After cross-country skiing all over the world, I’ve developed a set of criteria for what makes for a blissful Nordic skiing destination. The snow conditions should be fresh powder; the trails nicely groomed; the crowds nonexistent; the scenery dramatic; charming villages are a bonus. Slovenia, a country noted for a populace that enthusiastically embraces outdoor fitness as well as a love of nature — after all, Ljubljana, the capital, was the 2016 European Green Capital — fit all my criteria. And, though so many visitors from the U.S. journey to this small country that is bordered by Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy in the summer when a verdant pastoral landscape blankets the undulating land that’s punctuated by ragged peaks — perfect for hiking and mountain biking — Europeans, including Italians and Germans, recognize Slovenia for its idyllic skiing.
These four areas each reveal a different side to the Slovenian Nordic skiing personality:
- Pokljuka offers the unique opportunity to be a recreational biathlete
- Planica provides the greatest variety of trails and landscape
- Log Pod Mangartom is replete with stirring mountain scenery
- Medvode is urban skiing at its best
The first three are all located in the picturesque Julian Alps in the more than 200,000-acre Triglav National Park, Slovenia’s only national park.
Ski equipment rental is available at each of these areas.
1- Sports Centre Triglav Pokljuka
A network of around 20 kilometers of tracked trails run beside soaring spruce trees and across pastures along different parts of the Pokljuka Plateau. Just about 30 minutes from the popular resort town of Bled that’s most recognized for its 11th century castle and glacial lake, Pokljuka is relatively devoid of crowds mid-week. And falling snow makes skiing in the forestland magical.
Visitors have the opportunity to take biathlon lessons at this area where the Biathlon World Cup is held. I had no idea the rifle was so heavy (almost eight pounds), and the small target (barely 2″ to 4.5″) was so far away (some 200 feet), nor how spastic my movements would be when attempting to rise from prone to standing, finally swinging the rifle onto my back before taking off on skinny skis.
At the Hotel Center, the restaurant with its floor-to-ceiling windows looks out to the biathlon shooting range, where I watched them preparing for the youth team. The outdoor terrace is a lovely spot, whether sipping hot cocoa or a glass of Slovenian red wine, or enjoying a lunch of venison loin with cranberries. A thick slice of a popular Slovenian pastry, the multi-layered gibanica cake with ice cream and pumpkin seeds, is a sure way to replenish all those spent calories.
Forty kilometers of intertwined, well-maintained trails run from Kranjska Gora — perhaps my very favorite ski village: low-key, quaint yet forward-thinking, and brimming with creative cuisine — to the Planica Nordic Centre and onwards to the stunning Tamar Valley and Rateče where trails allow skiers to cross the Italian border.
Planica is hailed for its multiple ski jumping hills of all sizes. In fact, the Ski Jumping World Cup is held here where many world records have been set. (The Ski Flying World Cup is Slovenia’s biggest sport competition.) And, three weeks before I arrived, Planica also saw the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup.
The contemporary Nordic Centre is a must visit. Open just over two years ago, it includes a two-floor museum that’s focused on the history of ski jumping, indoor cross country ski training — 800 meters of snow-covered tracks — in a multi-level underground parking garage, as well as a ski jump simulator where the vertical wind tunnel generates 200 km/hour currents that can propel you up to the second floor. (There’s also a horizontal wind tunnel with 120 km/hour currents.)
From the Nordic Centre, the most atmospheric ski route is a four-kilometer one-way trek up the Tamar Valley to a dark wood-paneled mountain hut that sits at the base of high peaks. It’s a gentle, conifer-lined ascent, which offers scenic views of the lofty Julian Alps, including Visoka Ponca and Strug. (Midweek, I had the trail mostly to myself.) Boulders carried long ago by the glacier that formed this valley can be seen beside the trail in places.
At the end, the mountain hut is a welcome sight, serving up some hearty fare. The menu includes barley soup with sausage, pickled cabbage with buckwheat mash, Vienna-style cutlet, and pork ribs. Luckily, I saved room for the scrumptious blueberry strudel.
A five-minute drive from the Nordic Centre, though you can also ski there, Rateče sits along a relatively flat trail — in the summer it’s a long-distance bike path — that wanders into Italy and also connects with Kranjska Gora. After work, instead of hitting the health club, many locals typically tackle the trails that loop through and parallel snow-covered fields and meadows where wooden hay racks are visible.
Getting to this village is half the fun. Though just one hour from the Planica area, the drive to the glacier-sculpted Soča Valley is along a multitude of vertiginous-inducing hairpin turns with spectacular mountain views, including Mangart, Slovenia’s third highest peak.
The narrow valley is noted for its haute cuisine restaurant, Hiša Franko. But, there’s also something much more somber that put this valley in the news. Almost 20 years ago, a devastating landslide careened into Log Pod Mangartom, killing numerous residents, and wiped out the bridge, and many houses.
The wee village with earth tone painted dwellings, including the rebuilt homes, has just five kilometers of tracked trails that loop through a meadow and then onto a section paralleling a creek beside the mighty face of Loška Stena, often referred to as “The Wall,” one of the more than 3,000-foot mountains. Until spring, the trails sit mostly in the shade because the sun, though shining on the rocky summit faces by noon, never gets high enough to warm things up on the ground.
What this petite Nordic ski destination lacks in size it more than makes up for with impressive mountain scenery and a sense of old world charm. I stopped at the Encijan Grill for a shot of Pelinkovac, a strong, bitter herbal schnapps while sitting beside a wood burning stove.
4- Nordic Center Bonovec Medvode
Just 20 minutes west of downtown Ljubljana, this area hosted the 2005 World Youth Championship, and attracts Slovenian cross-country skiers and Nordic-combined athletes who all train here. Children who attend schools in the area are lucky to have the opportunity to ski here as well. Medvode is an attractive town where many residents work in Ljubljana.
With new snow, there can be up to 10 km of tracked trails, but they have very efficient snowmaking equipment as well.
The backbone of the area is a 2.5-kilometer set of tracked loops, and three sets of side loops that veer steeply up into the woods thick with spruce, pine and beach. The views from the meadow are of the surrounding rugged peaks: Karavanke and the Kamniško-Savinjske Alps.
Many people might think that skiing loops isn’t desirable. But, in fact, this is a spectacularly convenient area to train. Many locals hit the trails, do several loops, sprint up into the forest, and negotiate the steep descents back to the meadow. (That’s what I did.) Then, I took a break for a cup of mulled wine at a picnic table, enjoying the warm sun, hitting the trails again for a few more loops. And I still had plenty of time to head back to Ljubljana to check out one of the many fair-trade coffee shops for an espresso as well as a place to sample specialty dark chocolates. What’s not to love?
