Slovakia’s ski legend focuses attention on the Tatras Mountains

Visiting the Tatras region of Slovakia is like parachuting directly into a spectacular wilderness. Whether one ascends or descends the breath-taking mountainous landscape on foot and skis or feels the 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. This year the region’s capital ‘Poprad’ is one of the European cities of sport for 2023

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 Slovakia’s Tatras Mountain Region, specifically the Liptov & High Tatras nature zones.

Petra Vlhová’s story reads like a Hollywood movie script, ‘hometown girl skies to victory on the very slopes where she learnt to ski as a child, before going on to become the Alpine World Cup Ski champion’ and Olympic Gold medallist in Beijing. Well this is not fiction but the true story of this Slovak winter sports sensation, who made history by becoming the first person in Slovakia to win the overall Alpine Ski World Cup title.

As she lifted the ‘Crystal Globe’ world Championship trophy, Vlhova said to the press “I won also for my country. It means a lot”. She is an incredible role-model for Slovakia and fiercely proud of her Liptovsky Mikulas origins and the mountainous region of her birth which set her skiing from an early age and she has never looked back. She also stated in a recent interview “It’s impossible to describe my feelings by words. Returning to Liptovsky Mikulas always warms my heart, especially after being away for a longer period. There is only one home – and for me it’s Liptovsky Mikulas and the spectacular Liptov region.”

The lofty peaks of the Carpathian Mountain range, which start to rise in the westernmost part of Slovakia and reach their zenith in the High & Low Tatras, should be on everyone’s bucket-list regardless of which season one decides to travel, yet winter is truly magical. The region holds the unofficial title of ‘The roof of Central Europe’.

What is certain is that Vlhova sets a great example, whether consciously or subconsciously, of being able to truly enjoy nature in a sustainable way and this of course prompts and promotes others to follow in her footsteps. Petra Vlhova is a history maker in her discipline, her achievements transcend sport by also raising awareness of health, wellness and sustainability in general, but more specifically for her hometown region of Liptov, the neighbouring High Tatras and the rest of Slovakia.

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, well-groomed slopes equipped with snow cannons and value for money, even there are geothermal waters to bathe in.

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 can be found across the region and in the vicinity of the ski slopes; these include Tatralandia waterpark in Liptovsky Mikulas, Aqua-Vital Park Lucky and Besenova. Turn the compass towards the High Tatras and the award-winning resort of AquaCity Poprad is the place to focus on health and wellness.

The Tatras region’s world-class ski resorts tend to often go under the radar, but things are changing, as word gets out that Slovakia’s epicentre of skiing gets better with every year that passes.  Jasna Ski Resort 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.

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.  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.

For those who like skiing in a more intimate resort, the Liptov region also features the smaller SKIPARK Malino Brdo, popular for family skiing holidays with plenty of wide approachable pistes. The tracks are suitable also for alpine and cross-country skiing.

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 region 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.