The Other Alps To Put on Your Bucket List This Winter

The Julian Alps are everything a ski vacation in Europe should be: a dramatic alpine setting, snowy valleys with ski resorts dotted about, an entrenched, passionate local ski culture, charming centuries old villages, fairy tale alpine castles…did we miss anything? Oh, right – crowds are unlikely, and the accessible cost of an incredible skiing experience will fill you with even more joy.

Where are these magical mountains and have you not visited yet? Follow the arc of Europe’s Alps just a little farther east than the oft-skied hubs of Switzerland, France, and Italy, and you’ll find Slovenia, a tiny, mountainous nation slightly smaller than New Jersey that’s home to a scant two million residents. Tucked between Austria, Italy, Croatia, and Hungary, Slovenia flies under the radar of the western skiing world, who aren’t aware of its impressive mountains and proud, passionate ski traditions, from ski mountaineering to alpine and Nordic racing. All of that manifests in a string of joyous ski areas scattered throughout the country from tiny local family spots to international destinations.

Slovenians have held fast to their own identity despite a long history of occupations from the Romans, to being absorbed into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then into the Soviet Union’s sphere ended in today’s happy independence when the Slovenian-speaking region split from Yugoslavia in 1991, and eventually joined the European Union. The stark alpine geography is a big part of that identity.

Slovenians love their mountains, and in fact have a saying that citizens become truly Slovenian only when they’ve climbed to the summit of Triglav, the highest peak in the Julian Alps and the nation. Triglav and the mountains also feature prominently in the country’s legends and folklore, and the stylized image of a tri-summit peak on the national flag is, that’s right, a stylized image of Triglav (which means three heads). So, it makes sense despite its tiny population, Slovenia consistently produces powerhouse athletes in every skiing discipline, climbing and mountaineering, and cycling. It’s well worth a visit if you’re craving skiing soul and a fresh adventure—and we’d be willing to bet the first trip won’t be your last.

While the Julian Alps are the most worthy destination for international travel, ski areas dot the entire nation. If road tripping and seeing other areas is on your list, Slovenia offers a program where you can buy one ticket and use it at most ski areas across the country, called Ski Pass Slovenia. (A look at the list will give you a good idea of ski pass prices, too—you can buy seven days in Slovenia for less than one day at large U.S. destinations.)

Lodging in mountain towns is mainly family run lodges or modern Slovenian-owned hotels (thankfully, global charmless or over the top luxury chains don’t have a hold here). Traditional Slovenian cuisine is more like eastern Europe than neighboring Italy, and you may or may not find things such as a breakfast buffet of mainly pickled things, as well as eggs and meats. Just immerse yourself in the glory of new experiences! That said, it is a vibrant locavore culture and you’ll find delicious locally-sourced, old-world style meat and cheese plates, stews, and potatoes, meat dishes, and plenty of delicious pastries and jams.

Given that it’s a bit more off the beaten path, Slovenia can sound daunting, but it’s surprisingly easy to navigate, and an old fashioned ski adventure at its finest. Slovenes are in general friendly and welcoming to travelers – especially skiers. Most of the younger generation speak Slovenian and English (older people will often speak Slovenian and Russian). Nonetheless, it’s always prescient to have couple words to endear you to the locals (followed here by some loosely correct phonetic spellings in English, and remember Slovenes roll their Rs). Here’s a handy guide to some of the local lingo:

• Dober Dan: a widely used daytime greeting, you’ll hear it in stores, at the ski hill, and all over. 
• Živjo: informal ‘hi!’ (sounds like zheevo!)
• Hvala: thank you
• Prosim: please (prroh seem)
• Pivo: beer
• Lahko dobim pivo: Can I have a beer? 
• Na zdravje!  to your health (naaz drah viyah) 
  Živeli: cheers!  (zhivellee!)  

The Resorts

The Julian Alps are the crown jewel of Slovenian skiing and home to most of the large resorts, as well as community rope tows in occasional operation tucked up in bucolic, alpine farming valleys. Here are a couple of don’t miss ski destinations:

Kranjska Gora

Perhaps the most famous ski resort, this adorable alpine village and ski mountain often host World Cup ski races from alpine to Nordic. It’s tucked up in the northwest corner of the country by the Austrian and Italian borders, and offers surface and chairlifts, immaculate pistes, and off-piste forest runs. The village is a vibrant scene with restaurants, independent hotels, and charming markets with local products from jams to woolen knits. If you want a party scene, show up when the World Cup alpine races are on, and if you want a really big party scene, show up when the World Cup Nordic and ski jumping events are on. Lodge in town at the SkiPass Hotel.

Kanin

Located on the Slovenian and Italian border, Kanin offers some of the best, big mountain terrain and freeride skiing in the area—which is saying something.  The Italian side is Sella Nevea, which also offers mind-blowing, serious big terrain for off piste and backcountry, and you can ski tour between them. Contrary to what you might assume, Bovec, the Slovenian village at the base of Kanin is the place to stay, sleep and eat (Sella Nevea’s village is a small, anemic cluster of dated 70s hotels). Bovec is a vibrant, charming old village surrounded by natural beauty. It also offers well-developed visitor amenities and the most complete year-round adventure tourism you’ll find in the region.

Vogel

This ski area sits on a high plateau above the beautiful Lake Bohinj, to which you take a tram to the base village. It offers a popular family scene, hotels, restaurants, fun après spots with cheap pivo, and the skiing is super playful and rolling inbounds. Off piste and out of bounds offers forests, long descents, and backcountry access for touring. You can purchase a map, or better yet, inquire about hiring a local guide.

Mariborski Pohorje Hills

The largest ski area in Slovenia, Mariborski is outside of the Julian Alps in the northeast near the city of Maribor. Miles of groomed pistes, extensive night skiing, and an extremely family friendly vibe. The big mountain vibe isn’t here, but you will find how Slovenian skiers get their heart and soul and passion for skiing and winter sports.

Backcountry Skiing

Slovenia has an incredible and renowned mountaineering tradition for climbing, hiking, and skiing. The Julian Alps offer couloirs and serious tick list peaks and descents. The Slovenian Alpine Club is the best to find huts in the mountains, to get conditions information, and reach out for guide references. Vertical Adventures is an accomplished, certified alpine guide and skiing operation.

If You Go… 

Ljubljana (pronounced ‘Loob-liana’) is Slovenia’s capital city and serviced by major carriers such as Delta, Swiss Air, Lufthansa, and local codeshare partners via European hubs such as Paris, Geneva, Munich and others.

There are daily flights into Ljubljana’s Jože Pučnik International Airport (LJU).  It’s the most efficient arrival point for a Slovenian alpine outing. We’d highly recommend visiting the lovely capital city for a couple days on your trip: it offers unique shopping and artisans, trendy restaurants and cafes, sleek new hotels, and a charming, old city center heavy with history. This rich beauty is juxtaposed against the remnants of 20th century Soviet bloc architecture outside of the older city. It’s not large though, and two or three days will give you a good feel for this little cosmopolitan gem (that, we might add, will put Denver, Salt Lake, and other U.S. ski cities to shame when you realize what’s to be had within an easy 90-minute drive).

Arrange to rent a car from Ljubljana: there are public transit and bus systems but given the rural alpine locations of the best skiing, and especially if you plan on any backcountry or hut adventures, you’ll need your own vehicle.