Sarah
In January 2019 I had the chance to join a press trip to Slovenia.
The initial plan was to go skiing in the Julian Alps only (the region close to Italy and Austria). But then, we visited different top ski resorts all across Slovenia, all the way from Maribor to Triglav National Park.
I already published an extensive article about all the ski resorts we visited, the places we stayed at (you gonna love them!) and some restaurants and museums. I also included in-depth information about the ski slopes, with ski maps and lifts and all that fuzz.
Read: Exploring the best of Slovenia’s wonderful ski resorts
But back to this post: Because I only had been skiing in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and France before – I never really had considered Slovenia an option for a ski holiday. And having been there, completely changed my mind! I still love skiing in Austria too – but now I would totally consider booking in Slovenia for next season.
And after all, skiing is one of the best things you can do in Europe, unless you are looking for a warmer place with some winter sun in Europe!
And I am not saying this because of the press trip that I joined – no, I realized quite a few reasons why this might be just what I had been looking for! So, let me give you my reasons – and then you can decide on your own if this is for you too!
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#1: Skiing in Slovenia is more budget friendly
Skiing can easily get really expensive. On top of accommodation, food and drinks you will have to pay for a lift pass and (possibly) ski rental equipment.
Lift passes in top skiing destinations in Austria, Switzerland and France can easily cost 50€+ per day. In Slovenia, most lift passes are closer to 30€/day or even 20€ – making skiing in Slovenia much more affordable.
Prices for food and drinks (especially inside the skiing area) are considerably cheaper too – think of 3-7€ for a warm meal and 2-3€ for a beer (instead of 12-15€ for the meal and 5€ for the beer).
The same is true for rental equipment and accommodation – so it is easy to see why skiing in Slovenia is more budget friendly!
A great budget option for skiing in Slovenia is the Julian Alps Ski Pass which offers you access to five different Slovenian Ski resorts (+ 1 in Austria/Itaky!)
Ski resorts included in Julian Alps Ski Pass:
- Kranjska Gora
- Krvavec
- Vogel Ski Resort
- Cerkno
- Kanin
- 3-Laendereck – Arnoldstein
#2: Skiing in Slovenia offers tranquillity
Slovenia might not be the perfect skiing country for you if you are only fancying collecting as many sky kilometers as possible without ever taking the same lift twice.
However, with the smaller size of the skiing areas in Slovenia (mostly 10-30km of ski slopes) comes tranquillity. Many ski areas in Austria or Switzerland are completely overrun and can feel like a metropolis on snow sometimes.
Slovenian slopes are much calmer, with lesser people hectically trying to catch the next lift. If you just stop for one second, you can hear how much calmer it is. And the forests close to the ski slopes look completely untouched. Slovenia is able to really offer you this winter wonderland you where dreaming about.
Take the time to actually enjoy being out in nature!
#3: Slovenian people are incredibly welcoming
Slovenian people are incredibly friendly! They are welcoming tourists from all around the world and are willing to tell you more about their country and its rich history and culture.
In Slovenia, you are not “yet another ski tourist” – you are a visitor that will be treated with respect and interest.
Once you have finished skiing for a day (please don’t drink and ski!), sit down in one of the small traditional pubs, order a beer and start a conversation with a local. You are most definitely be greeted with interest!
Slovenia also has one of the highest education standards in the world (in fact #12!) and the literacy rate is super high with 99,6%. 86% of the population do have a high school degree or higher – so those conversations can easily turn into a philosophic discussion too! 😊
#4: Slovenian food has a lot to offer (if you eat meat)
Slovenian food may not be known to you already – but there is a huge variety of dishes to explore! The Slovenian cuisine is a mixture of the Mediterranean and the Central European cuisine with some influences from the Balkan.
You will find a lot of delicious soups and stews on the menu as well as some really tasty cheese selection! And remember, food is cheaper in Slovenia than in many other skiing destinations!
However, it is a bit more complicated to get a varied selection if you are vegetarian. You might end up eating a lot of pasta and dumplings as the cuisine is meat-focused. But it is far from being a problem and you won’t starve in Slovenia, no worries!
Don’t leave Slovenia without trying:
- Beef soup (Mushroom Soup for vegetarian)
- Apple Strudel
- Dumplings (Štruklji)
- Cheese and Salami Platter
- Buckwheat žganci
#5: Slovenia’s tourism is really focused on sustainability
Did you know that Slovenia was the first country in the world to be named a “Green Destination” ? And that in 2016 it was declared to be the country with the most sustainable tourism IN THE WORLD by National Geographic?
Especially with the rising discussions about overtourism and the negative effects of tourism growth to nature, this is something we should all focus more on.
Slovenia has amazingly beautiful National Parks (like the Triglav National Park) and stunning cities with cute historical buildings ranging back until the Middle Ages. So how about visiting this country soon – before everyone else recognizes its beauty?
How to get to Slovenia (and around)
Being part of the European union, there are no border controls with other European countries.
If you are European or already have entered Europe somewhere else, you can simply hop on any plane heading to Ljubljana. Ljubljana has a good connection to many major European cities, often with comparably cheap airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet.
Don’t forget to stay at least one day in Ljubljana to explore the city as well!
I always check flight prices with Skyscanner:
Search for flights on Skyscanner
In order to get to the ski resort, you can either rent a car or try to get there by train. However, given the condition of the railway network (especially when compared to the road network), I would suggest to rent a car. However, the ski train can be an eco-friendly way to get around and there is also quite a lot of busses from Ljubljana!
If you want to know more about some of the best ski resorts in Slovenia – check my post about my itinerary in Slovenia. It includes information about the ski slopes, accommodation and food in four different prime ski resorts in Slovenia – there is even a video included!
Read: Exploring the best of Slovenia’s wonderful ski resorts
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