Slovenia offers skiers a variety of slopes, great views ... and reindeer
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The description had our ski club nearly salivating. The ski area surrounding the Slovenian resort of Bled is called the “Pearl of the Alps,” a surprise waiting to be discovered by adventure-seeking snow players. We were sold.
After months of planning, 66 members of the Patch Ski Club of Stuttgart, Germany, boarded a double-decker bus and began the eight-hour journey from Stuttgart to Slovenia. We embarked on what would become one of the most memorable ski trips in years.
Yes, we found a pearl. Yes, we found challenging runs and breathtaking views. What we did not expect to find were Santa’s reindeer. And yet, there they were, in the traditional Slovenian village of Kranskja Gora, apparently just hanging out until next Christmas season. Teams pulled gleeful children around the bottom area of the resort as we gaped in amazement. Since it was the first time most of us had seen real reindeer, we whisked our cameras from our pockets and tried to capture the event. This was definitely a trip to remember.
Slovenia, which gained independence in 1991, made up the northern province of the former Yugoslavia. A member of the European Union, it lies between Italy, the Adriatic Sea, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.
The northern area of Slovenia is home to the Karavanke and Julian Alps, named for Julius Caesar. Many ski areas dot the snowy and tree-covered terrain, including Mount Vogel and the World Cup slopes of Kranskja Gora. We spent a day at each. The two are like day and night — what “quaint” is to “commercialized” and “archaic” is to “modern.”
Mount Vogel sports an 80-person gondola, taking visitors from the base parking lot area to well above the clouds, where the slopes begin.
There it offers an authentic flavor of “local” Slovenian skiing. Similar to a small mom-and-pop resort one might find inside southern Germany or Austria, Mount Vogel’s infrastructure is anything but modern.
Dozens of T-bars, a handful of single- and a few double-person chairlifts connect its challenging slopes. Intermediate and advanced runs keep skiers and snowboarders entertained throughout the day.
We stopped for lunch at the only restaurant at the top and had hot soup, pizza and hamburgers as big as a dinner plate. The view was breathtaking and included mountain peaks swimming in an ocean of silver-lined clouds as far as the eye could see. Mount Vogel’s raw beauty and great slopes definitely made up for the lack of modernized chairlifts.
Kranskja Gora is at the bottom of a fairly good-sized ski resort. It is in the opposite direction of Mount Vogel from Bled. Heading down the road toward Kranskja Gora, the Italian and Austrian Alps are within view. Well- groomed, wide runs and plenty of chairlifts make it a World Cup destination.
Stepping off the bus and seeing a throng of skiers and boarders heading to the lifts made us instantly realize this day’s experience would be more in line with skiing at touristy resorts in central Europe.
Fast-moving four-person chairlifts carried us up to the same slopes World Cup athletes had competed on one month earlier, including several American Olympic hopefuls. T-bars and smaller chairlifts are also available on Kranskja Gora.
In spite of modern accommodations, Kranskja Gora still offers a traditional Slovenian atmosphere. While a pig slowly rotated on a large barbecue grill outside one resort restaurant, village residents chatted as tourists milled about. One eatery offered the yummiest cheese fondue we’ve ever tasted. In addition, we sipped a popular area beverage, hot white wine served with sugar. It was an interesting contrast to the Glühwein found on other European slopes.
Several restaurants and shops line the valley, offering commercial and locally made goods, from hand-painted wine bottles and honey schnapps to ornately decorated wooden plaques.
At the end of each ski day, Bled, Slovenia’s tourism capital, was our gracious host. It sits on the shores of captivating Lake Bled, initially formed by a melting glacier. Today, the lake is fed by a series of small springs.
In the middle of the lake is a small island that is the home of the Church of the Assumption. Locals hang on to the legend that the temple of the ancient Slavic goddess Ziva originally stood where the current Baroque-style church does, giving the island a certain mythical lure. Passers-by can’t help being mesmerized by its beauty.
Looming above the lake is Bled Castle, dating back more than 1,000 years. Today, the castle is a museum, displaying ancient history of Bled including stages of excavations throughout the centuries.
In addition to festive après ski at discos throughout the town, the Bled area offers many walking trails, a covered public skating rink, art exhibitions, cafes and shops, hotels with saunas and natural springs, and even night skiing, with access to slopes via a double chairlift right in the center of town.
On the final evening, as we sat in the dining room of our hotel, traditional Slovenian and Croatian folklore artists entertained us with colorful costumes, dances and songs handed down through the generations.
By getting off the traditional ski paths this New Year, we were able to slow down enough to actually savor great skiing and snowboarding, take a step back in time to appreciate Slovenian traditions, and, most importantly, to start believing in Santa and his reindeer once again.
Jaime Wood is publicity director for Patch Ski Club in Stuttgart, Germany.
Know and go ...
National currency
Slovenian tolar (SIT). There are approximastely 200 SIT per $1. Euros are also accepted.
Local attractions
• Bled Castle, one of the oldest medieval fortresses in Slovenia, stands on the rocky cliffs above Lake Bled. Open daily for touring. Features museum, restaurant, wine shop, small Renaissance printing house and souvenir shop. For information, call (+386) (0) 4 578 05 34 , fax (+386) (0) 578 05 11, e-mail info@dzt.bled.si, or visit www.bled.si.
• Basilica of Mary the Helper, Brezje, visited by Pope John Paul II and considered the national shrine of Slovenia.
• Elan Ski Factory Outlet, Begunje (near Bled), offers discounted prices on ski and snowboard equipment and apparel.
• Juliana Folklore group: Non-profit organization that shares traditional Slovenian folk dance and songs with the public. Contact info: fs-juliana@s5.net.
More information
Visit the Slovenian tourist board on the Web at www.slovenia-tourism.si.
— Jaime Wood
