Ski World Cup and holidays in Maribor, Slovenia

Ski tourism in Eastern Europe is still in its infancy compared with the ski resorts in the Alps. Maribor is in Slovenia, in the foothills of the Alps, at the foot of the Bacher Mountains (Pohorje), and is one of the best-known ski resorts in all of Eastern Europe. With around 120,000 inhabitants, Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia and has plenty to offer beyond its slopes and cross-country trails. Between November and April, however, tourism in this region is clearly focused on the Maribor Pohorje ski resort in the mountain range of the same name on the eastern edge of the Alps.

The popularity of this winter sports region in northeastern Slovenia is easy to explain. Excellent value for money, modern slopes and cross-country trails, and first-rate infrastructure—including snowmaking facilities and well-equipped holiday apartments and hotels in Maribor—make a skiing holiday in Slovenia a real pleasure. With its 10-kilometre night run, Maribor Pohorje also boasts one of the most modern and longest floodlit slopes in Europe. Maribor can therefore hold its own against the prestigious competition from the Alps when it comes to winter tourism.

Anyone wanting to experience even more during a skiing holiday in Slovenia should choose a date in mid-January. The Ski World Cup comes to Maribor Pohorje on the weekend of 16/17 January 2010. In recent years, the event in Slovenia has grown into one of the top events of the entire winter sports season, bringing crowds to the sides of the slalom courses.