SPORT INVERNALI

Alpine skiing, ski touring, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating – all rank among the most popular winter sports which may be enjoyed in Gorenjska’s ski and winter sports centres. These are generally smaller than the larger such resorts one tends to find in other countries, but nevertheless the pistes are perfectly regulated and groomed to international competition standards.

Slovenia's Alps offer a whole lot more than just skiing; you may try ice climbing, put on snowshoes and explore the untamed white plains, or experience the thrill of paragliding with skies on your feet; take a ride on a snowmobile or horse-drawn sleigh, and even spend a night in an igloo!

Slovenia is also a good place to come and learn winter sports; indeed, in the highest Alpine resorts the season lasts for five months!

Those who come to Kranjska Gora also usually visit nearby Planica - the valley with ski hills (jumps) which are synonymous with ski flights. Planica and the adjacent Tamar Valley offer excellent cross-country skiing in winter.

Special features: In the vicinity of Kranjska Gora there are frozen waterfalls suitable for climbing (a guide is necessary!); test yourself first on an artificially frozen wall. In addition, you may also sleigh down the closed roads from the mountain passes.

Krvavec is the ski resort which lies closest to Ljubljana-Brnik airport; indeed, it is the closest ski resort to an international airport in Europe. Krvavec boasts 35 km of pistes, a competition ski slope, 2 slopes for beginners as well as a skiing and snowboarding school.

Special feature: In winter Krvavec offers accommodation in igloos at the Eskimo village!

In addition to being covered by natural snow to mid April, Vogel above Bohinj also enjoys spectacular views of the mountain landscape. It is replete with ski pistes, a snowboarding park, sleighing as well as cross-country skiing and guided ski touring. The centre is accessible by cable car throughout the year. Special feature: Paragliding in tandem!

Pokljuka, known worldwide as a biathlon centre, is a paradise for cross-county skiers in winter. It has more than 6 km of marked cross-country pistes, in addition to which there is also a smaller ski slope and a sledding toboggan run. Special features: An ideal place to try biathlon (special biathlon centre). Pokljuka is a tournament venue in the biathlon world championship.

Ski slopes with chair and drag lifts, as well as snowboarding and sledding runs, are also available at other ski resorts including the Kobla Ski Centre above Bohinj, the Stari Vrh ski and tourist centre above Škofja Loka, Rudno above Železniki, the Soriška Planina centre, and the Zelenica centre near the Ljubelj pass above Tržič. You can also enjoy pleasant skiing on Straža a few kilometres from Bled. The entire area has more than 110 ski slopes and some 145 km of cross-country tracks. Stari Vrh and Straža also provide night skiing.

Further to the possibilities for alpine skiers, Slovenia's Alps are a popular destination for tour skiing enthusiasts, and today all its resorts also provide sleighing and snowboarding facilities. You should also try snowshoe trekking on the virgin snow (available at Bohinj, Kranjska Gora, Pokljuka, Soriška Planina and Zelenica). 

Ice-skating is possible on a number of natural lakes, as well as some open rinks and indoor halls (specifically at Kranjska Gora, Bohinj, Bled, Tržič, Škofja Loka, Kranj and Jesenice). Ice climbing - which you should first try on an artificial frozen wall - is possible at the Mlačca and Tamar waterfalls, Vršič, in Martuljek, as well as at Bohinj, Jezersko and Ljubelj.