By Ramy James Salameh

Visiting the Tatras region of Slovakia is like parachuting directly into a spectacular wilderness. Whether you’re ascending or descending the breath-taking mountainous landscape on foot and skis or feeling your body come alive floating in the region’s warm geothermal waters, the High and Low Tatras is the perfect place to cleanse, unwind and get back to nature. Here you can indulge in unforgettable experiences you’ll be talking about for years. 

Where else can you view brown bears in the wild, stay in a two-room hotel next to a solar high-altitude observatory at the top of a 2,634m summit, walk inside the Tatra Ice Dome in between an ice sculpture depicting the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, witness the last-working mountain sherpas of Europe carrying supplies up to huts, or ski on the same slopes as world and Olympic champion Petra Vlhová? The answer is closer and more accessible than you would ever believe, with direct flights from London Luton to Poprad International Airport, which operates regular services. Alternatively, train and bus services coming into the centre of Poprad city all combine to make it easy for travellers planning a visit. 

The ideal ski destination

The Tatras offer the ideal, natural opportunities for winter sports and yet if you ask most skiers where they tend to go for their annual ski-break, the western Alps dominate – France, Austria and Switzerland being their go-to destinations. However, by expanding their ski horizons just a little further east towards Slovakia, they may well be pleasantly surprised by the ease of access, perfectly groomed slopes equipped with snow cannons, incredible value for money, geothermal waters to bathe in and varied styles of accommodations and cuisines.

The Tatras region’s world-class ski resorts tend to often go under the radar, largely attracting domestic ski tourists or those from neighbouring countries. But things are changing, as word gets out that Slovakia’s epicentre of skiing gets better with every year that passes, and also the regional capital Poprad is one of the European cities of sport for 2023.

Here we mainly focus on Jasná Nízke Tatry (jasna.sk) – or Jasna Ski Resort – as it is the largest and most well-known ski area in Slovakia and that of central Europe. It is also just a 40-minute drive from Poprad International Airport and the main ski resorts of the High Tatras, such as Tatranska Lomnica, Stary Smokovec, and Strbske Pleso.

‘Petra Vlhová X Factor’ and Jasna Ski Resort

Awareness of Slovakia’s ski culture and prowess has also been gaining momentum courtesy of the region’s most famous sporting daughter – Petra Vlhová, a ski alpine racer at the very top of her game. A sporting icon in Slovakia, Vlhová was the slalom gold medallist at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and the overall slalom FIS Alpine Ski World Cup winner in 2021. 

Vlhová was born and raised in Liptovsky Mikulas and honed her ski skills on Slovakia’s largest ski resort, Jasna. Located in the Low Tatras mountain range, Jasna offers 50km of pistes that are located on the northern and southern side of the Chopok Mountain, with most of them being technically snow-covered. The routes are suitable for everyone from beginners to very experienced skiers. Jasna is the only ski resort in Slovakia that can host a Ski World Cup in downhill skiing, welcoming and witnessing battles between the world’s best slalom skiers. 

Being the home ski resort of Vlhová, Jasna has named the slope where she won the women’s World Cup giant slalom after her. The slope combines the best Jasna can offer, representing the combination of two pistes on which World Cup races were held. Upon this, skiers can test their abilities on the very same track tested by the best female skiers in the world. 

Be the first to the top and bottom of the slopes

Every ski resort has its special experiences to elevate the skier experience and Jasna is no different. More advanced ski enthusiasts do not have to wait until the cable cars officially open to take advantage of new snow and empty slopes, courtesy of Fresh Track Jasna. Apart from early access to the pistes, guests can take a hearty breakfast at the panoramic Rotunda Restaurant, at an altitude of 2,004m, before setting out. 

The world-class quality of skiing in Jasna has been made possible with huge investments over many years in every part of the ski resorts’ infrastructure – from high-speed lifts and off-slope facilities to availability of ski, snowboard and accessory rental shops and children’s ski schools and skiing instructors. There are also free buses running to and from the resort, another cost-saving for travellers.  

An exciting new innovation the resort has welcomed in the 2022/2023 ski season is a new 15-seater cable car linking Biela púť and Priehyba. The cable car will not only get skiers to the top faster, but it will also treat riders to wonderful views and perfectly groomed pistes on both the northern and southern side of Chopok peak. For those wishing to get off the beaten track, Jasna is also the ideal resort for the lovers of alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and freeriding. 

SKIPARK Malino Brdo: small but perfectly formed

For those who like skiing in more intimate resorts, the Liptov region also features the smaller SKIPARK Malino Brdo (skipark.sk). The resort is ideal for family skiing holidays with plenty of accommodation available nearby and wide approachable pistes. The tracks are suitable also for alpine and cross-country skiing. In this coming season, ski alpinists can try a new resort product on bikes with fat tyres plus day and night hikes with cable car access to enjoy the beauty of Veľka Fatra National Park. 

Healing and geothermal waters

Slovakia is a land of healthy water, so it is impossible not to soothe aching muscles with a mood-boosting visit to a thermal spa centre. Natural therapeutic effects of thermal water, beneficial seawater and treatments incorporating local ingredients attract guests to be pampered in natural health resorts and other spa centres with a long tradition. Adults can enjoy the spas, sauna worlds and sauna ceremonies, whilst young families can find wave pools, water slides and entertainment shows. 

There are a number of thermal and mineral water springs in the vicinity of the ski slopes. The Tatralandia water park in Liptovsky Mikulas (tatralandia.sk) and the water parks in Aqua-Vital Park Lucky (spalucky.com) and Besenova (besanova.com) offer a great way to relax after a day of skiing and they can also serve as a relaxing alternative to skiing for non-skiers. Turn the compass towards the High Tatras and the award-winning resort of AquaCity Poprad (aquacity.sk) is the place to focus on health and wellness; apart from a dedicated spa/sauna area, the resort even offers cryotherapy sessions. 

Moving on up to the High Tatras ski resorts 

While the Low Tatras shine a spotlight on Jasna resort, the region’s fabulous ski experiences do not start and end there. The region is so compact that you do not need to plug in the coordinates of Tatranska Lomnica, Strbske Pleso and Stary Smokovec ski resorts into the GPS, as they are a mere 40-minute drive from Jasna. Over in the High Tatras skiers will be in awe of Lomnicky Peak, the second tallest mountain in Slovakia. In fact, from stepping out of Poprad International Airport, one could be at the foot of Mt Lomnicka ready to jump on a cable car within 15 minutes of arrival. 

The ski resorts in Tatranska Lomnica and Strbske Pleso guarantee the quality in the High Tatras. If you are keen to ski in some of the most dramatic and Instagrammable scenery, as well as ski on the longest ski slope in Slovakia and the highest ski slope in central Europe, tap the coordinates of Tatranska Lomnica into your GPS. There are 12 tracks and the choice is up to you, depending on how experienced a skier you consider yourself to be. Beautiful views and wide red slopes can be found at Strbske Pleso. But of course, not only that – cross-country skiing fans will appreciate 18km of cross-country tracks.

The finish line

In short, the Tatras region of Slovakia is a year-round sports travel destination which tends to punch above its weight for adventure sports, especially based on the fact it is spread over just 610sqkm (236sqm). It includes many more ski resorts, pistes and cable cars than showcased in this guide, plus 1,150km of biking trails, 1,800km of hiking trails, 50 peaks at more than 2,000m high, with the highest being Mt. Gerlach at 2,655m and the highest peak in the Low Tatras, Mt. Dumbier (Chopok), at 2,042m. Hence, the region carries the moniker the “little big mountains of Europe” proudly.

However, there is no denying that during winter is when this snow-covered winter wonderland comes into its magical own. Skiers can find everything they need to create and curate memorable skiing experiences in the Tatras Region. 

For more information on other ski resorts, ski mountaineering tracks, freeride zones and cross-country skiing tracks see visitliptov.sk and enjoytatras.com. Main image: Jasna Ski Resort by Marek Hajkovsky

This project and its activities are implemented with financial support of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic