Home to 87 ski resorts, with many of them boasting cheap and affordable services, Slovenia offers visitors top-notch slopes along with quality ski instructors, excellent wining and dining, and value-for-money accommodation. Slovenia’s ski resorts take up a total of 1,300 hectares, made up of 300kms of ski runs accompanied by 24kms of sledging tracks. This makes Slovenia one of the most popular and affordable places to enjoy skiing in Europe.
History
In the mid-17th century locals skied down Bloke Plateau and it is claimed that due to the extreme steepness of the slopes here, skiers either honed their skills to perfection or died trying. The largest and longest serving ski resort in Slovenia is Mariborsko Pohorje and it has been open to the public for decades. Rogla was developed into the ski paradise it is now in the 1970s when the first ski lifts were built and the local roads widened to handle the influx of visitor numbers.
Sightseeing
Many people visit Slovenia for the powdery white slopes where snowboarding, cross-country skiing and snowboarding are available amid beautiful countryside. Yet Mariborsko Pohorje boasts interesting old architecture throughout its old centre and Cerkno Ski Centre is a modern resort that attracts many famillies. Here, visitors can go mountain biking on the trails, hunting or fishing in the local lakes. A handful of resorts in Kranjska Gora also provide tourists with the chance to enjoy a ride on a dog-pulled sled or a horse-drawn sleigh.
Shopping
Opportunities are available at the majority of the ski resorts across Slovenia, with many stores specialising in winter sports wear. Kranjska Gora is a small and romantic alpine village offering guests a few boutique-style shops selling local handicrafts along with ski gear. Mariborsko Pohorje is not the most popular ski resort solely for its skiing as there are countless shops and stores here selling a variety of local goods and holiday souvenirs as well as ski equipment and clothing.
Eating and drinking
Lake Bled boasts a variety of places to wine and dine, with a large selection of cafés and bars lining its pretty streets. Mariborsko Pohorje has everything anyone could want from top-class restaurants, lively discos, theatres, casinos and clubs through to small cafés that ooze charm and sophistication. Rogla plays host to a variety of eating options, from local cosy taverns to quality restaurants and fine dining.
Where to stay
With such a wide choice of accommodation options, Slovenia is truly a ski-lover’s haven. Luxury resorts mingle with cheaper hotels allowing everyone to enjoy Mariborsko Pohorje, and Lake Bled has a mixture of private ski lodges and hotel rooms at rates to suit all budgets. The majority of the country’s resorts—even the largest and most popular—are attractively priced and range in ratings from two to five stars.
Getting there
The main gateway into Slovenia is Ljubljana Airport, which welcomes more than 1.5 million people through its doors every year, mainly from European destinations. Kranjska Gora is easily reached by hire car from Ljubljana Airport in an hour’s drive via a good road system. For those visiting Mariborsko Pohorje, take a plane to Graz Airport in nearby Austria then travel by hire car or hotel transfer for 40kms to the popular resort.
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