A wide variety of stations
From the opening of the season in December until its closing in April, it is not uncommon for Slovenian families to spend their free time on the slopes. The joys of skiing do not require a stay in a resort because of the proximity of the infrastructure to the places of residence, but also because of a good road network. The largest resort in the country is also the one that is located the furthest east, just a short distance from the vast Pannonian plains. It is Pohorje, which has the exceptional characteristic of being a peripheral district of the second city of the country, Maribor. It has about 40 kilometers of downhill ski slopes, about 30 kilometers of cross-country ski trails and about 20 ski lifts. Further west, in an axis between Slovenj Gradec and Velenje, are the family resorts of Kope, Ragla and Golte. None of the three towns has more than ten kilometers of slopes and the infrastructure is more minimalist than elsewhere. This will delight the lovers of a change of scenery, but will undoubtedly disappoint the kings of the slopes. In the central part of the north of the country, we find the resorts of Krvavec and Cerkno. The former is often highlighted for its proximity to Ljubljana and boasts of being one of the closest ski resorts to an international airport in the world. Skiing enthusiasts will appreciate the large ski area of about 30 kilometers. Cerkno, on the other hand, is appreciated by the locals for its quality and durable infrastructure and for its status as a spa resort that will cure the aches and pains caused by long days of skiing. At the western end of the territory is the resort of Vogel, which should be favored for its magnificent views of the Julian Alps and its variety of snowshoeing trails. Kanin can also be an interesting stopover because its ski area has the particularity of being cross-border and includes its Italian neighbor. Finally, to end on a high note, we mustn't forget the resort of Kranjska Gora, which combines all possible and imaginable superlatives. In addition to being a very charming village, the capacity of the resort is impressive with a considerable number of beds available. The proximity to Austria and Italy will appeal to those who are looking for new adventures, while spectators will flock to the Planica ski jump to admire the ski jumping champions.
Snow sports galore
The most popular of these is undoubtedly downhill skiing. The Slovenian ski area is equipped with slopes for all levels of difficulty. In the larger resorts, ski schools allow beginners to learn in complete safety. The guides, most of whom are English-speaking, are very helpful and enable students to progress quickly. The great advantage of downhill skiing in the country is the absence of traffic jams at the chairlifts. Indeed, mass winter tourism is almost non-existent in Slovenia, which has ideal conditions for downhill skiing: not overcrowded slopes, a beautiful natural environment and almost no new resorts from scratch
. The packages - less expensive than in France, but not that cheap - usually include several small resorts, which allows for a variety of pleasures.However, cross-country skiing still competes with downhill skiing in the hearts of Slovenians. Indeed, its local popularity is as old as it is big. There are developed trails far beyond the alpine skiing sites. The most emblematic place is undoubtedly the Planica Nordic center, which is also open in summer, but also during popular night sessions. The Pokljuca plateau, more technical, is more suitable for experienced skiers: its 30 km of trails regularly host international biathlon competitions. Finally, to combine physical exertion and visual pleasure, there is nothing better than to venture into the Bohinj region for an unforgettable family outing.
Other traditional winter sports activities are also offered: snowshoeing has been revived and offers an interesting alternative for hiking enthusiasts. The routes are well marked and numerous due to the often abundant snow cover and the extensive alpine and forest massif. With family or friends, you can put on your skates and slide on one of the three natural ice rinks in the country during the winter season - Planšarsko Jezero, Lake Jasna or Lake Cerknica. If you are more of a city dweller at the end of the day, don't panic! Every major Slovenian city has its own outdoor artificial ice rink, the most famous of which is the one installed on Kongresni Square in Ljubljana, which offers a breathtaking view of the castle. With the family, you can take care of the sled dogs that will take you through postcard-perfect landscapes.And many other unusual activities
Slovenia is a destination that should satisfy the most discerning skiers. In Vogel, you can try snow rafting or even go down in an inflatable sledge - no worries, safety equipment is provided! In Krvacec, you can try downhill cycling on the ski slopes or the very local plezuhi, a steerable sledge that allows you to hurtle down steep slopes at high speed. In Rogla, we will test the ski joëring, a singular practice, a kind of winter adaptation of water skiing, which consists of skiing harnessed to a horse. Climbing enthusiasts will not be outdone, as they will be able to climb mountain faces in beautiful scenery in Trenta or Mojstrana. Finally, a family visit to the Eskimo village in a reconstructed igloo in Kranjska Gora is a must for a well-deserved gourmet break.
A land of competitions and seeds of champions
Slovenia regularly organizes international winter sports events due to the quality of its facilities and the difficulty of many of its courses. The Vitranc Cup
is certainly the most famous competition in the country. It offers several slalom and giant slalom events as part of the men's world ski championships. They take place every year in Kranjska Gora in March. The competition is very popular in Slovenia and it celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in 2021.The Golden Fox
is the women's equivalent of the Ski World Cup. It takes place in February of each year in the resort of Maribor-Pohorje. The slalom events follow one another to win the famous Zlata Lisica (Golden Fox), the winner's trophy. The most impressive competition to see is certainly the one that takes place from the Letalnica ski jump in Planica. Here you can see the most experienced ski jumpers in the world taking off and flying. The Slovenian Ski Federation is not afraid to innovate with new race projects, the latest of which is called Planica 7.Does white gold tourism exist in Slovenia?
This is a key issue for specialists in the sector. Slovenia has experienced a large increase in tourism in recent years, but only to a limited extent in the winter period. However, one might have been tempted to imagine that the supremacy of the mountains in the national landscape would have positive repercussions for winter tourism. However, this is not really the case. The Slovenian Alps are an important tourist attraction in the country, but they are not at the top of the list. They welcomed more than 2 million people over the course of 2018, 78% of whom were foreigners for a total of more than 5 million overnight stays. Winter tourism is slightly up with an annual growth of 1.7% between 2017 and 2018, a fundamentally correct figure, but below the expectations of tourism professionals and far below other spectacular increases seen in other regions of the country and at other times of the year. Although the figure needs to be increased since it does not include the resorts in the southern pre-Alps (including Pohorje), it should also be remembered that winter tourism does not only concern ski enthusiasts, even in Slovenia. Thus, only 25% of them prefer sports holidays in the mountains, to which should be added a percentage of holidaymakers fond of spa holidays. The most surprising thing about these statistics is that less than one million people visited Slovenia last winter. The only really positive point is the increase in the length of stays, which rose by 6.4% in one year. Several factors can explain the above figures: winter tourism is driven by nationals (45% of overnight stays) and is struggling to attract foreign visitors. Thus, only four countries exceed 100,000 overnight stays: Italy and Croatia are clearly in the lead, followed by Austria and Serbia. The other explanation can be found in the small size of the country, which makes it easy to take advantage of the snow in the resorts during the day and come down to the city in the evening. Finally, the vacation period is generally shorter in winter than in summer, especially for families who prefer a less remote national destination. Surprisingly, the only resort that has a truly regional influence is Kranjska Gora. The lack of integrated resorts is perhaps one of the causes of this phenomenon; access to amenities is sometimes reduced to a strict minimum in small resorts. A third way is to be found between the preservation of mass tourism at all costs, as repeated over and over again by the political authorities, and a certain isolation of the resorts when their natural tourist potential is more than promising.
Finally, the study of the French case is interesting because it demonstrates a major interest in mountain tourism, but more focused on summer activities such as hiking, rafting or swimming in lakes. Thus, of the one third of overnight stays spent by the French in the Slovenian mountains, 80% of them take place between June and September.
