Skiing in Slovakia

Skiing in Slovakia

Flashback Time! This year has been busy visiting lots of places in Europe. However before my blog, Sweettravelbee, there were a few winter trips that I didn‘t have a chance to write about. Until now! While I am sitting here in Thiersheim (back at my dad‘s place) and due to the ordinary weather this week, it is time to add my winter trips to this blog. And skiing in Slovakia as well as visiting the capital Bratislava was one of them.

My experience with skiing so far

I must admit (in case you haven‘t guessed it already) Winter is not my favourite season. Living in hot Brisbane in Australia you don‘t have to worry about winter too much. Therefore, until this trip, I have been skiing only twice in my life. First time was for a week on a school trip. I think I was 15?! I remember I started with lessons and towards the end of the skiing week I seemed to enjoy it. In my memory I think I wasn‘t too bad either.

The second time was a disaster. I was 21 and my friend took me on a skiing weekend. Not having skied for years, and without any refreshing lessons, she put me on top of a mountain and said ‚have fun‘. I basically rolled down the hill and swore never to do this again. Instead I went Tandem jumping of the mountain cliff and totally loved it. The view over the snowy Alps was amazing.

So, this year, when a friend mentioned we should go skiing in Slovakia I was a little bit reluctant however, thinking of my first experience, I wanted to give it a go again. Starting with lessons this time. But first..

BRATISLAVA

I drove to Slovakia via Austria and so my first stop was the capital city Bratislava. It was before I have visited all the other places so as my first impression I found Bratislava very run down and dirty. Somehow I ended up booking a room in a convent, so that was kind of funny. But as said, this being my first long trip I was still learning.

It was mid February so the weather wasn‘t the warmest and when it is cold the walking around places is kept to a minimum with lots of stops in little coffee stops to warm up again. And for that, Bratislava was perfect. The inner city had a really nice charm and feel, the coffee shops were funky and the people stylish. Outside the centre mall and streets there is not much too see, but given the small size of the city, maybe that‘s another reason why I liked it. I would love to go back there during summer but haven‘t had a chance yet. Maybe next year?!

Skiing in Slovakia

Slovakia is a popular ski area for enthusiasts, without the pricetag of the Alps. So after some research and asking my polish family I decided to try the ski resort in Jasna and Demänovská Dolina. I found a decent accommodation and with lots of snow around I stayed for 10 days. I was ready for skiing in Slovakia. How will I go?

Well, I didn‘t start with skiing lessons but I started slow and spent the first day on a kids slope to ease myself into skiing. My friend giving me tips and a helping hand. A few days in I was traversing down the hills, taking the lifts to the top. The view from the top was amazing. The sunny days made it even more stunning. I was still a bit shaky on the skies and I am sure I looked more like a grandma than a professional but I was getting there. And I did enjoy it one way or the other.

The Cold Snap

Then a cold snap from the arctic arrived in Europe and temperatures dropped down to -25 degrees Celsius at night. By 10am and when it was time to ski it was -19 degrees Celsius. Not the best temperatures to be skiing at but most days it was sunny. That said it was sooo cold! I had to cover every part of my body to stay warm with lots and lots of layers. As you can imagine when it ‚warmed’ up to 0 degrees I found it quite warm. Funny that.

The skiing in Slovakia wasn‘t too bad, because the body kept warm with the exercise. However from time to time my hands were soo cold I had to warm them up regularly, even with two pair of gloves on. So so cold! In addition I also got sick with the flu so I spent two days in bed resting. But it I did it and it was fun. And it was definitely something different, especially after 13 years in hot Brisbane. It was a great experience. And how can you say no to such amazing views and scenery.

I am sure with time (and hopefully without the arctic cold snap) I can improve my skiing skills. Let‘s see how I go next time. And I would like to come back to Bratislava, maybe during summer? I believe it is a gorgeous city.

Afterword, 2020: I went back skiing in Slovakia the year after as well. And I guess, after skiing for the third time, in Spain, I did improve a little more). Read my other skiing trips here


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