Joshua Taylor enjoys a break with intensive ski tuition at a hidden away Slovenian resort HOT ON THE COLD
Throwing open my bedroom cur t a ins I was almost blinded by the sight that greeted me – untouched, dazzling white snow reflecting the morning sun.
It was a muchwelcome sight – just
12 hours earlier I’d arrived in drizzling rain, wondering how much skiing I’d actually be able to do.
The sudden switch in fortunes, however, turned out to be a perfect sign of what lay ahead.
My friend Mike and I had arrived at the Alpine resort of Kranjska Gora
– a remote town in the northwestern tip of Slovenia, near the Italian and Austrian borders.
I had only tried skiing a few times before, on indoor slopes and a semisuccessful stab on genuine snow in Italy a few years earlier.
But this was now the real deal – a week’s intensive instruction in a town frequented by Winter Olympians and champion athletes.
The town is built entirely around the ski season, with thousands arriving every year to hit the slopes. Kranjska Gora’s population soars as the hotels and ski lodges pack out each winter.
We arrived late in the season after what had apparently been a mild winter.
The flight took around two hours from London before landing in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, where we were met by our guide for a 90-minute, 50-mile minibus transfer to the resort.
As we made our way higher into the mountain roads, heavy rain tumbled down – a common sight during the uncharacteristically mild winter, apparently.
While some ski resorts are notorious party destinations, when we checked into the Ramada Resort hotel we were struck by how quiet and peaceful this town seemed.
The Ramada is a long, thin building split into two wings to give all guests a stunning mountain view.
The rooms have wooden decor with thick carpets and wide, cosy beds – just what was needed after a
Night skiing felt a bit like sliding on the surface of the moon in lunar dust
day of above- zero temperatures wearing soggy gloves.
The hotel conveniently backs on to some of the lower ski slopes, so the trek from the equipment lockers to the start of the snow and ski lifts is just a few hundred yards – a stretch locals call “the beach”.
So when I opened my hotel room curtains on that first morning to see the much-needed snow had fallen in huge quantities, I was thrilled.
Kranjska Gora has 18 ski slopes of different technical difficulty, at altitudes of between 800m to 1,215m, with six chairlifts and 13 button lifts to carry you up.
The lifts run continuously until mid to late afternoon and many of the slopes interconnect, allowing for long runs without the need to keep queueing for the next chairlift.
On day one we were divided into groups based on a quick assessment, then sent up on to the slopes with our instructors – mine was a great chap called Marko.
The advantage of intensive teaching (in this case provided by the superb Intersport ski school) is that you progress incredibly quickly and throw yourself into challenges that may seem too daunting to attempt on your own.
So despite the odd setback – like ending up in a ditch for 10 minutes after falling off a button lift on day two – I came away feeling more confident and capable than when
I arrived.
Once a week some of
the lower runs are illuminated after sunset for night skiing. It ’ s a wonderful experience, it felt like sliding on the surface of the moon, the snow resembling lunar dust under the huge floodlights.
Despite being a small town with a tiny permanent population, Kranjska Gora isn’t short of things to do.
Its main square is home to a Christmas-type market, plus there are many restaurants, cafes and bars.
Of particular note are the tavernstyle restaurant attached to Hotel Kotnik, the Coffee Point cafe – worth it for the home-baked cakes alone – and the Vopa Pub.
The focal point of the town’s nightlife, The Vopa (which means “cave”) is a small Alpine bar with themed evenings, karaoke parties and live music, where we stayed until kicking out time on a few too many occasions during
our stay. Most of the restaurants in town are family run and serve hearty, homecooked meals, typically made from recipes passed down the generations. Around the ski slopes a collection of wooden huts sell supplies such as coffee, beer and bratwurst sausages, so you’ll never go hungry – or thirsty.
The Ramada has an enormous spa complex with huge swimming pools, a big hot tub and some river rapids. There’s an adjoining beauty therapy centre with three saunas, steam rooms and a relaxation zone.
If you fancy some time away from the skiing, visit scenic Lake Jasna. It’s just a 30- minute walk from central Kranjska Gora and has a few small cafes on its shores.
There’s also the Olympic sports centre at Planica. While not an option for most normal people to ski down, the height of the artificial slopes make for a remarkable, if slightly daunting, sight.
Day trips to historic Ljubljana and Lake Bled, a stunning lake famous for its small castle located on an island in the middle, are convenient options if you’re hiring a car.
For adults who are up for some late nightlife, there are two casinos in town, beneath the Ramada and Korona hotels.
A natural beauty with its mountain forests, rivers and lakes, I reckon Kranjska Gora has enough interest for both novice and experienced skiers, with plenty to entertain you on days off too.
If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at winter sports but never really known where to begin, an all-round resort like this with some tuition could be the perfect introduction.
Most of the restaurants are familyrun with hearty homecooked meals