Mariborsko Pohorje is Slovenia’s largest ski area and is located in the northeast of the country, near the city of Maribor and close to the Austrian border. Mariborsko has been the host to numerous World Cup Alpine races and has the distinction of having the longest night skiing trail in Europe.

Maribor itself is Slovenia’s second largest city and has a commendable history reflected in its ancient buildings, old city walls and lovely old town centre. Maribor also has plenty of modern facilities and a range of shops.

There are about 1,300 beds available at Mariborsko Pohorje resort, with rooms mostly in hotels. Ice-skating and indoor swimming are among the extensive non-ski activities and there are a number of quality restaurants. For après-ski, there is the cinema, theatre, opera, several bars and nightclubs and a casino. Children have a kindergarten and ski-kindergarten.

Mariborsko Pohorje ski resort boasts 60kms of sparkling pistes, the longest of which is the seven-kilometre night-skiing trail. The slopes are fairly evenly distributed among skill levels, with an emphasis on beginners and intermediates. One gondola, three chairlifts and 17 surface lifts, with an hourly capacity for 18,000 people, serve all pistes.

For alternative skiing, there are a few smaller ski resorts near Mariborsko Pohorje and, away from the slopes, the nearby towns of Celje, Velenje and Slovenj Gradec offer interesting sightseeing. Farther still, Austria, Croatia and Hungary are all within proximity of Mariborsko Pohorje and offer additional sightseeing opportunities.

The ski season at Mariborsko Pohorje resort runs from mid-November to late March, and the most convenient travel option is to fly to Graz and transfer by train, or hire a car.