Category: Ski Travel

Kopaonik in Serbia

Skiing in Kopaonik, Serbia is becoming a growing trend for skiers looking to move away from the commercial skiing facilities of Central and Northern Europe in search of more naturally occurring skiing trails. With a snow range of 1770-2017 metres and a village positioned 5,000 feet above sea level Kopeonik in Serbia is seen as the answer to many skiers dreams. With a three hour journey from the nearest airport Kopaonik is surely worth the effort, having cross-country skiing, night skiing, skydiving, sleigh rides, ice-skating, indoor tennis and many other activities for the winter sports enthusiast to enjoy.

The mountain climbs 35,000 feet into the cold Serbian sky, whilst ski lifts only climb to 6,617 feet. The skiing facility is yet to host a major skiing event; despite being home to several international snowboarding competitions and cross-country skiing as well. The living quarters are apt for pricing that would delight the weariest of tourists. Skiers can experience national cuisine such as Burek (pastry, cheese, spinach) and Pljeskavica (grilled mince) for well under $10 a meal. The old favorites such as burger, chips and pizza are still on the menu, and the price of $1.50 a beer might delight some holiday makers looking to do slightly more than just ski! The living area can handle over 5,000 tourists at the same time, whilst the bars and clubs around the area make the holiday destination more suited to the younger holiday-maker. Another issue that is quite prominent is the mistake that many make in travelling to Kopaonik to celebrate Christmas the celebrations are of slight comparison to western culture, despite its labelling as a winter heaven.

With different piste types Kopaonik caters for beginners, intermediates and experts with the following ratio.

?15 beginner
?8 intermediate
?6 expert

Having 21 lifts and an uphill capacity of 15,000 (an hour) Kopaonik is more than capable of catering for its millions of visitors each year. With slopes facing N, N/E and N/W you can be sure to experience the densely populated villages that surround the region. Thriving from the tourism the mountain provides, Kopaonik has recently became home to a 4 star luxury hotel providing entertainment and accommodation to skiers and executives alike.

With the longest run covering 3.5 KM and expert tuition on hand, Kopaonik has recently benefited from its appointment of English speaking instructors across skiing and snowboarding disciplines. The advanced runs down the Kopaonik mountain-face are a primary incentive for many skiers to choose Kopaonik as their skiing holiday destination. The 6 runs that fit into this category must be epitomised by the Konaci – which a local holiday village was recently named after.

The Konaci has an angle of 79 degrees at a certain point, which it is said that – if you go too slow, and fail to position yourself correctly, it would be perfectly feasible to fall forwards merely travelling in a straight line. The Konaci sees skiers travelling at speeds of over 50 MPH and jumps that allow airtime of over 8 seconds. The Konaci is praised and feared by the top skiers from Europe and further a field. Despite this, the run featured in the 2005 snowboarding event that took place in the Kopaonik mountains.

With snow falling on the slopes between August/September all the way through to early March, skiers should plan their trip with that in mind. The slopes of Serbia and the warm generous nation make Kopaonik an ideal holiday destination for any traveler looking to have a good time on a set of skis. The package deals start from around $400 a week, whilst amazing savings can be made through booking online.

The destination expects 10, 000 visitors a week by 2009, and with its intention to develop further runs across every piste you can be sure that Kopaonik, Serbia will be a skiing location that will stay firmly on the map.

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Great European Skiing Destinations

When it comes to skiing and winter sports, Europe has more than its fair share of amazing resorts. From the greatly priced, to the more than reasonable, Europe has it all, and has so much to offer any skier. If youve never been to Europe on a skiing holiday, or if youre looking to expand your experience, youll find something that catches your eye without too much research, and you might just end up joining the legions of skiing fans that wouldnt go anywhere else in the world for their vacation.

On mainland Europe, you have such a varied selection. From the world famous French skiing resorts to Austria, Switzerland and the tiny principality of Andorra, youve got such a wide range of skiing to choose from. France is known the world over as the true home of skiing, and the French really know how to do a quality vacation. With naturally amazing resources, and scenery that can take your breath away, France is an ideal location for a skiing trip. Why not try the Courchevel resort, which has four different ski resorts within one, providing the perfect blend of quality and affordability in a skiing trip. From the grossly overpriced 1850 resort, the playground of Europes film stars and playboys, to the seemingly remote 1350 at the bottom of the hill, you have so much to choose from in Europes finest skiing country. With the kids or with your friends, France is truly a destination that will make for a memorable skiing vacation.

Or how about some of the Italian resorts? Italy, famous for being the cheaper way to ski, also benefits from a diverse range of resorts, like the tiny Alba resort, as well as some larger, more sizeable areas to ski. Famous for passion and a depth of culture, Italy is the ideal place to take a skiing break in Europe, and the weathers good too! Or how about Italys neighbor, Croatia? A rising European nation, youll find a Croatian holiday outrageously good value for money, not to mention top quality. From the international standard ski resorts to their world class restaurants, Croatia is certainly a country on the up, and its skiing facilities can only improve as more and more tourists flock to their slopes each year. Additionally, Bulgaria is an excellent skiing destination to take the kids. With open arms, you will be welcomed by the Bulgarian people, who are more than eager to tell you about their rich and deep past, and welcome you as part of their future. In these expanding and developing European nations, you will come to appreciate the value of tourism, and the quality of treatment and service they are prepared to offer for your investment.

How about Austria for your skiing trip? When we think of skiing, we often imagine the Alpine ideal, with breathtaking scenery and fresh, clean air. Well, it simply doesnt come much better than Austria, and if youre looking for a skiing destination that has it all, why not try Austria for that touch of class with your skiing. Or why not pop over to Switzerland for their Alps experience? Skiing the alps in the home of chocolate and cuckoo clocks, you will be amazed at how picturesque this modern nation has managed to be, whilst still becoming a world leader in financial industry.

Skiing in Europe is the ideal way to spend your vacation. If you love skiing, you are guaranteed to find a great resort somewhere, within your budget that meets your needs, and caters for your ability. With most resorts also boasting strong training academies, you can also work to improve your skills while you are there, ensuring that your skiing trip is both useful and memorable. Whatever you are looking for, choose Europe as your number one skiing destination, for that perfect blend of quality, tradition and culture, and for a holiday that is truly breathtaking.

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Geilo in Norway

Geilo in Norway stands 800 metres high, and has one of the highest ski lifts in the world, stretching 3,887 feet. Geilo is positioned three and a half hours from the capital city, whilst having good road and rail links to the village. Set amidst amazing scenery just off the banks of Fjord, Geilo is at the heart of Norways Winter Wonderland. Maintaining its reputation as an excellent family resort, Geilo has seen visitors from Europe and beyond since early 1900s. Geilo remains unspoilt, with true Norwegian character firmly intact.

With more than just skiing facilities Geilo is home to the 4 star Highland Hotel, as well as numerous lodging houses, and the famous Holms Ski Bar. Although primarily a ski resort Geilo also offers sleigh rides, wildlife adventure tours, ski orienteering, tobogganing, snow shoe walking, dog-sledging, kite-skiing, night-skiing, snowboarding, freestyle snowboarding and much more.

Geilos reputation as one the worlds top skiing resorts lies mainly in its ability to cater for family vacations. With over 10,000 families visiting the slopes each year, Geilo also offers excellent tuition in packages it refers to as the Family Starter Pack. This involves tuition for your entire family for the equivalent of $200 a day. This means, that not only can your whole family learn together, but is also means that families with no skiing experience, can go along and after the first day, they will be able to ski on their own.

Geilo has also increased its reputation amongst Snowboarders in recent years beating off Lillehammer, Voss and Hemsedal in its bid to host the Norwegian Snowboarding Championship. With four sides of mountain each dedicated to snowboarding and skiing, Geilo is now able to call itself Norways first skiing location to offer 5 runs dedicated to snowboarding. With 110 runs in total, Geilo has 14% expert allowing experienced skiers to enjoy themselves on the slopes, whilst maintaining the rest of its facilities for intermediates and beginners that account for a larger number of their yearly visitors.

Geilo also offers exceptional value for money with weekly family packages starting from $1000 including accommodation, bed and breakfast. The element that stands out the most about Geilo is the way it caters for families, with crches, family diners, and especially their Christmas bonanza which includes Santa visiting the slopes with his reindeer on Christmas day, and the time leading up to christmas. Geilo never fails to be fully booked for Christmas, with so many families choosing to bring their children along to experience Christmas within this winter wonderland.

Although Geilo offers amazing family packages, it would be unfair to say that Geilo is limited to family vacations. Geilo has hosted very serious world sporting events, as well as being the training ground of the national snowboarding and skiing teams. Geilo is available from August/September all the way through to late March and is also considering investing in Avalanche Technology which generates snow from water to provide 24/365 skiing. If you have never been to Geilo then I would recommend that you give it a go, although the family image may put certain people off visiting the slope I would suggest that checking it out is the best thing to do. From their website it is clear to see that consistent snowfall, and a good variation in the difficulty of runs, Geilo is a facility that can genuinely cater for everyone; from beginner to professional.

It has many great options for accommodation, and with good travel links as well their really is no excuse for not hoping on a plane and going to Geilo today. With thousands of people on the slopes, from different countries and different backgrounds Geilo is suitable for families and teenagers alike. With individual price plans starting from $350 a week, and well-known DJs playing at local club venues Geilo is also becoming very popular amongst those teenagers who would have previously seen Ibiza as the only place to be seen on holiday.

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