Located in the popular tourist town of Zlatibor, within the municipality of Čajetina in Serbia, this new 9-km gondola lift has eclipsed the previous record-holder, the Tianmen Shan cable car (China) measuring 7.4 km. The total journey time is 25 minutes and treats passengers, skiers, hikers and walkers to breathtaking panoramic views of Zlatibor and its golden pine-covered mountain slopes, which gave the mountain its name (‘zlatni’ meaning ‘golden’ and ‘bor’ meaning ‘pine tree’ in Serbian). A project that is part of continuity since POMA had already participated in 2007 in the Tornik ski resort modernization by installing the first detachable chairlift of Serbia.

The line connects the tourist hub of Zlatibor to Tornik’s summit, which peaks at an altitude of 1,496 metres. Zlatibor, also known as Kraljeve Vode (‘King’s Water’), has been a renowned Serbian tourist resort since the 19th century, particularly prized for its climate, its setting and its snowy slopes.
This new gondola lift is part of the overall drive to strengthen and diversify the region’s tourist attractions. Around the downhill resort in the centre of Zlatibor, the municipality is planning to build the biggest adventure park of the Balkans (1,000 m²); it will offer numerous leisure activities, such as zip wires, hanging bridges, tobogganing and climbing.

The middle station at lake Riničko, halfway between both terminals, will accommodate the forthcoming high-end tourist resort of ‘Gold city’, which will provide water-based activities, sports and recreational facilities to the 1 million European tourists expected over the next 10 years. Zlatibor is setting its sights on becoming Serbia’s top tourist destination.

Lastly, the resort at the terminal located on Zlatibor’s highest peak will not only offer outstanding views of the surrounding landscape and mountains from its scenic view-point, but will also invite visitors to hit the ski slopes in winter, such as mountain biking in the summer, and test their limits in an extreme-sport environment.

POMA supported Zlatibor in its efforts to respect the local environment in particular, designing and building the gondola lift to satisfy numerous ecological standards. The municipality of Čajetina aims to become the first Serbian municipality to reach European ecological standards by 2020.

Opting for a gondola lift was fully in line with this approach, since it is currently one of the ecological means of transport available. It will reduce the number of vehicles travelling to Tornik and therefore cut CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions.

The group's history in Latin America began in the 1960s, in the Andean ski resorts, and entered a new chapter in 2004 with the construction of Line K of the Metro de Medellin, the start of a strong and enduring partnership in Colombia.

This urban gondola lift incorporated into a public transit system was a world first and quickly became a model for many large cities in terms of sustainable transportation and social inclusion. With the Metrocable, the city was gradually transformed, connecting the different neighbourhoods and their inhabitants.

Along with this mobility, from the start of the project, the POMA Colombia team has fit into the local landscape and implemented social initiatives that have become a lasting part of its POMA identity. Today, POMA Colombia continues to support many environmental, social and cultural organisations.

Following quickly from the first, a second Metrocable line was installed in Medellin in 2008, and in 2010 a gondola lift was created as a tourist attraction.

In 2013, POMA decided to set up a solid base in Colombia by creating a subsidiary there, thus strengthening its local presence, in close proximity to its Colombian and Latin American customers. That same year, with its original team of four people, the new subsidiary won invitations to tender for maintenance and inspection contracts with Metro de Medellin.

Several successful operations later, this fruitful partnership with Metro de Medellin was stronger than ever, and POMA Colombia began responding to direct requests. The company had to move twice, to the south of Medellin in 2014 and then to the north of the city in 2018, closer to its main customer and to larger premises that could accommodate its 84 employees.

With 13 installations completed to date, become the gateway in Latin America. Its business lines and areas of expertise have diversified. While maintenance and inspections remain the core business, POMA Columbia now delivers turnkey lifts, as it has for Medellin and Pereira, in collaboration with POMA France.
POMA Colombia is reaching a turning point in its development. It is evolving from an equipment supplier into a company offering complete solutions, present at every stage in the project: from the design phase to construction, project management, assembly and maintenance, and even the production of mechanical sub-assemblies (tower tubes, beams, walkways and even certain station structures) with a local partner.
And given the massive growth of ropeway transportation in LATAM, this is only the beginning!

In April, POMA Colombia celebrated the milestone of 100,000 operating hours on the K line with Metro de Medellin !

The group's history in Latin America began in the 1960s, in the Andean ski resorts, and entered a new chapter in 2004 with the construction of Line K of the Metro de Medellin, the start of a strong and enduring partnership in Colombia.

The French Federation of Ski (F.F.S.) is an association that aims to develop and promote the practice of skiing and snowboarding in all their forms, and make it accessible for the greatest number.
The FFS has full management of the French Teams in the following Olympic disciplines: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, jumping, Nordic combined, biathlon, freestyle skiing and snowboarding.
It also manages many non-Olympic disciplines such as speed skiing, telemark or grass skiing. Know more about the association.

The young Savoyard President was elected unanimously by the General Assembly of “Domaines Skiables de France” and will succeed Pierre Lestas.
Pascal Tournier will be his Deputy President. Alongside a renewed team, he is ready to meet the challenges of a mature ski market in France : establish a stable economic model for all operators, work at a rebalancing of the regulation which limits the economic development of ski resorts and act more on the development of new customers.

Discussions and conferences allowed the participants to talk about investments and changes that are required to make the mountain accessible to all, in any season, and to be able to meet the climate challenge.

For POMA ropeways, major conference partner, it was an opportunity to meet all our French customers, who came in large numbers to visit our booth for this 80th edition.