Cross Country Ski Tavel in Slovenia
“Passport, prosim.”
The dense fog on top of the pass hung over the border crossing as night settled. A bright spotlight illuminated passengers in the small van as the border control agent matched passport photos with faces. “Whitcomb, Matt. Casey, Pat. Stephen, Liz, …”
Our passports disappeared with the agent into the small hut. A few minutes later, a stack of freshly stamped passports was returned. “Welcome to Slovenia.”
After driving all day from Oberstdorf, Germany, through Bavaria and across Austria, it felt like we were entering a different world as we dropped down the Wurzen Pass and into Slovenia’s Sava Valley. The fields had large, wooden fences at least 20 feet tall with small roofs over them used to dry hay. The signs leading us into the village of Podkoren were hand painted and cats roamed freely through the narrow streets.
Back in 2007, I had no idea that this tiny corner of Slovenia would keep bringing me back for at least the next 15 years.
On that first trip, I was traveling with the US Development Team to a Europa Cup race. The race was held in the Planica Valley. Pronounced “Plan – izza” – like pizza with a plan, Planica is a Nordic ski venue with a long history of ski jumping. The steep slopes and calm winds make it a perfect ski jumping venue. Ski jumping world records have been set there since 1934 when Norwegian Berger Ruud was the first to jump over 100 yards. Since then, over 40 ski jumping world records have been set in Planica.
As a cross country ski venue, however, Planica was nothing special. The race started and finished next to a parking lot with no trailhead or facilities. The most memorable event from that weekend was Tazlina Mannix from Alaska winning the women’s 15 km freestyle – the first time a US skier had won a Continental Cup race in recent memory.
Despite the fact that the race trails were unremarkable, the rest of my experience in Slovenia was captivating. The limestone peaks of the Julian Alps rising from the valley, the trail network that led over the border and into Italy, the friendly service we received from our hotel and the tasty meals of Mediterranean seafood all helped shape positive impressions about my first visit to Slovenia.
After retiring from ski racing in 2011, I moved to Vermont to develop trips for VBT Bicycling Vacations. VBT’s owner Gregg Marston, whose kids were all Nordic skiers, was supportive when I suggested adding ski trips to VBT’s offerings. Coincidentally, VBT’s popular Slovenia bike tour stayed at the same hotel where I had stayed 5 years earlier with the US Ski Team, so Planica was an obvious choice for one of VBT’s first ski trips.
Traveling back to lanica in 2013 with the VBT groups, there was no longer a passport check at the border and Slovenia had fully converted to the Euro currency. It was also apparent how much the venue had developed in the past 5 years. A ski shop had been built close to the start of the trails and the Olympic training center at the trailhead had grown. More impressive though, was how many people were out on the ski trails. Not just lycra-clad racers, but families with kids and tourists all over the trail network that had expanded significantly.
One of the highlights of that trip was a talk by Jože Šlibar, the Yugoslavian ski jumper who set a World Record of 140 meters in 1961. Šlibar captivated our guests with stories about feeling the scaffolding sway in the wind as he prepared on top of the jump, followed by a thrill-of-victory moment when he landed in a perfect telemark and set the new world record.
Despite the popularity of the ski trips, VBT changed ownership shortly after ski trips launched. The new owners decided to focus exclusively on bike trips and dropped the ski vacations.
In 2016, my wife Catherine accepted a job in Innsbruck, Austria that brought us from Vermont to live in Europe full time. It was the perfect opportunity for me to launch Lumi Experiences cross country ski vacations and share some of my favorite ski venues and experiences with our travelers.
Slovenia continues to be one of Lumi’s most popular destinations, both in winter and summer. The empty parking lot where the 2007 Europa Cup races started is now the site of the 5-story Planica Nordic Center, including
a ski tunnel, ski museum and wind tunnel. In the spring, the Planica venue pushes snow into their three-story, underground parking garage. It’s one of the few ski tunnels in the world with uphills, downhills, twists and turns. We bring guests here on the Lumi Factory Tour trip in the summer.
As a testament to Planica’s infrastructure development over the years, in 2023 Slovenia hosted the Nordic World Championships. Only once every two years, this two-week long, three-ring circus of Nordic events includes Cross Country Skiing, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined. We were thrilled to bring two groups to the events, where everyone got to be trailside when Jessie and Julia won bronze in the Team Sprint, and Diggins took home the US Team’s first-ever individual gold medal at a World Champs in the 10 km Freestyle.
This coming winter we can’t wait to be back at the World Champs in Trondheim, Norway with two Lumi groups. We also recently launched new Sight-Skiing trips, including one to Planica, Slovenia where the focus is on beautiful skiing, delicious cuisine and cultural experiences without any ski racing. Originally, Lumi ski trips were primarily to Worldloppet ski marathons or World Cup and World Championship events in Europe. Our new Sight-Skiing trips are a bit different. They’re perfect for skiers looking for a true ski vacation, without any ski racing, yet still with the support of local, expert trip leaders who love sharing their home trails with guests.
On Lumi’s Sight-Skiing trip to Slovenia, that’s what it’s all about: staying in a quaint village near the Italian border where you can walk across the street from your accommodations and hop on a variety of trails or take a private shuttle to explore other scenic trails and cultural sites nearby:
Planica Nordic Center Ski Trails:
Less than 3 km by ski from your home during the trip, Planica is now Slovenia’s largest Nordic ski area. There are not only ski jumping hills of all sizes, but an indoor vertical wind tunnel that simulates how it feels to fly like a ski jumper and a museum showcasing the history of ski jumping in Slovenia. Lumi trip leaders like to take guests to one of their favorite trailside mountain huts which is a short ski away and serves hearty stews and strudel in the winter.
Skiing to Kranjska Gora:
How about skiing along a relatively flat trail that’s a bike path in the summer to explore the laid-back dining scene in neighboring Kranjska Gora?
Biathlon at Pokljuka:
Later in the week, try your hand at biathlon by taking a group lesson at this World Cup biathlon venue. Spend some time exploring the 30 km trail network through spruce forests and across flat pastures too. From the trail, keep an eye out for what I saw during my first visit to Slovenia back in 2007 — covered hay racks that farmers use for drying their freshly cut hay during the often rainy summer months – an architectural feature special to Slovenia.
Like all of Lumi’s new “Sight-Skiing” trips, this trip to Slovenia is perfect for skiers who simply want to enjoy skiing in one of the world’s most scenic areas and discover Slovenia’s cultural heritage, with the bonus of skiing across the border into Italy, plus other activities like a boat ride to visit the famous island church on Lake Bled, a gondola ride to the mountain top village of Lussari where there’s fantastic alpine skiing, sledding on wooden Rodels, a cooking class learning to make one of Slovenia’s local desserts and lots of tasty treats along the way.
Do you want to experience Slovenia’s laid-back winter charm and ski over the border into Italy? They won’t be checking passports at this border crossing! Reach out about our Slovenia Sight-Skiing trip or our other Sight-Skiing trips to Austria and Italy or Norway (full for winter 2025) to receive a detailed trip itinerary or to sign up!
About the author
Garrott Kuzzy is the founder of Lumi Experiences. After traveling the world as a member of the US Ski Team and competing in the Vancouver Olympics, Garrott has spent the past decade sharing his favorite destinations and experiences through active travel. Garrott and Lumi’s team of expert trip leaders would love to host you on your next ski vacation.
Contact: [email protected]
