run, numerous rapids, falls and gorges.

Kopaonik has several excellent natural lookouts: Suvo Rudište, Gobelja, Karaman, Kukavica, Vučak and Treska.

[citation needed] Kopaonik's flora has a large number of autochthonous plant species (Balkan beech, fir, spruce, yew, several kinds of maple, pine and oak).

[23] In the part of the mountains within Kosovo, the golden jackal, the grey wolf, the roe deer and the wildcat have been spotted.

In the Kosovar section of the Kopaonik mountains, specifically in the Shala e Bajgorës region, lies Kosovo's largest wind farm.

The central part of Kopaonik with the tourist center and ski slopes are linked with the Ibar highway, and the nearest international airport is in Niš.