A comprehensive alpine experience for everyone.
That sums it up nicely. If you love winter sports half as much as the average Slovene, you’ll definitely want to plan your next ski holiday in Slovenia.
We’ve talked about the uniqueness and versatility of Slovenian ski resorts. Now, let’s take a closer look at where the best conditions for skiing are and how they’re tailored to your needs.
Skiing for beginners: Child’s play
Bring your kids to test their skiing skills, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. They were right! Like learning to swim or ride a bike, learning to ski is a magical experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Whether you persist in the sport or not, the memory will be implanted in your mind forever.
Creating these memories in Slovenia is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. The majority of ski resorts in Slovenia are equipped with outstanding family-friendly facilities and slopes for beginners. Sure, you don’t have to be a kid to learn to ski. It’s never too late!
Top of the list of child and beginner-oriented ski areas is Slovenia’s most famous ski resort of Kranjska Gora. It’s where friendly, multilingual ski instructors, nurseries, slopes, and green runs are waiting to give beginners the boost they need to master the sport.
Krvavec and Rogla both have polygons and snow parks for children as well as amazing easy slopes for beginners. Another beginner’s haven is Vogel, which also provides excellent facilities for disabled skiers. No strangers to those taking their first ski sessions are the picture-perfect Bled and the laidback town of Cerkno.
Intermediate skiing: Understanding the movement
For most of us, skiing represents an enjoyable way to escape our everyday lives. Plus, the workout we get from it is more than welcome. The Slovene Julian Alps and the Pohorje ski centre in Maribor are the best destinations for casual lovers of this winter sport.
Most intermediate slopes are found in – surprise, surprise – Kranjska Gora. But during the season, there are few things as relaxing as doing some nice and easy skiing from three distinct summits at Krvavec. Deeper in the Alps are the lakes Bled and Bohinj, both exceptionally suitable for recreational skiing down blue and red pistes.
If you want to switch the mountain peaks for some fantastic frosty forests, Mariborsko Pohorje is the place to be. With 64 km of pistes served by 20 lifts, it’s Slovenia’s largest resort. Mariborsko Pohorje is mainly revered for beginners and intermediate skiers, and with Maribor minutes away by regular city bus, après-ski activities are right next door.
Then again, if you’re up for some acrobatics or free-style skiing and snowboarding, you have to try out the nearby Rogla resort’s Fun park.
Advanced skiing: If you’re a pro, you’re good to go
There’s skiing and then there’s skiiiiiiing. Adrenaline junkies and pros, we haven’t forgotten about you. The Bohinj ski area has 17 black pistes, with one of the best found at Vogel. When conditions are right, advanced skiers can get their dose of downhill at Žagarjev Graben, which descends 8.5 km towards the valley below.
Another great choice for advanced skiers is the Bovec-Kanin connection with the Italian Sella Nevea resort. Don’t fancy a cable car ride above the clouds? Then Podkoren near Kranjska Gora is a more ‘grounded’ option. But be careful, it’s a steep one nonetheless.
Night skiing: Where fun meets the night
This nocturnal version of the sport is certainly worth trying. There’s nothing quite like skiing under a beautiful starlit sky. Night skiing is ideal for skiers who don’t have time to ski during the day or prefer a less busy piste. Many Slovenian ski resorts offer night skiing, like Kranjska Gora, where the night trails are open till 10 pm. Mariborsko Pohorje has the longest illuminated ski slope in Europe (10 km), so go ahead and put that in your itinerary. But do be careful, the melting and refreezing process causes trails to be icier at night than during the day.
Every Friday and Saturday evening, night sledging is also available on Krvavec’s partly lit run. A four-person chairlift operates till 7 pm, then hitch a return ride by cable car (till 8 pm) back to the valley. It’s a super fun experience for the whole family.
Nordic skiing galore: I’d like some views with my training
Getting fit while observing the natural wonders that surround you has cross-country skiing written all over it. Take advantage of Slovenia’s Nordic skiing terrain.
Pokljuka offers a network of 20 km of trails run across peaceful pastures. The best time to visit Pokljuka is midweek when you’ll have the magical forestland almost to yourself. Another excellent destination for Nordic skiing is Planica, which provides 40 km of intertwined, well-maintained trails that run from Kranjska Gora to the Planica Nordic Centre and over to Rateče where skiers can cross the Italian border.
Another convenient area you train cross-country skiing is Medvode. This suburban wooded spot is minutes away from Ljubljana and is well-liked by the locals. You can do several loops through the fields, venture into the forest and descend down a slope into the adjacent meadow.
What about snowboarding?
Absolutely! Strictly speaking, it isn’t skiing, but it’s definitely a cool close relative that simply has to be invited to the party. Out of the top seven snowboarding areas in Slovenia, Vogel leads the way. Nice for beginners and splitboarders, who will love exploring its numerous off-piste backcountry free ride slopes. Travelling from the Pohorje ski area to the Areh resort, snowboarders will also find lovely intermediate runs and Kranjska Gora is best for high-speed lift access. Another family-oriented snowboarding resort is Rogla, where youngsters can practice their daredevil tricks.
The incredible thing about going on a ski holiday in Slovenia, is that you can pack a huge deal of skiing into a long winter holiday or a short stopover. From spending fantastic family time at Kranjska Gora or Rogla, to exploring the gems of the Julian Alps by skiing right next to Lake Bled or high above Lake Bohinj at Vogel or even higher at Kanin, and doing some urban skiing at Krvavec or Mariborsko Pohorje, then build up your stamina with Nordic skiing at Pokljuka – the list goes on.
But be warned; once you’ve tried the Slovenian slopes, you’ll want to go back again. And again and… Here’s an idea, why not start your ski addiction this year! There’s no better winter than the present.
That said, you can book your next ski vacation here!
