While you can still go to Turkey for the so called “velvet season”, autumn is the best time to plan a winter holiday, so we have prepared for you a survey of the world’s best ski resorts.
– Nearby –
The Carpathians
There is nothing unusual there: Bukovel is the best ski resort in Ukraine. If the accommodation prices in Bukovel are too high, you can settle in Yaremche, but still ski in Bukovel.
Bukovel:
- The height of the ski resort: 1372 meters above the sea level
- Area: 220 hectares
- Number of tracks: 63
- Number of lifts: 16
And if you are a beginner, then, perhaps, the two routes which the entire Yaremche resort offers are enough for you.
You can go to Dragobrat, where there are 9 tracks and a freestyle jumping hill. The highest ski point is at 1700 meters above the sea level, and unlike Bukovel, in Dragobrat there is almost always enough snow and the false is not used.
In addition, in Dragobrat there are fewer tourists and even fewer beginners as the tracks there are less suitable for them.
Georgia
You have certainly heard a lot about Georgian cuisine, beautiful nature and local hospitality. In Georgia, there are two main resorts – Gudauri and Bakuriani where the tourist season lasts until May.
The highest point of the Gudauri resort is at a height of 3007 meters. The length of the tracks is 18 km.
The royal family members used to love coming to Bakuriani. The Romanovs’ palace still exists there. The resort has 3 lifts, the highest point of Bakuriani is 2850 meters and the tracks length is 5 km.
– A bit further –
Bulgaria
You can go to Bulgaria because it is not far, not very expensive, the Bulgarian language is similar to Russian but still it’s a bit of exotic. And after skiing or snowboarding, you can easily fly to Greece in an hour and a half and pay only 40 EUR for a return ticket.
The highest ski point of Bansko resort is at a height of 2500 meters, there are 16 tracks there. Their total length is 70 km, the longest is 16 km.
In Borovets you can ski not only in the mountains, but also do cross-country skiing. There are 20 tracks in Borovets, the longest of them is 1.5 km. The resort height is 1.5 to 2.5 kilometers.
Austria
If you have never been to Vienna, you can correct this mistake in winter. You arrive in Vienna. Spend three days in the city: walk along Burgring, a boulevard, where you can find Gothic and neo-classical style buildings and a mix of all, go to the house-museum of Freud, visit the opera where you can buy a ticket for five euros on the performance day and go skiing to Bad Gastein or Galtür.
In comparison with the resorts mentioned above, Bad Gastein is a gigantic complex with a 51m lift, 201 km tracks and a 90-kilometer cross-country ski run. On the other hand, the resort height is nothing but usual the maximum skiing point is 2010 meters.
Galtür is an Austrian resort much smaller than Bad Gastein, there are only 10 lifts and 54 tracks. Despite this, the nightlife in Galtür is as active as in other Austrian resorts.
Switzerland
Switzerland is Europe, a very expensive and peaceful Europe. You arrive in Geneva, have a walk along the boulevards, buy everything two times more expensive than in any other European city and enjoy the silence (unless, of course, you have mysteriously found yourself at one of those financiers’ parties having all kinds of entertainment).
Standing on the bridge next to Geneva Museum of Art and History and looking at the Orthodox Church of Geneva you can feel as if being in Odessa. But why do you need it in Switzerland? So, after having lunch, it is quite possible to go to Zermatt. The tracks length is 350 km, they are at a height of more than 3000 meters.
On the other hand, many Europeans will tell you that Switzerland is quite a waste of money if you are not on the Forebs list. So, you can always go to France.
France
You come to Paris. If you arrived in January, then you should definitely go to Alexander III Bridge to watch the sunset. It’s cold and gets dark early here in January, but they have red sunsets. Then, as the French say, take the train, and go to Annecy. Annecy is like Geneva, but more beautiful. Take a walk around the lake, along the river, and only then go skiing to Chamonix.
In 1924, the first Winter Olympic Games were held/ took place in Chamonix. More than 70 tracks, the longest of which is 22 kilometers, are at an altitude of 2000 meters and above.
Spain
You can either come to Madrid. The plan can be the following: you arrive in Madrid, enjoy bullfight, flamenco, sangria, tapas, fiesta and all that. And then, you spend a few hours in an electric train, pay 20 EUR and you are at 1858 meters at the ski resort of Puerto de Navacerrada with 14 tracks of ten kilometers.
And since the resort in Madrid is considered to be rather weak among experienced skiers, you can go to the south of Spain and ski in Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada has 115 tracks with the length of 107 km at a height of 2000 to 3000 meters above the sea level.
– Further but even more exotic –
Japan
In addition to the fact that Japan is a country of anime, video games and books with ghosts, Japan still has Appi Cohen, a 282-hectare ski resort with 21 tracks.
The descents are covered with false snow, and even in a “high season” there are few people here. Probably, the Japanese do not really like skiing, which is better for us, of course.
South Korea
First you come and fry yourself your dish on small plates, which the waiter brings to your table. Then you can think about geopolitics a little or buy popular Korean cosmetics. And only after that you should go to the ski resort of Alpensia, which will host the 2018 Winter Olympics. The quality of the tracks is out of discussion as the Olympic Committee has already checked everything by themselves. Let’s just say that there is a 160-meter jumping tower with an excellent view.
China
Yabuli, no matter how ridiculous the name sounds, is a place where the national team of China trains. 18 tracks are available for tourists in Yabuli. One of them, a 3-kilometer A1, is called “A Road to Happiness”.
– Latin America –
If you suddenly want to go skiing between June and September, you definitely know where to go. Chile and Argentina are famous for the best ski resorts. And for beautiful citizens and their positive life attitude.
Chile
500 kilometers from Santiago, 10,000 (!) hectares, 35 kilometers of tracks and the Las Tres Marías 13 kilometers motorway are what you need to know about the ski resort of Nevados de Chillán.
Argentina
Ushuaia is a city in the south of Argentina, on the island of Tierra del Fuego and it’s one of the closest places to the Antarctic.There is a ski resort with 34 kilometers of tracks and 10 lifts.
– North America –
If you are already considering vacation options on another continent, you can go to Utah to the resort of Snowbird, located at a height of 2470 meters on the territory of 1011 hectares. More than 14 meters of snow per year fall there.
If you are a beginner, you will like it in Breckenbridge, Colorado, which is specially designed for unexperienced skiers. The resort of 1000 hectares and 34 lifts is at a height of 2925 m.
In Colorado, you can also go to Aspen: an elite resort on the territory of 2500 hectares with mostly blue and black tracks (only 10% are green).
– We propose you to finish with Africa. –
Ernest Hemingway used to go to Africa for hunting, and you can almost follow his footsteps, but still go skiing or snowboarding.
As you understand, not all African countries are safe. Despite this, a European tourist will feel most comfortable in northern Africa and South Africa.
Morocco
The King of Morocco Mohammed IV and famous Moroccan athletes often come to Mishlifen: a resort that is called “A Moroccan Aspen” for its popularity.
Mishlifen consists of five tracks and two lifts, which raise travelers to a height of 2000 meters.
South Africa
The Tiffindel Resort is located at an altitude of 2,810 m above the sea level and can become a part of your South African journey, where you can even touch and cuddle a penguin. Of course, if you learn to run as fast as he does, though.
– Something more –
Australia
Australian tourists come to Europe for at least half a year, because the flight is expensive and long. The idea to stay in Australia for these six months can take place if you consider walking through the continent’s alone. This was exactly what our friend did. A random acquaintance at the airport told him about “a strange guy who went across the whole Australia and was not stung by any insect.”
In Australia, you can also go skiing and snowboarding but only during our summer. As well as in Latin America and South Africa.
Mount Buller is at a three-hour drive from Melbourne and provides 25 tracks and 10 lifts on 300 acres.
Mount Hotham is known for the most severe snowfalls in the country. It is located on 250 hectares, the longest track is 1.5 km. There are 20 bars and restaurants in 20 kilometers from Mount Hotham Airport. All this is about the Mount Hotham resort.
Skiing in the mall
Have you ever wanted to go skiing in an amusement park? In Ski Dubai you and 1,500 people will be able to ski on 22.5 hectares covered with snow. False snow, of course.
A 60-meter lift, 5 slopes and a 90-meter snowboarding track are in the Mall of the Emirates.
