Its beginners luck on the Slovenian slopes.

Publication: Express & Star
Date: 2009-07-17
Author: Vicky Shaw

If you’re learning to ski, Slovenia is a great place to start.

If you’re learning to ski, Slovenia is a great place tp start, as the country seems to have the pastime in its blood.

Having never hit the slopes before, I frequently observed youngsters who had barely learned to walk whizzing down with ease, as I watched my own limbs slide in opposite directions.

As one tourist leaflet about the country reads: “Skis even stand by our cradles!For my Stay in Slovenia I was based in the town of Lake Bled, which lies on the edge of Triglav National Park in an area of stunning natural beauty.

Bled is set against an impressive backdrop of mountains beside a beautiful lake, with the splendid 17^th Century church, Maria of the Lake, completing this stunning water wonderland.

From Bled, it’s a fairly easy journey to the ski areas of Kobla and Vogel, near to Lake Bohinj, while ski area of Straza is accessible from Bled by chairlift.

Triglav National Park was founded over a century ago nad covers much of the Slovene area of the Julian Alps. The highest peak in the country is Mount Triglav, which stands at 2,864 meters and gives the park its name, as well as, being the country’s symbol. With a lot of skiing to choose from, the nearby resort of Krvavec was my personal favourite as it is excellent for beginners.

My instructor soon built my confidence by telling me at the outset that by the end of the lesson I would be able to ski – and he was right. In an hour or so, I was up and about on the slopes on my own.

I gained my balance initially by grabbing hold of a carousel, and then moved on to a “baby” slope, so I did not feel nervous or overwhelmed.

My instructor gave me a pair of headphones and relayed instructions through them from the bottom of the slope, to help me along. I was even presented with a DVD to take away to help remember what I had learned.

The normal ski season runs from December to May in this area of Slovenia, and the resort of Vogel, on the first mountain barrier above the Adriatic Sea enjoys a large amount of snowfall and is suitable for all levels.

Also worth checking out is Kranjska Gora, not far from the Austrian and Italian borders, and easily Slovenia’s leading ski resort. It sees hot competition every year for the Vitranc Trophy in World Cup men’s giant slalom and slalom races.

Slovenia, which is about the size of Wales, has recently adopted the euro. Despite that, its prices remain pretty competitive compared with neighbouring countries and considerably cheaper that those on the more fashionable slopes of Western Europe.

Kranjska Gora, in particular, offers terrific value for money on daily living costs. Three course meals can be found for around £10, while both a small beer and a cup of coffee are readily available at the equivalent of less than £1.

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