In the heart of Europe, in mighty embrace Carpathian mountains, located tiny and incredibly beautiful country– Slovakia. Every year, millions of tourists from all over the world come to enjoy the beauties of its nature - crystal lakes, swift rivers, picturesque plains, and, of course, majestic mountain ranges. The latter are considered national pride and a hallmark of the republic. In winter, Slovakia turns into beautiful place for ski lovers. If you are one of them, see below. The best ski resorts in Slovakia.
1. Clear
Today, Jasna is considered the best ski resort in Slovakia. It is located in the expanses of the Demanovska Valley, at the foot of Mount Chopok. The resort offers tourists about 60 km of trails for slopes of varying difficulty. The main routes are equipped with snow cannons, which ensure that the roads are in perfect condition even in winters with little snow. The slopes of the Jasna ski resort are equipped with lifts with a magnetic pass system. Developed infrastructure of the resort, except for hotel complexes different levels, has many restaurants, bars and shops. Jasna has the status of an international tourist center of the first category, and every year skiing competitions between different countries are held on its territory.
2. Tatranska Lomnica
One of the best Slovak ski resorts, Tatranska Lomnica, is deployed at an altitude of about a thousand meters above sea level on the slopes of the eastern part of the High Tatras. The resort has three areas for skiing. For beginner skiers, as well as for families with children, the Yami zone is suitable, where mainly “blue” slopes of short length are concentrated. More prepared amateurs winter sports choose the Skalnete Pleso area, which is dominated by trails of medium difficulty. But professional athletes prefer the Lomnicke Sedlo area with dangerous descents. This area has trails for downhill, slalom, carving and freeride. Moving between these ski areas is easy - there is a free SkiBus between them.
3. Strbske Pleso
Strbske Pleso is one of the most unique places throughout Slovakia. This is one of the world's most famous high-altitude ski resorts with a healing microclimate. On its territory there are many sanatoriums specializing in the treatment of respiratory diseases. Vacationers have at their disposal magnificent relief tracks for both inexperienced skiers and professional athletes. The main routes are concentrated on the southern side of the Predne Solisko hill. The most popular among guests is the Interski track, where you can ride not only cross-country skiing, but also ski jumping, biathlon or mountaineering. On the territory of the complex, guests will find a whole range of entertainment, including gyms, a swimming pool, a sauna, billiards, a bowling alley and even a casino.
4. Jezersko - Bachledova Dolina
ski resort Jezersko - Behledova Dolina is located in the eastern part of the High Tatras. It is very popular with tourists not only in winter but also in summer. From December to March, 11 trails of different difficulty levels are at the disposal of vacationers - from wide, easy slopes to steep descents. The snow cover in this area is not permanent, and therefore, snow cannons are installed on almost all slopes. But in the sultry period, tourists come here to breathe the cleanest air, make exciting horse and hiking By picturesque places, as well as rafting down the river Dunaets. A distinctive feature of this ski resort in Slovakia is the convenient location of the ski lifts - they are all close to parking lots, roads and hotels.
5. Donovaly
The famous Slovak ski center Donovaly has all the necessary conditions for a memorable bright holiday. It is divided into two zones - Zagradishte, where novice skiers will feel comfortable, and Nova Golya, which allows seasoned tourists to demonstrate all their skills on steep slopes. The main attraction of Donovaly is the Fun Park complex, the largest in Europe, where children from the age of three, under the guidance of experienced instructors, master skiing skills. Donovaly also gained wide popularity due to unusual annual competitions - dog sledding competitions.
6. Vratna
Vratna Ski Center is located in the incredibly beautiful Vratna Valley, which unfolded into national reserve Mala Fatra. It is considered one of the most visited resorts in Slovakia for ski holidays. Vratna has 18 equipped trails, most of which are located at an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level. The hallmark of Vratna is the Khleb district, where athletes from all over the world come to measure their strength every year. And several times a week, the so-called "folk" competitions in sleigh rides and rubber boats with a horse team are held on the territory of the center.
7. Drienica - Lysa
The resort is located on the sunny side of the Chergovsky mountains. Centuries-old pine trees, well-groomed slopes with high-quality snow cover, clean air saturated with the scent of pine needles, developed infrastructure and a comfortable location make Drienica-Lysa an incredibly popular ski center among tourists from all over the world. The resort is divided into two zones: Drienica and Lysa. The first is designed for those who have just started skiing, and the second is suitable for intermediate skiers. There are 16 tracks in total. total length which is about 15 km. According to the European scale for rating ski resorts, this center received four points out of the maximum possible five.
8. Old Smokovec
The history of the Stary Smokovec ski resort begins in the 19th century, when skiing was an unusually fashionable hobby among the aristocratic strata of society. In those days, the first hotels for skiers were built - many of them are perfectly preserved and now adorn the complex with their interesting architecture. The main ski center of this resort is called Khrebenok. It is located at an altitude of 1263 meters - you can get there using the cable car. But at an altitude of 1500 meters, various descents originate, among which is the famous toboggan run. Every tourist is simply obliged to visit here on Wednesday night - at this time, sledding takes place with a pleasant bonus in the form of hot wine and presents for the winners.
Ski resort Jasna, Slovakia. Traveler's eyes.
Much has been said above about the fact that there is always a lot of snow in Jasna for almost 5 months a year. But! Objectively. The climate here is unique. This is my second trip to this region and the weather was absolutely the same despite the fact that we went in different months. I do not exclude that this is my personal luck, but nevertheless. So - the lower stations are located at an altitude of about 1,000 meters and it's warm there - about +2. At the upper station of Mount Chopok (2,024 m) a strong wind always blows (which blows away all the snow), but such that the gondolas shake not like a child and very often the pass is closed. And this means that you may be “lucky” to ride only on one of the slopes of the mountain, and, therefore, in the high season, stand in lines for the lift.
For myself, I concluded that this is more of a weekend resort (fortunately, it is located very close to the autobahn) and great weather luck. So about everything in order.
How to get from Kyiv to the Yasna ski resort by car.
We decided to go to Yasna for 2 days - Saturday and Sunday, December 10 and 11, 2016. Departure from Kyiv at 13:00 on December 9. You can go through Poland (here it is a little shorter than 1,035 km) and you don’t have to cross the pass from Lviv to Mukachevo. But there is one big BUT - Polish customs. Here you can stand for 4 and 6 hours, and this is not an exaggeration. I don’t know what they are doing there, but I have never met slower customs officers anywhere.
So we decided to go to Uzhhorod and cross the border with Slovakia there. We didn’t make the whole way (1,100 km) very quickly, mainly because of the ice on the pass, the customs took us, at most, 30 minutes and already at 3 am we were in Demänovska Dolina. Don't forget to buy a Slovak vignette (toll) at any gas station - the minimum period for which it is offered is 10 days and costs 10 Euros.
Jasna, ski rental, ski pass prices, prices in restaurants.
There are several rental shops. Some are right under the lifts - others are a little lower near the parking lot. The cost differs by 30-40%. At the same time, the quality of skis and boards is almost the same. Ask at the hotel if they have an agreement with a discounted rental. In our case, it saved 10%. Ski rental for two days - 19 Euro per person.
Ski passes - prices in the photo. In our case, two days - 62 Euro + 2 Euro deposit per card. In Jasna there is a so-called GoPass card, which gives you the opportunity to skip the line, discounts on food at restaurants on the mountain, etc. - read on the resort's website, it may make sense to use it for a long stay.
Prices in all restaurants on the slopes are approximately the same and not cheap. Standard European (as in Austria, Italy or France - not to be confused with Switzerland). Snack for one - 15-20 Euro.
Jasna, Low Tatras, Slovakia. What did you like.
It was sunny for two days with little clouds. The views were simply stunning. Just for the sake of these views it is worth going here for a day or two. A passage was opened from one side of the mountain to the other, although the wind was solid. The tracks are prepared, practiced, many of them are already open and there are not many people at all. Most of the trails are not long and not difficult. Two days is enough!
There are a sufficient number of different slopes of a good level, sane prices for accommodation and rental of ski equipment.
On this, perhaps, everything!
A trip to the Low Tatras - Jasna. What did not like.
The snow, for the most part, is artificial - hard and icy in the morning, wet and mushy in the afternoon. On Chopka, the wind blew away all the snow and the downhill slopes are closed, you can ride - but there are a lot of stones. If I didn’t go skiing, I would regret my own. After lunch on Sunday, a dense fog settled, the temperature dropped and it began to snow in the evening. I am sure that from Monday, those who stayed all had much more fun.
A trip by car to the Low Tatras - the ski resort of Jasna for two days, the budget of the trip.
- Green card: at least two weeks - 670 UAH or 24 Euro
- Gasoline, diesel, gas - who has what - consider yourself 2,200 km in both directions. At the same time, it is quite realistic to refuel only in Ukraine.
- Vignette: road toll in Slovakia (I recommend buying in every country. It is not expensive, but the fine for its absence, oh how it bites) - 10 Euro.
- Accommodation: two nights - 58 Euro
- Ski equipment rental: two days for one person - 19 Euro
- Ski pass: two full days for one adult - 62 Euro
- Food: here you can eat in restaurants (on average, about 15-20 Euros per person) or buy food in supermarkets - it will be cheaper.
Ski resort Jasna - is it worth going?
In general, once again I am convinced that you need to go skiing in the mountains for a period of 2-3 days in the Alps - in Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland. Yes, a little further, but a little more expensive, but not radically, but always and guaranteed 100% pleasure without surprises. As for Yasna, this is great resort weekend getaway with good views.
Ski resort Jasna- the most famous resort of the Low Tatras, is, by all accounts, the best ski center in all of Eastern Europe. Many tracks on the northern and southern slopes of Mount Chopok are served by lifts with magnetic passes, which ensures their high throughput. There are trails for children, for skiing and snowboarding.
general information
The resort is located in the Low Tatras, which is part of the NAPANT National Park. The Low Tatras massif stretches through central Slovakia for 82 km. in the east-west direction, between the picturesque valleys of the Vakh and Gron rivers. Its highest peak is Dumbert, 2043 m., the second highest peak is the famous ski and tourist mountain Chopok, 2024 m.
Jasna Low Tatras, being the largest ski arena in Slovakia with excellent conditions for winter views sports, offers countless types of recreation and entertainment on the north and south sides of Chopok. The resort offers 49 km. excellently prepared slopes of different difficulty levels for all categories of skiers - beginners, parents with children, advanced and for world-class competitions. The modern snowmaking system is almost 30 km long. guarantees snow for at least 5 months a year. Fans of "wild" skiing will enjoy it in many freeride areas and in a magnificent snow park. In the evening in Jasna they ski on two illuminated slopes. The winter season usually lasts from the beginning of December to the end of April. Chopok is climbed by 30 cable and tow lifts with a capacity of more than 30,000 people per hour.
How to get to Jasna?
For those who have purchased package tours– flight to Poprad, then transfer 1 hour 15 minutes. Other options are to fly to Vienna or Bratislava and from there by bus or train. In any case, you will have to go with a change in Liptovsky Mikulas, from where it is easy to get to Jasna both by train and by bus. Most convenient option- rent a car. A free ski bus runs around the resort itself, which is packed with tired but happy skiers during “rush hour”. And the bus with the inscription "aqua-skibus" scurries between ski complex and Aquapark Tatralandia.
Infrastructure
The winter resort of Jasna belongs to the class of international tourist centers of the first category. Only numerous tourists live here, who are happy to come to ski tours in Jasna from December to the end of March, and places in hotels are booked in advance. The main hotels are located 20-300 m from the ski lifts. Cottages and boarding houses are located below the ski area. From them to the ski lifts can be reached by bus in 15-20 minutes. There are 13 lifts on the territory of the center, with a total capacity of 11,800 people per hour, of which there are two four-seater and two double chair lifts, one cabin cable car, seven drag lifts and one for children. Number of ski slopes: 14, of which 3 are of high difficulty, 8 are of medium difficulty, 3 are easy. The length of the trails is 42.2 km.
- The highest point is 2024 m. Elevation difference is 1074 m.
- There are 3 ski areas on the northern slope of Chopok: Zahradky, Otupne and Chopok (North and South).
- 42 km of prepared trails, of which 25% are for beginners, 50% are of medium difficulty, 25% are difficult.
- The longest route is 6 km.
Tracks
The resort can be conditionally divided into four ski areas: Otupne (1140-1430 m) - an area for beginners; Zahradki (1030–1450 m) - "red" runs leading from Konski Grun and Prehib; Chopok-North (1230–2020 m) - mostly “red” slopes, there are a couple of “black” ones, the length of the slopes is up to 2 km; Chopok-South (1160-2020 m) - "red" and "black" slopes, skiing is mainly above the forest level, there are opportunities for virgin skiing.
The main and most interesting tracks are equipped with snow cannons, which provide full-fledged skiing in conditions of a little snowy winter. There are trails for evening skiing. Evening skiing is not included in the ski-pass and is paid extra.
The recently built snow park in Otupne is the most modern in Slovakia. Its upper part is suitable for beginners, and the lower part, with more difficult obstacles, is suitable for experienced boarders. The resort also has the largest children's snow park Maxiland in Slovakia, where young skiers learn to ski under the guidance of experienced instructors.
Lifts working hours:
- December, January and the first half of February - from 8:30 to 15:30;
- from the second half of February until the end of the season - from 9:00 to 16:00;
- evening skiing on two tracks lasts from 18:00 to 21:00.
In the lower part of the Chopok-North region, there are fir trees and pines, and sometimes even shafts of stones up to half a meter high, made to hold snow. In general, the skier should be careful and especially attentive there.
Ski pass
The local ski-pass is made in the form of a magnetic card and is valid for all lifts. It is sold at the box office located near the main stations Otupne, Bela Put and Zahradka. It is more profitable to buy a ski-pass at once for the entire holiday.
Where to stay?
- For the calm family vacation with children, the ideal option is Ružomberok;
- for noisy youth, snowboarders and pro-level skiers, Jasna is suitable;
- lovers of night skiing should choose Donovaly;
- in Liptovský Mikuláš everyone will find entertainment and a hotel to their liking.
Leisure
At the resort, you can have a great time in numerous bars, restaurants, dance at discos, play billiards, use the services of a gym and a swimming pool. A variety of excursion programs will help you spend your vacation as interesting as possible. You can relax in the hot waters of the natural thermal pool in Besenova (with a water temperature of 36-40°C), visit the beautiful Demanovskie Caves (5 km from Jasna) or go to medieval cities Slovakia and Poland: Kosice, Bratislava, Krakow. Organized walks in the mountains, trips to waterfalls in the Wajskovskaya valley, to the pearl underworld Bystrian cave. Dishes national cuisine and the famous Slovak beer is a real temptation for tourists, and the prices will pleasantly surprise you.
What to see nearby?
The cozy streets of the old town of hospitable Bratislava, the monasteries and churches of Liptovsky Mikulas or the city of Kosice, where you can see the masterpiece of Gothic architecture - the Cathedral of St. Elisabeth. Also worth a visit is Banska Bystrica, a charming city in Central Slovakia with a touch of Austro-Hungarian romance. Adventure seekers should take part in a tour of the Demänovská Valley, while lovers and connoisseurs of contemporary art will appreciate the rich exposition of the Andy Warhol Museum in Medzilaborc.
Resort Yasna. Low Tatras. Slovakia.
Altitude difference: 950-2024 m Duration of the season: December - March.
Distance to Poprad airport - 60 km, railway station Liptovsky Mikulas - 16 km.
Jasna Ski Center is by far the best ski resort in Slovakia. The resort is located at the end Demanovska Valley at the foot of the northern slopes of the mountain Chopok(2024 m above sea level) in the territory national park"Low Tatras" and refers to tourist centers first category international class. It is in Jasna that major competitions of national and international levels in alpine skiing are annually held, which are included in the calendar of the European Cup.
Internet address: http://www.jasna.sk/
Characteristics of slopes in Jasna
The Jasna ski center has 57 km of slopes on the northern and southern slopes of Chopok (data from 2009), the actual skiing heights are 950-2024m, that is, the elevation difference is more than a kilometer. The trails are marked as 5 black (difficult), 7 red (medium) and 6 blue (easy). There are also very easy trails for children and beginners, places for motorbike and sledding.
Main skating northern slope of Chopok. The most interesting tracks (1a, 2, 7, 7a, 10, 11, 13) are equipped with snow cannons, which ensures full skiing in conditions of little snow in winter.
Southern slope of Mount Chopok has a small selection of trails. It is equipped with one four-seater chairlift and five drag lifts, with a total length of about 8 km.
For confident riders attractive black slopes on the northern slope of Chopok: No. 3 Spravodliva, No. 6 Slalomovy svah, No. 7 Majstrovska (length - 1.8; 1.2; 1.35 km, elevation difference - 436; 305; 436 m, respectively). These are ski slopes in Jasna, Zahgradky, Otupne respectively.
There are also two black pistes on the southern slope of Chopok: No. 1 Chopok - Srdiecko and No. 3 Chopok - Krupova.
For intermediate skiers in the Chopok-North zone, routes No. 1, 2, 4, 10, 11, 12 are suitable - these are red routes from 1 to 3.5 km long. and height differences from 30 to 800 m.
Route No. 1 originates from a height of 2024 m - i.e. from the top of Chopok. Then you can go down the routes No. 11 and 11a to Zahgradky (the route No. 12 will also lead here) or along the routes No. 1a and 2 to Jasna.
Routes 4 and 10 will take you to Otupne.
There are also two mid-level trails on the southern slope of Chopok: No. 4 Srdiecko - Krupova and No. 5 Chopok - Zadna mulda - Jelenia luka
For beginners: the most suitable place for Chopok-North- these are routes No. 5 Turisticka, No. 7a Otupne and No. 13 Biela put. Of these, the longest route is No. 5 (3.1 km; a drop of 620 m; ends in Zahgradky), the "steepest" No. 13 (770 m; a drop of 70 m). Route 7a (870 m; drop 132 m) will take you to Otupne.
On southern slope of Chopok there is only one easy track number 2 Zadna mulda - Kosodrevina.
Chopok - North:
| Ski slopes | Length, m | Drop, m | Degree of difficulty |
| 1 Pretekarska | 2500 | 770 | average |
| 2 Majova | 1450 | 436 | average |
| 3 | 1800 | 436 | heavy |
| 4 Deressky kotol | 950 | 205 | average |
| 5 Turisticka | 3100 | 620 | light |
| 6 Slalomovy svah | 1200 | 305 | heavy |
| 7 Majstrovska | 1335 | 436 | heavy |
| 7а Otupne | 870 | 132 | light |
| 10 Vrbicka | 1680 | 268 | average |
| 11 FIS | 3363 | 877 | average |
| 12 Jeleni grunge | 1500 | 308 | average |
| 13 Biela put | 770 | 90 | light |
Chopok - south:
Ski lifts in Jasna
In total, 17 lifts operate in Jasna with a total capacity of 14,600 people per hour.
Of these: one six-seater, two four-seater and one double chair lifts, one cabin cable car, ten drag lifts and two for kids. This is in the north of Chopok.
The southern slope of the mountain is equipped with one four-seater chairlift and five drag lifts.
Opening hours of lifts: from 08:30 to 15:30 in December and the first half of January; from 08:30 to 16:00 from the second half of January until the end of the season.
For snowboarders in Jasna, since 2005, a Snowboard Park has been operating on Otupne, which includes 12 different rails and one medium jump. The park consists of two zones: the upper zone for beginners and the lower zone for advanced riders.
Chopka also has good conditions for freeriding.
Evening skiing possible every evening from 18:00 to 21:00 on route no. 13 and around of Ski Zahradki on the section of highway No. 1a, served by a ski lift. Evening skiing is paid extra!
Additional winter activities in Jasna
In the winter of 2005 in the area Zahradky a 7-meter ice climbing wall was built and a snow rafting track was equipped. In addition, for those who wish, there is the opportunity to do paragliding and kite surfing. For ice skating lovers ice rink close to of Liptov.
Ski pass in Jasna resort
made in the form of a magnetic card and is valid as a pass for all lifts. The season ticket is sold at the ticket offices located near the main stations Otupne, Biela Put and Zahradky and at the reception of some hotels .
It is more profitable to purchase a subscription for the entire holiday. In case of loss of the ski pass, the money is not returned! Guests of some hotels have significant discounts on ski passes.
Prices for basic services in ski center Jasna (in euros per person)
Attention: prices are for the season winter 2014, prices for the season winter 2015 will be published later
Apres-ski
Ski Center Jasna is a tourist complex consisting of hotels located near the slopes and ski lifts, so all evening life is concentrated in the hotels themselves, where you can have a great time in numerous bars, restaurants, dance at a disco, play billiards, table tennis or swim in the pool . A varied excursion program will help you spend your vacation more interesting. And national cuisine and the famous Slovak beer will give you real pleasure.
IN Hotel Mikulaska Hata there is a bowling alley.
Useful information about the resort
- currency can be changed at the hotel reception, but the rate is better at the exchange office at the post office located next to hotel Grand Yasna
- there is an internet cafe in Hotel Grand Yasna
- the nearest city is Liptovsky Mikulas, which can be reached by regular bus from of Grand Yasna Hotel And Ski Zagradki. The bus schedule can be obtained at the reception of any hotel
- from the second half of February, sales start in the sports shops of Liptovsky Mikulas and Poprad
- Bratislava (320km) and Poprad (70km) can be reached by train from r.Liptovsky Mikulas
- there is a daily bus to the Tatralandia water park (for hotel guests Grand Yasna, Ski Zagradki, Ski Bungalow, Liptov, Three Students- travel is free)
- we recommend doing a ski-service - even by Moscow standards, they do it here efficiently and inexpensively
- from restaurants we recommend visiting the restaurant in the Druzba hotel, "Slovak hut" in Hotel Grand Yasna, restaurant "Peklo" located near of Mikulaska Hata, Slovak restaurant "Koliba". Night club eat in Hotel Grand Yasna and in Hotel Junior Jasna
- you can buy a phone card at the post office
average temperature air, ºС
Average snow depth, cm
Finally found the time to update the blog. This time we want to talk about winter holidays in Slovakia, where we as a whole (with kids aged 6 and 8) had an amazing week in February 2017.
Last year, for the first time, we stood on skiing in Zakopane (Poland), so this winter I wanted to ride them, not ski lifts, which I have to do most of the time during training.
Since the red slopes are not up to us yet (and hardly ever will), one of the main parameters when choosing a direction was the presence of a large mileage of blue slopes.
The Low Tatras are well suited in this regard. Because here tourists are waiting for:
- 19 km - blue routes,
- 18 km - red,
- 7 km - black.
A little lower I will tell you about all the blue slopes that you can ride with the whole family.
Piste map in Jasna in 2017 Travel planning
We still have only one winter transport - a car. Because for a family of 4 it's more economical than flying and renting a car on the spot. Of course, you can rest without wheels in ski resorts, but then you need to do it right on the slopes, and living there costs a lot of money. Together, you can still afford it, but with children you have to get out. It took 14 hours of pure driving to get to Slovakia, with a couple of stops and lunch, we arrived at 21:30.
Choice of housing
The next step is choosing a place to live. We haven’t had a rest in cool hotels for a long time, since you can only afford to do this until the children are under 4 years old and you don’t need to pay extra for them. Initially, we planned to rent an apartment with a separate bedroom, but ended up in a private house 🙂 The rent of our house cost us 530 euros for 8 nights, but it had 8 beds, two toilets and one shower cabin. Great option for family travel!
As for the choice of housing, there are three zones of accommodation in the resort of Jasna.
The most expensive area is living on the slopes. We didn't even look at it. There are few hotels family rooms no, and if there is, then all in one room for space money. But, if you are without a car and with money, then it is quite possible to live right next to the ski lifts. Thankfully you don't lose anything. There is absolutely nothing to do in Liptovský Mikulas, and the Tatralandia water park can be reached by bus, which runs regularly throughout the day.
The second zone is located at the entrance to the mountain in Demyanovskaya Valley (on the map locality Pavcina Lehota). Along the entire ascent (about 10 km) there are hotels, apartments and guest houses. The choice is very large and, apparently, much more than it offers. Perhaps it makes sense to look on Airbnb, since there are more private owners spinning there. The main advantage is the free skybus, which brings you to the slopes and brings you back. It is absolutely not necessary to have a car. You can eat either where you live or on the slopes. The choice of places is more than sufficient.
The cons are obvious:
- not cheap,
- it is difficult to find large apartments at an adequate price,
- there are no big shops, but in private ones there is a tourist cheat.
And finally, the third zone - Liptovsky Mikulas. Quite an extended city, where there is some kind of non-tourist life. But for tourists, in fact, only two points are interesting: shopping mall Tesco and Tatralandia water park, where you can regain strength lost on the mountain slopes 🙂 Housing prices in Liptovsky Mikulas are much lower than next to the slope, because for the most part it is either private sector or apartments. There were no hotels in the city, but they certainly are. We chose accommodation in Ilanovo, which is a 4-minute drive from the city center. With the money saved for being close to the slopes, you can buy sky passes, rent skis for the whole family.
In general, when choosing housing, you should not be afraid of the distances on the map. A shuttle also runs from the city to the slopes, but without a car it will be inconvenient as hell. In the city, I would recommend accommodation only with your own transport. Without it, it is better to settle in the second zone.
skypass
To begin with, I was initially unpleasantly surprised by the prices for Skype, which are much, much more expensive than in neighboring Poland. But it is cheaper than in Austria or Italy. So there wasn't much to choose from. Do not go to Bulgaria by car 🙂
It turned out that we don’t know how to ride a damn thing 🙂 Because when we saw the first real descent on the blue track, we went crazy 🙂 Out of fear, everyone fell and even managed to get a knee injury. The girls decided to go through all the difficult sections with skis in their hands, and the male half went down skiing with grief in half. As it turned out, then, on the fifth route there are several sections that cannot be called steep. Somewhere between red and blue. But the difficulty was rather in the traffic that reigned on the slopes on Sunday.
In short, we decided not to joke with the knee and decided that the adrenaline would be enough for the first time. We left the skis in the car and went to explore track number 10. Seeing that there are many gentle sections, we were delighted and decided that we would only ride there.
Day two (school of excellence)
On the second day we sniffed out that there are other slopes. Since Travelina's knee was in an acute condition, we decided to go to the track in Zavazna Poruba. Then we realized that we had to first come here and improve our skills, and then break into the mountains.
In fact, there is a rather long gentle training slope with the possibility of complication to any level. The best part is that the prices for lifts are two times lower than in Jasna. As it turned out later, prices in the Low Tatras are artificially high, and small centers like this work for the locals.
The kids enjoyed riding the training session, and the folder tried to learn how to turn on a steeper slope (with varying degrees of success).
In short, the day flew by.
Day three (track No. 10)
We came to this track with confidence that we will conquer it. And so it happened ... but only for children 🙂 Parents could not overcome the track without at least one fall.
The course is actually very easy with two difficult (for a green beginner) places. First you need to pass a turn on a slope of 180 degrees, and then turn 90 degrees onto a piece of the red line (10A). The difficulty is added by the fact that by noon the track breaks up in difficult sections of the orders and you have to go around or crash into piles of snow that are packed when braking tough skiers.
Day four (acquaintance with the route number 13 and climb to Chopok)
On the fourth day, we decided to check the “damn dozen” track, but after two exits we realized that we had outgrown it and we were no longer interested in riding in a straight line. This track is good for learning, but it is very popular and there is always a long queue at the ski lift (10-15 minutes). On other lifts, everything goes much more cheerfully.
By the way, the blue track No. 13 is the only one where evening skiing takes place in Jasna under artificial lighting. We simply did not have enough time and energy to experience what it is like for ourselves.
After the training rides, it was decided to storm the route No. 10, but the result remained the same. Children rode without falling and without fear, Travelina overcame only one turn of 180 degrees, and I continued to fall at the junction with the red section 🙂
Having attacked enough, we decided to leave the skis in the car and climb Chopok, from where a stunning view of the Low Tatras opens.
Day five (conquest of route No. 5)
Having gained experience and shouting "Banzai", I still managed to drag the family to the "terrible" route number 5. And, oh miracle! From the very first time, everyone went down without much adventure. At that moment, we all realized that after all, now we can already call ourselves a ski family and we can ride them.
After a couple of training descents, we climbed to the upper section of this route, but there again came the “reinsurance” moment, because the beginning passes along the gentle part of the red slope. Having calmed down and exhaled, they all descended in single file and rolled to the very bottom, sometimes stopping to wait for each other and take a breath.
If I was alone, I would certainly ride the full track. But I can understand the children who were scared in some places. Therefore, we did not ride the full route anymore, limiting ourselves to its lower part.
Top point 5 of the route Day six (last)
The last day in the mountains, we decided to ride on all our routes, but for me personally it was important not to fall asleep on the "top ten". Everything worked out! For the whole day, only 2 falls were recorded for the whole family.
They wanted to finish the "family rides - 2017" with a descent from the very beginning of the fifth route, but after 7 descents there was simply no strength left for another climb. And riding against the backdrop of fatigue and trembling legs is not a good idea.
Day seven (Demenovska cave)
On the last day, we decided to see the main local attraction - the Demenovskaya cave. Its passage as part of a group takes a little over an hour. The impressions are very interesting, but I would not say that without visiting it you will miss something serious in your life (especially if you have already been to such caves). The children were interested, but objectively there was not enough language support in Russian or English.
Thank you! Very interesting and informative! We are going to Slovakia this year. Tell me, is it possible to rent ski suits there?
