Sarah
I visited Slovenia as part of a sponsored press trip. This has in no way influenced the way I write about the experience – you will always get my honest and untarnished opinion! However, for the sake of transparency, I placed this disclaimer here!
The article also contains a few affiliate links. If you choose to stay at any of the hotels and use my link for that, I get a small percentage of what you pay. This is at no extra cost for you – and helps me with the costs of blogging (webspace etc.)!
Last week I had the chance to experience some of Slovenia’s best ski resorts.
I never really thought about Slovenia for skiing (I had been skiing in Austria, Switzerland and France before) until I came across this press trip to the Julian Alps. After a few reschedules (due to weather conditions), the final date was set to mid-January and was even including way more ski areas than “only” Julian Alps! And (Spoiler alert!) – I am now a big fan of Slovenia! And more precise, of skiing in Slovenia!
Let me tell you about all the destinations we visited – so you can decide which ski resort might be a good fit for you!
I included all information about the ski area as well as neighboring cities that might help you to find the best one for you – and I am most certain that you will also start loving Slovenia as a ski destination once you gave it a shot!
Below, you can find a map from Google where I marked all the spots mentioned in the article!
Table of Contents
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See the Video - Five days in Slovenia!
I also recorded a short video about our ski trip to Slovenia – you can also see videos and photos from all the ski resorts in Slovenia mentioned in this blog post. It also includes photos of all the places we stayed in and some from restaurant.
And don’t you want to see me on skis too? 😀
Maribor (Maribor Pohorje)
Our first stop was in Maribor. Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia (with approximately 110,000 inhabitants) and also home to the biggest Slovenian ski resorts, Maribor Pohorje!
Maribor Pohorje (website is in slovenian only – more also on Bergfex) is special as it is one of the lowest ski resorts – Maribor is only on 325 metres above sea level! It also has the lowest world cup slope for slalom in the world.
Due to the micro climate you can still go skiing from December to March here – and they also have snow cannons to produce artificial snow, if necessary.
Oh, did I mention that it is the BIGGEST ski resort in Slovenia?
The ski slopes of Maribor Pohorje
| Altitude | Ski lifts | km of slopes | Suitable for | Price - Day Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
325-1,327m |
17 |
42km/26mi |
Beginner – Intermediate |
32€ |
When we visited Maribor Pohorje, they currently had to produce some artificial snow. While there was no snow in the valley, the slopes were pure white due to the many snow cannons.
The ski resort is divided into three sections: “Snow Stadium” (lowest), “Bolfenk” (middle) and “Areh” (upper). It also offers night skiing as well as cross-country skiing options
One of the first things I noticed was, how few people were skiing! It was much calmer and relaxed than skiing in Austria. I never had to line up for any lift, let alone the gondola who takes you up to the higher parts (around 1,300m). You can ski down until the town, even when there is no snow in the valley.
The slopes were a bit icy on the middle section “Bolfenk” but absolutely doable – and I hadn’t been skiing for two years when arriving here. Maribor Pohorje offers slopes for every level of skiers – from beginners to professionals, with quite a good number of intermediate red slopes.
We ate some traditional slovenian food in Restaurant Koca Koca (directly at the cable car!)
Where to stay in Maribor - Hotel Arena
We stayed at Hotel Arena (find it on Booking.com or Agoda) and I can highly recommend this to you as well! Hotel Arena is in the valley, directly at the end of the slope. I could even see the ski slope from my window (and was waking up to the snow plow :D).
It’s a 4****-star hotel with an extensive wellness area, including different saunas (one outdoor!), two large Jacuzzis and a beautiful relaxing area with a free tea bar. After a long day of skiing, this is a perfect place to unwind and relax your muscles!
We also had dinner at the hotel restaurant and (even though we ate A LOT of good food), this was one of the best restaurants we visited in Slovenia! Try the fusi with truffles if you are there!
What else to do in Maribor
We also had a private tour with a guide to see a bit of Maribor. And I can tell you, Maribor is a super gorgeous, highly instaworthy city! I wish we would have had the time to explore it in daylight too – but it is also beautiful at night.
All major sites are easily walkable and can be explored within 1-2 hours.
What I really liked about Maribor was that is still a super original town – it is not (yet) overrun by tourists and you thus will be able to experience “the real Slovenia”!
Instagram photo spots to watch out for:
- Franciscan Church
- Restaurant Bascarsija
- Pest monument
- Old bridge
- Former Casino (now turned café)
If you also want to do a private tour, you can contact our local guide Luka – his English skills are excellent and he knows EVERYTHING about Maribor. You will easily see that he loves this town and will not just do a boring history town. You can contact him via mail ([email protected]) or give him a call/send a message (+38 640 721 217)
How to get to Maribor (Pohorje)
You can get to Maribor (Pohorje) by various ways:
First, Maribor has an international airport with limited connections – however, there may be a low-cost carrier flight available (making skiing in Slovenia even cheaper). Otherwise, you can catch a flight to Ljubeljana and go on from there.
Buses and Trains connect Maribor with Ljubljana, Beograd, Vienna, Graz and other European cities.
Last but not least, there is an excellent highway connecting Maribor with Ljubljana – so you can also go to Maribor Pohorje via bus!
Krvavec Ski Resort
The second ski resort that I visited on this trip across the best ski resorts in Slovenia was Krvavec.
Krvavac is only slightly smaller than Maribor Pohorje (it is in fact the second-largest Slovenian ski resort), but located on a higher altitude. They also have plenty of snow cannons but usually there is a lot of natural snow.
This was also the case when we visited – so we were greeted by a winter wonderland!
The ski slopes of Krvavec
| Altitude | Ski lifts | km of slopes | Suitable for | Price - Day Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1,450 -1,971m |
13 |
30km/17mi |
Mainly intermediate |
33€ |
Krvavec is suitable for beginner to intermediate skiers with a few of black slopes (that were though closed when I visited. On the higher areas of the ski resort you have a fantastic view.
Another thing that I really liked about Krvavec was that most of the lifts are chair lifts – and I really suck at taking drag lifts…).
Where to stay near Krvavec Ski Resort
We did not stay in Krvavec as we went night skiing in Kranjska Gora the same day and had a hotel there (Hotel Triglav, see below).
In case you want to stay closer to Krvavec Ski Resort, Cerklje na Gorenjskem is the closest town. You can find plenty of options on Booking.com!
Another popular option is to stay in Bled (Booking.com). You can also explore Lake Bled (post in German) perfectly in summer time – it’s a gorgeous place!
How to get to Krvavec Ski Resort
Krvavec is really close to Ljubljana (25km) and can be reached from the airport with 20-30min of driving. It is in fact the ski resort that is closest to an airport in whole Europe!
Thus, your best option is to rent a car in Ljubljana and drive to Krvavec ski resort.
However, there is also a ski bus running from Ljubljana (7,20€ return) and Bled (10€ return, free for SKI PASS SloAlps holders. (Click here for more information on ski busses)
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Kranjska Gora Ski Resort
Kranjska Gora is one of Slovenia’s most famous ski resorts – and the one with the longest tradition in Slovenia. It recently celebrated its 70th anniversary and is often named the “best-value” ski resort by reputable magazines.
Kranjska Gora also has one slope down in the valley that is open for night skiing as well.
We only came for night skiing and thus, I can only honestly tell you about this experience – however I am sure that daytime skiing is fun here too!
The ski slopes of Kranjska Gora Ski Resort
| Altitude | Ski lifts | km of slopes | Suitable for | Price - Day Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
813-1,295m |
18 |
20km/12mi |
Beginner – Expert |
34.90€ |
Kranjska Gora is suitable for beginner to expert skiers with a focus on easier slopes.
Night skiing in Kranjska Gora can be done on one slope down in the valley. The slope is easy to do (broad and not steep) and is serviced by a chair lift. You will see kids as well as professionals practising their technique here on the well-lit slope.
I went down five times but then I was a bit bored as I am an intermediate skier. Would love to explore the other slopes (there is a total of 18 lifts!) on a second visit!
Where to stay in Kranjska Gora - Hotel Vila Triglav
We stayed in Hotel Vila Triglav (Booking.com|Agoda) , which is a bit outside of the town of Kranjska Gora and thus offers a tranquil setting to relax after skiing.
I really liked my big room and the view from the window was amazing – a real winter wonderland emerged!
Hotel Vila Triglav also has a swimming pool and a small sauna that is kept meticulously clean.
What else to do in Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora is a beautiful cute little town that is illuminated by thousands of lights during winter time. This place is probably one of the best places to stay for Christmas as it felt like being straight from a Christmas movie even in January!
You can easily reach everything in town by walking.
If you are hungry, definitely try eating at Lacni Kekec – we had dinner there before night skiing and it was absolutely delicious! The small family run restaurant looks super cute from inside and outside and offers awesome traditional Slovenian cuisine!
Very close to Kranjska Gora you can also find the Nordic Center Planica – with many different type of ski jumping slopes and a small museum about it!
How to get to Kranjska Gora
There is regular buses running von Ljubljana and Jesenice (nearest railway station) to Kranjska Gora.
From Bled, there is a ski bus running twice a day. (Click here for more information)
There is also a free ski bus in Kranjska Gora that also connects with towns in the Upper Sava Valley.
Soriška Planina Alpventure Ski Resort
The fourth ski resort in Slovenia that I visited was Soriska planina Ski Resort
It was the smallest resort that I went skiing in Slovenia, but nevertheless was a great experience!
Soriška Planina is a family-run ski resort with a focus on families. It really had a boutique character and is currently putting a lot of effort into extending its portfolio (including building an eco-conscious hotel and a camp/caravan site).
The ski slopes of Soriška Planina
| Altitude | Ski lifts | km of slopes | Suitable for | Price - Day Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1.307-1.550m |
5 |
10km/6mi |
Beginners |
22€ |
All ski slopes of Soriska planina can directly be reached from the parking lot (where you will also find a ski rental shop and a cute restaurant) without taking a gondola.
They are suitable for beginner skiers but also offer some steeper slopes for intermediate skiers. The resorts focus is on families and you can usually see a lot of kids and ski schools around here.
When we visited, we almost had the entire ski resort to us, as it was heavily snowing that day and the road to Soriška Planina was not easy to drive.
Where to stay in Soriška Planina
You can currently NOT stay in Soriška Planina yet – but a lot of accommodation can be found in the town of Bohinj (where there is also the famous Lake Bohinj).
However, as the resort is run by one family, they are currently building a boutique hotel directly at the slopes. It is all made of wood and built in a eco-conscious way. When I visited, the outside was already finished and looked beautiful. Until their opening in July 2019, they will also build an outdoor swimming pool as well as outdoor saunas.
The ski resort of Soriška planina will also offer a camp- and caravansite – the bathroom facilities and the electrical installations where already all in place in January 2019. It will also be suitable for winter camping and is located next to the planned hotel.
What else to do in Soriška Planina
Soriška planina offers an extensive terrain of routes for cross-country skiing that start at the restaurant of the ski resort and lead you through a gorgeous winter wonderland forest. It is hard to describe how gorgeously secluded and peaceful this forest is!
Another thing that you can do is sledding – the ski area offers a natural sledding slope that is illuminated at night. Guess what, we took the opportunity, rented a sled and let childhood memories come back (see it in the video in the beginning of this post!)
How to get to Soriška Planina
There is a pretty cool, convenient and eco-friendly way to reach Soriska planina – and that is the ski train!
The ski train package (click here for more information) includes the train from Ljubljana and some other Slovenian cities to Bohinjska Bistrica, the bus from there to Soriska planina and the ski day pass for Soriska planina Alpventure. And you will even get a snack at the restaurant Brinarica with this ticket for only 28€ – I call this a bargain!
Otherwise, you can get to Soriska planina via car – it’s only a little over an hour from Ljubljana airport and about 40 min to Bled.
Vogel Ski Resort
The last ski resort in Slovenia that I visited was Vogel Ski Resort. The closest town is Bohinj, famous for its beautiful lake. You can also see the gorgeous lake Bohinj from the gondola going up to the resort.
Vogel Ski Resort is named as one of the most beautiful ski resorts in Slovenia by many locals as it offers fantastic views over Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps. And indeed, the views were absolutely fantastic and it was hard to decide where to NOT take a picture!
The ski slopes of Vogel Ski Resort
| Altitude | Ski lifts | km of slopes | Suitable for | Price - Day Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
569-1,800m |
9 |
22km/14mi |
Beginner – Intermediate |
32€ |
As Vogel Ski Resort is part of the Triglav National Park, artificial snow making is prohibited and Vogel Ski Resort is entirely dependent on natural snow. Luckily, there is plenty of it and the quality was amazing during my visit!
Vogel Ski Resort is suitable for beginner to intermediate skiers. There are no black slopes and even the red ones are easily manageable for not-so-advanced skiers. I really liked that there are often many different slopes with lots of curves and hills – this way even easier slopes really stay interesting for everyone.
You can also see that Vogel Ski Resort is very well maintained and the ski lifts are modern, especially for Slovenian standards. Vogel Ski Resort also has the longest slope in Slovenia with a total length of 6.8km (4.2mi)
You can also do various other cool winter fun stuff at Vogel Ski Resort like Snow Tubing or Airboarding! (Next time, I will try both!!!)
Where to stay Near Vogel - BohinJ Eco Hotel
There is a few chalets, mountain huts and a ski hotel located directly within Vogel Ski Resort. However, we decided to stay in the gorgeous town of Bohinj – and I can highly recommend the luxurious Bohinj Eco Hotel (check it out on Booking.com or Agoda)!
As the name already tells you, this is an Eco hotel which takes a lot of effort to protect the environment. Everything is made out of natural material and they even drilled a geothermal well to gain energy in an eco-conscious way. They are the first and only Green Globe certified hotel in Slovenia and have constantly received one of the highes scores in the world. Read more about their substainability efforts here!
What I absolutely loved about Bohinj Eco Hotel (beside the fact that it is eco-conscious) is its GORGEOUS wellness area! The swimming pool and spa is located on the hotels top floor and has gigantic glass windows. Talk about instagrammability – this is YOUR pool to snap a shot!
The wellness area also has two saunas and a steam bath as well as a nice relaxation area. You can also go on the outdoor terrace to cool off after sweating in the sauna.
The hotel also offers free access to the adjoining aqua park (featuring a large pool, a jacuzzi and a water slide). The aquapark is connected by a tunnel and upon check-in, you will receive a wristband to access the aquapark directly). Oh, and the aquapark is even part of the sustainability efforts as a gigantic heat collector!
What else to do in Vogel/Bohinj - Visit Radovljica
Lake Bohinj is absolutely gorgeous and you can take a walk around the lake in winter time too (check time!!!). It is for sure not any less instaworthy than famous lake Bled – just that lesser people know it. Be a smart ‘grammer and explore it before everyone else does!
Not far off Bohinj, you can find the cute little town of Radovljica. We spent the afternoon there after skiing in Vogel Ski Resort in the morning. It is probably one of the best well-kept secrets and not yet on the focus off many tourist.
During our visit, we saw quite a few museums:
- Museum of Apiculture (Beekeeping)
- Gingerbread Museum (or better, Honeybread!)
- Elan Ski Museum (did you know they invented carving ski?)
- Avsenik Museum (folk music)
I particularly liked the Gingerbread Museum – I even got to decorate my own little gingerbread heart for Markus! And I am still thankful for Elan to invent the carving ski – I still remember how much I was struggling before the carving revolution!
We finished the day off with a tasty meal at Restaurant Tulipan and then spontaneously visited a local wine shop (Vinoteka Sodcek). The owner was incredibly friendly and had wines from all over Slovenia!
How to get to Vogel Ski Resort
You can get to Vogel Ski resort relatively easy from Ljubljana or Bled by car.
However, there is also a more eco-friendly way to get here: The ski train again! The ski train pass mentioned above (see “How to get to Soriska planina”) also exists for Vogel Ski Resort! And the combined train + bus + day ski pass + lunch costs only 37€ for Vogel Ski Resort!
Did you like my guide to skiing in Slovenia?
Well, I hope you do! Let me know in the comments if you have been skiing in Slovenia already (and where!). I already have tons of ideas for more articles about Slovenia – I always aim to show you destinations that are not completely overrun already.
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This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m planning a ski trip in Eastern Europe for next winter and am in need of some inspiration. Looks like your press trip was totally amazing! Thanks for the ideas 🙂
Hey Ashlea, thanks for your kind words! Let me know if you need any help planning your trip – you will absolutely love skiing in Slovenia!
Hey Sarah, after reading your article I am tempted to visit this amazing ski resort in Slovenia. Skiing is my favourite hobby and I cant wait to experience the thrill again. The clicks are stunning and video was super fun. Looks like you really had a great fun.
Thanks so much Claire! Indeed, I had a fantastic time in Slovenia and I can warmly recommend it as a skiing destination to you! Happy to hear that my article was inspiring to you!