Skiing

The best ski resorts are Jasná Low Tatras and PARK SNOW High Tatras which is a very popular resort. No matter which one you opt for you will experience brilliant skiing in any case. Whether it is the Ski Park Ružomberok, Snow Paradise Veľká Rača near Oščadnica, wonderful and popular PARK SNOW Donovaly with the most up-to-date chair lifts, Winter park Martinky, Vrátna, Jasenská Valley and countless number of others.

Each one of them offers not just an ordinary kind of skiing. There are various opportunities for winter activities, winter trekking, recreation in aquaparks with thermal water swimming pools under the open sky, wellness services and fun in the evenings in the hotels or romantic bars. You can choose the best thing for yourself. Winter in Slovakia does not only mean skiing. The fans of snowboarding and lovers of adventurous sports will also be satisfied. You can try out ski touring on snowy rocks, go trekking with mountain guides, try out the sledge tracks, snowtubing, paragliding in snow-covered valleys or crazy speed of bobsleighing. The Jasná ski resort is a top resort for unconventional though favourite freeride snowboarding and freeskiing. It has 5 freeride zones but it is also worth to visit the Vrátna Free Time Zone ski resort where you can enjoy this kind of fun to the full. Both ski resorts are perfect for everyone who loves adventure and wild and free ride.

If you are keen on downhill skiing you can find a place to ski in almost all of the regions. More than 100 ski centres is ready for all skiers from the less demanding to the most demanding ones. You can choose between the Low Carpathians (Malé Karpaty), Low Tatra, High Tatra in the North and Low Beskydy (Nízke Beskydy) in the east. The High Tatra offers endless number of skiing slopes even for the most demanding skiers. There are excellent slopes directly under the Slavkovsky Peak (Slavkovský štít) in Hrebienok. This is also a starting point for easy winter hiking to the Studenovodske Waterfalls (Studenovodské vodopády) which offers an exquisite view of icy cascades and water columns. Most ski centres of course do not forget about the beginner skiers or children. There are excellent and modern equipped skiing equipment rentals and kindergartens, ski instructors and fun ski centres on the snow for children. Those who want to experience a unique atmosphere of night skiing can try out skiing on the ski slopes with artificial lighting until late hours.

Snow in Slovakia, however, is not only about downhill skiing. Those who want to admire the beauty of snowy nature can make use of thousands of well conditioned cross-country skiing trails of various degrees of difficulty and lengths. The most famous ones are in Štrbské Pleso, Tatranská Lomnica, Skalka in Kremnica, Tále, world-famous Osrblie where the Cross-Country World Cup competitions take place. Outstanding conditions for this kind of sport are in Low Tatra, Donovaly or Jasná as well. If you are still keen on getting to know other cross-country skiing resorts the recommended ones are the Carpathians (Karpaty), Povazsky Inovec Mountain (pohorie Považský Inovec), Beskydy and many others. Touring on the Slovakia’s mountain ridges is an adventure which you will not forget – you can not only enjoy cross-country skiing but also admire beautiful landscape sceneries at the same time. There is a plenty of well-marked hiking routes and paths but also untouched roads and footpaths with no traces of skis whatsoever.

Slovakia is also attracting fans of ski touring which is become more and more popular. Basically, it is a combination of trekking and off-piste skiing in high-altitude terrain and mountaineering. Ski tourers often conquer slopes in difficult terrains with a gradient of more than 45 degrees which requires being fit and trained. For ever-increasing popularity of this relatively young sport there are new ski touring terrains every year which can satisfy even the most demanding ski tourers. You can find them in the High Tatra in the Mala Studena Valley (Malá Studená dolina), Velka Studena Valley (Veľká Studená dolina) and Skalnata Valley (Skalnatá dolina), in the Low Tatra in the area of Chopok and Ďumbier, in the Western Tatra in the Ziarska Valley (Žiarska dolina) and Roháče. Vrátna in the Small Fatra and Jasenska Valley (Jasenská dolina) in Large Fatra have also become very popular.

Skiing in Slovakia can be combined with pleasant recreation at the same time. As there are numerous spa resorts and wellness centres in the beautiful mountainous area the tourists can restore their bodies with the help of pleasing wellness programs. Spa resorts such as Bešeňová, Nový Smokovec, Turčianske Teplice and Trenčianske Teplice, Bardejov are attracting tourists with their services. Those who prefer having fun in aqua parks will be glad to find out that there are aqua parks in almost every part of Slovakia.

If you decide to admire the beauties of Slovak mountains during winter time the Slovak national parks and protected natural areas are ready for tourists. It is recommended to have an easy walk around Štrbské Pleso, walk along conditioned footpaths or deep snow to the many mountain chalets. You can expect not only a cup of delicious tea or grog or some of the Slovak specialties to restore your powers but also nice people who have given their hearts to the Slovak mountains which have become the love of their lives. If you are happy enough you may see the protected chamois jumping on the heaps of snow without breaking its neck or meet deer while walking through snowy forests.

Slovakia is simply brilliant in winter. It is a paradise for skiers, tourists, lovers of nature and unrepeatable sceneries. You can experience unforgettable skiing in short sleeves on sun-drenched slopes or snow storm which may surprise you with snow drifts in the morning of the same height as yours. Slovakia is a country with exceptionally fascinating winter which you will be pleased to visit every year again and again. Because you will simply fall in love with Slovakia in winter.